Vickers-Armstrongs

20 April 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

Letter from HRH Prince Philip

See and hear a Viscount

Newsletters

Flight Magazine Reports

Aircraft operational
records and photos

Viscount illustrations
by David Carter

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.

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Live Magazine

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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information@VickersViscount.net

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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.

In the Beginning

The Turboprop World-Beater

Sir George Edwards

The Rolls-Royce Dart

c/n 1 G-AHRF V.630
The Prototype Viscount

c/n 2 VX217 V.663
The Tay powered Viscount

c/n 3 G-AMAV V.700
The V.700 series prototype

c/n 4 G-ALWE V.701
The first BEA Viscount

c/n 5 G-ALWF V.701
The oldest surviving Viscount

c/n 8 F-BGNK V.708
The first Air France Viscount

c/n 30 EI-AFV V.707
The first Aer Lingus Viscount

c/n 40 CF-TGI V.724
The first TCA Viscount

c/n 44 VH-TVA V.720
The first TAA Viscount

c/n 67 YI-ACK V.735
The first Iraqi Airways Viscount

c/n 70 CF-GXK V.737
The first Canadian DoT Viscount

c/n 71 VP-TBK V.702
The first BOAC Associated
Companies Viscount

c/n 74 G-ANRR V.732
The first Hunting-Clan Viscount

c/n 77 LN-FOF V.736
The first Fred Olsen Viscount

c/n 79 IU-683 V.723
The first Indian Air Force Viscount

c/n 88 N7402 V.744
The first Capital Airlines Viscount

c/n 97 VH-BAT V.747
The first Butler Air
Transport Viscount

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Magazine Report
9 May 1958

Discover the history of the Viscount with these contemporary reports from the pages of Flight Magazine

BEA Viscount V.802 loss

BEA V.802 series Viscount G-AORC crashed on to the Hill of Barnweil at Craigie, Ayrshire, Scotland

The circumstances in which BEA's Viscount V.802 G-AORC crashed last week near Prestwick are not yet clear. The aircraft was on charter to BOAC and was flying from London to Prestwick to pick up 24 people. It crashed at the Hill of Barnweil, Craigie, 4½ miles ENE of Prestwick at 22:10 hrs GMT on April 28. The crew of five, with the exception of one stewardess, were injured, but all got clear of the aircraft before it was totally destroyed by fire. According to BEA, preliminary investigations indicated that there had been no defect in the engines or airframe.

This is the third Viscount V.802 written off by BEA during the last seven months, fortunately without loss of a fare-paying passenger. The accident last October to G-AOJA, flagship of BEA's V.802 fleet, when all seven on board - a crew of five and a BEA official and his wife - lost their lives, is still being investigated; preliminary investigations, which lasted three months, caused the Minister of Transport to order a public inquiry. The date of this inquiry has not yet been decided. The circumstances of the Nutts Corner accident were that, on completion of a GCA talk-down, the pilot took normal action to overshoot. Almost immediately afterwards the aircraft crashed near the upwind end of the runway and was completely destroyed.

A second Viscount V.802 accident occurred on November 17 last, when G-AOHP, on the regular night-freight service from London to Copenhagen and Hamburg, made a forced landing and was written off. The crew of two were unhurt. The cause of this accident has now been established by the Danish authorities, and it is understood that BEA are in full accord with the findings. The report may or may not be published shortly.

The latest accident was but briefly reported in UK newspapers, there being – happily - no loss of life. But it emphasized the disquiet in the insurance world, if not in the minds of the public, about Britain's air safety record during the past year, in which period eleven transport aircraft on the British register have been written off.

The crew of five, with the exception of one stewardess, were injured, but
all got clear of the aircraft before it was totally destroyed by fire.

History and photos of Viscount c/n 254 G-AORC

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