23 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 113

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 113
Capital Airlines (USA)


United States flag United States

This V.745D series Viscount was built for
Capital Airlines (USA) as N7415

It first flew on Friday, 2 March 1956 at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 510 engines.


During its life this aircraft was also owned and/or operated by
Austrian Airlines (AUA)


Photo of Viscount c/n 113
Aloha Airlines


United States flag United States

Its final owner/operator was
Aloha Airlines as N7415.

Its fate:-
Destroyed by fire at Honolulu International Airport, Oahu, Hawaii, USA 8 August 1971.


Operational record
Photo of Capital Airlines (USA) Viscount N7415

Country of Registration United States

March 1956 to January 1961

Capital Airlines (USA)

N7415 - c/n 113 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

June 1954
This was the eleventh of thirty Type 745 ordered by Capital Airlines.

The first nine aircraft (C/N 103 to 111) were built as Type 745 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.

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.

Production Aircraft No. 101 - the 101st production Type 700 series Viscount built,
was the 62nd Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 65th Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Production Order No. F11/745. Sales Order No. F11/68B. Stock Order No. F11/27B.

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

3 November 1955
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

2 March 1956
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

13 March 1956
Departed from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England on delivery to Capital Airlines with fleet number ‘334’ fitted with integral front 'airsteps'.

Powered by Rolls-Royce Dart RDa6 Mark 510 engines fitted with the square tipped propeller type.

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.

20 January 1961
Repossessed by Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd due to the financial debt owed.


Photo of Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd Viscount N7415

Country of Registration United States

January 1960 to January 1961

Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd

N7415 - c/n 113 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

20 January 1961
Repossessed from Capital Airlines due to the financial debt owed and registered to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd.

22 January 1961
Sold to Austrian Airlines (AUA).


Photo of Austrian Airlines (AUA) Viscount OE-LAO

Country of Registration Austria

January 1961 to April 1963

Austrian Airlines (AUA)

OE-LAO - c/n 113 - a V.745D series Viscount
Austria registered

22 January 1961
Purchased from Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd named as 'Franz Lehar'.

5 February 1961
Arrived at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England from Prestwick Airport, Ayrshire, Scotland.

6 February 1961
Departed from Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England to Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England for overhaul and a repaint with Marshall's.

7 June 1961
Rolled out at Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England in full Austrian Airlines (AUA) livery, named as 'Franz Lehar', and test flown using callsign 'OZ1243'.

6 December 1962
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion. The passengers were transferred to London by coach.

18 April 1963
Sold to Aloha Airlines.


Photo of Aloha Airlines Viscount N7415

Country of Registration United States

April 1963 to August 1971

Aloha Airlines

N7415 - c/n 113 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

18 April 1963
Purchased from Austrian Airlines (AUA).

30 April 1963
Departed on its long delivery flight to Honolulu International Airport, Oahu, Hawaii, USA.

The aircraft was fitted with auxilliary fuel tanks in order for it to complete the long range sectors such as San Francisco to Honolulu (2,081 nautical miles).

2 January 1967
Arrived at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England from Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England to clear UK customs after heavy maintenance with Marshall's and a repaint in the 'Blue and white' second livery to match the BAC One-Eleven fleet.

Later in the day it departed to Santa Maria in the Azores (1,347 nautical miles) on its long return journey back to Hawaii.

The aircraft was fitted with auxilliary fuel tanks in order for it to complete the long range sectors such as Honolulu to San Francisco (2,081 nautical miles).

Painted in the Aloha Airlines 'flower' third livery.
Aloha Airlines
'flower' livery

circa 1969
Repainted in the new orange and white 'flower' livery to match the tail colours on their recently introduced Boeing 737 Funbirds.

19 January 1971
Withdrawn from service and stored at Honolulu International Airport, Oahu, Hawaii, USA.

Total time 30,893 hours.

circa April 1971
Returned to service at Honolulu International Airport, Oahu, Hawaii, USA.

8 August 1971
Destroyed by fire at Honolulu International Airport, Oahu, Hawaii, USA.

Flight 845 from Hilo, Hawaii, USA landed at Honolulu International Airport, Oahu, Hawaii, USA at 17:24 HST and following the arrival announcement the stewardess observed smoke midway in the cabin and immediately informed the captain. The captain stopped the aircraft, shut the engines down and notified the control tower that he had a fire on board. The forward passenger door was opened and the passengers were ordered to evacuate as quickly as possible.

Passengers and crew members descended to the taxiway by means of the integral front airsteps. Airport fire fighting equipment arrived on the scene within 2 minutes of notification and the fire was brought under control within 30 seconds of their arrival. Investigation showed that the cockpit and cabin interior, including seats, rugs, wall and overhead coverings were severely damaged by fire and excessive heat. None of the 3 crew and 19 passengers on board were hurt in the incident.

PROBABLE CAUSE: An undetected electrical short within the left nickel-cadmium aircraft battery, which resulted in the absorption of an increasing amount of heat energy over an unknown period of time until it progressed to a state of a thermal runaway and subsequently the fire in the cabin.

Total time 31,354 hours and 36,645 total landings.


Photo of BEA - British European Airways Viscount G-AOJC

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