Vimy стал основным тяжелым бомбардировщиком британских ВВС в 1920-х годах, но использовался преимущественно на Ближнем Востоке в составе 45-й, 58-й, 70-й и 216-й эскадрилий и 4-й летной школы. В метрополии самолет эксплуатировали 7-я и 9-я эскадрильи и звено "D" 100-й эскадрильи.

Recreating the flight of the Smith brothers, Lang Kidby and Peter McMillan’s replica NX71MY is powered by a pair of 420hp (313kW) Chevrolet converted motor car engines. Flown into Mildenhall (inside a C-5 Galaxy) the Vimy was flown to Brooklands on August 27, 1994 in readiness for its appearance at the SBAC show at Farnborough. It left Farnborough on September 11 on the start of its epic flight. As AE56 closed for press, news was to hand that the Vimy had suffered a force-landing in Sumatra, thankfully with no injury to the two pilots. It was hoped to ship out a replacement engine and finish the journey.

Lang Kidby and Peter McMillan’s spectacular Vickers Vimy replica, used to recreate the flight of the Smith Brothers

Восстановленный с участием нефтяной компании "Шелл" "смитовский" "Виикерс Вими" в полете.

Перелет Алкока и Брауна через Атлантику. 14-15 июня 1919г.: кэптен Джон Алкок и лейтенант Артур Уиттен Браун выполнили первый беспосадочный перелет через Атлантику на самолете Vickers Vimy, взлетев в Листерз-Филд (Ньюфаундленд) и приземлившись в Клифдене (Ирландия). Перелет занял 16 ч 27 мин, из них 15 ч 57 мин пилоты летели над водой. Самолет Vimy, оснащенный двумя моторами Rolls-Royce, был оборудован бензобаками увеличенной емкости. Летчики выиграли приз в 10000 фунтов стерлингов, учрежденный газетой "Дэйли Мэйл" еще в 1913 году. Обоих пилотов посвятили в рыцари. Сэр Джон Алкок стал старшим летчиком-испытателем фирмы "Vickers". Он погиб 18 декабря 1919 года, разбившись при выполнении полета в сложных погодных условиях в районе Руана.

Этот снимок известен любому любителю авиации в не меньшей степени, чем фотография первого полета самолета братьев Райт. Vickers Vimy уходит в вечность - начало первого в истории перелета через Атлантику. Фотография сделана в Лестерз Филд, Ньюфаундленд.
Alcock and Brown’s Vickers Vimy leaves Newfoundland (14-15 June 1919).

The Vickers "Vimy" Biplane, with two 350-h.p. Rolls-Royce engines, piloted by Capt. John Alcock, with Lieut. Arthur Whitten Brown, leaving Newfoundland on June 14, 1919.

Летающая копия знаменитого бомбардировщика Виккерс "Вими"

F.B.27 B9952 - 1-й прототип бомбардировщика "Виккерс Вими". 30 ноября 1917г. Гордон-Белл впервые поднял этот самолет в воздух.

Alcock and Brown’s original aircraft.

The Vickers Vimy taking-off from Newfoundland on the attempt. The engines were two Rolls-Royce Eagles of 375 h.p.

Another view of the Vimy during the take-off from Newfoundland.

G-AWAU in flight at the 1969 Paris Aero Show.

Один из самолетов Vimy, принадлежавших 216-й эскадрилье, выполняет полет над безлюдной египетской пустыней. Хорошо различимы отдельные элементы в конструкции крыльев и шасси.

Sir Ross Smith leaving Richmond, N.S.W., on his Vickers-Vimy-Rolls.

A Vickers Vimy of No 216 Sqn flies over the Saladin Citadel in Cairo, Egypt. Once the airmail route had been established between Cairo and Baghdad, the Vimys of No 216 Sqn were a regular sight along the Furrow, the unit retaining biplane bombers in the Middle East until as late as 1939

A trio of Vimys flying in formation over the fertile fields of the Nile Delta in Egypt. In 1925 it was agreed by the RAF and Imperial Airways that the latter would take over the desert airmail service, starting in late 1926.

