Vickers Two-Seat

Scout Biplane

The Vickers (Aviation Department) Scout biplane was displayed at the Olympia Aero Show of 1914 alongside the Vickers EFB3, which was shortly to be developed into the Vickers FB5 Gunbus (the EFB3 and FB5 are described separately).

 

The Vickers Scout was a single-bay tractor biplane with staggered wings that had two seats in tandem. Other than having a typical Vickers semi-circular tailplane and two cockpits, the Vickers Scout biplane had a close resemblance to the contemporary Bristol Scout design. Power was provided by a 100 hp Gnome monosoupape rotary engine.

 

Comparatively little is known about this design and it is not known if it was flown. If it was, it is likely that this would have been in April 1914.

 

With the Admiralty taking positive interest in the Vickers EFB3, the Vickers company concentrated their development efforts on the Gunbus design. Vickers Aviation stayed faithful to the pusher Gunbus configuration until well after the superiority of the tractor biplane, when fitted with synchronised forward-firing armament, had become apparent.