The turboprop airliner that arrived just as the jet age began

Countries & Cities · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Designed to succeed the successful Viscount, the Vickers Vanguard arrived in 1960 just as passengers began favoring the speed of new jet-powered aircraft. Despite being overshadowed by these competitors, this powerful turboprop featured a unique double-bubble fuselage and advanced engines that allowed it to serve for decades as a versatile freighter.

The Vanguard was born from mid-1950s discussions between Vickers-Armstrongs and British European Airways (BEA). The goal was a successor to the Viscount that offered 10 per cent better economics and higher speeds. To achieve this, Vickers moved away from the Viscount's single-level design, adopting a 'double-bubble' fuselage. This configuration provided a more spacious interior for passengers and a dedicated lower hold for increased cargo capacity.

Power was a central requirement. While the previous Viscount relied on Rolls-Royce Dart engines, the Vanguard utilized the much more powerful Rolls-Royce Tyne. These engines, which scaled from an initial 2,750 hp to at least 4,000 hp, allowed the aircraft to achieve significantly higher cruising speeds and service ceilings. In fact, the Vanguard became one of the fastest turboprop airliners ever built, outperforming much later designs like the de Havilland Canada Dash 8.

The development process was not without friction. To resolve violent stalling tendencies that could cause the aircraft to roll inverted, engineers had to conduct an extensive program of over 2,000 stalls. Additionally, the design had to balance the needs of two different customers: BEA, which required a larger payload for freight, and Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA), which sought a low-mounted wing to improve serviceability and water-landing survival. While the jet age quickly marginalized the Vanguard's passenger service, its durability allowed it to transition into a successful freighter—known as the Merchantman for BEA—remaining in service until 1996.

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