Vimy F9147 c двигателями Rolls-Royce Eagle. Машина принадлежала 9-й эскадрилье, базировавшейся в Мэнстоне и эксплуатировавшей Vimy с апреля 1924 года по июнь 1925 года.

Tense Moments Parachutists being pulled off. The machines are Vickers Vimys.

A DRESS REHEARSAL: A striking picture, taken from the air, of six airmen making a simultaneous parachute drop from three Vickers "Vimy" bombers, during a rehearsal of this event, at Henlow, for the forthcoming R.A.F. Display.

AN EXTRA TURN: An unexpected thrill was provided by three Vickers "Vimys," each of which dropped two parachutists. Our photograph shows four of the six descending.
A pair of Vickers Vimys, each dropping two parachutists, at the 1927 pageant.

THEY'RE OFF! THE SIX PARACHUTES GENTLY BUT FIRMLY WITHDRAW THE SIX PARACHUTISTS FROM THE THREE VICKERS "VIMYS"

Parachute Section, Home Aircraft Depot: Six parachutists leaving the three Vimys.

TENTH R.A.F. DISPLAY. EVENT 3: PARACHUTE DESCENTS: A thrilling demonstration by the Parachute Section of the Home Aircraft Depot. Above, six airmen are seen leaving the three Vickers Vimy machines. Below, they are nearing the ground; the two on the left collided, and one released another, emergency, 'chute (which can be seen opening) and thus avoided an accident.

Vickers F.B.27 Vimy F8631, with a pair of 360 h.p. Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engines, in the clear-doped finish adopted after the First World War and displaying the distinctive nose skid.

Модернизированный "Вими" накануне перед взлетом на аэродроме в Сент-Джонсе (Ньюфаундленд).

Предполагалось, что самолет Vimy ждет блестящая карьера в роли тяжелого бомбардировщика, но он стал известен, благодаря рекордным перелетам.

Почтовая марка, выпущенная в Австралии в ознаменовании перелета.

12 ноября - 15 декабря 1919г.: австралийцы братья кэптен Росс Смит и лейтенант Кейт Смит вылетели из Хоунслоу на самолете Vickers Vimy и завершили перелет 18 декабря в Дарвине, Австралия. Братья Смит первыми выполнили перелет из Англии в Австралию, покрыв расстояние в 18 170 км.

The first aircraft to fly between the UK and Australia - Vickers Vimy G-EAOU (c/n F8630) - departed Hounslow Heath on November 12, 1919, arriving in Darwin, Australia, 28 days later. It is now preserved at Adelaide Airport, close to where pilots Sirs Ross and Keith MacPherson-Smith were born.

"THE VICKERS VIMY." The crew comprised Capt. Ross Smith, M.C., D.F.C., Lieut. Keith Smith, Sergt. J. W. Bennett, M.S.M., and Sergt. W. H. Shiers.

LONDON-CAIRO-CAPE TOWN AIR-WAY: Lieut.-Col. P. Van Ryneveld, D.S.O., M.C., and Capt. C.J.Q. Brand, D.S.O., M.C., D.F.C., the Pilots and "the Crew" of the Vickers-Vimy-Rolls aeroplane "Silver Queen," on which they started from Brooklands last week to fly to Cape Town in connection with the Union of South Africa Government flight. The "Silver Queen," partly seen in the photo., is a replica of Capt. Sir Ross Smith's machine, on which he successfully accomplished the London-Australia flight

John Alcock stowing away his thermos flask of coffee ready for the transatlantic flight attempt on June 14, 1919. Brown can he seen passing up the chocolate and other provisions.

The Vimy and its crew, Wally Shiers in front, the Smith brothers and James Bennett at the rear.

Южноафриканские пионеры. 4 февраля 1920г.: к выполнению третьего перелета на самолете Vickers Vimy приступили Пьер ван Райнфельд и Кристофер Квинтин Брэнд, взлетевшие на "Silver Queen" из Бруклендса. Машина G-UABA выполнила вынужденную посадку в Коросо, местечке между Каиром и Хартумом. Перелет до Кейптауна был продолжен на самолете DH.9.

