Vickers Type 163

Type 163
Role	Bomber
Manufacturer	Vickers
First flight	12 January 1931
Status	Prototype only
Number built	1

The Vickers Type 163 was a prototype British biplane bomber design of the 1930s built by Vickers-Armstrong.

It was based on the Vickers Vanox (Vickers "Type 150") scaled up to take four engines in paired mountings. It was submitted both as a bomber and as a troop carrier to Air Ministry specifications B.19/27 and C.16/28 respectively first flying on 12 January 1931. Only one was produced.

Specifications (Type 163)

Data from The British Bomber since 1914

General characteristics

• Crew: Four
• Capacity: Provision for 10 armed troops
• Length: 66 ft 9 in (20.35 m)
• Wingspan: 90 ft 0 in (27.44 m)
• Height: 22 ft 4 in (6.81 m)
• Wing area: 1,948 ft² (181.0 m²)
• Loaded weight: 25,700 lb (11,680 kg)
• Powerplant: 4 × Rolls-Royce Kestrel V-12, 480 hp (358 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 139 kn (160 mph, 258 km/h) at 6,500 ft (1,980 m)
• Range: 1,000 nmi (1,150 mi, 1,850 km)
• Service ceiling: 25,200 ft (7,680 m)
  
• Climb to 10,000 ft (3,050 m): 18 min 15 sec

Armament

• Guns: 2 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Guns (nose and tail gunners positions)
• Bombs: Up to 12 × 250 lb (113 kg) bombs under fuselage

References

• Mason, Francis K. The British Bomber since 1914. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1994. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.
• http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=634