19 April 2024
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Viscount Survivors

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

Viscount c/n 17

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 17
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)


England flag England

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

It first flew on Friday, 26 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
Channel Airways, British Eagle International Airlines Ltd, Starways Ltd, Cambrian Airways, Northeast Airlines (UK), British Airways (BA) and Lambton Airways

Photo of Viscount c/n 17
Saltwell Park


England flag England

Its final owner/operator was
Saltwell Park as G-AMOE.

Its fate:-
Withdrawn from service by Northeast Airlines (UK) at Woolsington Airport, Newcastle, England in 1973 and used for cabin crew training.

Preserved at Lampton Pleasure Park from April 1977 and at Saltwell Park, Gateshead from 1982.

Broken up for scrap and taken to a scrap yard in Felling, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England in March 1993.


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

May 1952 to June 1953

Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd

G-AMOE - c/n 17 - 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 9th Type 701 Viscount ordered by British European Airways Corporation (BEA).

Production Aircraft No. 11 - the 11th production Type 700 series Viscount built,
was the 14th Viscount fuselage assembled at Weybridge, Surrey, England,
and the 11th Viscount assembled at Weybridge, Surrey, England.

Production Order No. F09/701. Sales Order No. F09/84A. Stock Order No. F14/10B.

29 December 1952
Fuselage assembly commenced at Weybridge, Surrey, England.

2 February 1953
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Weybridge, Surrey, England.

19 June 1953
Registration to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd cancelled.

22 June 1953
Engine ground running commenced.

25 June 1953
Registered to British European Airways Corporation (BEA).


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

June 1953 to March 1964

British European Airways Corporation (BEA)

G-AMOE - c/n 17 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

25 June 1953
Re-registered to British European Airways Corporation (BEA), Keyline House, Ruislip, Middlesex.

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

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

8 July 1953
Certificate of Airworthiness issued.

13 July 1953
Delivered to British European Airways (BEA) named as 'R M A Sir Edward Parry'.

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

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

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.

27 January 1957
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

March - April 1957
To Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England for flap modifications.

25 November 1958
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

6 December 1958
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

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.

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

2 April 1959
Operated the first Viscount service from Gibraltar to Tangier, Morocco, which was operated on behalf of Gibraltar Airways, flown by Captain J Cooper.

15 October 1961
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

22 December 1962
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a Elmdon Airport, Birmingham weather diversion.

13 March 1964
Registration to BEA cancelled.

13 March 1964
Sold to Channel Airways.

FURTHER READING: Books about BEA - British European Airways



Photo of Channel Airways Viscount G-AMOE

Country of Registration United Kingdom

March 1964 to March 1964

Channel Airways

G-AMOE - c/n 17 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

13 March 1964
Purchased from British European Airways (BEA) and registered to Channel Airways.

16 March 1964
Delivered from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England.

26 March 1964
Leased to British Eagle International Airlines Ltd in their livery.


Photo of British Eagle International Airlines Ltd Viscount G-AMOE

Country of Registration United Kingdom

March 1964 to June 1964

British Eagle International Airlines Ltd

G-AMOE - c/n 17 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

26 March 1964
Leased from Channel Airways and delivered to London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England in full livery named as 'City of Manchester'.

1964
Sub-leased to Starways.

December 1964
Returned to Channel Airways.


Photo of Starways Ltd Viscount G-AMOE

Country of Registration United Kingdom

June 1964 to December 1964

Starways Ltd

G-AMOE - c/n 17 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

1964
Sub-leased from British Eagle International Airlines Ltd.

Operated in British Eagle livery with Starways titles still named as 'City of Manchester'.

10 November 1964
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion. The passengers were transferred to London by coach.

December 1964
Returned to Channel Airways.


Photo of Channel Airways Viscount G-AMOE

Country of Registration United Kingdom

December 1964 to January 1965

Channel Airways

G-AMOE - c/n 17 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

December 1964
Returned from British Eagle International Airlines Ltd lease.

20 January 1965
Registration to Channel Airways cancelled.

20 January 1965
Sold to Cambrian Airways.


Photo of Cambrian Airways Viscount G-AMOE

Country of Registration United Kingdom

January 1965 to January 1972

Cambrian Airways

G-AMOE - c/n 17 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

20 January 1965
Purchased from Channel Airways.

20 January 1965
Delivered from BKS Air Transport Ltd at Speke Airport, Liverpool, England to Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England for overhaul by Marshalls and the fitting of integral front 'airsteps'.

12 February 1965
Registered to Cambrian Airways.

19 February 1965
Delivered from Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England to Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales via Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England.

