October 1954 to August 1962
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)
G-ANHB - c/n 62 - a V.701C series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
16 October 1954
Registered to British European Airways Corporation (BEA), Bealine House, Ruislip, Middlesex.
2 November 1954
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
20 November 1954
Certificate of Airworthiness issued.
20 November 1954
Delivered to British European Airways (BEA) named as 'R M A Sir Henry Stanley'.
It was fitted with Rolls-Royce Dart RDa3 Mark 506 engines and designated as a Type 701C.
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.
4 October 1955
Operated the first Viscount service from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to Schwechat Airport, Vienna, Austria route.
25 April 1956
Operated the first Viscount service from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to Gothenburg Airport, Sweden and Fornebu Airport, Oslo, Norway.
1 November 1956
Used by Vickers and Rolls-Royce for high ambient temperature trials in Tripoli, Libya to check the performance of the Dart RDa3 Mark 506 against the earlier Rolls-Royce Dart RDa3 Mark 505 powered aircraft. These were later replaced as Rolls-Royce completed a modification programme.
2 February 1958
Operated the first Viscount service from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to Bahrain.
BEA ‘Red Square‘ livery
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.
1959
Converted from 40/47 seats to 60/63 seats in a new high density configuration. This modification included 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 of the aircraft.
31 March 1959
BEA annual report quotes a total time of 10,075 hours.
9 April 1959
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England carrying out multiple ILS approaches and overshoots.
18 April 1959
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England carrying out multiple ILS approaches and overshoots.
20 April 1959
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England carrying out multiple ILS approaches and overshoots.
28 October 1959
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England carrying out multiple ILS approaches and overshoots.
12 November 1959
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.
2 January 1960
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.
1 March 1960
Last noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England.
6 October 1960
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.
8 December 1960
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.
30 August 1962
Sold to Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP).
Total time 16,130 hours.
FURTHER READING: Books about BEA - British European Airways
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