How long did the first Avro 707 last?

Short answer

Twenty-six days. The first Avro 707, VX784, flew on 4 September 1949 from Boscombe Down with Squadron Leader Samuel Eric Esler at the controls, and crashed on 30 September near Blackbushe, killing the pilot.

Published: November 4, 2026 · Updated: November 4, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

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A scaled-down Vulcan

The Avro 707 was designed to test the thick, tailless delta-wing configuration chosen for the Avro 698 jet bomber, which would later be named the Vulcan. It was, in effect, a one-third-scale version of the Vulcan.

Twenty-six days of flying

The first 707, registered VX784, made its maiden flight on 4 September 1949 from RAF Boscombe Down. At the controls was Squadron Leader Samuel Eric Esler, DFC, AE. Two days later, the aircraft was displayed on the ground at the Farnborough air show. On 30 September 1949, twenty-six days after that first flight, VX784 crashed near Blackbushe during a test flight, and Esler was killed in the accident. Trials with the first prototype were cut short very early on.

What came next

The loss of the first prototype brought construction of the second to a temporary halt while the design was re-examined. That review led to several refinements that were incorporated into the aircraft.