NICO BRAAS MEMORIAL COLLECTION
No. 4039. Vickers 250 Vespa Mk.VII (G-ABIL c/n 1)
Photograph from Bristol, taken at Filton, South Gloucestershire, UK, September 1932

Vickers 250 Vespa Mk.VII

02/15/2023. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "The Vickers Vespa was a single-engined multi-purpose military biplane, produced by Vickers in some numbers under seven different designations:

The record attempt was made by Cyril Frank Uwins, chief test pilot of the Bristol Aeroplane Company, from Filton, were Bristol had its aircraft and engines facilities. On September 16, 1932, the aircraft reached a record altitude of 43,976 ft (13,404 m), improving the previous record with 810 ft (247 m). The previous altitude record of 43,166 feet (13,157 meters) was set from NAS Anacostia, Washington, D.C., USA, on June 4, 1930, by USN Lieutenant Apollo Soucek, flying the sole Wright XF3W-1 Apache.

In May 1933 the Vespa Mk.VII was sold to the Air Ministry and serialed K3588 it was used by the RAE for high-altitude research with supercharged engines and variablepitch propellers."


Created March 19, 2005