Involved in a ground collision at Speke, Liverpool, England 15 July 1966.
Hit the terminal building at Speke Airport, Liverpool, England

15 July 1966
Involved in a ground collision with the terminal building (Gate 2) at Speke Airport, Liverpool, England.

The aircraft had been having hydraulic problems and had supposedly been ‘fixed’. It was being ground tested by two engineers, Tommy Rise and Tom O'Hare, when the hydraulics failed again, resulting in a loss of nosewheel steering and brakes. The aircraft clipped Aer Lingus Viscount EI-AKO (C/N 421) before slamming into the terminal building having already demolished two sets of British Eagle passenger steps and a baggage trolley.

The nose undercarriage leg was pushed backwards and both starboard propellers were curled, resulting in shock-load damage to the Rolls-Royce Dart engines. The starboard upper fuselage behind the cockpit and one cabin window were punctured by flying debris.

David Sharratt describes the sequence of events; -
G-AMOE was scheduled to operate a Liverpool-Channel Islands flight at 09:00. However there was an engine defect which, when fixed, would require an engine test run before being declared serviceable.

Aer Lingus Viscount EI-AKO was on turn-around and parked behind G-AMOE. The engineer qualified to perform engine runs started engines 1 and 4 as they powered the hydraulics. To taxi to the designated engine run area required G-AMOE to make a 180 degree turn. While doing so, the aircraft suffered a complete hydraulics failure resulting in no nose-wheel steering and no brakes.

As the aircraft completed its 180 degree turn with no steering, the starboard wing-tip caught the corresponding wing-tip of the Aer Lingus Viscount. The 'coming together' of the wing-tips was sufficient to pull G-AMOE further to the right and into Gate 2. The props were still turning and destroyed the passenger steps and baggage trolley.

It's worth remembering that back then, the public had access to the boarding gates for waving and kissing goodbyes etc. to passengers. 5 minutes before G-AMOE hit the gate, the area had been packed with people watching the British Eagle departure to London Heathrow.

John Reed and Jimmie Jones were called in from standby at Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales to bring a Dakota up to Speke to do the BFS night paper flight that G-AMOE had been scheduled to do.

Painted in the Cambrian Airways 'Blue Tail' livery.
Cambrian Airways
'Blue Tail' livery

1 November 1966
Departed from Speke Airport, Liverpool, England after some repairs and the fitment of replacement propellers and R-R Dart engines and landed at Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England for the completion of the repairs to the damaged fuselage by Marshalls.

circa 1969
Painted in the Cambrian Airways 'BAS - British Air Services' livery.

circa 1970
Painted in the Cambrian Airways 'Blue Tail' livery.

6 January 1972
Transferred to Northeast Airlines.


Photo of Northeast Airlines (UK) Viscount G-AMOE

Country of Registration United Kingdom

January 1972 to April 1974

Northeast Airlines (UK)

G-AMOE - c/n 17 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

6 January 1972
Transferred from Cambrian Airways and withdrawn from service at Woolsington Airport, Newcastle, England.

Total time 28,803 hours and 24,429 total landings.

February 1972
Fuselage and stub wings but minus the tail noted painted up in Northeast livery and being used as a cabin trainer.

3 September 1973
Registration cancelled as aircraft permanently withdrawn from service.

1 April 1974
Asset transferred to British Airways (BA) due to a corporate merger.


Photo of British Airways (BA) Viscount G-AMOE

Country of Registration United Kingdom

April 1974 to April 1977

British Airways (BA)

G-AMOE - c/n 17 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

1 April 1974
Asset transferred from Northeast Airlines due to a corporate merger and continued to be used as a cabin trainer painted up in BA livery.

August 1976
Rear fuselage and tail section from Viscount G-AOHJ (C/N 159) transferred to this forward fuselage.

April 1977
Sold to Lambton Pleasure Park.

FURTHER READING: Books about British Airways (BA)



Photo of Lambton Airways Viscount G-AMOE

Country of Registration United Kingdom

April 1977 to January 1982

Lambton Airways

G-AMOE - c/n 17 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

April 1977
Remains purchased from British Airways (BA). Northeast Airlines had merged into British Airways (BA) in 1974.

Put on display in a pleasure park in the grounds of Lambton Castle, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, England minus wings and using the tail section from Viscount G-AOHJ (C/N 159).

It was painted up with 'Lambton Airways' titles and without its registration.

1982
Fuselage moved to Saltwell Park, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, England.

The actual date is not known. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net


Photo of Saltwell Park Viscount G-AMOE

Country of Registration United Kingdom

January 1982 to March 1993

Saltwell Park

G-AMOE - c/n 17 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

1982
Fuselage moved from Lambton Pleasure Park to Saltwell Park, East Park Road, Gatehead, Tyne and Wear, England and marked up as 'Saltwell Airways' still without its registration.

March 1993
Broken up for scrap and taken to a scrap yard in Felling, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England.


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.


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