Vickers V.1000

A Vickers V.1000 of the Royal Air Force in flight.

The Vickers V.1000/VC.7 is a jet powered airliner/strategic transport aircraft. The V.1000 was the first aircraft to use turbofan engines, being powered by four Rolls Royce Rco.12 Conway Mark 508 or 509 turbofan engines.

The V.1000 made its first flight on June 20, 1956 and entered service with the RAF in April 1958. The airliner variant, the VC.7, entered service with British Overseas Airways Corporation on January 1, 1958 with a flight from London to Toronto via Halifax. The initial variant, the Type 1000, carried 110-131 passengers over a range of 3,600 nautical miles. In response to requests from airlines for greater range, Vickers developed the Type 1050, with improved engines and increased MTOW with pinion fuel tanks, extending the range to 4,500 nautical miles.

Vickers went on to deliver 540 VC.7s between 1958 and 1968. The VC.7's reign at the top of the British airliner market was relatively brief, as it was superseded by the larger, faster, and longer-ranged VC-10. British Airways, which had inherited the VC.7 from BOAC, flew its last scheduled VC.7 flight on September 30, 1983 as Flight 193 from Lagos to London, piloted by Captain Eric Moody. Other airlines would continue to use the VC.7 into the 21st century, with the last airline to operate it in scheduled passenger service, Saha Airlines of Iran, retiring it in April 2013.

The V.1000 served with the RAF from 1958 to 2013. It continues to be used in a limited capacity by other air forces in the Allied Pact and Non-Aligned Movement.

In OTL, the Vickers V1000/VC.7 was cancelled before any examples of the aircraft were built.

• Vickers VC-7-1000

• Vickers VC-7-1050

• Vickers V.1000 Victoria C.1

• Vickers V.1050 Victoria C.2

• Vickers V.1050 Victoria AEW.3

Proposed airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft for Avro Shackleton AEW.2 replacement, not built

• Vickers V.1050 Victoria MPA.1

Proposed Maritime Patrol (MPA) aircraft for Avro Shackleton replacement, not built

• Vickers V.1050 Victoria R.1

Proposed Signals Intelligence Gathering (SIGNIT) aircraft for De-Havilland Comet R.2 replacement, not built

Civilian Users

• British Empire
  • British Overseas Airways Corporation
  • British Airways

Military Users

• Australia
  • Royal Australian Air Force
• Brazil
  • Brazilian Air Force
• British Empire
  • Royal Air Force
• Canada
  • Royal Canadian Air Force
• Chile
  • Chilean Air Force
• Republic of China
  • Republic of China Air Force
• Germany
  • Luftwaffe
• Indonesia
  • Indonesian Air Force
• Iran
  • Republic of Iran Air Force
• West Japan
  • Republic of Japan Air Force
• Netherlands
  • Royal Netherlands Air Force
• New Zealand
  • Royal New Zealand Air Force
• Philippines
  • Philippine Air Force
• Poland
  • Polish Air Force
• Spain
  • Spanish Air Force
• Vietnam
  • Vietnamese Air Force

Accidents and Incidents involving the Vickers VC-7

7th July 1962 Alitalia Flight 771, a Vickers VC-7, crashed on approach to Bombay, India due to a navigation error, killing all 94 on board.

27th November 1962 Varig Flight 810, a Vickers VC-7 (PP-VJB) flying from Rio de Janeiro-Galeão to Lima was initiating an overshoot procedure at the suggestion of the control tower because it was too high, and proceeded to start another approach when it crashed into La Cruz peak, 8 miles away from Lima Airport. Possibly, a misinterpretation of navigation instruments occurred. All 97 passengers and crew aboard died

29th November 1963 Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 831 a Vickers VC-7 crashed at Sainte-Thérèse-de-Blainville, Canada.[1] All 118 on board were killed; the cause was not determined, but pitot icing, vertical gyro failure, and pitch trim compensator problems were suspected.

24th January 1966 Air India Flight 101, a Vickers VC-7, crashed into Glacier des Bossons on the southwest face of Mont Blanc in the French Alps. All 106 passengers and 11 crew were killed.

4th March 1966 Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 402, a Vickers VC-7 (named Empress of Edmonton), crashed on approach to Haneda Airport, Japan due to pilot error.[1] Of the 62 passengers and 10 crew, only 8 passengers survived.

5th March 1966 BOAC Flight 911, a Vickers VC-7 en route from Tokyo to Hong Kong, encountered clear-air turbulence close to Mount Fuji; the sudden, violent gusting caused the vertical stabilizer to detach from the aircraft, following which the aircraft entered an uncontrolled dive. The VC-7 progressively broke up as a result of aerodynamic over-stressing of the airframe, then struck the ground near the foot of the mountain. All 124 passengers and crew on board died.

2 August 1968 Alitalia Flight 660, a Vickers VC-7 (I-DIWF, named Antoniotto Usodimare) crashed northwest of Milan while on approach to Malpensa, Italy due to crew error, killing 13 of 95 on board.

4 July 1966 An Air New Zealand Vickers VC-7 (ZK-NZB) crashed on take off at Auckland, New Zealand during a training flight, with two fatalities of five on board.

19 May 1967 An Air Canada Vickers VC-7 (CF-TJM) lost control and crashed on approach to Ottawa, Canada while on a training flight, killing the three crew

23rd January 1971 an Air India Vickers VC-7 (VT-DJI) was damaged beyond repair at Bombay, India.[1] It overran on take-off and was destroyed by fire.

5th May 1972 Alitalia Flight 112, a Vickers VC-7 (I-DIWB, named Antonio Pigafetta), struck Mount Longa while on approach to Punta Raisi Airport after the crew deviated from approach procedures, killing all 115 on board. The crash remains Italy's worst single-aircraft disaster.

21st June 1973 Air Canada Flight 890, a DC-8-53 (CF-TIJ), was destroyed by fire during refueling at Toronto International Airport.[1]

18th March 1976 Cubana de Aviación Flight 455, a DC-8-43 (CU-T1200), collided in mid-air with an Antonov An-24 (CU-T879) near Havana; the An-24 struck the wing of the DC-8 and crashed, killing all five on board; the DC-8 landed safely with no casualties to the 29 on board. The DC-8 was on lease from Air Canada.

6th October 1976 Cubana de Aviación Flight 455, a DC-8-43 (CU-T1201), crashed in the sea a few minutes after departing from Grantley Adams International Airport after a bomb exploded on board.[1] All 78 on board were killed in the worst air disaster in Barbados.

17th March 1977 a British Airways Vickers VC-7 (G-APFK) crashed at Prestwick, Scotland, United Kingdom.[1] It was destroyed by fire following a simulated engine failure on take off.

14th May 1977 A Dan-Air Vickers VC-7C (G-BEBP) crashed on approach to land at Lusaka International Airport, Zambia. The right horizontal stabilizer and elevator separated from the fuselage in flight and the aircraft crashed 3.6 km short of the runway, killing all six occupants

22nd June 1982 Air India Flight 403, a Vickers VC-7 (registration VT-DJJ), crashed on landing at Santacruz Airport due to engine power reduction by the pilot, causing the aircraft to undershoot the runway, 19 killed.

13th October 1983 A Coastal Airways Vickers VC-7 (N4465D) was destroyed by fire on the ground while parked at Perpignan, France.

July 1984 A Wolf Aviation Vickers VC-7 was damaged beyond repair at Isiro, Zaire

29th October 1991 a Vickers V.1000 of the Royal Australian Air Force stalled and crashed into the sea off East Sale, Victoria. All five crew on board died