12 October 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.

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

Viscount c/n 15

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 15
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)


England flag England

This V.701 series Viscount was built for
British European Airways Corporation (BEA) as G-AMOD

It first flew on Wednesday, 17 June 1953 at Weybridge, Surrey, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 505 engines.


During its life this aircraft was also owned and/or operated by
Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP) and the City of Piracicaba


Photo of Viscount c/n 15
City of Araçariguama


Brasil flag Brasil

Its final owner/operator was
City of Araçariguama as PP-SRJ.

Its fate:-
Withdrawn from service by Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP) and stored at Congonhas Airport, São Paulo, Brasil in February 1969.

Donated for use in a children's playground at Piracicabs, Brasil in 1974.

Moved to Araçariguama, São Paulo, Brasil (50 km from São Paulo city) for use as a children's cinema circa 2006.

Reportedly no longer being used as a children's cinema circa 2014. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net

Noted in a blue and white livery in May 2015. Noted repainted in a multi-coloured mural livery in 2017. Restoration work under 'Projeto Vickers Viscount' commenced in July 2023.


Operational record
Photo of Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd Viscount G-AMOD

Country of Registration United Kingdom

May 1952 to April 1953

Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd

G-AMOD - c/n 15 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

August 1949
Discussions concluded between Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd and British European Airways Corporation (BEA) regarding the specification for the Type 701 aircraft.

Accommodation for 47 passengers at a gross weight of 53,000 lbs was specified with Rolls-Royce Dart RDa3 Mark 505 engines.

3 August 1950
Order placed by British European Airways Corporation (BEA) for 20 Type 701 aircraft which was later increased to 26.

23 May 1952
Registered to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd.

This was the 8th Type 701 Viscount ordered by British European Airways Corporation (BEA).

Production Aircraft No. 10 - the 10th production Type 700 series Viscount built,
was the 12th Viscount fuselage assembled at Weybridge, Surrey, England,
and the 10th Viscount assembled at Weybridge, Surrey, England.

Production Order No. F08/701. Sales Order No. F08/84A. Stock Order No. F12/10B.

13 November 1952
Fuselage assembly commenced at Weybridge, Surrey, England.

29 December 1952
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Weybridge, Surrey, England.

24 April 1953
Registration to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd cancelled.

24 April 1953
Registered to British European Airways Corporation (BEA).


Photo of British European Airways Corporation (BEA) Viscount G-AMOD

Country of Registration United Kingdom

April 1953 to August 1962

British European Airways Corporation (BEA)

G-AMOD - c/n 15 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

24 April 1953
Registered to British European Airways Corporation (BEA), Keyline House, Ruislip, Middlesex.

12 June 1953
Engine ground running commenced.

17 June 1953
First flight from Brooklands Airfield, Weybridge, Surrey, England.

It landed at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England for fitting out and test flying.

24 June 1953
Certificate of Airworthiness issued.

26 June 1953
Delivered to British European Airways (BEA) named as 'R M A John Davis'.

It was fitted with Rolls-Royce Dart RDa3 Mark 505 engines.

The cabin was fitted out with a 47 seat all-tourist class layout.

13 April 1954
Operated the first Viscount service from Ringway Airport, Manchester, England to Lohausen Airport, Düsseldorf, West Germany, replacing the 32 seat Douglas DC-3 Pionair.

30 April 1954
First noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England.

8 August 1955
Operated the first Viscount service from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to Cairo, Egypt route via Riem Airport, Munich, West Germany and Ellinikon Airport, Athens, Greece.

1954 to 1962
The original ‘cutlass’ design propeller blades were gradually replaced by new symmetrical ‘needle’ blade propeller sets.

From photographic evidence, both propeller types were fitted to Rolls-Royce Dart RDa3, Mark 505 and Mark 506 engines and many aircraft flew with an ‘intermix’ of both types of propeller blades.

May 1955 to December 1956
All BEA Type 701 aircraft were gradually retrofitted with Rolls-Royce Dart RDa3 Mark 506 engines which were upgraded using modified Mark 505 engines.

