20 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 64

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 64
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)


England flag England

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

It first flew on Sunday, 24 April 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
Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP)


Photo of Viscount c/n 64
Museu Eduardo André Matarazzo


Brasil flag Brasil

Its final owner/operator was
Museu Eduardo André Matarazzo as PP-SRO.

Its fate:-
Acquired from Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP) and moved to the Museu Eduardo A Matarazzo in the centre of Bebedouro, State of São Paulo, Brasil circa January 1974. The actual date is not known. The museum remains open but the aircraft are in poor external condition with no signs of maintenance. There are calls for the government to provide funding as it would certainly be sad to see these aircraft crumble into dust, especially the only surviving Saab Scandia. Aircraft noted in better condition in February 2019. Still visible on Google Earth 12 October 2020.


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

December 1953 to May 1955

Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd

G-ANHD - c/n 64 - 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 24th V.701 Viscount ordered by British European Airways Corporation (BEA).

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

Production Aircraft No. 54 - the 54th production V.700 series Viscount built,
was the 27th Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 26th Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Production Order No. F04/701C. Sales Order No. F04/87A. Stock Order No. F13/22B.

17 November 1954
Fuselage assembly commenced at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

30 December 1954
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

24 April 1955
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

3 May 1955
Registration to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd cancelled.

4 May 1955
Registered to British European Airways Corporation (BEA).


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

May 1955 to August 1962

British European Airways Corporation (BEA)

G-ANHD - c/n 64 - a V.701C series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

4 May 1955
Registered to British European Airways Corporation (BEA), Bealine House, Ruislip, Middlesex.

4 May 1955
Certificate of Airworthiness issued.

4 May 1955
Delivered to British European Airways (BEA) named as 'R M A William Dampier'.

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.

22 April 1956
Operated the first Viscount service on the London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to Venice Airport, Italy route.

25 November 1958
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) 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 including the nameplate on the forward cabin bulkhead.

31 March 1959
BEA annual report quotes a total flying time of 9,235 hours.

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.

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

7 November 1959
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 flying time with BEA – 15,362 hours.

FURTHER READING: Books about BEA - British European Airways



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

Country of Registration Brasil

August 1962 to January 1974

Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP)

PP-SRO - c/n 64 - a V.701C series Viscount
Brasil registered

30 August 1962
Purchased from British European Airways Corporation (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.

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

24 April 1963
Departed on delivery from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England via Prestwick Airport, Ayrshire, Scotland together with Viscount PP-SRN (C/N 62) in full VASP livery.

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

Total time 24,369 hours and 17,879 total landings.

circa January 1974
Acquired by Eduardo André Matarazzo.

The actual date is not known. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net


Photo of Museu Eduardo André Matarazzo Viscount PP-SRO

Country of Registration Brasil

January 1974 to

Museu Eduardo André Matarazzo

PP-SRO - c/n 64 - a V.701C series Viscount
Brasil registered

circa January 1974
Acquired from Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP) by Eduardo André Matarazzo. The actual date is not known. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net

This museum also includes vehicles and machinery and is located at Jardim Recanto in the centre of Bebedouro, State of São Paulo which is 390 KM from the city of São Paulo, Brasil.

Eduardo, was a very rich businessman and also acquired PP-SRI (C/N 22) which resides at the family plantation a few miles southwest of Bebedouro.

Other aircraft in the collection include: - ex VARIG Convair 240 PP-VDG (arrived March 1976), Curtiss C-46 Commando PP-VCE, Douglas DC3 PP-VBK and the only surviving Saab 90 Scandia PP-SQR.

Eduardo sadly died in 2002 and the control of the collection was transferred to his daughter Patricia.

The museum remains open but the aircraft are in poor external condition with no signs of maintenance.

There are calls for the government to provide funding as it would certainly be sad to see these aircraft crumble into dust, especially the only surviving Saab Scandia.

2 February 2019
Noted in better external condition.

The starboard nose undercarriage door has a faint 'SRS' on it, which means it was transferred at some point from PP-SRS (C/N 182).

12 October 2020
Noted still in existence on Google Earth at location 20 degrees 57'07.93 S - 48 degrees 28'26.66 W.


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.