25 April 2024
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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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Established 2005
Vickers Viscount Network
A Virtual Museum dedicated to the Vickers-Armstrongs VC2 Viscount
   

Viscount c/n 201

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 201
Capital Airlines (USA)


United States flag United States

This V.745D series Viscount was built for
Capital Airlines (USA) as N7445

It first flew on Thursday, 11 October 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
International Aircraft Services Inc, United Air Lines, East Coast Leasing Inc, Ray Charles Enterprises Inc, Loving Insurance Agency, National Aero Associates, Ron Clark Enterprises, Go Transportation Inc, Interestatal de Aviacion and Chemical Bank


Photo of Viscount c/n 201
Walter L Cole


United States flag United States

Its final owner/operator was
Walter L Cole as N220RC.

Its fate:-
Withdrawn from service by Walter L Cole and stored at Tucson International Airport, Tucson, Arizona, USA. Broken up for scrap in August 1993.


Operational record
Photo of Capital Airlines (USA) Viscount N7445

Country of Registration United States

October 1956 to May 1961

Capital Airlines (USA)

N7445 - c/n 201 - 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 41st 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. 149 - the 149th production 700 series Viscount built,
was the 107th Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 107th Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Production Order No. F41/745. Sales Order No. F41/68B. Stock Order No. F54/27B.

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.

22 May 1956
Fuselage assembly commenced at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

4 July 1956
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

11 October 1956
First flight from Hurn Airport Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

17 October 1956
Delivered to Capital Airlines with fleet number ‘364’ 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 May 1958
Skidded off the runway while landing at La Guardia Airport, New York, USA.

There were no reported injuries to the passengers or crew on board.

3 April 1959
Made an emergency landing at Willow Run Airport, which sits halfway between Ann Arbor and Detroit, Michigan, USA after the undercarriage failed to lower.

After making two low passes along the runway the flight crew gently brought the aircraft down on a carpet of foam laid by the Airport Fire Department. The rear fuselage touched first and then the engines were shut down. The still rotating propellers contacted the runway and started to curl resulting in shockload damage to the Rolls-Royce Dart engines. The aircraft slid along the foam and gradually came to a halt, still on the runway centreline.

Emergency service vehicles immediately attended including some from the US Air Force Michigan Air National Guard (ANG) but no further action was required. There were no injuries to the 19 passengers and crew on board who hopped out of the port cabin doors. One attractive female passenger was carried away from the front door by a burly Air Force serviceman but clearly could quite easily have walked away by herself!

Film of the emergency landing



NOTE:- The reference to La Guardia on the film is incorrect, as this referred to an earlier incident.

Repaired and returned to service including replacement Rolls-Royce Dart engines and Rotol propellers.

David Carter illustration of Capital Airlines Viscount N7445

Viscount illustrations by David Carter


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.

31 May 1961
Sold to International Aircraft Services Inc.


Photo of International Aircraft Services Inc Viscount N7445

Country of Registration United States

May 1961 to May 1961

International Aircraft Services Inc

N7445 - c/n 201 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

31 May 1961
Purchased from Capital Airlines.

1 June 1961
Transferred on lease to United Air Lines after a corporate merger with Captal Airlines.

It is not clear why this aircraft was not transferred directly from Capital to United, which applied to all the other remaining Capital Viscounts at that time.


Photo of United Air Lines Viscount N7445

Country of Registration United States

June 1961 to February 1968

United Air Lines

N7445 - c/n 201 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

1 June 1961
Leased from International Aircraft Services Inc retaining fleet number ‘364’ as it was previously operated by Capital Airlines.

21 August 1961
Purchased from International Aircraft Services Inc.

After repainting in United Air Lines livery during a suitable maintenance period the title ‘Viscount Mainliner’ was applied to the rear fuselage.

The last Capital Viscount N7443 (C/N 199) was repainted in United Air Lines livery in March 1962.

5 February 1968
Sold to East Coast Leasing Inc.


Photo of East Coast Leasing Inc Viscount N7445

Country of Registration United States

February 1968 to February 1968

East Coast Leasing Inc

N7445 - c/n 201 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

5 February 1968
Purchased from United Air Lines.

21 February 1968
Sold to Ray Charles Enterprises Inc.


Photo of Ray Charles Enterprises Inc Viscount N7445

Country of Registration United States

February 1968 to February 1968

Ray Charles Enterprises Inc

N7445 - c/n 201 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

21 February 1968
Purchased from East Coast Leasing Inc.

26 February 1968
Re-registered N923RC.


Photo of Ray Charles Enterprises Inc Viscount N923RC *

Country of Registration United States

February 1968 to January 1977

Ray Charles Enterprises Inc

N923RC * - c/n 201 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

26 February 1968
Re-registered from N7445.

This registration represented Ray's birthday (September 23rd) and was later used on Viscount C/N 320 from February 1977.