Aircraft are known to have flown with an ‘intermix’ of both engine marks between these dates.

When completely retro-fitted with Mark 506 engines, the Type 701A designation was applied to these aircraft although this has not been seen widely used or quoted.

17 February 1959
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

Painted in the BEA ‘Red Square‘ livery.
BEA
‘Red Square‘ livery

March 1959
A new BEA 'Red Square' livery was adopted and aircraft were repainted during the early 1960s when they next went in for overhaul.

Sadly, after repainting, the aircraft no longer carried a name including the nameplate on the forward cabin bulkhead.

9 October 1959
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England carrying out multiple ILS approaches and overshoots.

10 February 1960
Last noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England.

30 November 1961
An emergency return to Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, Netherlands after departure was carried out due to an engine fire warning.

circa June 1962
Offered for sale for £110,000.

30 August 1962
Sold to Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP).

FURTHER READING: Books about BEA - British European Airways



Photo of Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP) Viscount PP-SRJ

Country of Registration Brasil

August 1962 to January 1974

Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP)

PP-SRJ - c/n 15 - a V.701 series Viscount
Brasil registered

30 August 1962
Purchased from British European Airways Corporation (BEA) along with nine other Type 701 from the fleet.

The package deal including spare parts came to a total of £1,550.000 with an initial deposit of £310,000 and the remainder repaid over three years at an interest rate of 6%.

These Viscounts were obtained instead of an uncompleted order for new Handley Page HPR.7 Dart Heralds due to production delays and were used to replace the Saab Scanias.

26 February 1963
Departed on delivery from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England via Renfrew Airport, Glasgow, Scotland, Keflavik, Iceland, Bluey West 8, Goose Bay Airport, Dorval Airport, Montreal, Canada, Washington & Miami, USA in full VASP livery together with Viscount PP-SRI (C/N 11).

26 February 1963
United Kingdom registration cancelled as aircraft sold abroad.

25 October 1964
Attended the airshow at Santos Dumont Airport, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil together with PP-SRP (C/N 61) and PP-SRQ (C/N 65).

28 February 1969
Withdrawn from service and stored at Congonhas Airport, São Paulo, Brasil.

Total time 25,039 hours and 18,283 total landings.

28 May 1973
Noted in a derelict condition.

1974
Donated to the City of Piracicaba, Brasil.


Photo of City of Piracicaba Viscount PP-SRJ

Country of Registration Brasil

January 1974 to January 2006

City of Piracicaba

PP-SRJ - c/n 15 - a V.701 series Viscount
Brasil registered

1974
Donated by Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP) to a children's playground in Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, Brasil.

5 January 2002
Noted still in existence mounted on poles.

2006
Moved to Araçariguama, State of São Paulo, Brasil (50 km from São Paulo City). The actual date of the move is not known. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net


Photo of City of Araçariguama Viscount PP-SRJ

Country of Registration Brasil

January 2006 to

City of Araçariguama

PP-SRJ - c/n 15 - a V.701 series Viscount
Brasil registered

2006
Moved to Araçariguama, State of São Paulo, Brasil (50 km from São Paulo City) for use as a children's cinema.

Date of the move and current owner unknown. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net.

There are no nacelles and has poorly replicated engines and propellers.

circa 2014
Reportedly no longer being used as a children's cinema. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net

circa May 2015
Noted repainted in a blue and white livery.

Repainted in a blue and white livery.
Repainted in a
blue and white livery

2017
Noted repainted in a multi-coloured mural livery.

10 July 2023
A team of volunteers have started to repair this aircraft, which has deteriorated, especially the lower fuselage skin, which has corroded away.

The plan is to restore it to its former glory, including a complete interior, and cockpit which are both currently gutted.

As part of the work, young people interested in getting into aviation will receive training as part of the restoration work.

If anyone knows of any useful cockpit or cabin parts available to the project, then please let them know.

Projeto Vickers Viscount (website in Portuguese)



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.