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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 62

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 62
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)


England flag England

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

It first flew on Tuesday, 2 November 1954 at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 506 engines.


During its life this aircraft was also owned and/or operated by
Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP)


Photo of Viscount c/n 62
Aero Clube De São Paulo


Brasil flag Brasil

Its final owner/operator was
Aero Clube De São Paulo as PP-SRN.

Its fate:-
Withdrawn from service by Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP) and stored at Congonhas Airport, São Paulo, Brasil 28 February 1969.

Paint restored and used for a children's fair 1 October 1972. Donated to Aero Clube De São Paulo, Marte Airport, São Paulo, Brasil 20 October 1972. Transferred to an unknown organisation at Pedreira, State of São Paulo, Brasil circa June 1990.

Destroyed by fire at Pedreira, São Paulo, Brasil 16 May 1993.


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

December 1953 to October 1954

Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd

G-ANHB - c/n 62 - a V.701C 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 V.701 aircraft. Accommodation for 47 passengers at a gross weight of 53,000 lbs was specified.

3 August 1950
Order placed by British European Airways Corporation (BEA) for 20 V.701 aircraft which was later increased to 26.

This was the 22nd V.701 Viscount ordered by British European Airways Corporation (BEA).

12 December 1953
Registered to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd.

Production Aircraft No. 41 - the 41st production V.700 series Viscount built,
was the 14th Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 16th Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Production Order No. F02/701C. Sales Order No. F02/87A. Stock Order No. F11/22B.

27 May 1954
Fuselage assembly commenced at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

22 July 1954
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

14 October 1954
Registration to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd cancelled.

16 October 1954
Registered to British European Airways Corporation (BEA).


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

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.

Painted in the new BEA ‘Red Square‘ livery.
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



Photo of Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP) Viscount PP-SRN

Country of Registration Brasil

August 1962 to October 1972

Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP)

PP-SRN - c/n 62 - a V.701C series Viscount
Brasil registered

30 August 1962
Purchased from British European Airways (BEA) along with nine other V.701 from the fleet.

The package deal including spare parts came to a total of £1,550.000 with an initial deposit of £310,000 and the remainder repaid over three years at an interest rate of 6%.

These Viscounts were obtained instead of an uncompleted order for new Handley Page HPR.7 Dart Heralds due to production delays and were used to replace the Saab Scanias.

circa October 1962
Re-registered from G-ANHB.

17 January 1963
Noted at London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England with the UK registration temporarily re-applied, presumably for an air-test

23 April 1963
Registration G-ANHB cancelled as aircraft sold abroad.

24 April 1963
Departed on delivery London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England via Prestwick, Scotland together with Viscount PP-SRO (C/N 64).

28 February 1969
Withdrawn from service and stored at Congonhas Airport, São Paulo, Brasil.

Total time 24,981 hours and 17,726 total landings.

1 October 1972
Paint restored and used for a children's fair.

20 October 1972
Donated to Aero Clube De São Paulo, Marte Airport, São Paulo, Brasil.


Photo of Aero Clube De São Paulo Viscount PP-SRN

Country of Registration Brasil

October 1972 to May 1993

Aero Clube De São Paulo

PP-SRN - c/n 62 - a V.701C series Viscount
Brasil registered

20 October 1972
Donated by Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP) and displayed outside an old hangar at Congonhas Airport.

5 September 1978
Noted still in existence.

Pedreira, São Paulo, Brasil.
Pedreira, São Paulo, Brasil

June 1990
Noted moved to Pedreira, São Paulo, Brasil. The actual date that the aircraft moved from Congonhas Airport is not known. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net

16 May 1993
Destroyed by fire at Pedreira, São Paulo, Brasil. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net


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.