Airfix 03171 Vickers Vanguard

The Vickers Vanguard was a British-made four-engine turbo-prop passenger and transport aircraft of the post-war and modern era. The drive was provided - in the 952 version - by four engines Rolls-Royce Tyne RTy.11 Mk 512 with 5545 hp each. The prototype's flight took place in 1959, and the first machine was handed over to British European Airways in 1960. About 45 aircraft of this type were built in the course of serial production. In 1996, the machine was withdrawn from use.

Vanguard was created as a private initiative of Vickers-Armstrong Limited, which wanted to take advantage of the considerable commercial success achieved by the Viscount by introducing a new passenger machine. The Vickers Vanguard was much more economical to use than its predecessor, took more passengers on board (up to 139 people) and had a slightly improved flight range. It also still provided a high level of travel comfort. The machine has been developed in several versions in the course of serial production and use. The first, designated Type 951, was powered by Rolls-Royce engines, but less powerful than initially assumed. Only 6 machines of this version were built. As early as 1960, the Type 952 version, powered by the target engines, was put into production. The Type 953 with a reinforced airframe structure, capable of carrying heavier loads, soon followed. The latest version is the Type 953C Merchantman model created in 1969 - the transport version of the Type 953 model. Vickers Vanguard planes were used by airlines from countries such as Iceland, France, Canada and Great Britain