Vickers Virginia

The Vickers Virginia was a biplane heavy bomber of the British Royal Air Force, developed from the Vickers Vimy and the mainstay of the interwar RAF heavy night bombing force. It resembled the Vimy but had a lowered front gunner's position giving the pilot a better view, a wingspan 20 feet greater and a fuselage 9 feet longer. Two prototypes were ordered in January 1921 and two more in September 1922, and the first flew on 24 November 1922 with two Napier Lion engines. The final major version, the Mark X of 1929, had an all-metal airframe of duralumin and steel, carried 3,000 lb of bombs and had a top speed of 108 mph. In all 126 Virginias were built across all variants. By January 1928 a reliable three-channel autopilot was being fitted to operational aircraft, starting with No. 7 Squadron. Despite mediocre performance the Virginia served in front-line units until 1938, when the Wellington, Hampden and Whitley replaced it.