02 November 2024
This website is regularly archived by the British Library who selectively archive websites with research values that are representative of British social history and cultural heritage.

Museum search


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


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.


Share your photos and stories


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.

You are able to send in your photos, stories and comments by Facebook, Twitter or email and we will post them for all to enjoy.

Contact us


Join the Vickers Viscount Network
for FREE


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.



This website does not use cookies or capture your details


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

Viscount c/n 119

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 119
Capital Airlines (USA)


United States flag United States

This V.745D series Viscount was built for
Capital Airlines (USA) as N7421

It first flew on Tuesday, 24 April 1956 at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 510 engines.


Photo of Viscount c/n 119
Alitalia


Italy flag Italy

Its final owner/operator was
Alitalia as I-LITS.

Its fate:-
Withdrawn from service and stored at Ciampino Airport, Rome, Italy in September 1969. Broken up for scrap in July 1971 with useful spare parts sold to Aerolineas TAO to support their fleet of Viscounts.


Operational record
Photo of Capital Airlines (USA) Viscount N7421

Country of Registration United States

May 1956 to December 1960

Capital Airlines (USA)

N7421 - c/n 119 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

June 1954
This was the seventeenth 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. 111 - the 111th production Type 700 series Viscount built,
was the 72nd Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 74th Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Production Order No. F17/745. Sales Order No. F17/68B. Stock Order No. F17/27B.

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.

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

2 January 1956
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

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

2 May 1956
Departed from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England on delivery to Capital Airlines with fleet number ‘340’ 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).

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.

1 December 1960
Repossessed by Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd due to the financial debt owed.


Photo of Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd Viscount N7421

Country of Registration United States

December 1960 to December 1960

Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd

N7421 - c/n 119 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

1 December 1960
Repossessed from Capital Airlines due to the financial debt owed and registered to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd.

8 December 1960
Sold to Alitalia.


Photo of Alitalia Viscount I-LITS

Country of Registration Italy

December 1960 to July 1971

Alitalia

I-LITS - c/n 119 - a V.745D series Viscount
Italy registered

8 December 1960
Purchased from Capital Airlines via Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd and delivered via Prestwick Airport, Ayrshire, Scotland.

2 September 1969
Withdrawn from service and stored at Ciampino Airport, Rome, Italy.

Total time 33,211 hours and 27,661 total landings.

July 1971
Broken up for scrap with useful spare parts sold to Aerolineas TAO to support their Viscounts.


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.