Vickers: Company Profile 1911-1977 (Aeroplane Company Profile)

It seems incredible that a mere 33 years separates the maiden fl ights of the Barnes Wallis-designed R.100 airship from the beautiful VC10 airliner. It is also remarkable that in 2013 the latter is still in service, albeit in dwindling numbers, but still representing a company that was formed 102 years ago! Although the VC10 was prefi xed with BAC by the time of its entry into service, the aircraft represents the rapid rise of Vickers, which actually embarked on its fi rst aeronautical project in 1908, before establishing an offi cial aviation department in 1911. As an engineering company the name of Vickers had been around since 1828, so its venture into aviation was just one of many avenues of income, growing into one of the big players, until it was swallowed up by BAC in 1960. Vickers produced over 70 diff erent types of aircraft during a 49-year period, not including a host of sub-variants, the Wellington for example, having 19 alone. Not all were successful, but every one contributed, however small, another nugget of experience, which was either ploughed into the next aircraft or stored away for the future.