27 July 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 21

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 21
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)


England flag England

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

It first flew on Thursday, 1 October 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 and Cambrian Airways


Photo of Viscount c/n 21
J S Shackleton Ltd


England flag England

Its final owner/operator was
J S Shackleton Ltd as G-AMOH.

Its fate:-
Withdrawn from service by Cambrian Airways and stored at Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, Wales 9 November 1971.

Sold to J Shackleton Ltd for metal salvage in May 1972.

Sections moved to their yard at Siddal for final processing 2 September 1972.


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

May 1952 to July 1953

Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd

G-AMOH - c/n 21 - 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.

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

This was the 12th Type 701 Viscount ordered by British European Airways Corporation (BEA).

Production Aircraft No. 17 - the 17th production Type 700 series Viscount built,
was the 19th Viscount fuselage assembled at Weybridge, Surrey, England,
and the 17th Viscount assembled at Weybridge, Surrey, England.

Production Order No. F12/701. Sales Order No. F12/84A. Stock Order No. F18/10B.

2 April 1953
Fuselage assembly commenced at Weybridge, Surrey, England.

11 May 1953
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Weybridge, Surrey, England.

23 July 1953
Registration to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd cancelled.

28 July 1953
Registered to British European Airways Corporation (BEA).


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

July 1953 to August 1963

British European Airways Corporation (BEA)

G-AMOH - c/n 21 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

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

19 September 1953
Engine ground running commenced.

1 October 1953
First flight from Brooklands Airfield, Weybridge, Surrey, England.

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

12 October 1953
Certificate of Airworthiness issued.

14 October 1953
Delivered to British European Airways (BEA) named as 'R M A Henry Hudson'.

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 January 1954
Operated the first Viscount service from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to Barcelona Airport, Spain route with Captain A J Holderness and Captain Wylie James Wakelin.

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.

24 October 1955
Noted at London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England with an experimental 'Red Square' on the tail with white BEA lettering. This was larger than the 'Red Square' on G-AMOL (C/N 25) circa September 1958 and finally adopted by the fleet from March 1959. It was then repainted in the standard 'red stripe' livery.

Noted being painted in an experimental 'Red Square' livery.
BEA
experimental 'Red Square' livery being applied

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.

31 March 1959
BEA annual report quotes a total time of 10,118 hours.

24 September 1960
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

August 1963
Sold to Channel Airways.

FURTHER READING: Books about BEA - British European Airways



Photo of Channel Airways Viscount G-AMOH

Country of Registration United Kingdom

August 1963 to February 1964

Channel Airways

G-AMOH - c/n 21 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

August 1963
Purchased from British European Airways (BEA).

3 December 1963
Delivered to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England from Stansted Airport, Essex, England.

30 January 1964
Registration to BEA cancelled.

3 February 1964
Registered to Channel Airways.

19 February 1964
Leased to British Eagle International Airlines Ltd in their livery.


Photo of British Eagle International Airlines Ltd Viscount G-AMOH

Country of Registration United Kingdom

February 1964 to February 1964

British Eagle International Airlines Ltd

G-AMOH - c/n 21 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

19 February 1964
Leased from Channel Airways in full British Eagle livery and named as 'City of Liverpool'.

Delivered to London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England.

19 February 1964
Sub-leased to Starways Ltd.


Photo of Starways Ltd Viscount G-AMOH

Country of Registration United Kingdom

February 1964 to May 1964

Starways Ltd

G-AMOH - c/n 21 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

19 February 1964
Sub-leased from British Eagle International Airlines Ltd in their livery with 'Starways' titles still named as 'City of Liverpool'.

12 May 1964
Returned to British Eagle International Airlines Ltd.


Photo of British Eagle International Airlines Ltd Viscount G-AMOH

Country of Registration United Kingdom

May 1964 to April 1965

British Eagle International Airlines Ltd

G-AMOH - c/n 21 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

12 May 1964
Returned from Starways Ltd. sub-lease, leased from Channel Airways.

Restored with British Eagle titles and still named as 'City of Liverpool'.

11 December 1964
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

2 April 1965
Returned to Channel Airways.


Photo of Channel Airways Viscount G-AMOH

Country of Registration United Kingdom

April 1965 to October 1965

Channel Airways

G-AMOH - c/n 21 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

2 April 1965
Returned from British Eagle International Airlines Ltd lease.

Delivered to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England from Speke Airport, Liverpool, England and re-painted in full Channel Airways livery.

9 April 1965
Returned to service with Channel Express from Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England to Zestienhoven Airport, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

August 1965
Noted at Speke Airport, Liverpool, England operating a London service for British Eagle International Airlines.

4 October 1965
Final service from Barcelona Airport, Spain to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England.

5 October 1965
Registration to Channel Airways cancelled.

6 October 1965
Sold to Cambrian Airways.


Photo of Cambrian Airways Viscount G-AMOH

Country of Registration United Kingdom

October 1965 to May 1972

Cambrian Airways

G-AMOH - c/n 21 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

6 October 1965
Purchased from Channel Airways and delivered from Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England to Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England for overhaul by Marshalls.

21 October 1965
Registered to Cambrian Airways.

17 December 1965
Delivered from Marshalls at Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England to Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, Wales.

November 1967
Cambrian Airways became a wholly owned subsidiary of BAS - British Air Services and the name was added to the aircraft.

Painted in the Cambrian Airways 'White Cabin' livery.
Cambrian Airways
'White Cabin' livery

circa 1968
Painted in the Cambrian Airways 'White Cabin' livery.

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

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

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

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

9 November 1971
Withdrawn from service and stored at Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, Wales.

Total time 30,450 hours and 24,052 total landings.

May 1972
Sold to J S Shackleton Ltd for metal salvage.


Photo of J S Shackleton Ltd Viscount G-AMOH

Country of Registration United Kingdom

May 1972 to September 1972

J S Shackleton Ltd

G-AMOH - c/n 21 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

May 1972
Purchased from Cambrian Airways for metal salvage.

1 September 1972
Registration cancelled as aircraft permanently withdrawn from use.

2 September 1972
Broken up into sections at Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, Wales and moved by road to their yard at Siddal, near Halifax, West Yorkshire, England for final processing.


Photo of BEA - British European Airways Viscount G-AOJC

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