An early photo of the Vance Viking, or Flying Wing. Here it is single-seat, with a short engine cowling and an odd double tailplane. The aircraft seems to be named Flying A with a winged A, or is it a star? It was completed in July 1932. Claire Vance was killed in a Boeing 40 crash in December 1932 and it then flew very little until it was rebuilt in 1934. For some time during 1932 it wore Bendix race number 61. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

Built in 1932, this was a long-range racer or mailplane which carried all fuel and payload in the wing and was therefore called a flying wing. It did not quite meet designer Claire Vance's expectations and its long-distance flights didn't happen. See other photo for original configuration - the two-seat nacelle dates this photo circa 1936. According to some the aircraft was not actually named Viking, but Flight magazine did call it that when it was entered in the London - Melbourne race. It did not eventually take part. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)