24 April 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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records and photos

Viscount illustrations
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 103

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 103
Capital Airlines (USA)


United States flag United States

This V.745 series Viscount was built for
Capital Airlines (USA) as N7405

It first flew on Wednesday, 9 November 1955 at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 506 engines.

Photo of Viscount c/n 103
United Air Lines


United States flag United States

Its final owner/operator was
United Air Lines as N7405.

Its fate:-
Crashed in a steep wooded area known as Trentham Hollow, two and a half miles northeast of Parrottsville Tennessee, USA due to an in-flight fire 9 July 1964. All 35 passengers including one that jumped out through an emergency window prior to the crash and 4 crew sadly died.


Operational record
Photo of Capital Airlines (USA) Viscount N7405

Country of Registration United States

November 1955 to June 1961

Capital Airlines (USA)

N7405 - c/n 103 - a V.745 series Viscount
United States registered

June 1954
This was the first of thirty V.745 ordered by Capital Airlines.

The first nine aircraft (C/N 103 to 111) were built as Type745 aircraft with Rolls-Royce Dart RDa3 Mark 506 engines.

All subsequent aircraft in the order were built as Type 745D with Rolls-Royce Dart RDa6 Mark 510 engines.

Production Aircraft No. 81 - the 81st production Type 700 series Viscount built,
was the 46th Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 48th Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Production Order No. F01/745. Sales Order No. F01/68B. Stock Order No. F01/27B.

December 1954
An additional order for 20 Type 745D aircraft was placed by Capital Airlines.

Altogether, the total order was worth $67,000,000 US. This was the highest ever US Dollar export order for the UK at the time.

6 April 1955
Fuselage assembly commenced at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

25 June 1955
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

24 August 1955
A drawing showing the cabin seating arrangement was approved and issued.by Capital Airlines and showed 11 rows of 2 + 2 seats with two toilets at the front, one on each side and a large galley at the rear.

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

14 November 1955
Departed from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England on delivery to Capital Airlines with fleet number ‘324’ fitted with integral front 'airsteps'.

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

circa 1958
Large registrations on the rear fuselage appeared after the use of small registrations on the tail were banned by the newly formed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Also by this time weather radar had been fitted resulting in a change to the nose cone.

May 1960
Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd filed a foreclosure suit on the entire Viscount fleet of Capital Airlines as the overdue payments now totalled $34,000,000.

4 April 1961
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officially gave permission for United Air Lines to acquire Capital Airlines.

1 June 1961
Transferred to United Air Lines due to a corporate merger.


Photo of United Air Lines Viscount N7405

Country of Registration United States

June 1961 to July 1964

United Air Lines

N7405 - c/n 103 - a V.745 series Viscount
United States registered

1 June 1961
Transferred from Capital Airlines due to a corporate merger retaining fleet number ‘324’.

After repainting in United Air Lines livery during a suitable maintenance period the title ‘Viscount Mainliner’ was applied to the rear fuselage.

The last Capital Viscount N7443 (C/N 199) was repainted in United Air Lines livery in March 1962.

Crashed near Parrottsville, Tennessee, USA at 18:15 local time.
Crashed near Parrottsville,
Tennessee, USA

9 July 1964
Crashed in a steep wooded area known as Trentham Hollow which is 2.5 miles northeast of Parrottsville, Tennessee, USA and over 40 miles from their intended destination.

United Air Lines flight 823 was en-route from Dulles Airport, Washington, District of Columbia to Knoxville Airport, Tennessee, USA having departed at 16:36 local time with an estimated arrival time of 18:13 local time.

Approximately one minute after reporting passing Holston Mountain at its IFR cruise level of 14,000 feet above mean sea level the flight crew requested a lower flight level. They were cleared to descend to 8,000 feet. Three minutes later the crew cancelled their IFR clearance. The air traffic controller offered to pass control of the flight to Knoxville Approach Control when they were closer in and advised they could stay on the Center frequency. At 18:03 local time the crew responded to this transmission with 'OK'. This was the last known transmission from the aircraft.

Near Parrottsville the aircraft was observed at a low altitude, trailing smoke, then it pitched into a nose high attitude and control was lost. The left wing and nose dropped and the aircraft crashed and burnt out at 18:15 local time in a steep wooded area known as Trentham Hollow which is two and a half miles from Parrottsville.

Shortly before it crashed a male passenger was seen to jump from the No.4 portside emergency window at a height of approximately 500 feet, 1.5 miles from the crash site.

Eye witnesses pointed out the area that it was seen to fall and the body was found in woodland by law enforcement officers. It was taken away for extensive forensic examinations.

All 35 passengers and 4 crew sadly died.

Captain Oliver E Sabatke (41) and First Officer Charles L Young (37) were flying the aircraft with Stewardesses Carole L Berndt (21) and Virginia K Vollmer (22).

The accident was attributed to an uncontrollable cabin fire of undetermined origin, which eventually resulted in a loss of control.

The cause of the fire was never officially established due to the virtual destruction of the aircraft.

Total time 23,804 hours and 19,969 total landings.

9 July 2014
A memorial service, organised by Tom Dier was held at the crash site and a large number of relatives attended.

This was to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sad event.

Recommended further reading: - The Last Flight of United Air Lines 823 by Thomas Dier (2018)

ISBN-13:978-1984237828 / ISBN-10:1984237829 available on Amazon.

Also visit Tom and son Phil's website: - unitedflight823.com.

This website, which is regularly updated covers a lot of subjects including personal stories from those connected to the victims.


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.