Welcome to our Viscount Museum
BEA - British European Airways
G-AOHK c/n 160
September 1958
British Aerospace
G-AZNA c/n 350
July 1986
Home Office Fire & Emergency Training Centre
G-BAPF c/n 338
July 1996
Preserving the Memory of the Vickers-Armstrongs VC2 Viscount
Concorde
In the early 1950s the Viscount was just as pioneering as Concorde was 20 years later.
Indeed, in many respects the Viscount was more successful than Concorde. Designed by Sir
George Edwards, who was also involved with the design of Concorde, the Viscount was the
world's first Jet Powered aircraft to carry fare paying passengers on a scheduled service.
Our museum is dedicated to preserve the memory of this ground breaking and highly
successful British aircraft and has a worldwide membership of people with an
interest in the Viscount.
Please enjoy your visit and over 8,000 pages of photos and information, and don't forget
to return regularly as new pages are being added every week - check the red panel on the
right hand side of every page for details.
For the best experience while you are viewing our museum press the F11 key on your
keyboard now. To return to normal key F11 again.
Viscount prototype G-AHRF
Vickers-Armstrongs VC2 Viscount
1948 - 2010
It was during the 1940s that Vickers-Armstrongs and Rolls-Royce proved that the gas-turbine
engine was the power plant of the future by developing the world class Viscount passenger
aircraft and Dart engine.
'Commercial flying', an airline passenger of the first half of the 20th Century once
observed, 'is 90% boredom and 10% fright'. This is the story of an aircraft that was
instrumental in altering this opinion. It is the story of a remarkable aircraft that so
shattered the accepted notions of travel comfort and airline economics that its standards
became accepted as a yardstick by which other forms of transport were measured. It is the
story of the first turbo-prop airliner in the world, and the first transport type ever to
break America's monopoly of the commercial aircraft market.
CF-TGI operated the first turbine powered scheduled service in North America
On 29 July 1950 the prototype Viscount G-AHRF became the first Jet Powered aircraft ever
to carry fare paying passengers on a scheduled service. In February 1953 the prototype
V.700 Viscount G-AMAV was the first turboprop aircraft to cross the Atlantic, and on
18 April 1955 TCA - Trans-Canada Airlines Viscount CF-TGI operated the first
turbine powered scheduled service in North America from Toronto, Canada to New York, USA.
G-ALWF is the oldest surviving Viscount and is now preserved at Duxford, England
The Viscount was born of a post World War II belief that the gas-turbine in one
form or another was the power plant of the future. A statement of this belief has
now become unexceptional and unchallenged, but in 1945 it was none of these things.
There were at the time more people willing to prove conclusively that gas turbines
would never be economically suited to passenger operations, than there were converts
to rebut them. In those pioneer days the arguments on both sides were still
based on theory, plus on the side of those who supported the gas turbine, a considerable
degree of faith.
Lufthansa operated Viscounts from the end of the 1950s
When the Viscount was in full production, Vickers-Armstrongs won orders from some 60
customers worldwide, amounting to a return of £177 million for the 439 aircraft sold.
These customers included airlines like BEA - British European Airways (BA - British
Airways), Air France, Aer Lingus, Alitalia, AUA - Austrian Airlines, BOAC, Capital
Airlines (United Airlines), CAA - Central African Airways, Continental Airlines, Cubana,
Hunting Clan Air Transport, IAC - Indian Airlines Corporation, Iraqi Airways, KLM -
Royal Dutch Airlines, LANICA, Lufthansa, MEA - Middle East Airlines, Misrair - Egyptian
Airlines (United Arab Airlines), NAC - New Zealand National Airways Corporation,
Northeast Airlines, PAI - Pakistan International Airlines, Philippine Airlines, PLUNA -
Primeras Lineas Uruguayas de Navegacion Aerea, SAA - South African Airways, TAA -
Trans-Australia Airlines, TCA - Trans-Canada Air Lines (Air Canada), Turk Hava Yollari,
Union of Burma Airways, and VASP - Viacao Aerea São Paulo.
Virgin operated Viscounts during the second half of the 1980s
Later the number of operators greatly increased as examples came onto the second-hand
market, usually to play a large part in improving the carriers' financial position. These
operators included Alidair, Aloha Airlines, Arkia - Israel Inland Airlines, BAF -
British Air Ferries, Bahamas Airways, BKS Air Transport Ltd. (Northeast Airlines),
Bouraq, British Eagle International Airlines, BMA - British Midland Airways, BWIA -
British West Indian Airways, BUA - British United Airways,Cambrian Airways, Channel
Airways, Condor Flugdienst, Cyprus Airways, Dan-Air London, Falconair Sweden, FAT -
Far Eastern Air Transport, GB Airways Ltd., Go Transportation, Guernsey Airlines, Hong
Kong Airways, Icelandair, Intra Airways, Kuwait Airways, LOT - Polish Airlines, Mandala
Airlines, Manx Airlines, Merpati Nusantara Airlines, Pearl Air, Ronald J Clark, SAETA -
Sociedad Anonima Ecuatoriana de Transportes Aereos, Skyline Sweden, Starways Ltd, TAC
Colombia, Tradair, Virgin Atlantic Airways and Westernair of Alberqerque.
Pegasus Aviation was still operating 3D-PFI in the Congo during 2005
The Viscount saw service throughout the world on both passenger and freight services and although
the majority had been withdrawn by the start of the 21st century, a few soldiered on.
Numerous examples of this classic Vickers-Armstrongs design have been preserved for posterity.
While providing a fitting tribute to the magnificent aircraft and its creators, the atmosphere
and character of a living specimen is naturally missing.
The Turboprop World-Beater Viscount
Gerry Sweet
chronicles the history and development of the UK's most successful
propeller-driven commercial airliner.
