
October 1956 to June 1961
Capital Airlines (USA)
N7444 - c/n 200 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered
December 1954
Order for an additional 20 Type 745D aircraft was placed by Capital Airlines.
This was the 40th 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. 148 - the 148th production 700 series Viscount built,
was the 106th Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 106th Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
Production Order No. F40/745. Sales Order No. F40/68B. Stock Order No. F53/27B.
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 May 1956
Fuselage assembly commenced at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
2 July 1956
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
7 October 1956
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
13 October 1956
Delivered to Capital Airlines with fleet number ‘363’ fitted with integral front 'airsteps'.
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.
25 Januay 1958
During an approach to land at Allegheny County International Airport, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA the crew were advised by the tower controller that due to snow clearance on an intersecting runway there were ridges building up on the active runway. The landing pilot held the nose undercarriage leg off for as long as possible during the landing but it still struck the ridge, resulting in the partial collapse of the nose undercarriage leg with substantial secondary damage.
There were no reported injuries to the 27 passengers and 4 crew on board.
Repaired and returned to service.
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).
Capital Airlines final livery
1960
A new livery designed by Lippincott & Margulies of New York City was applied to this aircraft during a major maintenance schedule. No other Viscount in the fleet received this livery.
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.
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.
|