Engineering:Vickers Type 123

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Type 123
Vickers 123.jpg
Vickers 123
Role Single-seat fighter
National origin United Kingdom
Manufacturer Vickers Limited
First flight 11 September 1926
Retired 1930
Status Scrapped
Number built 1
Vickers 141

The Vickers Type 123 was a 1920s United Kingdom single-seat biplane fighter designed and built by Vickers Limited as a private venture.[1] The only Type 123 was later modified into the Type 141 but, not winning any orders, it was scrapped in 1930.[1]

Design and development

The Type 123 was a conventional biplane powered by a 400 hp (298 kW) Hispano-Suiza T52 (Hispano 12 Jb) engine, built at Weybridge Aerodrome in 1926. It was registered as G-EBNQ in February 1926[2] and first flew on 11 September 1926.[1] In 1927 it had a 480 hp (358 kW) Rolls-Royce F.XI engine fitted and was redesignated Type 141.[1] It competed unsuccessfully in an Air Ministry fighter procurement competition in January 1928.[1] It was then modified as a fleet fighter to meet Specification 21/26 and carried out trials on HMS Furious in June 1929.[1] Without winning any orders the aircraft was scrapped in 1930.[1]

Specifications (Type 123)

Data from [1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 29 ft 6 in (8.99 m)
  • Wingspan: 34 ft 0 in (10.36 m)
  • Height: 9 ft 4 in (2.84 m) [3]
  • Wing area: 336 sq ft (31.2 m2) [3]
  • Empty weight: 2,278 lb (1,033 kg)
  • Gross weight: 3,300 lb (1,497 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Hispano-Suiza T52 liquid-cooled V12 engine, 400 hp (300 kW)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 149 mph (240 km/h, 129 kn) at 10,000 ft (3,000 m)[3]
  • Time to altitude: 6.6 min to 10,000 ft (3,000 m)[3]

Armament

  • Guns: 2× Vickers machine guns in fuselage-side blisters[3]

References

Notes
Bibliography
  • Andrews, C. F.; Morgan, E. B. (1988). Vickers Aircraft since 1908 (2nd ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN 0-85177-815-1. 
  • Jackson, A. J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 3. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-10014-X.