The Vickers Type 56 Victoria was a British biplane freighter and troop transport aircraft used by the Royal Air Force. The Victoria flew for the first time in 1922 and was selected for production over the Armstrong Whitworth Awana. The Victoria was a twin-engined biplane transport with a conventional landing gear with a tailskid. The design mated a similar fuselage of the earlier Vernon transport with the wing of the Virginia bomber, which was developed in parallel. It was also powered by two Napier Lion engines. The enclosed cabin had room for 24 troops on collapsible canvas seats arranged along the sides of the fuselage. In April 1921 two prototypes were ordered by the Air Ministry to Specification 5/20. The first prototype, allocated serial number J6860, was built as a Type 56 and designated as Victoria I, the second J6861 was built as a Type 81 Victoria II. The Type 56 had two 450 hp (340 kW) Napier Lion engines with large frontal radiators and were fitted directly onto the lower mainplanes, the fuel tanks were placed under the inboard section of the bottom mainplane. The prototype J6860 first flew from Brooklands, Surrey on 22 August 1922. The Type 81 flew in January 1923, and initially differed only in having the fuel tanks under the top mainplane.[5] It was later modified by replacing the flat sided engine cowling with more streamlined nacelles with the radiators between the undercarriage legs, as fitted in the Virginia II bomber. In March 1925, it was decided to place an order for 15 production aircraft. By this time, the Virginia design had evolved to incorporate swept-back wings, and the production Victoria IIIs incorporated this change. Another improvement first introduced in the Virginia was the introduction of metal structures instead of the all-wooden airframes of the early aircraft, with an order being placed for a prototype Victoria with a metal structure (serial number J9250) in September 1927, this being delivered in October 1928. The metal airframe proved much more suitable for the hot and humid areas where the Victoria served, with Victoria IV and Vs with metal structures produced by conversion and new production respectively. The final version was the Mark VI, which substituted modern, more powerful Bristol Pegasus radial engines for the Napier Lions. The Vickers Valentia was a further improved version with a stronger structure, capable of operating at higher weights. 97 Victorias were built, many of which were later converted into Valentias. Variants Type 56 Victoria Mk I The first prototype. Powered by two 450 hp (340 kW) Napier Lion IAX W12 engines. Type 81 Victoria Mk II The second prototype. Type 117 Victoria Mk III The first production version. Military transport aircraft for the RAF. Powered by 450 hp Napier Lion II engines. 46 built. Type 145 Victoria Mk IV Metal wing structure. One prototype powered by Bristol Jupiter radials.[19] Thirteen Lion-engined conversions from earlier marks. Type 169 Victoria Mk V New production aircraft with metal structure, powered by two 570 hp (430 kW) Napier Lion XIB engines. 37 new-built. Type 262 Victoria Mk VI Final production - powered by 660 hp (490 kW) Bristol Pegasus IIL3 engines instead of Lions. 11 new-build, 23 by conversion.
