Vickers Type 559

Type 559
Role	Interceptor Type of aircraft
Manufacturer	Vickers-Armstrongs
Number built	None

The Vickers Type 559 was a supersonic interceptor aircraft design by the British aircraft company Vickers-Armstrongs and was their submission for Operational Requirement F.155 in 1955.

It was not accepted for further consideration; the most valued submissions being from Armstrong Whitworth and Fairey, however the F.155 requirement was dropped as a result of the 1957 Defence White Paper.^[1]

Design and development

The Type 559 was an unorthodox canard design with a massive chin air intake, split vertically, for two reheated de Havilland Gyron engines of 20,000 pounds-force (89 kN) thrust each, placed as in the English Electric Lightning, one above the other. Two de Havilland Spectre Junior rockets were situated, one each side of the fuselage at wing level. Two Red Hebe or Blue Jay missiles were mounted alongside the upper part of the fuselage between the canard and the mainplane, which had endplates incorporating twin rudders.^{[citation needed]}

Specifications

Data from Supermarine Aircraft since 1914 ^[2]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 68 ft 3 in (20.80 m)
• Wingspan: 42 ft 0 in (12.80 m)
• Height: 15 ft 3 in (4.65 m)
• Wing area: 615 sq ft (57.1 m²)
• Empty weight: 41,485 lb (18,817 kg)
• Gross weight: 62,190 lb (28,209 kg)
• Powerplant: 2 × de Havilland Gyron PS.26/1 afterburning turbojet engines, 20,000 lbf (89 kN) thrust each dry, 27,000 lbf (120 kN) with afterburner
• Powerplant: 2 × De Havilland Spectre Junior Kerosene/High-test peroxide rocket motor, 5,000 lbf (22 kN) thrust each

Performance

• Maximum speed: Mach 2.5
• Combat range: 150 mi (240 km, 130 nmi)
• Endurance: 32 minutes
• Service ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,000 m) specified by F.155

Armament

• Missiles: 2 × Red Hebe (radar guided) or Blue Jay (heat-seeking) missiles

Notes

References

External links

Type
numbersEarly typesCivilianAirshipsMilitary

1st World War Fighting Biplanes	E.F.B.1 E.F.B.2 E.F.B.3 E.F.B.4 F.B.5 F.B.6 E.F.B.7 E.F.B.8 F.B.9 F.B.11 F.B.12 F.B.14 F.B.16 F.B.19 F.B.23 F.B.24 F.B.25 F.B.26 Vampire F.B.27 Vimy
Fighters	123 141 143 151 161 162 177 279 432 Bolivian Scout Bullet C.O.W. Gun Fighter E.S.1 E.S.2 Gunbus Hart Scout Jockey Valparaiso Vampire Venom Vireo Wibault Scout
Bombers, GP and reconnaissance	163 207 253 581 Bomber scheme C Valentia (1921) Valiant (1927) Valiant (1951) Vanellus Vanox Venture Vespa Victory Bomber Vigilant Viking (1919) Vildebeest Vimy Vincent Virginia Vivid Vixen Vulture Warwick Wellesley Wellington Windsor
Military Transports	Valentia (1934) Valetta Vernon Victoria
Trainers	Varsity Vendace Vickers Instructional Machine (VIM)