September 1956 to June 1961
Capital Airlines (USA)
N7439 - c/n 137 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered
December 1954
An order for an additional 20 Type 745D aircraft was placed by Capital Airlines.
This was the 35th Viscount ordered 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. 142 - the 142nd production Type 700 series Viscount built,
was the 100th Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 100th Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
Production Order No. F35/745. Sales Order No. F35/68B. Stock Order No. F35/27B.
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.
21 April 1956
Fuselage assembly commenced at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
31 May 1956
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
10 September 1956
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
13 September 1956
Delivered to Capital Airlines with fleet number ‘358’ fitted with integral front 'airsteps'.
circa 1958
Large registrations on the rear fuselage appeared after the use of small registrations on the rudder 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.
13 September 1960
During a takeoff from Wold–Chamberlain Airport, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Hennepin County, Minnesota, USA a tyre tread cap separated from a port main wheel, struck the No.2 propeller and then penetrated the fuselage skin.
The takeoff was continued and the No.2 engine was shut down and the propeller was feathered due to vibration and the aircraft circled the area to dump fuel in order to reduce the weight for landing.
A normal landing was then carried out at the departure airport.
There were no reported injuries to the 41 passengers and 4 crew on board.
Repaired and returned to service.
4 April 1961
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officially gave permission for United Air Lines to acquire Capital Airlines.
At the time this was the biggest merger transaction in US civil aviation history.
1 June 1961
Transferred to United Air Lines due to a corporate merger.
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