02 December 2024
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Viscount Survivors


59 of the 444 Viscounts built survive as complete airframes or major components. Some are in very good condition and are looked after by museums while others are just wrecks. They can be found in 24 countries.

Viscount history


Discover the history of the Viscount with film, video, contemporary reports from the pages of Flight Magazine, our newsletters, and aircraft operational records and photos from our database.


Share your photos and stories


Our 'Live Magazine' is used by members and non-members to share their Viscount photos and stories with fellow enthusiasts located throughout the world in real time.

You are able to send in your photos, stories and comments by Facebook, Twitter or email and we will post them for all to enjoy.

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Featured pages

Our website contains over 20,000 pages of photos and information that can all be accessed from the menu at the top of every page. Here are a few to get you started.



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Established 2005
Vickers Viscount Network
A Virtual Museum dedicated to the Vickers-Armstrongs VC2 Viscount

Welcome to our Viscount Museum




Condor Flugdienst GmbH V.814 Viscount c/n 339 D-ANOL


The Viscount story started in the early 1940s

Photo of Concorde
Concorde

The idea to develop the Viscount (initially known as the Viceroy) was born during World War II at a time when things were going far from well and few people were thinking much about civil aviation. To some people in 1942, it may have seemed strangely unrealistic of the British Government to appoint a group of experts, known as the Brabazon Committee, to examine post-war requirements for transport aircraft. In their recommendations, however, lay the origin of an idea that was to develop into one of the most successful British civil aircraft ever built.

The Viscount was designed by George Edwards (later Sir George Edwards), who was for a quarter of a century from 1950, the dominant figure in British aviation, both civil and military. His name is synonymous with the Viscount, the world's first gas turbine-powered aircraft to carry fare-paying passengers on a scheduled service, and Concorde, for which he led the British team throughout its formative period to customer delivery.

Sir George Edwards


In its time the Viscount was just as pioneering as Concorde was 20 years later. Indeed, in many respects, the Viscount was a more successful aircraft than Concorde.



Flight test of British Air Ferries (BAF) V.806 series Viscount G-APEY
on the 14 March 1993 at Rochford, Southend, Essex, England

More Viscount film



The Viscount was designed using cutting edge technology


Vickers-Armstrongs developed the Viscount in tandem with Rolls-Royce's development of the Dart, the world’s first commercially successful propeller gas turbine (turbo-prop) engine. Almost certainly neither would have succeeded without the other.

The Rolls-Royce Dart



The 1950s and the 1960s were sensational times in aviation and Britain led the world in commercial aircraft development with pioneering designs like the Vickers-Armstrongs Viscount and the de Havilland Comet. Packed with the latest 1950s cutting edge technology, the Viscount was operated by both large and small airlines throughout the world and was to remain in service for over 50 years.

Preserving the memory of the Viscount

Our virtual museum is dedicated to preserving the memory of this groundbreaking and highly successful British aircraft and consists of over 20,000 pages of information, photos and films that are assessable with just a few clicks from the menu bar at the top of each page. On the information bar on the right-hand side of each page, we have selected a few of these pages to get you started.

Photo of British European Airways Corporation (BEA) Viscount G-AOYS c/n 267 July 1965
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)
G-AOYS, c/n 267, taken July 1965

Delivered new to British European Airways (BEA) and now un-named. Taken at Luqa Airport, Malta in July 1965.

Note the Maltese Cross and 'The Malta Airlines' logo in two square panels on the cheatline and the dual registration.

Photo Ref V130 and V1066.


Photo source - Brian N Stainer (Aviation Photo News)

Start your visit by finding out how the Viscount was born during World War II at a time when things were going far from well and few people were thinking much about civil aviation. Discover the operational records and photos of the 444 Viscounts built together with film from British Pathe and Viscount history from owners and operators.

Read our 'Live Magazine' where stories and photos are added daily by members and non-members located throughout the world. You will never miss a story as you can scroll back to the very first one added when we introduced this popular service.

'In the Beginning'



Discover the history of the Viscount with contemporary reports from the pages of Flight Magazine. Finish your visit by taking a slide show where you can travel back in time and enjoy yourself revisiting the long and colourful life of the Viscount. No two slide shows will be the same and are illustrated with photos from our archive that dates from 1948 through to today.

Flight Magazine reports



Please enjoy your visit and don't forget to return regularly as new material is being added all the time - check out the 'Latest 60 photos' on the menu bar.

Viscount slide show Live Magazine



The Vickers Viscount Network has a membership and following in over 89 countries

Why not join our friendly, international and free membership where members come from all walks of life - pilots, engineers, artists, authors, model makers, pilots of computer simulators, airline passengers, and plane spotters, just to name some. Whatever their interest our members have one thing in common - the Viscount.

FREE membership details Newsletters


Preserving the Memory of the Vickers-Armstrongs VC2 Viscount


Vickers-Armstrongs VC2 Viscount

1948 - 2024

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.

Prototype Viscount c/n 1 G-AHRF

The prototype Viscount, the sole V.630 series, G-AHRF

Notable firsts:-


TCA - Trans-Canada Air Lines Viscount CF-TGI
Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA)

29 July 1950 - C/N 1 G-AHRF operated by British European Airways Corporation (BEA) became the first gas turbine-powered aircraft to carry fare-paying passengers on a scheduled service anywhere in the world when it departed Northolt, Middlesex, England as flight number BE392X2 to Le Bourget, Paris, France.

13-17 February 1953 – C/N 3 G-AMAV owned by the Ministry of Supply became the first gas turbine-powered passenger aircraft to cross the North Atlantic.

1 April 1955 – C/N 42 CF-TGK of Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) operated the first gas turbine-powered scheduled revenue service in North America as flight number 265 from Montreal, Province of Quebec to Winnipeg, Manitoba via Toronto, Ontario and Port Arthur, Ontario (known as Thunder Bay since January 1970 when it amalgamated with Fort William), Canada.

4 April 1955 – C/N 42 CF-TGK of Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) operated the first international gas turbine-powered scheduled revenue service in North America from Toronto, Ontario, Canada to Idlewild, New York, USA (since 1963 known as JFK - John F Kennedy airport).

The oldest surviving Viscount G-ALWF
British European Airways
Corporation (BEA)


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.

The oldest surviving Viscount G-ALWF
Virgin Atlantic Airways



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.

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.

Pegasus Aviation Viscount 3D-PFI
Pegasus Aviation


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.

'In the Beginning'



Photo of BEA - British European Airways Viscount G-AOJC

The Vickers Viscount Network is always interested to hear from anyone who has information or photographs to help complete the story of the Viscount. If you can help please contact us at
Information@VickersViscount.net.


Click here for more details about the Vickers Viscount Network

This website has been designed, built and is maintained by Geoff Blampied, Norwich, Norfolk, England.