Vickers Vildebeest
Vickers Limited · United Kingdom · first flew 1928 · bomber
The Vickers Vildebeest was the RAF's main torpedo bomber from the early 1930s to the start of World War II, a biplane design that was already obsolete when war broke out. It served in the Far East and was licence-built in Spain by CASA.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 11.17 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- RAF torpedo bomber biplane, 1930s
- Bristol Pegasus or Jupiter radial engine
- Biplane with single centreline torpedo rack
A large single-engine biplane with unequal staggered wings and an uncowled or lightly cowled radial engine. The torpedo is carried on a centreline rack beneath the fuselage, and the fixed undercarriage has prominent leg fairings.
Specifications
- The Vickers Vildebeest has a length of 11.17 m (37 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14.94 m (49 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 249 km/h (155 mph).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Entering RAF service in 1933, the Vildebeest equipped torpedo bomber squadrons in Britain and the Far East. When Japan attacked Malaya in 1941, the Singapore-based Vildebeests flew desperate attacks against the Japanese fleet despite being completely outclassed by enemy fighters.
Variants
Four marks were produced, progressively improving the engine from the Bristol Jupiter to the Pegasus. Spain produced a version as the CASA 1-111 with a supercharged Hispano-Suiza engine.
Where you'll see it
The Vildebeest served with the RAF in Britain, Singapore, and New Zealand, and with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Its actions during the fall of Malaya in December 1941, attacking Japanese ships at night, were tactically courageous but costly.
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