Vickers Wibault

Vickers set up a partnership with the French aircraft manufacturer, Société des Avions Michel Wibault to exploit the patented system of all-metal construction developed by Michel Wibault. This used corrugated light alloy skin panels, and made for easy maintenance and inspection.Andrews and Morgan 1988, pp. 207–209. As part of this partnership, Vickers placed an order with Wibault for a single Wibault 7, re-engined with a Bristol Jupiter VI radial engine, to act as a prototype for potential licensed production. The Wibault 7, and therefore the Vickers licensed copy, were single-engine high-wing parasol monoplanes.

The prototype, which differed from the standard Wibault 7 by having a new undercarriage and British instruments, was delivered to Britain in February 1926Green and Swanborough 1994, p. 579. and was later fitted by Vickers with strengthened wing struts. The durability of the aircraft's all-metal structure, together with promised good altitude performance, attracted the attention of the Chilean Military Air Service, which, after evaluating the prototype, placed an order for 26 aircraft, known as the Vickers Type 121, or Vickers-Wibault Scout.Andrews and Morgan 1988, pp. 209–210.

The first Vickers built Type 121 flew at the end of June 1926, but crashed following an inverted spin on its first flight. This was found to be due to problems with the aircraft's centre of gravity, which were resolved by modifying the tailplane.Mason 1992, pp. 179–180.

The first Type 121s were delivered to Chile in November 1926, partly equipping the Groupo Mixto de Aviación 1, with deliveries continuing until October 1927. Several were lost in accidents, with at least one losing its wing in flight, but it remained in service when the Chilean Air Force was formed from the air components of the Chilean Army and Navy, finally being retired in 1934.

;{{CHL}}

• Chilean Air Force

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=The British Fighter since 1912

|prime units?=imp

|genhide=

|crew=1

|capacity=

|length m=

|length ft=23

|length in=2

|span m=

|span ft=36

|span in=1

|height m=

|height ft=11

|height in=6

|wing area sqm=

|wing area sqft=237

|wing area note=

|aspect ratio=

|airfoil=

|empty weight kg=

|empty weight lb=1920

|empty weight note=

|gross weight kg=

|gross weight lb=2970

|gross weight note=

|fuel capacity=

|more general=

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=Bristol Jupiter VI

|eng1 type=nine cylinder radial engine

|eng1 kw=

|eng1 hp=455

|prop blade number=

|prop name=

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=

|prop dia in=

|prop note=

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=

|max speed mph=154

|max speed kts=

|max speed note=at sea level; {{convert|144|mph|kn km/h|abbr=on}} at {{convert|15000|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|cruise speed kmh=

|cruise speed mph=

|cruise speed kts=

|never exceed speed kmh=

|never exceed speed mph=

|never exceed speed kts=

|range km=

|range miles=300

|range nmi=

|combat range km=

|combat range miles=

|combat range nmi=

|endurance=

|ceiling m=

|ceiling ft=23000

|g limits=

|roll rate=

|climb rate ms=

|climb rate ftmin=

|time to altitude=7 min 40 s to {{convert|10000|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|more performance=

|guns= 2 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns

|bombs=

|avionics=

}}

{{aircontent

|related=*Wibault 7

|similar aircraft=

|lists=

|see also=

}}

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• Andrews, E.N. and Morgan, E.B. Vickers Aircraft Since 1908, Second edition. London: Putnam, 1988. {{ISBN|0-85177-815-1}}.
• Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. The Complete Book of Fighters. New York: Smithmark, 1994. {{ISBN|0-8317-3939-8}}.
• Mason, Francis K. The British Fighter since 1912. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1992. {{ISBN|1-55750-082-7}}.

{{refend}}

{{commons category-inline|Vickers Wibault}}

{{Vickers aircraft}}

Category:1920s British fighter aircraft

Wibault

Category:Parasol-wing aircraft

Category:Aircraft first flown in 1926

Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft

Category:Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear