19 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 69

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 69
Iraqi Airways


Iraq flag Iraq

This V.735 series Viscount was built for
Iraqi Airways as YI-ACM

It first flew on Tuesday, 8 November 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
Alidair


Photo of Viscount c/n 69
Guernsey Airlines


Guernsey flag Guernsey

Its final owner/operator was
Guernsey Airlines as G-BFYZ.

Its fate:-
Damaged beyond economic repair after veering off the runway at Kirkwall Airport, Orkney Islands, Scotland while on an Occidental Oil charter 25 October 1979.

Cabin interior removed and installed in Viscount G-BDRC (C/N 52) in November 1979. Remains transported to East Midlands Airport, Leicestershire, England in late 1980. Broken up for scrap after spares recovery circa December 1980.


Operational record
Photo of Iraqi Airways Viscount YI-ACM

Country of Registration Iraq

December 1955 to April 1978

Iraqi Airways

YI-ACM - c/n 69 - a V.735 series Viscount
Iraq registered

circa 1954
This was the 3rd Type 735 ordered by Iraqi Airways.

Production Aircraft No. 78 - the 78th production Type 700 series Viscount built,
was the 41st Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 46th Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Production Order No. F03/735. Sales Order No. F03/54B. Stock Order No. F28/22B.

1 March 1955
Fuselage assembly commenced Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

19 May 1955
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

8 November 1955
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

2 December 1955
Delivered to Iraqi Airways named as 'Ibn Battouta' with a Kingdom of Iraq national flag on the tail.

Ibn Battuta was a Muslim Berber Moroccan scholar and explorer who widely travelled the medieval world during the 14th century.

16 April 1956
Operated a proving flight from Baghdad Airport, Iraq to London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England prior to the commencement of scheduled Viscount services.

28 May 1956
Operated the first Iraqi Airways Viscount service from Baghdad Airport, Iraq to London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England.

June 1957
To Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England for flap modifications.

1958
Noted with an Arab Federation national flag on the tail.

March 1958
To Weybridge Airfield, Surrey, England for a cabin pressure test.

2 May 1958
Damaged during a heavy landing at London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England.

Temporarily replaced by leasing Hunting Clan Air Transport Viscount G-ANRT (C/N 76).

May 1958
Temporary repairs carried out for a ferry flight to Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England for futher repairs by Marshall's.

1959
Noted with a Republic of Iraq national flag on the tail.

22 January 1959
Returned to Iraqi Airways at London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England after repair by Marshall's at Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England.

David Carter illustration of Iraqi Airways V.735 Viscount c/n 69 YI-ACM

Viscount illustrations by David Carter


1963
Noted with a later Republic of Iraq national flag on the tail.

8 August 1966
During a takeoff run at Baghdad Airport, Iraq, at a speed of approximately 60 knots the crew heard a screaming noise from the nose undercarriage area.

After takeoff the undercarriage was retracted but this resulted in three green lights remaining on and also a red light for the nose undercarriage leg.

There was clearly a problem with the nose leg, so the undercarriage was recycled, with the same result.

The Captain now noticed that the hydraulic pressure gauge had dropped to zero and the Co-Pilot went to check the main resrvoir and found that it was empty.

The undercarriage was again selected, but with the same warning light, so an emergency landing was attampted, which at first appeared to be normal but the nose undercarriage leg suddenly became detatched due to the failure of a brace structure.

There were no reported injuries to the 41 passengers and 5 crew on board but two passengers suffered minor injuries during the evacuation.

The incident was caused by the rupture of a nose steering hydraulic hose which allowed the wheel to turn, preventing the full retraction of the nose leg.

Repaired and returned to service.

9 April 1978
Sold to Alidair.


Photo of Alidair Viscount YI-ACM

Country of Registration Iraq

April 1978 to December 1978

Alidair

YI-ACM - c/n 69 - a V.735 series Viscount
Iraq registered

9 April 1978
Purchased from Iraqi Airways and delivered to East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England and initially stored outside their facility.

2 August 1978
Noted with all the paint stripped off.

1 December 1978
Re-registered to Alidair as G-BFYZ.


Photo of Alidair Viscount G-BFYZ

Country of Registration United Kingdom

December 1978 to December 1978

Alidair

G-BFYZ - c/n 69 - a V.735 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

1 December 1978
Re-registered to Alidair from YI-ACM.

4 December 1978
A planned air-test at East Midlands Airport was cancelled due to fog.

5 December 1978
The Viscount managed to get airborne, only to find that on conclusion of its air-test, that the aiport was below limits so it diverted to Guernsey, Channel Islands.

6 December 1978
Returned from Guernsey, Channel Islands to East Midlands Airport.

6 December 1978
Leased to Guernsey Airlines in full livery.


Photo of Guernsey Airlines Viscount G-BFYZ

Country of Registration United Kingdom

December 1978 to December 1980

Guernsey Airlines

G-BFYZ - c/n 69 - a V.735 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

6 December 1978
Leased from Alidair in full livery named as 'Sarnia'.

Sarnia is the old Roman name for the Island of Guernsey.

David Carter illustration of Guernsey Airlines V.735 Viscount c/n 69 G-BFYZ

Viscount illustrations by David Carter


8 December 1978
Ferried from East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England to Abbotsinch, Airport, Glasgow, Scotland to operate oil company support flights for Alidair Scotland, due to delays in starting their own Channel Island services.

16 February 1979
Operated the East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England to Jersey and Guernsey, Channel Islands service for British Midland Airways (BMA).

16 September 1979
Certificate of Maintenance (CofM) issued which was valid for a further 90 days or 400 flying hours.

Total time 25,476 hours.

Damaged beyond economic repair after veering off the runway at Kirkwall, Orkney Isles, Scotland.

25 October 1979
Damaged beyond economic repair after veering off the runway at Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland while on an Occidental Oil charter.

On arrival from Abbotsinch Airport, Glasgow, Scotland the aircraft carried out a VOR approach to runway 25 in poor weather with gusting cross-winds and the pilot corrected a misalignment with the runway at a low height. With the starboard wing low the No.4 propeller struck the runway just before touchdown and the aircraft ran off the right side of the runway. The nose undercarriage leg collapsed when it struck the edge of an intersecting runway. All 47 passengers and 4 crew survived without serious injury.

PROBABLE CAUSE:
The Commander failing to take overshoot action at an early stage in the approach to land when it became apparent that the approach was unstabilised and the windscreen wipers were unreliable.

Total time 25,641 hours and 16,275 total landings.

November 1979
Cabin interior removed and installed in Viscount G-BDRC (C/N 52).

5 December 1979
Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) expired.

20 August 1980
Noted minus outer wings, tail and propellers.

late 1980
Remains transported to East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England.

Broken up for scrap after spares recovery.

Further reading: Department of Trade Aircraft Accident Report 4/81 issued 15 June 1981. www.aaib.gov.uk/home/index.cfm


Photo of BEA - British European Airways Viscount G-AOJC

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