26 April 2024
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Viscount Survivors


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

Viscount c/n 29

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 29
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)


England flag England

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

It first flew on Friday, 8 January 1954 at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 505 engines.


During its life this aircraft was also owned and/or operated by
Cambrian Airways


Photo of Viscount c/n 29
J S Shackleton Ltd


England flag England

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

Its fate:-
Withdrawn from service by Cambrian Airways and stored at Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales on the 27 August 1971. Certificate of Airworthiness expired on the 7 February 1972. Registration cancelled as permanently withdrawn from use on the 13 April 1972.

Sold to J Shackleton Ltd for metal salvage in May 1972. Sections moved by road to their yard at Halifax, Yorkshire, England along with sections of Viscount G-AMOH (C/N 21) for final processing 2 September 1972.


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

May 1952 to December 1953

Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd

G-AMOP - c/n 29 - 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 19th Type 701 Viscount ordered by British European Airways Corporation (BEA).

Production Aircraft No. 25 - the 25th production Type 700 series Viscount built,
was the 20th Viscount fuselage assembled at Weybridge, Surrey, England,
and the 2nd Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Production Order No. F19/701. Sales Order No. F19/84A. Stock Order No. F26/10B.

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

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

8 June 1953
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

16 December 1953
Registration to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd cancelled.

21 December 1953
Engine ground running commenced.

22 December 1953
Registered to British European Airways Corporation (BEA).


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

December 1953 to December 1962

British European Airways Corporation (BEA)

G-AMOP - c/n 29 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

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

8 January 1954
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

13 February 1954
Certificate of Airworthiness issued.

16 February 1954
Delivered to British European Airways (BEA) named as 'R M A Mungo Park'.

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.

31 May 1955
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England.

4 December 1957
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England due to a London Airport weather diversion.

6 December 1957
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England due to a London Airport weather diversion.

14 December 1957
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England due to a London Airport 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 and the nameplate on the forward cabin bulkhead was also removed.

This nameplate now forms part of the Graeme Cavendish collection.

31 March 1959
BEA annual report quotes that this aircraft flew the highest number of hours during the previous year with a total of 2,727 hours and now has a total time of 9,785 hours.

A new BEA ‘Red Square‘ livery was adopted.
BEA
‘Red Square‘ livery

11 August 1960
The pilot was forced to take violent evasive action to avoid a mid-air collision with another aircraft during the final approach to Fiumicino Airport, Rome, Italy.

Details of the other aircraft please to information@vickersviscount.net

Thirteen people were injured in the incident, but the aircraft subsequently made a safe landing.

31 March 1961
BEA annual report quotes that this aircraft had the highest hours flown during the year for a Type 701 with 2,296 hours.

The highest of all the BEA Viscount fleet was Type 802 G-AOHL (C/N 161) with 2,719 hours.

April 1961 to October 1962
One of the last Viscount Type 701 to be converted from 40/47 seats to 60/63 seats in a new high density configuration. This modification also entailed the installation of an 11th standard size window on the rear starboard side and a small window behind the rear entrance door on the port side.

28 December 1962
Sold to Cambrian Airways.

6 January 1963
Registration to BEA cancelled as aircraft sold.

Total flying time with BEA – 16,601 hours.

FURTHER READING: Books about BEA - British European Airways



Photo of Cambrian Airways Viscount G-AMOP

Country of Registration United Kingdom

December 1962 to September 1972

Cambrian Airways

G-AMOP - c/n 29 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

28 December 1962
Purchased from British European Airways (BEA) as Cambrian Airways first V.701 Viscount.

January 1963
Noted in a BEA hangar at London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England, freshly painted in Cambrian Airways livery after a complete overhaul.

6 January 1963
Ferried to Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales via Prestwick Airport, Ayrshire, Scotland and Renfrew Airport, Glasgow, Scotland. These sectors were used for Cambrian crew training purposes.

24 January 1963
Officially handed over to John Morgan, Chairman of Cambrian Airways by BEA Chief Executive Anthony Milward at a ceremony at the BEA engineering base at London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England.

30 January 1963
Operated a rugby charter flight from Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales to Turnhouse Airport, Edinburgh, Scotland following two hours behind Viscount G-AMOG (C/N 7) which was Cambrian’s second Viscount.

12 February 1963
Ferried to Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England for maintenance work with Marshalls Ltd.

14 February 1963
Re-registered to Cambrian Airways Ltd.

18 February 1963
Returned to Cambrian Airways from Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England to Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales after maintenance with Marshalls Ltd.

20 February 1963
Operated the first scheduled Cambrian Airways service from Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales to Cork Airport, Ballygarvan, County Cork, Ireland via Lulsgate Airport, Bristol, England under the command of Captain Axelberg.

20 February 1963
Operated the first scheduled Cambrian Airways Viscount service from Cork Airport, Ballygarvan, County Cork, Ireland to London Airport (later Heathrow), Middlesex, England.

1 April 1963
Operated the first scheduled Cambrian Airways Viscount service from Ringway Airport, Manchester, England to Ronaldsway Airport, Isle of Man.

November 1967
Cambrian Airways Limited became a wholly owned subsidiary of British Air Services (BAS).

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 'British Air Services' livery.
Cambrian Airways
'British Air Services' livery

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

20 August 1969
Overran runway and hit the boundary fence at Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales after aquaplaning on landing on a service from Gerona Airport, Spain.

Repaired locally and returned to service.

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

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

27 August 1971
Withdrawn from service and stored at Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales.

Total time 31,507 hours and 25,815 total landings.

7 February 1972
Certificate of Airworthiness expired.

13 April 1972
Registration cancelled as permanently withdrawn from use.

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


Photo of J S Shackleton Ltd Viscount G-AMOP

Country of Registration United Kingdom

May 1972 to September 1972

J S Shackleton Ltd

G-AMOP - c/n 29 - a V.701 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

May 1972
Purchased from Cambrian Airways for metal salvage and broken into sections at Rhoose Airport, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales.

2 September 1972
Sections moved by road to J S Shackleton’s yard at Siddal, near Halifax, West Yorkshire, England along with sections of Viscount G-AMOH (C/N 21) for final processing.


Photo of BEA - British European Airways Viscount G-AOJC

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Information@VickersViscount.net.


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