Vickers Vanguard
The Vickers Vanguard was a four-engine turboprop passenger aircraft for short and medium range of Vickers Armstrongs ( Aircraft) Ltd.. It was made in 1959 as a successor to the Vickers Viscount just before the advent of large passenger jet in service, so it hardly perceived by the market. The Vanguard was the last major European passenger plane with propeller drive. After the construction of 44 machines, production was reinstated in 1963.
History
Development
Just two years before the introduction of the Vickers Viscount employed in 1951, the Planning Division of the British European Airways ( BEA) with a follow-up model. While numerous components of the Viscount should be used in the initial projects, the project developed in 1953 900 was a fundamental redesign. The specification of the BEA provided for 93 passenger seats or a payload of 9525 kg. The initial weight of the driven by four Rolls -Royce Tyne turboprop aircraft should be 52,160 kg. Further investigations revealed, however, that such aircraft could not be used efficiently. Under the type designation 950 Vickers Vanguard therefore drew an enlarged project with a takeoff weight of 61,235 kg. As one of the first passenger aircraft, the machine was designed double-level, which was not common practice until then. In the lower torso area extremely large and bulky cargo space found.
First flight and aircraft registration
In July 1956, the BEA issued an order for 20 aircraft of the type V.951, six months later went by Trans-Canada Air Lines, another order for 23 machines a. These so-called V.952 aircraft were equipped with the more powerful Tyne R.Ty.11 Mk.512 of 5,545 shaft horsepower ( 4,076 WkW ), whereby the takeoff weight was increased to 66,448 kg. The first flight of this variant was made on 21 May 1960. During summer 1958, the BEA decided for this more powerful version. The original order of the V.951 was reduced to six copies and replaced by an order for 14 V.953. The V.953 has the same starting weight as the Canadian version, but is equipped with the less powerful Tyne 506 engines.
The 18 -minute maiden flight of the first prototype Vanguard G- AOYW took place on 20 January 1959 by the plant in Weybridge to the test center at Wisley. On April 22 of that year, the G- APEA, the first destined for the BEA V.951 followed. The one with the fourth production aircraft (G- APED ) conducted Engine testing revealed serious deficiencies on the compressor, which delayed the issuance of the airworthiness certificate until December 1960.
Use
On March 1, 1961, the BEA began with their V.951 the scheduled flight operations, followed in May of the same year by the V.953. Trans-Canada Air Lines began as a launch customer for the line bet with her V.952 on 1 February 1961, the pattern of work done up to the decommissioning and the sale in 1971 of reliable service. One of the machines was similar to the Merchantman models converted into a cargo plane. Six others also, but without the large cargo hatch.
In the BEA Vanguard remained until 1968 in passenger use. In 1969, the airline nine of its machines at Aviation Traders converted to pure freighters, who received the new type designation " Merchantman ". The first Merchantman was already passed on 29 November 1969 to the BEA. The pattern remained until 1979 with the airline (later British Airways) in use. They were then (later Hunting Cargo) sold to Air Bridge Carriers. The Merchantman had a large loading door in the left front half of the fuselage and equipped with a reinforced roller -floor cabin floor to transport palletized cargo.
The French Society Europe Aero Services bought several machines from Air Canada and BEA and they mainly operate in passenger charter operations.
The last built Vanguard, a machine of the series 952, was until 1984 in service with the Indonesian Merpati Nusantara airline Airlines ( PK- MVH, C / N 746 ), while the last converted to Merchantman ( V.953C G- APEP, C / N 719) was provided by Hunting Cargo Airlines only on 17 October 1996 out of service and is now on display at Brooklands Museum.
Accidents
On October 27, 1965, the Vanguard G- APEE British European Airways crashed on the flight from Edinburgh during the go-around during the third test approach at London Heathrow Airport on its runway 28R. All 36 occupants were killed.
On 2 October 1971, the Vanguard G -APEC British European Airways crashed on the flight from London to Salzburg via Belgium. As a cause of accidents caused by corrosion of the rear pressure bulkhead demolition of both horizontal tail surfaces was found that made the control of the machine impossible. All 63 occupants were killed.
On April 10, 1973, the Vanguard G- AXOP the British Invicta International Airways crashed in heavy snowfall on a hillside on the municipal area of high forest in Switzerland. In this case, 108 of the 145 passengers and crew members died. This was due to navigation error after a go-around when approaching the airport Basel -Mulhouse. The majority of the passengers were housewives from Bristol and surrounding areas, which were on a shopping trip to Basel.
On February 6, 1989, the Vanguard F- Geje the Inter Cargo Service crashed immediately after taking off from Marseille Marignane airport into the sea. All 3 crew members were killed. Royal Air Maroc had leased the machine from Inter Cargo Service for a cargo flight to Paris -Orly. Cause of the disaster was a torn or loose timing chain in the drive of the left aileron.
Specifications
- 952: four turboprop Rolls -Royce Tyne 512 5545 WPS ( 4,076 WkW )
- 953: four turboprop Rolls -Royce Tyne 506 4985 WPS
- 952: three crew members and passengers to 139
- 953: three crew members and cargo 19.5 t