15 March 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.

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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 118

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 118
Capital Airlines (USA)


United States flag United States

This V.745D series Viscount was built for
Capital Airlines (USA) as N7420

It first flew on Tuesday, 17 April 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
Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd, Philippine Air Lines (PAL), Hawaiian Airlines and Alitalia

Photo of Viscount c/n 118
Aerolineas Taxi Aéreo Opita (TAO)


Colombia flag Colombia

Its final owner/operator was
Aerolineas Taxi Aéreo Opita (TAO) as HK-1057.

Its fate:-
Withdrawn from service and stored at El Dorado International Airport, Bogotá, Colombia in January 1975. Still noted in existence in March 2003. No further sightings so presumed scrapped.


Operational record
Photo of Capital Airlines (USA) Viscount N7420

Country of Registration United States

April 1956 to January 1961

Capital Airlines (USA)

N7420 - c/n 118 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

June 1954
This was the sixteenth 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. 110 - the 110th production Type 700 series Viscount built,
was the 71st Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 73rd Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Production Order No. F16/745. Sales Order No. F16/68B. Stock Order No. F16/27B.

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.

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

23 December 1955
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

17 April 1956
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

29 April 1956
Departed from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England on delivery to Capital Airlines with fleet number ‘339’ fitted with integral front 'airsteps'.

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).

27 January 1959
During a landing at Lansing Airport, Michigan, USA the port main undercarriage leg collapsed and the aircraft veered off the runway to the left and hit a snowbank damaging the port propellers, wing and flaps.

The cause of the accident was that a bank of snow had been piled up near the runway threshold and this was struck by the port undercarriage leg.

The crew had not been warned about this hazard and the sun was low and the weather hazy.

There was no reported injuries to the 24 passengers or 3 crew on board.

A wooden building was erected around the port wing to allow for repairs to be carried out in sub-zero conditions.

At this time the weather radar had not been fitted to this aircraft.

May 1960
Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd filed a foreclosure legal 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 G-ARHY

Country of Registration United Kingdom

January 1961 to April 1961

Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd

G-ARHY - c/n 118 - a V.745D series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

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

21 January 1961
Arrived at Prestwick Airport, Ayrshire, Scotland where it night-stopped.

22 January 1961
Arrived at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England from Prestwick Airport, Ayrshire, Scotland.

23 January 1961
UK registration cancelled.

25 January 1961
Ferried to Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England for overhaul and a repaint in Philippine Air Lines (PAL) livery by Marshall's.

20 February 1961
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England carrying out a single ILS approach and overshoot.

5 April 1961
Sold to Philippine Air Lines (PAL).


Photo of Philippine Air Lines (PAL) Viscount PI-C773

Country of Registration Philippines

April 1961 to July 1963

Philippine Air Lines (PAL)

PI-C773 - c/n 118 - a V.745D series Viscount
Philippines registered

5 April 1961
Purchased from Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd.

April 1961
Noted at Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England after a repaint in full livery by Marshall's.

7 July 1963
Leased to Hawaiian Airlines.


Photo of Hawaiian Airlines Viscount N745HA

Country of Registration United States

July 1963 to December 1963

Hawaiian Airlines

N745HA - c/n 118 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

7 July 1963
Leased from Philippine Air Lines (PAL) and re-registered.

Delivered to Honolulu International Airport, Oahu, Hawaii, USA.

It was painted in the full red and white Hawaiian Airlines livery and carried the fleet number 34 at the top of the tail.

1 December 1963
Returned to Philippine Air Lines (PAL).


Photo of Philippine Air Lines (PAL) Viscount PI-C773

Country of Registration Philippines

December 1963 to March 1965

Philippine Air Lines (PAL)

PI-C773 - c/n 118 - a V.745D series Viscount
Philippines registered

1 December 1963
Returned from Hawaiian Airlines lease and re-registered.

4 March 1965
Sold to Alitalia.


Photo of Alitalia Viscount I-LIRT

Country of Registration Italy

March 1965 to August 1968

Alitalia

I-LIRT - c/n 118 - a V.745D series Viscount
Italy registered

4 March 1965
Purchased from Philippine Air Lines (PAL).

13 August 1968
Sold to Aerolineas Taxi Aéreo Opita (TAO).


Photo of Aerolineas Taxi Aéreo Opita (TAO) Viscount HK-1057

Country of Registration Colombia

August 1968 to December 2003

Aerolineas Taxi Aéreo Opita (TAO)

HK-1057 - c/n 118 - a V.745D series Viscount
Colombia registered

13 August 1968
Purchased from Alitalia and re-registered.

7 November 1968
Departed from Ciampino Airport, Rome, Italy on delivery.

11 November 1968
Arrived at El Dorado International Airport, Bogotá, Colombia after its long delivery flight.

23 May 1969
Noted at Heathrow Airport, London, England arriving in the UK for maintenance work with Field Aircraft Services Ltd.

12 August 1969
Departed from East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England after maintenance work by Field Aircraft Services Ltd.

It stopped off at Prestwick Airport, Ayrshire, Scotland at 20:15 to refuel and departed to Keflavik, Iceland at 22:42 on the long delivery back to Colombia.

25 October 1971
Severely damaged during a heavy landing at Bucaramanga Airport, Colombia and initially written off as beyond economic repair.

The starboard outer wing was removed and fitted to HK-1061 (C/N 327) which had been damaged at Neiva Airport, Colombia 7 October 1971.

This was the first time that an outer wing had been transferred from one Viscount to another.

<>It subsequently received a replacement outer wing and was then ferried to the UK for more repairs.

circa January 1972
Noted at East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England undergoing major repairs with Field Aircraft Services Ltd.

The repairs included using the outer wings from ex Alitalia donor aircraft I-LOTT (C/N 330). This was the first time that both outer wings had been transferred from one Viscount to another.

January 1975
Withdrawn from service and stored at El Dorado International Airport, Bogotá, Colombia after the crash of HK-1058 (C/N 380).

Total time 35,442 hours and 28,586 total landings.

March 2003
Noted still in existence.

No further sightings so presumed scrapped. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net


Photo of BEA - British European Airways Viscount G-AOJC

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Information@VickersViscount.net.


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