Vickers Vixen The Vickers Vixen was a British general - purpose biplane of the 1920s . Designed and developed by Vickers in a number of variants , with 18 Vixen Mark V sold to Chile . A prototype of a version with metal wings was built as the Vickers Vivid . The Vixen also formed the basis of the closely related Venture and Valparaiso aircraft , which were also built and sold in small numbers in the 1920s Development and design . In 1922 , Vickers designed a two - seat biplane as a private venture as a possible replacement for the Airco DH . 9A and Bristol F . 2 Fighter . Building on the experience of the unsuccessful wartime FB . 14 fighter - reconnaissance aircraft , the Vixen was a single - bay biplane with a steel tube fuselage and wooden wings , powered by a 450 hp ( 340 kW ) Napier Lion engine . The first prototype aircraft , the Type 71 Vixen I , given the civil registration " G - EBEC " , flew in February 1923 . It was tested at Martlesham Heath and showed good performance , prompting modification to a day bomber role as the Type 87 Vixen II , which was fitted with a ventral radiator between the undercarriage legs replacing the car - type radiator of the Vixen I , first flying in this form on 13 August 1923 . The Vixen I and II formed the basis of the Venture army co - operation aircraft for the Royal Air Force and the Valparaiso for export purposes . The next version of the Vixen was the Vickers Type 91 Vixen III , first flying in April 1924 which was fitted with larger wings ( with wingspan of 44 ft / 13 . 4 m rather than 34 ft 6 in / 10 . 5 m earlier aircraft ) for increased performance at altitude , and reverted to a nose - mounted radiator . The Vixen III was tested with both wheel and float undercarriages , and was later converted back to a landplane , and used for air racing , competing in the 1925 , 1926 and 1927 King ' s Cup Race s . The Vixen III formed the basis of the Type 116 Vixen V , fitted with a high - compression Lion V engine and a modified tail , of which 18 were purchased by Chile . The Vixen II prototype was modified to use the more powerful Rolls - Royce Condor engine at the end of 1924 as the Type 105 Vixen IV , which was intended for use as a night fighter . While it showed improved performance over the Lion - powered versions , it was not successful , and was modified with the enlarged wings of the Vixen III as a general - purpose aircraft ( the Type 124 Vixen VI ) for evaluation as a private venture entry to meet the requirements of Air Ministry Specification 26 / 27 , competing against the Bristol Beaver , Fairey Ferret , de Havilland Hound , Gloster Goral , Westland Wapiti , and Vickers ' own Valiant . The Vixen was rejected on the grounds that the Condor engine was too heavy and powerful for the role . When the problems encountered by the wooden wings of the Vixen V in Chile were realised , it was decided to produce a version with metal wings . This was initially designated Vixen VII , but was soon renamed Vickers Vivid . The Vixen III prototype was rebuilt with metal wings to become the Type 130 Vivid , first flying in this form on 27 June 1927 , powered by a Lion VA engine , later being re - engined with a 540 hp ( 400 kW ) Lion XI as the Type 146 Vivid . The Vivid was evaluated by Romania , but no orders resulted , with the prototype being sold to a private buyer in 1931 , being destroyed in a fire at Chelmsford in 1932 . Operational history . The Military Aviation Service of Chile placed an initial order for twelve Vixen Vs in May 1925 , this being increased to 18 in July . While prone to engine problems owing to the problems with the special fuel ( ⅔ petrol to ⅓ benzol ) required for the high - compression Lion V engine , and requiring frequent re - rigging owing to the use of wooden wings in the high temperature of Northern Chile , the Vixen Vs , operated by the " Grupo Mixto de Aviación " N° 3 . were popular in Chilean service , being used for long - distance flights of several hundred miles and continued in service for several years . Vixens participated in bombing raids against mutinying ships of the Chilean Navy ( including the Battleship ) during the Sailors ' mutiny of September 1931 . After rejection by the Royal Air Force , the Vixen VI , piloted by the Test pilot Joseph Summers and Colonel Charles Russell of the Irish Air Corps , carried the first Irish Air Mail , between Galway and London .