02 November 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 77

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 77
Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S


Norway flag Norway

This V.736 series Viscount was built for
Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S as LN-FOF

It first flew on Thursday, 20 October 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
British European Airways (BEA), Middle East Airlines (MEA), British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), Airwork Ltd, Transair Ltd and British United Airways (BUA)


Photo of Viscount c/n 77
British Midland Airways (BMA)


England flag England

Its final owner/operator was
British Midland Airways (BMA) as G-AODG.

Its fate:-
Damaged beyond repair after a heavy landing at East Midlands Airport, Leicestershire, England during a scheduled flight from Abbotsinch Airport, Glasgow, Scotland 20 February 1969.

The pilot failed to execute a flare on the second attempt to land on runway 10 resulting in a short and very heavy landing. The nose undercarriage leg collapsed and the fuselage broke in two just rear of the wing. Visibility at the time was poor.

Declared as beyond economic repair, written off and subsequently broken up for scrap.


Operational record
Photo of Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S Viscount LN-FOF

Country of Registration Norway

June 1955 to July 1955

Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S

LN-FOF - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
Norway registered

circa June 1955
This was the first Type 736 ordered by Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S.

Production Aircraft No. 77 - the 77th production Type 700 series Viscount built,
was the 37th Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 45th Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Production Order No. F01/736. Sales Order No. F01/57B. Stock Order No. F32/22B.

18 January 1955
Fuselage assembly commenced at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

13 April 1955
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

22 July 1955
Registration LN-FOF allocated to Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S but not taken up.

Re-registered G-AODG for pending lease to British European Airways (BEA).


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

Country of Registration United Kingdom

July 1955 to March 1957

British European Airways Corporation (BEA)

G-AODG - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

22 July 1955
Registered to British European Airways (BEA), Bealine House, Ruislip, Middlesex.

20 October 1955
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England in full BEA livery.

18 November 1955
Delivered on lease to British European Airways (BEA) named as 'R M A Fridtjof Nansen'.

Total time flown by BEA was 1,844 hours.

27 March 1957
Sub-leased to Middle East Airlines (MEA) in full MEA livery

FURTHER READING: Books about BEA - British European Airways



Photo of Middle East Airlines (MEA) Viscount OD-ACR

Country of Registration Lebanon

March 1957 to December 1957

Middle East Airlines (MEA)

OD-ACR - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
Lebanon registered

27 March 1957
Sub-leased from British European Airways (BEA) in full Middle East Airlines (MEA) livery.

The company name at that time was: - Associated British Airlines (Middle East) Limited.

31 March 1957
Total time 2,594 hours.

13 December 1957
Aircraft sold by Fred Olsen Flyselskap A/S to British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) while still on lease to MEA via BEA.

20 December 1957
Returned to British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) after flying for 1,618 hours during the lease period.


Photo of British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) Viscount G-AODG

Country of Registration United Kingdom

December 1957 to January 1958

British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC)

G-AODG - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

20 December 1957
Returned from Middle East Airlines (MEA) lease to London Airport (later known at Heathrow), Middlesex, England.

3 January 1958
Sold to Airwork Ltd.


Photo of Airwork Ltd Viscount G-AODG

Country of Registration United Kingdom

January 1958 to February 1959

Airwork Ltd

G-AODG - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

January 1958
Purchased from BOAC Associated Companies Ltd.

3 January 1958
Registered to Airwork Ltd.

Their registered address was: - 35 Piccadilly, London, W1

9 January 1958
Operated the inaugural flight from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to Accra Airport, Ghana, West Africa via Portela Airport, Lisbon, Portugal, Las Palmas Airport, Canary Islands, Bathurst Airport, The Gambia, and Freetown Airport, Sierra Leone, as a joint venture with Hunting-Clan Air Transport Ltd (HCA).

Passengers would spend a night at Las Palmas.

This was the second Viscount to be seen in Ghana, the first being an executive Viscount owned by the Standard Oil Company.

