19 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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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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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 157

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 157
British European Airways Corporation (BEA)


England flag England

This V.802 series Viscount was built for
British European Airways Corporation (BEA) as G-AOHH

It first flew on Friday, 15 February 1957 at Weybridge, Surrey, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 510 engines.

Photo of Viscount c/n 157
British Airways (BA)


England flag England

Its final owner/operator was
British Airways (BA) as G-AOHH.

Its fate:-
Withdrawn from service at Leeds / Bradford Airport, Yeadon, Yorkshire, England 20 November 1975. Broken up for scrap in 1976.


Operational record
Photo of British European Airways Corporation (BEA) Viscount G-AOHH

Country of Registration United Kingdom

January 1956 to July 1973

British European Airways Corporation (BEA)

G-AOHH - c/n 157 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

11 February 1953
An order was placed for the first 800 series Viscount which was specifically designed for British European Airways Corporation (BEA).

Initially the order was for twelve Type 801 aircraft, which was actually longer than the Type 802 which BEA finally decided to receive.

This was the 8th Type 802 ordered by British European Airways Corporation (BEA).

Production Order No. F08/802. Sales Order No. F08/63B. Stock Order No. F08/26B.

2 January 1956
Registered to British European Airways Corporation (BEA).

15 February 1957
First flight from Brooklands Airfield, Weybridge, Surrey, England.

It landed at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England for fitting out and test flying.

1 March 1957
Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) issued.

5 March 1957
Delivered to British European Airways (BEA) named as 'R M A Sir Robert McClure'.

28 March 1957
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

5 December 1957
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

2 February 1959
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England carrying out ILS approaches and overshoots. It then returned to London Airport (Heathrow).

February 1959
Noted at Teversham Airport, Cambridge, England awaiting overhaul with Marshall's.

March 1959
A new BEA 'Red Square' livery was adopted and aircraft were repainted during the early 1960s when they next went in for overhaul.

Sadly, after repainting, the aircraft no longer carried a name including the nameplate on the forward cabin bulkhead.

31 March 1959
BEA annual report quotes a total time of 4,086 hours.

7 November 1959
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

17 November 1959
Seen at London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England about to take V.I.P. Sekou Toure, first President of the recently independent Republic of Guinea to Köln Airport, West Germany as part of his tour of the Western World, having already visited the United States and attended the United Nations Assembly.

British Conservative Prime Minister Harold MacMillan was there to see him off.

Despite the bad weather a rostrum had been set up so that speeches could be made. Spectators were able to get a good view of the proceedings from the gallery above the Queen's Building.

9 December 1960
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

3 April 1961
Noted at London Airport (Heathrow) in the later 'Red Square' livery. It operated a scheduled service to Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

3 September 1961
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England due to a London Airport (Heathrow) weather diversion.

circa 1968
Painted in the new BEA 'Flying Union Jack' livery.

22 January 1969
Struck a pier at Heathrow Airport, London, England. There were no injuries amongst the 24 passengers and 4 crew. Further details please to information@vickersviscount.net

1971
BEA Scottish Airways titles applied.

circa 1971/1972
Noted on several occasions operating services on behalf of Gibraltar Airways, but still in full BEA livery.

The services were operated by BEA flight crews with local cabin crews.

circa 1971/1972
Noted on several occasions operating services on behalf of Royal Air Maroc on their internal routes, but still in full BEA livery.

The services were operated by BEA flight crews with local cabin crews.

31 July 1973
Transferred to British Airways (BA) due to a corporate merger.

FURTHER READING: Books about BEA - British European Airways



Photo of Transportes Aereos Portugueses (TAP) Viscount G-AOHH

Country of Registration United Kingdom

June 1959 to September 1962

Transportes Aereos Portugueses (TAP)

G-AOHH - c/n 157 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

9 June 1959 to September 1962
Leased from British European Airways (BEA) on an occasional ad hoc basis in full BEA livery with TAP insignia near the forward door.

This was an interim requirement on the Lison to London route until TAP acquired suitable aircraft of their own.


Photo of British Airways (BA) Viscount G-AOHH

Country of Registration United Kingdom

July 1973 to January 1976

British Airways (BA)

G-AOHH - c/n 157 - a V.802 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

31 July 1973
Transferred from British European Airways (BEA) due to a corporate merger.

Continued to operate on the ex BEA Scottish routes.

The trading name of ‘British Airways’ was formally adopted at this time, however the full merger of its forming companies (BEA, BOAC, Cambrian Airways and Northeast Airlines) did not take place until 1 April 1974 when BEA formally ceased to exist and the entire Viscount fleet became part of the new British Airways Regional Division.

The full integration of pilots and remaining aircraft from the previous fleets did not occur until 1 April 1976. Some Viscounts had small ‘British Airways’ titles applied to the forward lower fuselage from mid 1973 and for the former BEA Type 802 fleet the ‘BEA’ part of the main upper fuselage titling was painted over, leaving only 'Scottish Airways' or 'Channel Islands'. After September 1973 the main titling on the upper fuselage was painted over with ‘British Airways’ and the former operating division or company (Channel, Scottish, Cambrian or Northeast) was applied to most aircraft as a small title to the lower fuselage adjacent to the propellers.

Also during September 1973 the first aircraft to be painted in the new British Airways (BA) corporate livery appeared that also included the 'Cambrian' or 'Northeast' small title to the lower fuselage adjacent to the propellers for ex Cambrian and Northeast aircraft. These were retained past the mid 1970s.

There followed a period of several months where 22 of the 33 Viscounts transferred to British Airways were gradually painted in the new British Airways livery. The remaining 11 Type 802 aircraft retained the basic BEA livery with ‘British Airways’ main titling and ‘Channel’ or ‘Scottish’ sub-titling until retired in 1975/76.

1 April 1974
BEA Scottish Airways Division officially became part of British Airways (BA) Regional Division.

20 November 1975
Withdrawn from service at Leeds / Bradford Airport, Yeadon, Yorkshire, England after operating its last service from Birmingham International Airport, Elmdon, West Midlands, England.

12 December 1975
Registration cancelled as aircraft permanently withdrawn from use.

Total time 37,140 hours and 33,033 total landings.

1976
Broken up for scrap.

FURTHER READING: Books about British Airways (BA)



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.