January 1973
Seen at La Guardia Airport, New York, USA in a smart new white livery.

White livery
White livery
at Wisley, Surrey, England

June 1973
Noted at Long Beach Airport, California, USA.

10 January 1977
Sold to Loving Insurance Agency.


Photo of Loving Insurance Agency Viscount N923RC *

Country of Registration United States

January 1977 to February 1977

Loving Insurance Agency

N923RC * - c/n 201 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

10 January 1977
Purchased from Ray Charles Enterprises Inc.

1 February 1977
Re-registered N923RA as Ray Charles retained the registration N923RC for use on Viscount C/N 320.


Photo of Loving Insurance Agency Viscount N923RA

Country of Registration United States

February 1977 to March 1977

Loving Insurance Agency

N923RA - c/n 201 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

1 February 1977
Re-registered from N923RC as Ray Charles retained this registration for use on Viscount C/N 320. It retained the white Ray Charles livery.

11 March 1977
Re-registered N500TL.


Photo of Loving Insurance Agency Viscount N500TL *

Country of Registration United States

March 1977 to March 1977

Loving Insurance Agency

N500TL * - c/n 201 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

11 March 1977
Re-registered from N923RA.

29 March 1977
Sold to National Aero Associates.


Photo of National Aero Associates Inc Viscount N500TL *

Country of Registration United States

March 1977 to March 1977

National Aero Associates Inc

N500TL * - c/n 201 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

29 March 1977
Purchased from Loving Insurance Agency.

It retained the white Ray Charles livery.

30 March 1977
Sold to Ron Clark Enterprises.


Photo of Ron Clark Enterprises Viscount N500TL *

Country of Registration United States

March 1977 to July 1979

Ron Clark Enterprises

N500TL * - c/n 201 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

30 March 1977
Purchased from National Aero Associates.

It retained the white Ray Charles livery with 'Ron Clark Enterprises' titles in the upper cheatline stripe behind the forward door.

11 February 1978
Noted at Burbank Airport, California, USA with 'Earth, Wind & Fire' titles from a previous music tour.

June 1978
Noted at Opa Locka Airport, Florida, USA with 'The Brothers Johnson Tour' logo on the forward fuselage for a music tour.

April 1979
Noted at El Paso Airport, Texas, USA with Mad House Rock / Alice Cooper titles for a music tour.

21 July 1979
Transferred to Go Transportation Inc and re-registered N220RC.


Photo of Go Transportation Inc Viscount N220RC

Country of Registration United States

July 1979 to September 1982

Go Transportation Inc

N220RC - c/n 201 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

21 July 1979
Transferred from Ron Clark Enterprises and re-registered from N500TL.

It was repainted in a cream and brown livery.

Reports of this aircraft being leased to Aerolineas Republica as XA-MOS is incorrect as this applies to C/N 334.

September 1982
Leased to Interestatal de Aviacion.


Photo of Interestatal de Aviación Viscount XA-MIU

Country of Registration Mexico

September 1982 to December 1982

Interestatal de Aviación

XA-MIU - c/n 201 - a V.745D series Viscount
Mexico registered

September 1982
Leased from Go Transportation in their cream and brown livery with Interestatal titles.

It was operated on a contract with state owned oil company PEMEX, between several cities in the Gulf of Mexico; Tampico - Poza Rica - Veracruz -Minatitlan - Ciudad del Carmen.

December 1982
Returned to Go Transportation.


Photo of Go Transportation Inc Viscount N220RC

Country of Registration United States

December 1982 to February 1984

Go Transportation Inc

N220RC - c/n 201 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

December 1982
Returned from Interestatal de Aviacion lease.

February 1984
Sold to the Chemical Bank.


Photo of Chemical Bank Viscount N220RC

Country of Registration United States

February 1984 to February 1985

Chemical Bank

N220RC - c/n 201 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

February 1984
Purchased from Go Transportation.

February 1985
Sold to Walter L Cole.


Photo of Walter L Cole Viscount N220RC

Country of Registration United States

February 1985 to August 1993

Walter L Cole

N220RC - c/n 201 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

February 1985
Purchased from the Chemical Bank and stored at Tucson International Airport, Tucson, Arizona, USA.

circa 1987/1988
Reportedly sold to Viscount Air Services Inc.
Details please to information@vickersviscount.net

August 1993
Broken up for scrap.

The nose of this aircraft did not go to the Wings of History Air Museum, San Martin, California.

This was C/N 213 which was delivered with papers relating to C/N 201 hence the confusion. See the history of C/N 213 for full details.

6 October 2017
Registration finally cancelled as the aircraft was permanently withdrawn from use.

The FAA occasionally trawl through their records to clear out long-dead items such as this one.


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.


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