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weight and performance calculations for the Vickers Vimy Mk.IV
Vickers Vimy Mk.IV
role : heavy bomber
importance : ***
first flight : October 1918 operational : November 1918
country : United-Kingdom
design : Rex Pierson
production : 221 aircraft
general information :
The Vimy was designed as strategic bomber against German cities.
However, the aircraft was too late ready to see action in WWI. But it was used well into the 1920s by the RAF. At the beginning of 1918 it went into production. It was named after Vimy Ridge, the much fought for hill in northern France.
Most Vimy's were equipped with the RR Eagle engine, usually referred to as the Mk.IV, but quite a few were also equipped with the FIAT A12bis engines of 300 hp, referred to as Mk.II or Mk.III. Only aircraft with Rolls Royce Eagle engines (Mk.IV) were delivered to the RAF. So the number of aircraft built with other engines will be limited.
On 14 and 15 June 1919, John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown performed the first transatlantic non-stop flight. They flew in a Vimy 3,032 km from St. John's on New
Foundland to Clifden in Ireland in 15 hours and 57 min. For this record flight, the military equipment was removed so that 3932 litres of fuel could be carried.
theoretically 3900 km could be flown. Along the way, they had many problems, including icing. 3032 km in 16 hrs = 190 km/u so they had some help from a tail-wind.
Gap : 3.05m chord : 3.20m diam. schroef : 3.20m spoed : 3.02m 1950 tpm.
Total area of tail : 16.49m2 area of elevators : 5.85m2 area of rudder : 2.00m2 area of fin : none. Landing speed : 90 km/u climb to 1524m : 21.9 minutes
Tank capacity : Petrol : 452 gallon = 2055 litre, range 1448 km Oil : 18 gallon = 81.8 litre
users : RAF
crew : 3
armament : 4 movable 7.70 [mm] (0.303 in) Lewis MK.III machine-guns
engine : 2 Rolls Royce Eagle VIII liquid-cooled 12 -cylinder V-engine 360 [hp](264.8
KW)
dimensions :
wingspan : 20.73 [m], length : 13.27 [m], height : 4.57[m]
wing area : 123.56 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 5670 [kg]
empty weight operational : 3222 [kg] bombload : 1123 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed : 166 [km/hr] at sea-level
service ceiling : 2314 [m]
estimated action radius : 794 [km]
description :
3-bay biplane with fixed underwing 4 -wheel landing gear and tail strut
two spar upper and lower wing
engines, landing gear and fuel attached to the wings, bombload in or attached to fuselage
airscrew :
two fixed pitch 4 -bladed tractor airscrews with max. efficiency :0.60 [ ]
diameter airscrew 3.20 [m]
angle of attack prop : 17.84 [ ]
reduction : 0.60 [ ]
airscrew revs : 1140 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 2.43 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 196 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
mean wing chord : 2.98 [m]
calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 3.27 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 6.96 []
gap : 3.05 [m]
gap/chord : 1.02 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 1257 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 7.9 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 124.8 [kg/hr] (170.2 [litre/hr]) at 74 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 1.20 [km/kg]
estimated total fuel capacity : 2055 [litre] (1506 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 758.0 [kg] = 1.43 [kg/KW]
weight reduction gear : 58.3 [kg]
weight 126 litre oil tank : 15.9 [kg]
oil tank filled with 4.0 litre oil : 3.6 [kg]
oil in engine 29 litre oil : 26.5 [kg]
fuel in engine 4 litre fuel : 2.6 [kg]
weight 72 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 7.1 [kg]
weight radiator : 84.7 [kg]
weight exhaust pipes & fuel lines 44.9 [kg]
weight self-starter : 6.5 [kg]
weight cowling 10.6 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 100.6 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 1103 [kg](19.5 [%])
***************************************************************
fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 10.63 [cm]): 384 [kg]
bracing : 38.6 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 33.3 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 10.6 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 8.7 [kg]
weight seats : 9.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 9.1 [kg]
weight bomb storage : 78.6 [kg]
weight Course Setting Bomb Sight (Wimperis) : 1.5 [kg]
weight interior + equipment + fuel lines: 72 [kg]
weight 1 fire extinguisher : 3 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 615 [kg](10.8 [%])
***************************************************************
weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 79 [kg]
total weight ribs (155 ribs) : 337 [kg]
weight engine mounts : 26 [kg]
weight two 991 [litre] main fuel tanks empty : 190.3 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 931.0 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 633.8 [N]
total weight 8 spars : 115 [kg]
weight wings : 531 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 4.30 [kg]
weight 12 interplane struts & cabane : 230.7 [kg]
weight cables (156 [m]) : 28.3 [kg] (= 181 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 5.4 [mm]
weight fin & rudder (5.0 [m2]) : 22.2 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (13.9 [m2]): 60.7 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 1090 [kg] (19.2 [%])
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weight machine-gun(s) : 52.0 [kg]
weight Scarff ring mounting mg :27.7 [kg]
weight armament : 80 [kg]
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wheel pressure : 1417.5 [kg]
weight 4 wheels (950 [mm] by 146 [mm]) : 100.8 [kg]
weight tailskid : 13.2 [kg]
weight undercarriage with axle 119.6 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 233.6 [kg] (4.1 [%]
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Alcock and Brown landed there Vimy near Clifden, Ireland not far from there intended landing place, 15 June 1919 after crossing the Atlantic ocean and 16 hours flying. On landing the airplane nosed over due to the soft ground it landed on. Neither of the airmen was hurt.
