27 July 2024
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Viscount Survivors

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

Letter from HRH Prince Philip

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by David Carter


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.


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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.


In the Beginning

The Turboprop World-Beater

Sir George Edwards

The Rolls-Royce Dart

c/n 1 G-AHRF V.630
The Prototype Viscount

c/n 2 VX217 V.663
The Tay powered Viscount

c/n 3 G-AMAV V.700
The V.700 series prototype

c/n 4 G-ALWE V.701
The first BEA Viscount

c/n 5 G-ALWF V.701
The oldest surviving Viscount

c/n 8 F-BGNK V.708
The first Air France Viscount

c/n 30 EI-AFV V.707
The first Aer Lingus Viscount

c/n 40 CF-TGI V.724
The first TCA Viscount

c/n 44 VH-TVA V.720
The first TAA Viscount

c/n 67 YI-ACK V.735
The first Iraqi Airways Viscount

c/n 70 CF-GXK V.737
The first Canadian DoT Viscount

c/n 71 VP-TBK V.702
The first BOAC Associated
Companies Viscount

c/n 74 G-ANRR V.732
The first Hunting-Clan Viscount

c/n 77 LN-FOF V.736
The first Fred Olsen Viscount

c/n 79 IU-683 V.723
The first Indian Air Force Viscount

c/n 88 N7402 V.744
The first Capital Airlines Viscount

c/n 97 VH-BAT V.747
The first Butler Air
Transport Viscount


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

Viscount c/n 89

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 89
Capital Airlines (USA)


United States flag United States

This V.744 series Viscount was built for
Capital Airlines (USA) as N7403

It first flew on Thursday, 30 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
Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd, Linea Aeropostal Venezolana (LAV), All Nippon Airways (ANA) and the Empire Test Pilots School (ETPS)

Photo of Viscount c/n 89
Shackleton Aviation Ltd


England flag England

Its final owner/operator was
Shackleton Aviation Ltd as XR801.

Its fate:-
Withdrawn from service by Empire Test Pilots School (ETPS) and ferried to Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England for storage 25 October 1971.

Purchased from the Ministry of Defence by Shackleton Aviation Ltd and ferried to Baginton Airport, Coventry, England 18 May 1972 where it was robbed of all useful spares.

Remains moved to Shirebrook, Derbyshire, England on the B6407 north of Mansfield, Derbyshire circa June 1973.

Remains moved to Bolsover, Derbyshire, England on the A619 east of Chesterfield, Derbyshire to be used as a Café circa September 1973.

Café project abandoned and aircraft broken up for scrap circa January 1975. Can anyone give us better dates? Details please to information@vickersviscount.net


Operational record
Photo of Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd Viscount N7403

Country of Registration United States

November 1954 to July 1955

Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd

N7403 - c/n 89 - a V.744 series Viscount
United States registered

June 1954
Capital Airlines placed an order for three Type 744 lease aircraft pending the delivery of their own Type 745 aircraft.

August 1954
A lease contract was signed by James Henry 'Slim' Carmichael, President of Capital Airlines.

This aircraft was originally being built as a Type 701 for British European Airways Corporation (BEA) but they agreed that this aircraft and C/N 88 and C/N 90 could be completed for lease to Capital Airlines.

Production Aircraft No. 63 - the 63rd production Type 700 series Viscount built,
was the 29th Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 33rd Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Production Order No. F02/744. Sales Order No. F02/64B. Stock Order No. F38/22B.

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

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

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

9 July 1955
Delivered on lease to Capital Airlines pending the delivery of their fleet of Type 745 and Type 745D Viscounts.


Photo of Capital Airlines (USA) Viscount N7403

Country of Registration United States

July 1955 to February 1958

Capital Airlines (USA)

N7403 - c/n 89 - a V.744 series Viscount
United States registered

9 July 1955
Delivered on lease to Capital Airlines from Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd with fleet number '322' pending the delivery of their fleet of V.745 and V.745D Viscounts.

Although powered by Rolls-Royce Dart RDa3 Mark 506 engines, this aircraft was fitted with the square tipped propeller more associated with the Dart RDa6 Mark 510 engines.

This was the first Viscount operator in the USA, preceded by Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) as the first North American operator with routes into the USA.

26 July 1955
Capital Viscount services commenced between Washington and Chicago; Washington and Norfolk; and Washington via Pittsburgh to Chicago.

