27 July 2024
This website is regularly archived by the British Library who selectively archive websites with research values that are representative of British social history and cultural heritage.

Museum search


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


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.


Share your photos and stories


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


Join the Vickers Viscount Network
for FREE


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.



This website does not use cookies or capture your details


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

Viscount c/n 65

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 65
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)


England flag England

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

It first flew on Wednesday, 22 June 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 65
Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP)


Brasil flag Brasil

Its final owner/operator was
Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP) as PP-SRQ.

Its fate:-
Damaged beyond economic repair after veering off the runway during a crew training flight at Galeao International Airport, Rio Janeiro, Brasil 3 March 1965. Gutted fuselage noted back at Sao Paulo with the VASP titles and registration painted over circa June 1966. Presumed subsequently broken up for scrap.


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

December 1953 to May 1955

Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd

G-ANHE - c/n 65 - 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 25th V.701 Viscount ordered by British European Airways Corporation (BEA).

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

Production Aircraft No. 62 - the 62nd production V.700 series Viscount built,
was the 35th Viscount fuselage assembled at Weybridge, Surrey, England,
and the 32nd Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Production Order No. F05/701C. Sales Order No. F05/87A. Stock Order No. F14/22B.

5 December 1954
Fuselage assembly commenced at Weybridge Airfield, Surrey, England.

February 1955
Fuselage transported by road from Weybridge Airfield, Surrey, England to Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

14 February 1955
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

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

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


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

May 1955 to August 1962

British European Airways Corporation (BEA)

G-ANHE - c/n 65 - a V.701C series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

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

22 June 1955
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

28 June 1955
Certificate of Airworthiness issued.

29 June 1955
Delivered to British European Airways (BEA) named as 'R M A Gino Watkins'.

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.

15 June 1956
Operated the first BEA Viscount service from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to Bergen Airport, Norway route.

16 February 1957
This aircraft was used to fly Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to Portela Airport, Lisbon, Portugal during a state visit.

21 February 1957
This aircraft was used to fly Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh from Portela Airport, Lisbon, Portugal via Oporto Airport, Portugal to London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England after a state visit. The aircraft was flown by Captain A S Johnson who then became a member of the Royal Victorian Order.

March 1957
Ferried to Vickers-Armstrongs at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England for flap modifications.

8 April 1957
This aircraft was used to fly Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to Orly Airport, Paris, France for a state visit.

11 April 1957
This aircraft was used to fly Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II from Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France to London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England after a state visit.

8 October 1957
Operated the first BEA Viscount service from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to Luqa Airport, Malta.

On arrival, two flags were flown from the cockpit roof, the BEAC flag and the Maltese national flag.

From May 1958
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.

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 a total flying time of 8,699 hours.

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

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

30 August 1962
Sold to Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP).

23 May 1963
Registration cancelled as aircraft sold abroad.

Total time 14,749 hours.

FURTHER READING: Books about BEA - British European Airways



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

Country of Registration Brasil

August 1962 to March 1965

Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP)

PP-SRQ - c/n 65 - 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 May 1963
Registration G-ANHE cancelled as aircraft sold abroad.

24 May 1963
Departed on delivery from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England in full VASP livery at 07:35 to Prestwick Airport, Ayrshire, Scotland arriving at 09:05 and then departed at 10:25 to Keflavik Airport, Iceland, arriving at 13:45 for a night stop. The aircraft was flown by Captain Rice and accompanied on the flight deck by Derrick Lambert.

25 May 1963
Departed from Keflavik Airport, Iceland at 06:30, arriving at Sonderstrom Airfield, Greenland at 09:45. Departed from Sonderstrom Airfield at 15:50 to Goose Bay Airport, Labrador, Canada, arriving at 19:35 and then departed at 20:25 to Dorval Airport, Montreal. Province of Quebec, Canada at 23:35 for a night stop.

26 May 1963
Departed from Dorval Airport, Montreal. Province of Quebec, Canada to Dulles Airport, Washington, District of Columbia, USA, arriving at 15:10. Departed from Dulles Airport, Washington at 22:15 to Miami International Airport, Florida, USA, arriving at 02:30 on 27 May 1963.

27 May 1963
The aircraft was handed over to representatives and crew members of VASP who continued the delivery journey south to Congonhas Airport, São Paulo, Brasil.

4 March 1965
Damaged beyond economic repair after veering off the runway during a crew training flight at Galeão International Airport, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil with the No.4 engine feathered.

There were no reported injuries to the 4 crew on board.

Total time 17,115 hours and 11,158 total landings.

circa June 1966
Gutted fuselage noted back at Sao Paulo with the VASP titles and registration painted over.

Presumed subsequently 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.