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BELOW:
Vickers Viking Mk I 'Vagrant' Registration G-AGRU on display at
Brooklands Museum.
At the time this photo was taken, this aircraft was undergoing
complete restoration at Brooklands. It has been repainted in the
original British European Airways (BEA) colours. This
Vickers Viking was last flown by Channel Airways on 10
January 1964 from Southend to Soesterberg. Later, it was used as
a cafe in Holland.
More details here.
This Viking aircraft is an earlier variant of that which crashed
in 1948 at Irish Law near Largs in North Ayrshire, Scotland. The
BEA logos shown are also of an earlier design.
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Photo: © 2008 Shaun Moroney
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BELOW: Wing sections from the Vickers
Viking, showing one of the wing fuel tanks.
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BELOW: Close-up of a fuel tank inside the
aircraft's wing.
The ground engineer's handwritten remarks
read: "Press[ure] Tested, 19/10/62", (followed by serial number
and initials).
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Photo: © 2008 Shaun Moroney
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Photo: © 2008 Shaun Moroney
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BELOW: With the port or left wing removed, some
internal parts of the landing gear assembly can be seen through
the gaps.
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BELOW: Viking viewed from left rear side.
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Photo: © 2008 Shaun Moroney
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Photo: © 2008 Shaun Moroney
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BELOW: James Towill (left) and Dougie
Martindale (right) sitting inside the Viking cockpit.
When this photo was taken, the cockpit was
almost devoid of fittings and instruments, except for the
steering yolk. At that time, the aircraft was in the early
stages of refurbishment as a fully-equipped static exhibit.
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BELOW: Door to cockpit and passenger cabin.
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Photo: © 2008 Shaun Moroney
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Photo: © 2008 Shaun Moroney
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BELOW: The Viking passenger cabin stripped of fittings while
undergoing refurbishment.
This view shows the cabin framework (longerons or
stringers, etc.) clearly.
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BELOW: The Viking's left engine, minus
propeller.
A British Airways Concorde stands alongside
the Viking, with a BA airport transit bus beyond.
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Photo: © 2008 Shaun Moroney
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Photo: © 2008 Shaun Moroney
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BELOW: Viking's left engine (minus outer wing section) and
landing gear wheel.
(The aircraft nose to the left is that of a
BA Concorde.)
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BELOW: The left side, with wing root and
engine, but with main wing removed.
This view shows the position on the wings
for the left flaps (gap nearest camera).
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Photo: © 2008 Shaun Moroney
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Photo: © 2008 Shaun Moroney
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BELOW: Underwing view of left engine.
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BELOW: A close-up view of the left landing gear assembly,
showing the gear bay or well used during retraction.
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Photo: © 2008 Shaun Moroney
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Photo: © 2008 Shaun Moroney
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BELOW: Front-side view of left engine (minus wing section). The
passenger cabin door can be seen toward the rear.
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BELOW: Left engine with maintenance panels
and propeller removed
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Photo: © 2008 Shaun Moroney
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Photo: © 2008 Shaun Moroney
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BELOW: Cockpit, showing Plexiglass windows.
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BELOW: Viking empennage (tail assembly) including rudder, and
elevators.
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Photo: © 2008 Shaun Moroney
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Photo: © 2008 Shaun Moroney
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BELOW: Left side view of Vickers Viking 'Vagrant'. |
Photo: © 2008 Shaun Moroney
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MORE PHOTOS BELOW
TOP OF PAGE
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On display at:
Brooklands Museum
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BELOW: Front view of Vickers Viking Mk. I
'Vagrant' G-AGRU, overshadowed to some extent by the BA Concorde
alongside.
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Photo: © 2008 James Towill
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BELOW: Viking, left side, close to passenger cabin door.
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BELOW: Underside of left engine, and landing gear assembly.
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Photo: © 2008 James Towill
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Photo: © 2008 James Towill
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BELOW: Cockpit, right hand side, showing co-pilot's sliding
Plexiglass window.
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BELOW: Cockpit and nose, with right wing engine propeller blade.
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Photo: © 2008 James Towill
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Photo: © 2008 James Towill
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BELOW: Viking 'Vagrant' civil registration: G-AGRU.
Note the sharp right-angles of the rectangular
windows. Although not considered a problem on the sedately-cruising and low-altitude Viking, later aircraft of all types
would be equipped with round or rounded-corner windows following
the de Havilland Comet disasters.
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Photo: © 2008 James Towill
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BELOW: The aircraft's tail (vertical stabiliser (left)
and rudder (right)).
Unlike a ship or boat, the rudder is not
used for turning but for controlling the nose position of the
aircraft. Turns are made using the ailerons and spoilers to bank
the aircraft left or right.
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BELOW: A closer view of the vertical
stabiliser (left)
and the two-part rudder assembly (right).
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Photo: © 2008 James Towill
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Photo: © 2008 James Towill
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BELOW: The Viking's starboard or right engine and propeller.
(The propeller's spinner has been removed.)
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BELOW: The nose section of the Viking. The propeller has been
removed from the left engine and the engine maintenance panels
have been opened.
The aircraft proudly boasts the name,
'Vagrant'. Although this was in keeping with Vikings such as
'Valerie' and others, it is hardly a name that would be used
today.
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Photo: © 2008 James Towill
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Photo: © 2008 James Towill
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BELOW: A BA Concorde, viewed from the Vickers Viking.
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Photo: © 2008 James Towill
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