Editing Vickers VC.1 Viking (section)

==Design and development==

The [[Ministry of Aircraft Production]] ordered three prototype ''Wellington Transport Aircraft'' to [[Air Ministry Specification]] 17/44 from [[Vickers-Armstrongs Limited]]. The specification was for a peacetime requirement for an interim short-medium haul passenger aircraft to serve until the more advanced designs specified by the [[Brabazon Committee]] (in particular, the [[Airspeed Ambassador]] and [[Armstrong Whitworth Apollo]]) could be developed.<ref name="Andrews and Morgan p396-8">Andrews and Morgan 1988, pp. 396–398.</ref><ref name="Taylor p38-9">Taylor 1983, pp. 38–39.</ref> To speed development the aircraft used the wing and undercarriage design from the [[Vickers Wellington|Wellington]] but the fuselage was new.<ref name="Taylor p39"/><ref name="Jackson Civil v3 p215">Jackson 1988, p. 215.</ref> Although the original contract referred to Wellington Transport Aircraft, on completion, the name Viking was chosen.<ref name="Andrews and Morgan p396-8"/>

The first prototype (designated the Type 491 and registered G-AGOK) was built by the Vickers Experimental Department at its wartime Foxwarren dispersal site and was first flown by 'Mutt' Summers at [[Wisley Airfield]] on 22 June 1945.<ref name="Andrews and Morgan p398">Andrews and Morgan 1988, p. 398.</ref> This aircraft crashed on 23 April 1946<ref name="Taylor p39"/> due to a double engine failure; no fatalities occurred as a result of the crash.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ranter |first=Harro |title=ASN Aircraft accident Vickers 491 Viking 1A G-AGOK Effingham |url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19460423-0 |access-date=2022-09-21 |website=aviation-safety.net}}</ref> Following successful trials of the three prototypes the Ministry of Aircraft Production ordered 50 aircraft.<ref name="Taylor p39"/><ref name="Andrews and Morgan p402">Andrews and Morgan 1988, p. 402.</ref> The first BOAC aircraft flew on 23 March 1946. The prototypes were then used for trials with the [[Royal Air Force]] which led to orders for military versions (the Viking C2 (12 ordered as freighter/transports) and the modified [[Vickers Valetta|Valetta C1]]).

[[File:Vickers Nene Viking G-AJPH.jpg|thumb|left|The jet-powered Vickers [[Rolls-Royce Nene|Nene]] Viking ''G-AJPH'']]

The initial 19 production aircraft (later designated the '''Viking 1A''') carried 21 passengers, they had metal [[fuselage]]s and - except for the wing inboard of the nacelles - fabric-clad [[geodetic airframe|geodetic]] wings and tail units. Following feedback from customers, the next 14 examples, known as the '''Viking 1''', featured stressed-metal wings and tail units. The next variant, the '''Viking 1B''', was 28&nbsp;in (71&nbsp;cm) longer, carrying 24 passengers with up-rated [[Bristol Hercules]] piston engines, achieved a production run of 115. One of this batch was changed during production to so that it could be fitted with two [[Rolls-Royce Nene]] turbojet engines, with its first flight on 6 April 1948.

On 25 July 1948, on the 39th anniversary of [[Louis Blériot|Blériot]]'s crossing of the English Channel, the '''Type 618 Nene-Viking''' flew [[Heathrow]]–[[Paris]] ([[Vélizy – Villacoublay Air Base|Villacoublay]]) in the morning carrying letters to Bleriot's widow and son (secretary of the FAI), who met it at the airport. The flight of {{convert|222|mi}} took only 34 minutes. It then flew back to London in the afternoon. It obtained a maximum speed of {{convert|415|mph|abbr=on}} at {{convert|12000|ft|m|abbr=on}} and averaged {{convert|394|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=First Jet Transport |magazine=[[Flight International|Flight]] |date=29 July 1948 |volume=LIV |issue=2066 |page=134 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1948/1948%20-%201180.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114010952/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1948/1948%20-%201180.html |archive-date=14 January 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In 1954 it was bought from the Ministry of Supply and underwent the substantial conversion to Hercules 634 piston engines by [[British Eagle|Eagle Aviation]] to join their fleet.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Civil Aviation: From Jets to Pistons |magazine=[[Flight International|Flight]] |date=17 September 1954 |volume=66 |issue=2382 |page=464 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1954/1954%20-%202675.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114011000/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1954/1954%20-%202675.html |archive-date=14 January 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Production finished in 1948, including 16 for the RAF of which four were for the [[Air transport of the Royal Family and government of the United Kingdom|King's Flight]],<ref name="Thetford RAF">{{cite book|author=Owen Thetford|title=Aircraft of the Royal Air Force|year=1988|edition=8th|page=649}}</ref> but in 1952 BEA adapted some to a 38-passenger layout, taking the maximum payload up from {{cvt|5,500 to 7,200|lb}}. All Vikings featured a tailwheel undercarriage.

The 58th Viking (c/n 158) became the prototype of the military [[Vickers Valetta|Valetta]], of which 262 were produced for the RAF. When production of this strengthened but externally similar type ended in 1952, a flying classroom version with tricycle undercarriage was already being delivered to the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF), called the [[Vickers Varsity|Varsity]].<ref>Green and Pollinger 1955, p. 184.</ref> All but one of those entered RAF service, the other example going to the [[Swedish Air Force]]. The production of 161 Varsities kept the Hurn works busy until January 1954, and they enjoyed a long service life. Six examples are preserved, including at [[Brooklands Museum]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/explore/our-collection/aircraft/varsity|title=Vickers 668 Varsity T.1|website=Brooklands Museum|publisher=Brooklands Museum Trust Ltd}}</ref> and the [[Newark Air Museum]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Aircraft List |url=http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/Aircraft-List |website=Newark Air Museum}}</ref>