Vickers VC.7 of BOAC circa 1962.
Vickers V.1000 in RAF service with Transport Command circa 1963.
The Vickers V.1000/ VC.7 is another famous British cancelled project. Concerns over weight, lack of RAF funds and BOAC's desire to buy Boeing all combined to kill this aircraft. Its death has been blamed for Britain's consequent lack of long-range airliners and ability to compete with the Americans in the long-haul market. Personally, I feel the weight issue was one that was publicised by the Ministry of Supply to justify cancellation and I feel the Rolls-Royce Conway could have been developed (as it was for the 707) to enable Transatlantic flights. The take-off may have been an issue fully laden for RAF use but as aircraft got bigger the answer was bigger runways anyway. A sad end perhaps to what might have been an achievable product, its just a shame that Vickers couldn't have got more of its Viscount customers interested. But, perhaps, in 1954, when airlines were still sceptical about jet travel being economic, and as the Comet showed such aircraft might be complicated to operate safely, and when long-haul big airliners (the VC.7 was wider than the 707) were perhaps too big for the market it was always a going to face an uphill struggle.
Basic VC.7 Blank