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calculated empty weight : 3122 [kg](55.1 [%])
weight oil for 12.8 hours flying : 101.4 [kg]
weight cooling fluids : 109.1 [kg]
weight 16 drums empty : 6.8 [kg]
weight ammunition (1552 rounds) : 49.4 [kg]
weight Very pistol with cartridges : 3.6 [kg]
weight automatic pistol with spare magazines : 1.2 [kg]
*******************************************************************
calculated operational weight empty : 3386 [kg] (59.7 [%])
published operational weight empty : 3222 [kg] (56.8 [%])
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" "
weight crew : 243 [kg]
weight fuel for 2.0 hours flying : 250 [kg]
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The Vickers Vimy G-EAOU with her crew: Keith Smith, Ross Smith, J.M. Bennett, W.H. Shiers. They flew from Hounslow (UK) to Darwin, Australia. They took of from Hounslow 12 November 1919 and arrived 10 December 1919 in Darwin. They covered a distance of 17901 km in 135 hours and 55 minutes of flying time. To cross long distances it was loaded up to 5897 kg gross weight !
operational weight : 3879 [kg](68.4 [%])
bomb load : 1123 [kg]
operational weight bombing mission : 5002 [kg]
fuel reserve : 668 [kg] enough for 5.36 [hours] flying
operational weight fully loaded : 5670 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 61 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 5670 [kg] (100.0 [%])
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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (Take-off) : 10.71 [kg/kW]
total power : 529.6 [kW] at 1900 [r.p.m]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 2.2 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 2.5 [g] ultimate load : 3.8 [g] load factor : 1.1 [g]
design flight time : 7.45 [hours]
design cycles : 121 sorties, design hours : 900 [hours]
wing loading (MTOW) : 450 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 277 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.45 ["]
max. angle of attack (stalling angle) : 12.42 ["]
angle of attack at max. speed : 1.41 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.12 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.15 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. speed : 0.24 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0045 [ ]
drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0430 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0385 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 75 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 90 [km/hr]
min. drag speed (max endurance) : 103 [km/hr] at 1157 [m](power :43 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 112 [km/hr] at 1157 [m] (power:46 [%])
max. rate of climb speed : 102.3 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruising speed : 149 [km/hr] op 1157 [m] (power:71 [%])
design speed prop : 158 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 166 [km/hr] op 0 [m] (power:100 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 251 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off distance at sea-level : 229 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 8.94 [ ]
max. practical ceiling : 3925 [m] with flying weight :3475 [kg]
practical ceiling (operational weight) : 3450 [m] with flying weight :3879 [kg] line 3385
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 1625 [m] with flying weight :5545 [kg]
published ceiling (2314 [m]
climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 7.04 [min]
max. dive speed : 412.7 [km/hr] at 625 [m] height
load factor at max. angle turn 1.44 ["g"]
turn radius at 500m: 84 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 18.0 [seconds] at 500m
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
operational endurance : 7.36 [hours] with 3 crew and 1123 [kg] bombload and 60.9 [%] fuel
published endurance : 10.64 [hours] with 3 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 714 [kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel
action radius : 1210 [km] with 3 crew and 20[kg] photo camera or bombload
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 3079 [litre] fuel : 2703 [km]
useful load with action-radius 250km : 1623 [kg]
production : 242.50 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 0.55 [kg]
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Literature :
bomber 1914-1939 page 34,35
praktisch handboek vliegtuigen deel 2 page14,15
praktisch handboek vliegtuigen deel 1 page 210,211
bombers 1914-19 page 78,79,156
Jane's Fighting Aircraft WWI page 93.94
Geschiedenis van de luchtvaart page 45
beroemde luchtvaart pioniers page 57 - 60
Warpanes WW1 page 156f
DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be
regarded as indication not as facts.
Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights
and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken.
Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data
is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information
so we can improve our program. For copyright on drawings/photographs/
content please mail to below mail address
(c) B van der Zalm 12 April 2020 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.4