The Silver Queen on the compass turntable at Brooklands.

Silver Queen, the replica Vickers Vimy, left Brooklands on June 2, 1999, for the short hop to Farnborough, where, the following day, the crew received cheques totalling ?15,000 from British Aerospace and TAG Aviation. The companies are supporting the aircraft’s re-enactment of the first flight from Europe to South Africa in 1920 by Lt Col Pierre Van Ryneveld and Flt Lt Quintin Brand. The replica, piloted by Mark Rebholz and John LaNoue, seen left in the cockpit, with, standing, the two educationalists who will travel with the aircraft, later left Farnborough for Munich from whence it will appear at the Paris Air Show before flying to Cape Town.

A call at Singapore en route to Australia: A snapshot of Sir Ross Smith's Vickers-Vimy-Rolls, secured by Mr. Thomas Sibary, of the Dunlop Rubber Co. (Far East), Ltd., which has been sent to us by Mr. Alex-Mosses, of radiator fame

Sir Ross Smith at Richmond, N.S.W., getting ready

FIRST ATLANTIC FLIGHT: THE VICKERS "VIMY" WAS USED BY ALCOCK AND BROWN IN FLIGHT ACROSS ATLANTIC IN 1919.
The Vickers Vimy with Rolls-Royce Eagle engines was the first aeroplane type to cross the Atlantic, to fly from England to S. Africa, and from England to Australia. All these flights were made in 1919.

Vickers "Vimy" (Two Rolls-Royce "Eagles"). The Vickers "Vimy" is another of the Service Veterans which must surely be approaching; the end of its long career of good work with the R.A.F. The original "Vimy" was produced in 1917, after which several models made their appearance, each an improvement on the other. The end of the Great War came, however, before the "Vimy" could carry out a series of big raids into the enemy country, as planned and show what it could do. However, after the Armistice it was put into production for service with bombing squadrons. At present only No. 502 Special Reserve Squadron (Aldergrove) has "Vimys."

Natives haul the Silver Queen out of the mud at Livingstone.

Vickers Vimy G-EAOU (God 'Elp All Of Us!), the first aircraft to achieve the UK-Australia flight, piloted by Ross and Keith Smith, shown moments after landing at Darwin on December 10, 1919.

This Vickers Vimy was on the strength of No. 4 F.T.S. at Abu Sueir, Egypt, in 1930. The usual Rolls-Royce Eagles had been replaced by Armstrong-Siddeley Jaguars. This photograph of the Jaguar-Vimy comes from the scrapbook of Air Vice-Marshal the Earl of Bandon, Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Training). He was then Visiting No. 2 F.T.S. while on the staff of the Central Flying School.

The transatlantic Vimy originally had a wheel in place of the normal nose skid, but this was removed before the flight. The view here can be compared with the shot of Alcock and Brown’s original aircraft,

Vickers Vimy replica painted as H651.

Vickers Vimy.

VICKERS "VIMY": Training Bomber, with two Napier "Lions" (other engines also fitted).

Vickers Vimy of No 216 Squadron RAF, operating the pioneer Cairo-to-Baghdad airmail service, which ended in August 1926.

The Vimy crated lip and transported by horse and trailer to the field at Quidi-Vidi, St John's, Newfoundland. This was the field chosen by the Martinsyde crew. When the 'Raymor' crashed, Raynham kindly offered the field for the Vimy team to share while the Martinsyde crew tried to rebuild their damaged aeroplane.

Two 360 h.p. Eagle VIIIs were installed in Alcock and Brown's Vickers Vimy.

The Vimy production line at Brooklands in April 1919 with Vimy fuselage No.13 at the far right. This example was chosen to he modified for the transatlantic attempt. The shop manager strung up some little flags above the Vimy to mark the occasion.

The fuselage structure.

An uncovered outer wing panel.

