15 January 2025
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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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records and photos

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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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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.

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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 91

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 91
Airwork Ltd


England flag England

This V.755D series Viscount was built for
Airwork Ltd as CU-T603

It first flew on Thursday, 26 April 1956 at Weybridge, Surrey, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 510 engines.

Photo of Viscount c/n 91
Compañía Cubana de Aviación S.A.


Cuba flag Cuba

Its final owner/operator was
Compañía Cubana de Aviación S.A. as CU-T603.

Its fate:-
Hijacked by pro-Castro rebels during flight CU495 from Miami International Airport, Florida, USA to Varadero Airport, Northern Cuba 1 November 1958.

The aircraft had departed from Miami at 22:00 local time and estimated to arrive at Varadero at 22:49. During the flight, control of the aircraft was taken over by anti-government rebels acting on behalf of Fidel Castro, who requested that the pilots divert to a small airfield near the Preston Sugar Mills, Oriente Province, Cuba which was 600 KM southeast of Varadero and in an area controlled by the rebels.

When the pilots refused to divert, one of the rebels took over control of the plane. Eventually the flight crew agreed to go to Preston but because of the delay and the extra distance the aircraft ran out of fuel during the final approach and crashed into the sea at Nipe Bay, Cuba. The airfield, which was close to where Fidel Castro had his base had no runway lighting which severely hampered the landing attempts in the dark.


Operational record
Photo of Airwork Ltd Viscount G-AOCA

Country of Registration United Kingdom

May 1955 to December 1955

Airwork Ltd

G-AOCA - c/n 91 - a V.755D series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

17 May 1955
Registered to Airwork Ltd but not taken up as BOAC objected to their proposed 'Colonial Coach' overseas routes as unfair competition.

December 1955
Sold to Compañía Cubana de Aviación S.A. during construction but retaining the Airwork Type 755D.

4 January 1956
UK registration cancelled as aircraft sold abroad.


Photo of Compañía Cubana de Aviación S.A. Viscount CU-T603

Country of Registration Cuba

December 1955 to November 1958

Compañía Cubana de Aviación S.A.

CU-T603 - c/n 91 - a V.755D series Viscount
Cuba registered

December 1955
Purchased from Airwork Ltd during construction retaining the Airwork type designation V.755D.

Production Aircraft No. 112 - the 112th production V.700 series Viscount built,
was the 40th Viscount fuselage assembled at Weybridge, Surrey, England,
and the 38th Viscount assembled at Weybridge, Surrey, England.

Production Order No. F01/755. Sales Order No. F01/72B. Stock Order No. F38/27B.

Purchased from Airwork Ltd during construction.

17 September 1955
Fuselage assembly commenced at Weybridge, Surrey, England.

23 November 1955
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Weybridge, Surrey, England.

26 April 1956
First flight from Brooklands Airfield, Weybridge, Surrey, England.

It landed at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England for fitting out and test flying.

16 May 1956
Delivered to Compañía Cubana de Aviación S.A. at José Martí Airport, Havana, Cuba and entered service to replace the Douglas DC4 services to the USA and Canada as well as internal routes.

Operated the inaugural Viscount service from Rancho-Boyeros Airport, Havana Airport, Cuba to the new airport at Santiago de Cuba.

25 May 1956
Operated the inaugural Viscount service from José Martí Airport, Havana Airport, Cuba to the new airport at Santiago de Cuba which had a longer runway built to allow for the larger aircraft.

1 November 1958
Crashed into the sea at Nipe Bay, Cuba.

Hijacked by pro-Castro rebels during flight CU495 from Miami International Airport, Florida, USA to Varadero Airport, Northern Cuba.

The aircraft had departed from Miami at 22:00 local time and estimated to arrive at Varadero at 22:49. During the flight, control of the aircraft was taken over by anti-government rebels acting on behalf of Fidel Castro, who requested that the pilots divert to a small airfield near the Preston Sugar Mills, Oriente Province, Cuba which was 600 KM southeast of Varadero and in an area controlled by the rebels.

When the pilots refused to divert, one of the rebels took over control of the plane. Eventually the flight crew agreed to go to Preston but because of the delay and the extra distance the aircraft ran out of fuel during the final approach and crashed into the sea at Nipe Bay, Cuba. The airfield, which was close to where Fidel Castro had his base had no runway lighting which severely hampered the landing attempts in the dark. All 4 crew and 13 of the 16 passengers (including the rebels) on board were killed.

This was the first recorded hi-jack of an aircraft anywhere resulting in the deaths of innocent passengers and crew.

Total time 5,016 hours and 4,500 total landings.

José A Placeres - A tribute to this sad event Artwork by José A Placeres


FURTHER READING
An NBC Miami report stated that the Cubana Viscount hijacking was the first by an international airline originating on American soil.

Click to read the NBC report



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.