19 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.

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

Viscount c/n 28

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 28
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)


England flag England

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

It first flew on Tuesday, 1 December 1953 at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, 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 and Cambrian Airways


Photo of Viscount c/n 28
J S Shackleton Ltd


England flag England

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

Its fate:-
This was the first Viscount to be completed at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Withdrawn from service by Cambrian Airways and stored at Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, Wales 19 December 1970.

Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) expired 23 March 1971.

Registration cancelled as aircraft permanently withdrawn from use 12 August 1971.

Sold to J S Shackleton Ltd for metal salvage and broken up into sections and moved by road to their yard at Siddal for final metal processing in October 1971.


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

May 1952 to October 1953

Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd

G-AMOO - c/n 28 - 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 15th Type 701 Viscount ordered by British European Airways Corporation (BEA).

Production Aircraft No. 22 - the 22nd production Type 700 series Viscount built,
was the 18th Viscount fuselage assembled at Weybridge, Surrey, England,
and the 1st Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Production Order No. F15/701. Sales Order No. F15/84A. Stock Order No. F25/10B.

13 March 1953
Fuselage assembly commenced at Weybridge, Surrey, England.

April 1953
Fuselage transported by road from Weybridge, Surrey, England to Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

21 April 1953
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

6 October 1953
Registration to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd cancelled.

12 October 1953
Registered to British European Airways Corporation (BEA).


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

October 1953 to December 1963

British European Airways Corporation (BEA)

G-AMOO - c/n 28 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

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

16 November 1953
Engine ground running commenced.

1 December 1953
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England flown by Vickers test pilot Gabriel (Gabe) Robb 'Jock' Bryce.

This was the first Viscount to be completed at Hurn.

11 December 1953
Certificate of Airworthiness issued.

19 December 1953
Delivered to British European Airways (BEA) named as 'R M A John Oxenham'.

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.

20 September 1956
During a service from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England on approach to Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, Netherlands a near miss was reported with an unknown Pan American World Airways Boeing 377 Stratocruiser quoted as 'Clipper III'.

Severely damaged by hailstones during a flight over France in a thunderstorm.

August 1958
Severely damaged by hailstones during a flight over France in a thunderstorm and made an emergency landing at Châteaubernard Air Base near Cognac, France.

The flight was being flown by Captain Cann with Eileen McCann crewing in the cabin.

20 August 1958
Ferried back unpressurised at a low altitude from Châteaubernard Air Force Base near Cognac, France to London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England for repairs.

29 December 1958
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England.

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.

This aircraft was not repainted in this livery.

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

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

Being repaired inside a makeshift canvas tent.

December 1961
Damaged during a landing on a snow covered runway at Fornebu Airport, Oslo, Norway.

January 1962
Noted being repaired inside a makeshift canvas tent after its landing accident.

circa April 1962
Noted at Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England in a bare metal condition undergoing maintenance with Marshall's.

16 December 1963
Sold to Channel Airways.

FURTHER READING: Books about BEA - British European Airways



Photo of Channel Airways Viscount G-AMOO

Country of Registration United Kingdom

December 1963 to May 1964

Channel Airways

G-AMOO - c/n 28 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

16 December 1963
Purchased from British European Airways (BEA) but the aircraft remained at London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England.

16 April 1964
Registration to British European Airways Corporation (BEA) cancelled.

17 April 1964
Registered to Channel Airways but the aircraft still remained at London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England.

12 May 1964
Leased to British Eagle International Airlines Ltd.


Photo of British Eagle International Airlines Ltd Viscount G-AMOO

Country of Registration United Kingdom

May 1964 to April 1966

British Eagle International Airlines Ltd

G-AMOO - c/n 28 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

12 May 1964
Leased from Channel Airways in full livery named as 'City of Birmingham'.

Nicknamed by the flight crews as 'The Flying Cow' based on the registration.

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

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

17 November 1965
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

16 April 1966
Returned to Channel Airways.


Photo of Channel Airways Viscount G-AMOO

Country of Registration United Kingdom

April 1966 to November 1966

Channel Airways

G-AMOO - c/n 28 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

16 April 1966
Returned from British Eagle International Airlines Ltd lease.

It was delivered from Speke Airport, Liverpool, England to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England.

16 April 1966
First service for Channel Airways from Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England to Zestienhoven Airport, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

16 October 1966
Final service from Genoa Airport, Italy to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England.

1 November 1966
Sold to Cambrian Airways.


Photo of Cambrian Airways Viscount G-AMOO

Country of Registration United Kingdom

November 1966 to October 1971

Cambrian Airways

G-AMOO - c/n 28 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

1 November 1966
Purchased from Channel Airways and ferried to Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England for overhaul by Marshall's Ltd.

2 January 1967
Registration to Channel Airways cancelled.

13 January 1967
Registered to Cambrian Airways.

3 February 1967
Delivered from Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England to Speke Airport, Liverpool, England.

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

At this time it was also repainted in the 'white cabin' livery.

13 December 1967
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a Heathrow Airport weather diversion.

Painted in the Cambrian Airways 'White Cabin' livery.
Cambrian Airways
'White Cabin' livery
Painted in the Cambrian Airways 'British Air Services (BAS)' livery.
Cambrian Airways
'BAS - British Air Services' livery

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

19 December 1970
Withdrawn from service and stored at Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales.

Total time 28,121 hours and 20,994 total landings.

23 March 1971
Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) expired.

October 1971
Sold to J S Shackleton Ltd for metal salvage.


Photo of J S Shackleton Ltd Viscount G-AMOO

Country of Registration United Kingdom

October 1971 to October 1971

J S Shackleton Ltd

G-AMOO - c/n 28 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

October 1971
Purchased from Cambrian Airways for metal salvage and broken up into sections at Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, 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.