P
In January 1944 veteran Vickers’ chief
test pilot Joseph ‘Mutt’ Summers
compiled a report for the company
on the Type 432. Its main points were
as follows:- The cockpit was roomy and
comfortable. - Operation of the canopy dome
was unacceptable as a service
proposition – jettisoning it in an
emergency would be too diffi cult. - Insuffi cient rudder control to correct
the swing to port on take-off with an
equal opening up of the engines. - The 432 fl ew itself off the ground
quite nicely. - A lack of positive longitudinal
stability combined with the problem
of the elevator made the initial
climb unpleasant. - Cruise was smooth and fairly quiet
with a good forward view, although
the nacelles restricted the side view. - At low speeds DZ217 was under-
ruddered and this would present a
hazard should the aircraft lose an
engine on take-off or need to make a
single-engined approach. - The stalling speed with everything
down was 77mph. - When the fl aps and undercarriage
were up, the 432 could be fl own at
80mph – though this was close to
the stall.
VICKERS TYPE 432 –
THE VERDICTIn January 1944 veteran Vickers’ chief
test pilot Joseph ‘Mutt’ Summers
compiled a report for the company
on the Type 432. Its main points wereVICKERS TYPE 432 –
THE VERDICTThese teething troubles hampered
performance trials severely and
very little data was collected. The
maximum level speed achieved
in May 1943 was 380mph at
15,000ft, well short of the original
estimate of 435mph at 28,000ft. A
speed of 400mph was exceeded in a
dive, but at that point the ailerons
became solid.
WRITING ON THE WALL
On the 23rd flight, Lucke began
a steep climb and at the top,
around 130mph and 2,000ft,
DZ217 sustained negative ‘g’. The
port Merlin cut out and almost
simultaneously the aircraft flicked
over into a left hand and near
vertical spin. Recovery was achieved
between 600 and 800ft.
Throughout the flying programme
the 432’s persistent
desire to stall orspin presented the pilot
with some nerve-racking
moments. Staff at the
Royal Aircraft Establishment,
Farnborough, were never happy
with the type’s predicted spinning
characteristics, even though no full
trials had been held.
In October 1943 the decision
was made not to proceed with the
intended pressure cabin. The writing
was on the wall for the Type 432. In
a career stretching from December
1942 until November 1944 DZ217
completed just 29 flights: Lucke was
the pilot for all but one of those.
Sqn Ldr Maurice Longbottom,
attached to Vickers as a production
test pilot, carried out sortie No.25
on January 25, 1944. His report
described a strong tendency to
swing to the left on take-off, and
the ailerons would overbalance at
140mph or less. The rate of roll was
said to be quite good.
At low speeds the rudder was
effective with full power on, but
with only a little power or none at
all it had no ‘feel’ whatsoever. At
high speeds the rudder was quitelight at small angles but became very
heavy at larger deflections.
The elevators were extremely
heavy but effective at all normal
speeds. The elevator trimmer was
very powerful. Problems with the
controls made the landing
difficult; ‘three-pointers’ were
almost impossible.
In autumn 1943 the Ministry
of Aircraft Production expressed
a desire to see the F7/41 contract
closed by the end of the year.
Despite this, flights 26 to 28 were
made between February 28
and March 25, 1944.
After this, a power-operated
40mm gun turret
was fitted and
by October 5, this
installation was nearly complete.
The prototype flew just once more,
on November 26, 1944, when it
performed a ‘speed against power’
trial. The Type 432 DZ217was
eventually scrapped.
It will never be known just how
good the Vickers Type 432 might
have been. Its overlong development
period meant that when the test
programme finally started, the
Mosquito was already performing
many RAF twin-engine fighter and
bomber duties, so there was no need
for a replacement.
The priorities of its bomber
work prevented Vickers from
getting around to solving the 432’s
numerous problems. However,
DZ217 was a very interesting and
quite attractive aeroplane, not least
because it introduced ‘lobster-claw’
wing construction and anticipated
the fitting of pressure cabins for
high-altitude flight.The author is indebted to the staff of
the National Archives for help with
this article. Tony Buttler has written
British Experimental Combat
Aircraft of World War Two published
by Crécy – http://www.crecy.co.ukLeft
Type 432 DZ217 taking off
on one of its 29 fl ights.
BAE SYSTEMS HERITAGEBelow
Head-on view of the Type
432, DZ217. BAE SYSTEMS
HERITAGEAugust 2018 FLYPAST 103