Marker Logo
THE HISTORICAL
MARKER DATABASE
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)
 

Vickers Merchantman

 
 
Vickers Merchantman Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Michael Herrick, May 3, 2018
1. Vickers Merchantman Marker
Inscription.
Vickers Merchantman (Vanguard), 1969
Cruising Speed 435 mph (684.000Km) at 20000 Ft. (6.096km)

This is the only surviving example of the 44 Vickers Vanguard airliners produced. The Vanguard was conceived as a replacement for the Viscount for BEA and TCA (now Air Canada), who were looking for an aircraft capable of carrying over 100 passengers.

The engines selected were Rolls-Royce Tynes. Although these gave a significant increase in power over the Viscount’s Dart engines, they would prove too slow in comparison to the jet engines appearing of compatible airliners.

This aircraft was built at Brooklands as a Vanguard, and had its maiden flight on 29th November 1961. BEA took delivery in December, when they christened it ‘Superb’.

In 1969 it was withdrawn from service and converted into a Merchantman, and would serve BEA/BA until 1981.

In 1992 it was sold to Hunting Cargo Airlines, who operated it until 1996, when it was retired to Brooklands Museum for display. The aircraft was finally de-registered on 19th February 1997.

The Vickers Vanguard was the passenger version of the Merchantman.
 
Topics.
Paid Advertisement
Click or scan to see
this page online
This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Air & Space.
 
Location. 51° 21.355′ N, 0° 27.901′ W. Marker is in Weybridge, England, in Surrey. It can be reached from the intersection of Brooklands Road and Wellington Way, on the left when traveling south. Located at the Brooklands Museum. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Weybridge, England KT13 0QN, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Greater South East. Globally, it is on the Atlantic Ocean, in the North Atlantic Region, in Europe, in Atlantic Europe, on one of the British Isles, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Vickers 806 Viscount (within shouting distance of this marker); G-AGRU (within shouting distance of this marker); Vickers Viscount 837 (within shouting distance of this marker); Jetstream T Mk. 1 (within shouting distance of this marker); BAC/Hunting Jet Provost (within shouting distance
Vickers Merchantman image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Michael Herrick, May 3, 2018
2. Vickers Merchantman
of this marker); Vickers 1103 VC-10 (within shouting distance of this marker); BAC/Aerospatiale Concorde (within shouting distance of this marker); Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus 593 (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Weybridge.
 
Also see . . .
1. Vickers Vanguard on Wikipedia. (Submitted on June 4, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
2. Brooklands Museum. (Submitted on June 4, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
3. Brooklands on Wikipedia. (Submitted on June 4, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on January 27, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 4, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 575 times since then and 105 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on June 4, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.
m=118225

CeraNet Cloud Computing sponsors the Historical Marker Database.
This website earns income from purchases you make after using our links to Amazon.com. We appreciate your support.
Paid Advertisement
Jul. 25, 2026