26 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.

Viscount history

Letter from HRH Prince Philip

See and hear a Viscount

Newsletters

Flight Magazine Reports

Aircraft operational
records and photos

Viscount illustrations
by David Carter


Discover the history of the Viscount with film, video, contemporary reports from the pages of Flight Magazine, our newsletters, and aircraft operational records and photos from our database.


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Live Magazine


Our 'Live Magazine' is used by members and non-members to share their Viscount photos and stories with fellow enthusiasts located throughout the world in real time.

You are able to send in your photos, stories and comments by Facebook, Twitter or email and we will post them for all to enjoy.

Contact us

information@VickersViscount.net



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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 53

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 53
Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA)


Canada flag Canada

This V.724 series Viscount was built for
Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) as CF-TGP

It first flew on Tuesday, 10 May 1955 at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 506 engines.

During its life this aircraft was also owned and/or operated by
Air Canada, Canadian Department of Transport and Space Research Corporation

Photo of Viscount c/n 53
Wabush Mines Ltd


Canada flag Canada

Its final owner/operator was
Wabush Mines Ltd as CF-TGP.

Its fate:-
Withdrawn from service by the Canadian Department of Transport at Uplands Airport, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 6 January 1969.

Sold to Space Research Corporation June 1971.

Sold to Wabush Mines circa January 1972 and ferried to Dorval International Airport, Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada to provide spares to support Viscount CF-THA (C/N 218).

Remains broken up for scrap circa October 1972.


Operational record
Photo of Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) Viscount CF-TGP

Country of Registration Canada

May 1955 to June 1964

Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA)

CF-TGP - c/n 53 - a V.724 series Viscount
Canada registered

November 1952
An order was placed by Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) for fifteen Type 724 aircraft at a total cost of Can$11,500,000. This was the eighth one built.

Production Aircraft No. 56 - the 56th production Type 700 series Viscount built,
was the 24th Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 27th Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Production Order No. F08/724. Sales Order No. F08/51B. Stock Order No. F02/22B.

With c/n 53 CF-TGP (608) is CF-TGQ c/n 54 (609) and CF-TGR c/n 55 (610).

11 October 1954
Fuselage assembly commenced at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

26 November 1954
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

21 March 1955
TCA issued technical instruction V-05.04-1/1 to apply the word 'Viscount' to the tail section in 8.5 inch high red letters edged in white at the first opportunity.

10 May 1955
First flight from Bournemouth Hurn Airport, Hampshire, England.

It was fitted with Rolls-Royce Dart RDa3 Mark 506 engines.

18 May 1955
Aircraft passed off by TCA inspectors as completed and ready for delivery.

19 May 1955
Departed from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England on delivery to Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) with fleet number '608'.

After refuelling at Prestwick Airport, Ayrshire, Scotland it then flew on to Keflavik Airport, Iceland (743 nautical miles) where it stopped for five hours.

20 May 1955
Departed from Keflavik Airport, Iceland to Bluie West One (BW1) Airfield, Southern Greenland (804 nautical miles), Goose Bay Airport, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada (672 nautical miles), Dorval International Airport, Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada (810 nautical miles).

BW1 was built during WWII to assist the transfer of military aircraft from North America to Europe and was opened in January 1942.

2 June 1955
TCA issued technical instruction V-31.02-2/5 to apply the word 'Viscount' to the inside of the passenger loading door in 4 inch high red letters edged in white at the first opportunity.

The cabin seating was installed in Canada, as the seats used by TCA were of American manufacture.

The cabin was fitted out with 40 seats which was a reduction from the original 48 seat specification and provided more leg room.

This was heavily marketed and resulted in a high load factor compared to the 18 seat Douglas DC-3 that it replaced on some routes.

July 1956
Cabin interior changed to a two class 44 seat arrangement.

10 July 1957
TCA issued instructions that all Viscounts would be repainted in a 'White Top' livery when a suitable maintenance period became available.

25 September 1958
Scheduled to enter the Winnipeg Airport, Manitoba, Canada TCA maintenance facility for the replacement of the life expired wing lower inner spar boom at approximately 6300 landings for this component. This usually took 28 days to complete.

31 August 1960
Total time 13,508 hours and 10,707 total landings.

9 January 1963
Ferried to Winnipeg Airport, Manitoba, Canada and withdrawn from service and stored.

Total time 17,872 hours and 14,789 total landings.

1 June 1964
Transferred to Air Canada due to a corporate name change.


Photo of Air Canada Viscount CF-TGP

Country of Registration Canada

June 1964 to November 1964

Air Canada

CF-TGP - c/n 53 - a V.724 series Viscount
Canada registered

1 June 1964
Transferred from Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) due to a corporate name change but the aircraft remained stored at Winnipeg Airport, Manitoba, Canada in TCA livery.

This aircraft was not repainted in Air Canada livery.

18 November 1964
Sold to the Canadian Department of Transport.


Photo of Canadian Department of Transport Viscount CF-TGP

Country of Registration Canada

November 1964 to June 1971

Canadian Department of Transport

CF-TGP - c/n 53 - a V.724 series Viscount
Canada registered

18 November 1964
Purchased from Air Canada.

6 January 1969
Withdrawn from service and stored at Uplands Airport, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Total time 20,150 hours and 17,323 total landings.

June 1971
Sold to the Space Research Corporation.


Photo of Space Research Corporation Viscount CF-TGP

Country of Registration Canada

June 1971 to January 1972

Space Research Corporation

CF-TGP - c/n 53 - a V.724 series Viscount
Canada registered

June 1971
Purchased from the Canadian Department of Transport but the aircraft remained stored at Uplands Airport, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

circa January 1972
Sold to Wabush Mines. The actual date is not known. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net


Photo of Wabush Mines Ltd Viscount CF-TGP

Country of Registration Canada

January 1972 to

Wabush Mines Ltd

CF-TGP - c/n 53 - a V.724 series Viscount
Canada registered

circa January 1972
Purchased from the Space Research Corporation and ferried to Dorval International Airport, Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.

Total time 21,153 hours and 17,326 total landings.

This aircraft was used to provide spares to support Viscount CF-THA (C/N 218).

circa October 1972
Remains finally broken up for scrap.


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.