Date:	Thursday 9 October 1930
Time:	day
Type:	Vickers Type 150 Vanox
Owner/operator:	A&AEE RAF
Registration:	J9131
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	RAF Martlesham Heath, near Ipswich, Suffolk, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	RAF Martlesham Heath, Suffolk
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Vickers Type 150 J9131, A&AEE, Martlesham Heath: Substantially damaged 9/10/30 when forced landed after engines failed on take-off, Martlesham Heath. One of the crew of four was killed:

AC.1 William Henry Dack Minns (508206) RAF killed
F/Lt (06235) Herbert Seton BROUGHALL MC DFC (pilot) RAF unhurt
LAC Letley unhurt
Corporal Gray unhurt

Conceived as a biplane powered by the Bristol Jupiter radial engine it would have much better performance than the Virginia with similar engines. Initially a private venture, the submission of the Vickers design to the Air Ministry coincided with the issuing of Air Ministry specification B.19/27 for a Virginia replacement.

The B.19/27 specification meant that the Vickers submission would be tested competitively in trials against other manufacturer's designs. In the redesign to meet the specification, the B.19/27 project took the Virginia Mark X all moving rudder together with an all-moving tailplane. Three designs were submitted in total; two biplanes with Jupiter and geared Bristol Mercury engines respectively and a monoplane version.

The Mercury-engined design, the Vickers Type 150 was selected by the Ministry for consideration and building, now to be funded by the Ministry, started. Partway through it was agreed that an alternative engine was allowable, the Rolls-Royce F.XIV (later developed into the Rolls-Royce Kestrel).

The aircraft flew for the first time on 30 November 1929. The aircraft was a two-bay biplane of all-metal construction, with a biplane tailplane and with the two engines mounted between the wings.

Initial testing and evaluation showed that the aircraft had poor handling, being unstable laterally, prone to 'Dutch roll' and to severe flexing of the rear fuselage. Following extensive damage after a forced landing on 9 October 1930, it was rebuilt incorporating recommendations made in reports from Air Ministry test pilots to try to resolve these problems, and was powered by Kestrel III engines. It was then given the name Vickers Vanox by Vickers.

These changes did not solve the aircraft's handling problems, and the sweepback of the wings was reduced, which did resolve the handling problems. The Kestrel engines proved unreliable, and were replaced by more powerful Bristol Pegasus radial engines. In this form, the aircraft was designated the Vickers Type 195 Vanox, and was demonstrated to meet the requirements of specification.

Following further modifications in February 1933 to improve performance, with extended, three-bay wings being fitted, it was now designated the Type 255. However, by this time, the competing Handley Page Heyford and Fairey Hendon bombers had already been ordered into production, so the sole Type 255 was used for aerial refuelling trials work by the Royal Aircraft Establishment, being flown for the last time on 7 January 1938.

1. Andrews, E.N.; Morgan, E.B. Vickers Aircraft Since 1908, London: Putnam, Second Edition, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-815-1.
2. Mason, Francis K. The British Bomber since 1914. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1994. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.
3. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1934.htm
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vickers_Vanox
5. http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=633
6. http://www.aviastar.org/air/england/vickers_150.php

The sole Vickers Type 150 Vanox J9131 in early 1930

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-Apr-2018 17:11	Dr. John Smith	Added
12-May-2018 01:10	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code]