6 February 1958
Returned to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd.


Photo of Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd Viscount G-APKK

Country of Registration United Kingdom

February 1958 to April 1958

Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd

G-APKK - c/n 89 - a V.744 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

6 February 1958
Returned from Capital Airlines lease.

10 April 1958
Returned from Capital Airlines lease to Weybridge Airfield, Surrey, England.

circa April 1958
Re-registered as YV-C-ANK for proposed sale to Linea Aeropostal Venezolana (LAV).

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


Photo of Linea Aeropostal Venezolana (LAV) Viscount YV-C-ANK

Country of Registration Venezuela

April 1958 to June 1960

Linea Aeropostal Venezolana (LAV)

YV-C-ANK - c/n 89 - a V.744 series Viscount
Venezuela registered

circa April 1958
The purchase from Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd as YV-C-ANK was not completed.

27 September 1958
Noted stored at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England with registration YV-C-ANK applied.

20 October 1959
Noted departing from Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England on a test flight.

19 April 1960
Departed from Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England to Brooklands Airfield, Surrey, England.

It was returning to the Weybridge facility in preparation for a future sale or lease.

23 June 1960
Re-registered as G-APKK.


Photo of Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd Viscount G-APKK

Country of Registration United Kingdom

June 1960 to July 1960

Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd

G-APKK - c/n 89 - a V.744 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

23 June 1960
Re-registered from YV-C-ANK after the sale to Linea Aeropostal Venezolana (LAV) was not completed.

23 July 1960
Leased to All Nippon Airways (ANA).


Photo of All Nippon Airways (ANA) Viscount G-APKK

Country of Registration United Kingdom

July 1960 to September 1961

All Nippon Airways (ANA)

G-APKK - c/n 89 - a V.744 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

23 July 1960
Leased from Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd.

The aircraft was delivered in the basic Vickers livery.

23 July 1960
Arrived at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England from Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England where it cleared customs.

24 July 1960
Departed from Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England to Brindisi, Italy (982 nm) as part of the long delivery journey to Japan.

On arrival in Japan the ANA titles were applied to the aircraft.

The letters ‘KK’ were prominently displayed on either side of the nose instead of the normal last two registration digits for Japanese registered aircraft.

23 September 1961
Arrived at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England from Nice, France to clear customs.

25 September 1961
Departed from Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England to Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England on completion of the lease.


Photo of Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd Viscount G-APKK

Country of Registration United Kingdom

September 1961 to January 1962

Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd

G-APKK - c/n 89 - a V.744 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

25 September 1961
Returned from All Nippon Airways (ANA) lease to Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England.

5 January 1962
Sold to the Ministry of Aviation – Aircraft Air Fleet, for the Empire Test Pilots School (ETPS) at Farnborough Airfield, Hampshire, England.


Photo of Empire Test Pilots School (ETPS) Viscount XR801

Country of Registration United Kingdom

January 1962 to May 1972

Empire Test Pilots School (ETPS)

XR801 - c/n 89 - a V.744 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

5 January 1962
Purchased from Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd.

5 January 1962
UK civil registration cancelled.

16 January 1962
Delivered to Empire Test Pilots School (ETPS) initially at Farnborough Airfield, Hampshire, England.

26 January 1962
Departed with ETPS staff on a ten-day tour of the United States flight test establishments.

30 May 1963
Arrived at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England using callsign 'Tester 3'.

29 March 1965
Noted at Leconfield Airfield, Yorkshire, England having arrived from Driffield Airfield, Yorkshire, England.

28 January 1968
ETPS transferred to Boscombe Down Airfield, Wiltshire, England.

25 October 1971
Withdrawn from service and ferried to Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England for storage.

16 May 1972
Sold to Shackleton Aviation Ltd together with XR802 (C/N 198).


Photo of Shackleton Aviation Ltd Viscount XR801

Country of Registration United Kingdom

May 1972 to January 1975

Shackleton Aviation Ltd

XR801 - c/n 89 - a V.744 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

16 May 1972
Purchased from the Ministry of Defence / Empire Test Pilots School (ETPS) and ferried to Baginton Airport, Coventry, Warwickshire, England using call sign ‘Tester 107’.

XR802 (C/N 198) was also purchased and ferried using call sign 'Tester 108'.

Total time 11,597 hours.

March 1973
All useful parts were removed, especially the Rolls-Royce Dart RDa6 Mark 510 engines.

circa June 1973
Remains moved to Shirebrook, Derbyshire, England on the B6407 north of Mansfield, Derbyshire.

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

circa September 1973
Remains moved to Bolsover, Derbyshire, England on the A619 east of Chesterfield, Derbyshire to be used as a Café.

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

circa January 1975
The Café project was abandoned and the aircraft was broken up into sections and transferred to a scrap yard at Bolsover, Derbyshire, England for final processing.

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


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.