Vickers Vildebeest
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The Vickers Vildebeest and the similar Vickers Vincent were two very large 2- to 3-seat single-engined British biplanes designed and built by Vickers and used as a light bomber, torpedo bomber and in the army cooperation roles. Designed against RAF specification 24/25, the Vildebeest was first flown in 1928, and entered production in 1931.
The airframe was metal, covered with fabric.
Contents
Vildebeest Variants
The Vildebeest was built in progressive Marks.- Mark I
- 22 for RAF
Vincent
The Vincent was developed from the Vildebeest as a Westland Wapiti replacement to satisfy operational requirement 16/34. Differences were miniimal. All had the 660 hp Bristol Pegasus IIM3A. Early Vincents carried a message pick-up hook and fuel links for a drop tank and deleted the torpedo attachments. Between 1934 and 1936, 196 Vincents were built for the RAF or converted from Vildebeest - 60 or 62 of these machines, (depending on source), were passed on to the RNZAF.Service History
The type was purchased in moderately large numbers by the Royal Air Force from 1931 and used as a torpedo bomber. It entered service with 100 squadron in 1932. Trials were conducted in India with a Vildebeest in the Army co-operation role leading to the 'development' of the Vincent, by deleting the torpedo equipement and adding provision for a drop tank instead. 101 Vildebeest and Vincents remained in service at the outbreak of World War II, serving in Aden, Iraq, Sudan and Egypt. British machines in Singapore saw action against the Japanese invasion fleet off Malaya in December 1941. Operational use ended in 1942, and the last hacks were retired in 1944.
The Vildebeest was ordered by Spain in 1934 and licence production of 27 Vildebeest was undertaken in Spain by CASA most receiving the Hispano-Suiza HS 600 inline engine, though some other engines were also used. Around 20 survived to fight on the Republican side of the Spanish Civil War, some equipped with floats. A Vildebeest was the first victim of Fascist ace Joaquin Garcia-Morato.
99 were purchased by the Royal New Zealand Air Force for coastal defence from 1935. Kiwi Vildebeest were also used for photo mapping. A few were used for maratime patrols against German surface raiders, and Japanese submarines, (a handful were based in Fiji in December 1941), but the main role of the New Zealand aircraft was as particularly unwieldy pilot trainers, until replaced by North American Harvards in 1942.
Survivors
A Vildebeest/Vincent composite airframe is being restored by the Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum at Wigram. A Vincent (NZ311) has nearly completed restoration to static display by the Subritzky family near Auckland, New Zealand. A Spanish Vildebeest is rumoured to have survived.Service
- No. 1 Squadron RNZAF
- No. 3 Squadron RNZAF
- No. 5 Squadron RNZAF
- No. 6 Squadron RNZAF
- No. 30 Squadron RNZAF
- No. 36 Squadron RAF
- No. 100 Squadron RAF
Specifications (Vildebeest III)
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