The completed port upper outer wing panel at Weybridge.

Wayne Daley of Brisbane-based Aircraft Engineering holds a fin and rudder of Peter McMillan and Lang Kidby’s Vickers Vimy reproduction.

The assembled tail surfaces.

The seventh of eight propeller laminations is glued up before being clamped into the jig in the foreground. Each lamination was made from inch-thick mahogany.

The replica's immaculate cockpit, complete with Edwardian engine switches.

The right-hand-drive cockpit of a Vickers Vimy was functional and ugly, with few “dials” - the engine instruments were on the inboard sides of the nacelles.
Control cables were checked for strength as well as for correct operation, and were tagged as evidence of inspection.

In the Vickers Vimy, the pilot was seated on the right, following common practice in British aircraft of the day. The large diameter of the control wheel is obvious.

A series of views from the mid-upper gunner’s position in Vickers Vimy J7448. Top, looking forward to the cockpit; Bottom, looking back between the biplane tail and twin fins and rudders;

A view from the mid-upper gunner’s position in Vickers Vimy J7448, looking out along the port wings past one of the 360 h.p. Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engines. Entering service with the RAF at the end of the First World War, the Vimy was not used operationally in that conflict, but served faithfully until as late as 1929. This particular Vimy belonged to No 4 Flying Training School based at Abu Sueir, Egypt, and all of these pictures were probably taken in the Middle East.

In 1917 Vickers Vimy F9146 was fitted with a trunnion-mounted 37mm COW gun in a modified nose section at Brooklands. The Vimy was used in trials with the gun for possible use as a Home Defence machine to counter airships and bombers, but the gun’s length and recoil made it cumbersome and the idea was not adopted.

В таком положении завершился исторический перелет через Атлантику Элкока и Брауна.

Элкок и Браун у скапотировавшего при посадке в Клифдене, Ирландия, самолета Vimy. Площадку для посадки выбрал Элкок, но болото на месте лужайки он разглядел слишком поздно.

A large tent was still not large enough to act as a hangar for the Vimy, which had to he totally reassembled out in the open air.

The weather was so bad that special screens were erected to keep the wind and rain off the mechanics and riggers as they reassembled the Vimy.

Ack-emmas and local natives examine an anonymous but already rebuilt Vimy, JR?42?, bent by CpI Gordon, place and date unknown.

Disaster strikes at Ringway, Manchester, on July 14, 1969. In the picture on the top the fire can be seen starting on the leading edge of the port lower main-plane, just behind the second strut from the tip. The next view shows the wing well alight, and the fire spreading outwards and upwards.

The port upper wing structure still burning. Note that the aircraft had been given military markings by this time.

Vickers-built Vimy F8632 after "P/O Robertson's crash" - unfortunately undated. Picture shows it immediately after the mishap.

Vickers-built Vimy F8632 after "P/O Robertson's crash" - unfortunately undated. Picture depicts it during recovery, with its outer wing panels removed. This Vimy has been re-engined with Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar aircooled radial engines, as were quite a few after withdrawal from first-line service.

CAIRO-CAPE AIR-WAY: The crash of the first "Silver Queen." A general view of the wreckage at Korosko.

The crash of Silver Queen II at Bulawayo.

TWO ATLANTIC CROSSINGS: Six years ago, on Sunday next, a Vickers' "Vimy" with two Rolls-Royce engines, piloted by the late Sir John Alcock, and navigated by Sir A. Whitten Brown, left Newfoundland on its flight across the Atlantic, landing 16 hours 12 mins. later at Clifden, Co. Galway, Ireland, thus completing the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic. Columbus's ship "Santa Maria," left the Canary Islands on September 6, 1492, and made a landfall at what is now known as Watling Island, in the Bahama group, on October 12. The object of the above illustration is to show the comparative sizes of the craft, and it might be pointed out that the drawing was made over a photograph of two models made to the same scale and photographed in position in the vertical plane, so that even taking into account the effect of perspective a correct idea of relative sizes is obtained.