The Vickers machine gun was the standard British aircraft armament during the First World War. Belt-fed and chambered for the .303 British cartridge, it was adapted from the ground gun but modified for aviation use. Instead of a heavy water jacket, the aircraft version featured a lightweight perforated cooling jacket, taking advantage of slipstream airflow to prevent overheating. When synchronized to fire through the propeller arc, it became one of the most effective fighter weapons of the war.

To adapt the gun for different aircraft configurations, it was fitted with the Hyland Type B loading handle, which could be arranged for both standard feed and reverse feed systems, depending on the installation.

Aircraft equipped with the Vickers (Hyland Type B handle)

• Airco DH.4 and DH.9 – light bombers with forward-firing Vickers.
• Bristol F.2b Fighter – often carried a fixed Vickers for the pilot.
• Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 and S.E.5a – forward-firing fighter armament.
• Sopwith Camel – the most famous British fighter, with twin synchronized Vickers.
• Sopwith Dolphin – high-performance fighter with twin Vickers and Lewis combinations.
• Sopwith Pup – early scout fighter with a single Vickers.
• Sopwith Snipe – late-war fighter, successor to the Camel.
• Sopwith Triplane – equipped with a synchronized Vickers.

Historical significance

The aircraft Vickers with Hyland Type B handle was a cornerstone of British fighter firepower in WWI. The reversible feed system allowed flexibility in installation across different designs, ensuring compatibility from early scouts to late-war fighters. Lightweight, reliable, and effective when paired with synchronization gear, it became the iconic gun of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force.