21 March 1958
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England carrying out crew training circuits.

23 April 1958
Total time 4,728 hours and 2,436 total landings.

17 January 1959
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England.

1 February 1959
Transferred to Transair (UK) Ltd due to a corporate merger.


Photo of Transair (UK) Ltd Viscount G-AODG

Country of Registration United Kingdom

February 1959 to July 1960

Transair (UK) Ltd

G-AODG - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

1 February 1959
Transferred from Airwork Ltd due to a corporate merger.

12 February 1959
Ferried from London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England to Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England for future operations.

It was converted to 61 seat high-density configuration.

February 1959
It entered service on the 'Colonial Coach Class' service previously operated by Airwork Ltd.

1 July 1960
Transferred to British United Airways (BUA) due to a corporate merger.


Photo of British United Airways (BUA) Viscount G-AODG

Country of Registration United Kingdom

July 1960 to May 1962

British United Airways (BUA)

G-AODG - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

1 July 1960
Transferred from Transair (UK) Ltd due to a corporate merger.

1 July 1960
Departed from Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England on the first day of BUA service.

5 September 1960
Registered to British United Airways (BUA).

22 February 1962
During a test flight off the Sussex coast at Selsey Bill the aircraft was put into a dive to reach the maximum operational speed (VNE).

During the recovery to level out it was noted that the flaps were partially extended. After landing an inspection revealed substantial damage to the tailplanes.

Repaired and returned to service.

circa May 1962
Leased to Polskie Linie Lotnicze (LOT) for the summer season in full BUA livery.


Photo of Polskie Linie Lotnicze (LOT) Viscount G-AODG

Country of Registration United Kingdom

May 1962 to October 1962

Polskie Linie Lotnicze (LOT)

G-AODG - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

circa May 1962
Leased from British United Airways (BUA) for the summer season in full BUA livery.

circa October 1962
Returned to British United Airways (BUA).


Photo of British United Airways (BUA) Viscount G-AODG

Country of Registration United Kingdom

October 1962 to January 1967

British United Airways (BUA)

G-AODG - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

circa October 1962
Returned from Polskie Linie Lotnicze (LOT) summer lease.

6 October 1966
Departed from Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England to Southend Airport, Rochford, Essex, England for overhaul by Aviation Traders Ltd.

It didn't return to Gatwick until sold to BMA.

10 January 1967
Sold to British Midland Airways (BMA).


Photo of British Midland Airways (BMA) Viscount G-AODG

Country of Registration United Kingdom

January 1967 to February 1969

British Midland Airways (BMA)

G-AODG - c/n 77 - a V.736 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

10 January 1967
Purchased from British United Airways (BUA) as the first BMA Viscount and handed over in a ceremony at Jersey Airport, Channel Islands.

12 January 1967
Entered British Midland Airways (BMA) service from East Midlands Airport, Leicestershire, England to Abbotsinch, Airport, Glasgow, Scotland replacing a Canadair Argonaut.

20 June 1967
Registered to British Midland Airways (BMA).

Damaged beyond repair after a heavy landing and collapsed nose undercarriage.

20 February 1969
Damaged beyond repair after a heavy landing at East Midlands Airport, Leicestershire, England on a scheduled flight from Abbotsinch Airport, Glasgow, Scotland.

Captain Monty Rogers failed to execute a flare on the second attempt to land on runway 10 in a snow storm resulting in a very heavy landing.

The aircraft initially struck the ground approximately 1,000 feet short of the intended aiming point which collapsed the nose undercarriage leg and broke the fuselage in two just rear of the wing. The aircraft then swung off the runway into the snow.

Visibility at the time was poor and assistance was being provided by a Plessey 424 Ground Radar system.

All 4 crew members and 48 passengers on board escaped without any reported injuries, mainly due to the lack of a post-crash fire.

PROBABLE CAUSE: The accident resulted from the pilot in command failing to execute a proper landing manoeuvre in adverse weather conditions.

Declared as beyond economic repair and written off.

7 March 1969
Registration cancelled as aircraft permanently withdrawn from use.

Broken up for scrap.

Total time 20,895 hours and 14,817 total landings.


Photo of BEA - British European Airways Viscount G-AOJC

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This website has been designed, built and is maintained by Geoff Blampied, Norwich, Norfolk, England.