Vickers Vendace

The Vickers Vendace was a 1920s British trainer aircraft. It was originally designed as a floatplane trainer for the Royal Air Force.

Vendace
Role Trainer
Manufacturer Vickers
First flight 1926
Introduction 1928
Retired 1933
Primary user Bolivia
Number built 5

Background

In October 1924, the British Air Ministry issued Specification 5A/24 for a floatplane trainer. To meet this requirement, Vickers designed a two-seat biplane, the Vickers Type 120 Vendace I. In August 1925, the Air Ministry placed an order for a single prototype, in addition to competing aircraft from Parnall and Blackburn, (the Parnall Perch and Blackburn Sprat).

Design and development

The Vendace I was a two-bay biplane with folding wooden wings and a steel tube fuselage, powered by a Rolls-Royce Falcon engine. Its undercarriage could be changed from floats to wheels in ten minutes, while its fuel supply was held in two streamlined tanks above the upper wing.

The first Vendace first flew at Brooklands by March 1926, and then underwent successful trials as a landplane, including operation from the aircraft carrier HMS Furious.[1] In 1927, these were followed by testing in seaplane configuration at the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment, Felixstowe. Despite the successful trials, the RAF did not order production, although it did retain the aircraft for experimental purposes.[2]

Vickers built a second aircraft, the Type 157 Vendace II, as a private venture, with an ADC Nimbus (an inline six-cylinder engine derived from the Siddeley Puma) that replaced the Falcon of the Vendace I. It first flew in November 1927, and was sold to the Aircraft Operating Company for survey operations in South America.[3][4]

Development continued with the Type 155 Vendace III powered by a Hispano-Suiza 8F, and three were sold to Bolivia for use as trainers.[5]

Operational history

In October 1928, the three Bolivian Vendaces entered service with the Escuela Militar de Aviación.[6] They experienced engine problems, blamed on dusty conditions in the Bolivian summer,[7] but remained in service until 1933.[8]

Variants
Type 120 Vendace I
Prototype convertible landplane/seaplane for RAF, powered by 275 hp (205 kW) Rolls-Royce Falcon III engine. One (serial number N208) built.
Type 157 Vendace II
Private venture aircraft powered by 300 hp (220 kW) ADC Nimbus engine. One (registered G-EBPX) built, converted for airborne survey purposes.
Type 155 Vendace III
Trainer for Bolivia, powered by 300 hp (220 kW) Hispano-Suiza 8F engine. Three built.

Operators
 Bolivia
 United Kingdom

Specifications (Vendace III)
Vickers Vendace I

Data from Vickers Aircraft since 1908[9]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 33 ft 3 in (10.13 m)
  • Wingspan: 44 ft 7 in (13.59 m)
  • Height: 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m)
  • Wing area: 533 sq ft (49.5 m2)
  • Empty weight: 2,604 lb (1,181 kg)
  • Gross weight: 3,207 lb (1,455 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Hispano-Suiza 8F V-8 water-cooled piston engine, 300 hp (220 kW)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 119 mph (192 km/h, 103 kn) at 19,000 ft (5,791 m)
  • Service ceiling: 25,800 ft (7,900 m)
  • Rate of climb: 720 ft/min (3.7 m/s)
  • Wing loading: 6.02 lb/sq ft (29.4 kg/m2)
  • Power/mass: 0.094 hp/lb (0.155 kW/kg)

See also

Related lists

References
  1. Andrews and Morgan 1988, p. 195
  2. Donald 1997, p. 893
  3. Andrews and Morgan 1988, p. 196.
  4. Air Survey Developments. Flight, 21 June 1928, p. 474. Retrieved 23 February 2008
  5. Andrews and Morgan 1988, p. 197
  6. Klaus, Erich. "Bolivia Air Force Aircraft Types: Vickers 155 Vendace III" Aeroflight.co.uk, 15 March 2007. Retrieved 23 February 2008.
  7. Andrews and Morgan 1988, p. 198
  8. Klaus, Erich. "Bolivia Air Force: All-Time Listing (Chronological)". Aeroflight.co.uk. 25 August 2007. Retrieved 23 February 2008.
  9. Andrews and Morgan 1988, p. 206

Bibliography
  • Andrews, C.F. and Morgan, E.B. Vickers Aircraft since 1908. London: Putnam. Second Edition, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-815-1.
  • Donald, David (ed.). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Aerospace Publishing. 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
  • "The Vickers 'Vendace': An Efficient Land or Sea Training Biplane". Flight. 18 March 1926. London. p. 165–167.
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