Vickers Vimy & Spottie

This Vimy is a replica of the Vickers Vimys of the early nineteen hundreds. The original Vimys became famous for their historic flights between 1919 and 1920. They were used by Alcock and Brown, the intrepid aviators who flew the first non-stop trans-Atlantic flight, and the Smith brothers who flew to Australia. In February and March of 1920, in a flight that took 45 days, a Vimy attempted the first England to Cape flight. Although it took two Vimys and a de Havilland DH9 to complete the journey it was a milestone in aviation history.
The Vimy replica has to date re-enacted all the historic flights, including a visit to South Africa in 1999.
Built as authentic to the original as possible the replica however contains state of the art materials and equipment. Powered by two BMW V12 engines delivering 350hp each, the Vimy has a cruising speed of 75mph and an endurance of approximately 19 hours.

The 2 Squadron Cheetah 'C' holding station with the Vimy was specially painted in a commemorative SAAF 75 livery and is affectionately called 'Spotty'.