Vickers Varsity
Vickers-Armstrongs · United Kingdom · first flew 1949 · light aircraft
The Vickers Varsity was a British twin-engined crew trainer operated by the Royal Air Force from 1951 to 1976.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Distinctive pannier under the fuselage for a bomb-aimer and practice bombs |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Tricycle undercarriage
- Distinctive pannier under the fuselage for a bomb-aimer and practice bombs
- Wider-span wings and longer fuselage than the Valetta
A twin-radial transport-sized trainer with a tricycle undercarriage and a deep pannier under the belly.
Specifications
- The Vickers Varsity has a length of 20.57 m (67 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 29.13 m (96 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 463 km/h (288 mph).
- Typical crew: 4.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was developed from the Vickers Viking via the similar Valetta, with wider-span wings, a longer fuselage and a tricycle undercarriage. The first flight was on 17 July 1949.
Variants
It was a larger, tricycle-geared development of the Valetta transport, and carried up to 24 practice bombs in a ventral pannier.
Where you'll see it
The RAF used it for 25 years to train multi-engine pilots, navigators and bomb-aimers, and 163 were built.
Related aircraft
- Vickers Viscount
- Vickers Viscount 700
- Vickers Valetta
- Vickers Valiant
- Aero Ae 50
- Auster J/5 Autocar
- Beechcraft Twin Bonanza
- Boisavia B.60 Mercurey
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