Note: this is an artice about the Post World War Two twin-engined Vickers Viking airliner. For the single-engined amphibian Vickers Viking of 1918 see: Vickers Viking. World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb. ... An airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft (an aeroplane/airplane) initially designed for the transport of paying passengers, and usually operated by an airline company (which owns or leases the aircraft). ... Note: this is an article about the single-engined amphibian Vickers Viking of 1918. ...

The Vickers VC.1 Viking was a twin-engined short-range airliner derived from the Vickers Wellington bomber. The Vickers corporation, founded as the Vickers Company in 1828, was a British manufacturer, primarily of military equipment. ... An airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft (an aeroplane/airplane) initially designed for the transport of paying passengers, and usually operated by an airline company (which owns or leases the aircraft). ... The Vickers Wellington was a twin-engine, medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs Chief Designer, R.K. Pierson. ...

The Ministry of Aircraft Production agreed in 1944 to the Vickers-Armstrong Company developing a passenger carrying version of the Wellington for the post-war era. Although the original contract for three prototypes referred to Wellington Transports, on completion the name Viking was in use. The first of this batch flew on 22 June, 1945 and the third was delivered to BOAC at Hurn near Bournemouth on 20 April, 1946. Upon the delivery of nine examples to BOAC, including these two prototypes, British European Airways was established on 1 August, 1946 to operate airliners within Europe and these first VC.1 Vikings were transferred to the new airline. In all 163 Vikings were built. The initials 'VC' stood for Vickers Civil, echoing the 'DC' precedent set by the Douglas corporation of the USA, builders of the DC-1, DC-2 and DC-3 Douglas Dakota the latter also bought by BEA, and of a similar configuration to the Viking. This is a list of aviation-related events from 1944: Events January January 11 - in one of the largest air raids to date, 570 USAAF bombers strike Brunswick, Halberstadt, and Oschersleben. ... June 22 is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 192 days remaining. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1945: // Events January January 1 - the Luftwaffe begins targeting Allied airfields in Europe as Operation Bodenplatte February February 13-15 - Allied bombers attack Dresden with incendiary weapons, destroying most of the city and killing some 50,000 people. ... After technical problems with the Comet, BOAC resumed jet service with imported Boeing 707s. ... Hurn is a village in south east Dorset, England, situated between the River Stour and River Avon in Christchurch borough, five miles north east of Bournemouth city centre. ... April 20 is the 110th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (111th in leap years). ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1946: Events January January 1 - a British South American Airways Avro Lancastrian becomes the first commercial flight to depart Heathrow Airport January 10 - a Sikorsky R5 sets an unofficial helicopter altitude record of 6,400 m (21,000 ft) at Stratford... For alternate usages of BEA see Bea (disambiguation). ... August 1st is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... A Boeing 747-400 belonging to Virgin Atlantic Airways, one of the UKs largest airlines. ... Douglas DC-3 VH-AES at Avalon in 2003. ...

The initial nineteen production aircraft (Mark 1A) contained 21 passenger seats in a metal fuselage but had fabric clad geodetic wings and tail units. The next fourteen examples, known as the Mark 1, featured stressed metal wings and tail units. The next variant, the 1B, was 28 inches (710 mm) longer, carrying 24 passengers with up-rated Bristol Hercules piston engines, achieved a production run of 115. One of this batch was for a time fitted with two Rolls-Royce Nene engines and upon its first flight on 6 April, 1948 became the world’s first entirely jet powered airliner. Production finished in 1948, including sixteen for the RAF and the King's Flight, but in 1952 BEA adapted some to a 38-passenger layout, taking the maximum payload up from 5,500 to 7,200 pounds (2,500 to 3,300 kg). All Vikings featured a tailwheel undercarriage. Bristol Hercules engine The Hercules was a 14_cylinder two_row radial aircraft engine produced by the Bristol Engine Company starting in 1939. ... The Nene or RB.41, was Rolls-Royces third jet engine to enter production, designed and built in an astonishingly short five month period in 1944, first running on October 27th, 1944. ... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1948: Events January January 17 - BOAC begins to replace flying boat routes with the Lockheed Constellation March the Israeli Air Force is formed, with the new state of Israel March 10 - VF-5 becomes the first US Navy carrier squadron to... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1952: // Events January January 5 - Pan Am commences trans-atlantic freight services. ...

The 158th Viking became the prototype of the military Valetta of which 261 were sold. When production of this toughened but externally-similar type ended in 1951, a flying classroom version with tricycle undercarriage was already being delivered to the RAF, called the Varsity. All but one of those entered RAF service, the other one 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. An example is preserved at the Newark Air Museum. This is a list of aviation-related events from 1951: Events February February 21 - an English Electric Canberra becomes the first jet to make an unrefuelled crossing of the Atlantic, taking 4 hours 37 minutes March March 6 - the Martin aircraft company gains production rights to the English Electric Canberra... The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the UK Armed Forces. ... The Swedish Air Force, or Flygvapnet, is the air force branch of the Swedish Armed Forces, the military of Sweden. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1954: Events January January 10 - a BOAC de Havilland Comet crashes into the Mediterranean Sea near Elba with the loss of all 35 people aboard. ... Newark (also Newark-on-Trent) is a town in Nottinghamshire, located on the River Trent. ...

The name Viking had been previously used during the 1918-1923 period when Vickers applied it to a single-engined Type 54 amphibian (see Vickers Viking). Note: this is an article about the single-engined amphibian Vickers Viking of 1918. ...

Specifications (Viking 1B)

General Characteristics

• Crew: two pilots
• Capacity: 36 passengers
• Length: 65 ft 2 in (19.86 m)
• Wingspan: 89 ft 3 in (27.20 m)
• Height: 19 ft 7 in (5.97 m)
• Wing area: ft² ( m²)
• Empty: 23,000 lb (10,433 kg)
• Loaded: lb ( kg)
• Maximum takeoff: 34,000 lb (15,454 kg)
• Powerplant: 2x Bristol Hercules 634, 1,690 hp (1,260 kW)

Bristol Hercules engine The Hercules was a 14_cylinder two_row radial aircraft engine produced by the Bristol Engine Company starting in 1939. ...

Performance

• Maximum speed: 263 mph (420 km/h)
• Range: 1,700 miles (2,720 km)
• Service ceiling: ft ( m)
• Rate of climb: 1,500 ft/min (7.62 m/s)
• Wing loading: lb/ft² ( kg/m²)
• Power/Mass: hp/lb ( kW/kg)

Related content

Related development: Vickers Wellington - Vickers Valetta - Vickers Varsity The Vickers Wellington was a twin-engine, medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs Chief Designer, R.K. Pierson. ...

Comparable aircraft:

Designation sequence: