02 December 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 205

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 205
Capital Airlines (USA)


United States flag United States

This V.745D series Viscount was built for
Capital Airlines (USA) as N7449

It first flew on Wednesday, 31 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
United Air Lines, Viscount International Corporation, Samuel M Goldman, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Morgan Rourke Aircraft Sales Inc and Distribute Air Inc


Photo of Viscount c/n 205
Parque Eliseo Arias Carrion


Ecuador flag Ecuador

Its final owner/operator was
Parque Eliseo Arias Carrion as HC-BHB.

Its fate:-
Damaged beyond economic repair after landing 3 metres short of the runway at Presidente Camilo Ponce Enríquez Airport, Catamayo, Provincia de Loja, Ecuador 14 July 1980. The two man crew were the only people on board at the time of the accident. The aircraft was subsequently robbed of all useful parts. Noted back on its undercarriage at Parque Eliseo Arias Carrion, which is 5 KM northeast of Catamayo, Provincia de Loja, Ecuador circa June 1981. Still there as of January 2018.


Operational record
Photo of Capital Airlines (USA) Viscount N7449

Country of Registration United States

November 1956 to June 1961

Capital Airlines (USA)

N7449 - c/n 205 - 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 45th 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. 154 - the 154th production 700 series Viscount built,
was the 112th Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 112th Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Production Order No. F45/745. Sales Order No. F45/68B. Stock Order No. F58/27B.

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.

11 June 1956
Fuselage assembly commenced at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

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

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

7 November 1956
Delivered to Capital Airlines with fleet number ‘368’ 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.

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.


Photo of United Air Lines Viscount N7449

Country of Registration United States

June 1961 to January 1969

United Air Lines

N7449 - c/n 205 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

1 June 1961
Transferred from Capital Airlines due to a corporate merger retaining fleet number '368'.

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.

11 January 1969
Sold to the Viscount International Corporation.


Photo of Viscount International Corporation Viscount N7449

Country of Registration United States

January 1969 to December 1974

Viscount International Corporation

N7449 - c/n 205 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

11 January 1969
Purchased from United Air Lines and ferried to Sussex County Airport, Georgetown, Delaware, USA for storage.

Total time 29,827 hours.

28 December 1974
Sold to Samuel M Goldman.


Photo of Samuel M Goldman Viscount N7449

Country of Registration United States

December 1974 to December 1975

Samuel M Goldman

N7449 - c/n 205 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

28 December 1974
Purchased from Viscount International Corporation.

29 December 1975
Sold to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.


Photo of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Viscount N7449

Country of Registration United States

December 1975 to August 1979

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

N7449 - c/n 205 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

28 December 1975
Purchased from Samuel M Goldman.

10 August 1979
Sold to Morgan Rourke Aircraft Sales.


Photo of Morgan Rourke Aircraft Sales Inc Viscount N7449

Country of Registration United States

August 1979 to November 1979

Morgan Rourke Aircraft Sales Inc

N7449 - c/n 205 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

10 August 1979
Purchased from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and ferried to Bartlesville Airport, Oklahoma, USA.

5 October 1979
Noted at Burbank Airport, California, USA.

14 November 1979
Sold to Distribute Air Inc.


Photo of Distribute Air Inc Viscount N7449

Country of Registration United States

November 1979 to February 1980

Distribute Air Inc

N7449 - c/n 205 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

14 November 1979
Purchased from Morgan Rourke Aircraft Sales.

6 February 1980
Sold to Morgan Rourke Aircraft Sales.


Photo of Morgan Rourke Aircraft Sales Inc Viscount N7449

Country of Registration United States

February 1980 to March 1980

Morgan Rourke Aircraft Sales Inc

N7449 - c/n 205 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

6 February 1980
Purchased from Distribute Air Inc.

16 March 1980
Sold to Sunny South Inc.


Photo of Sunny South Inc Viscount N7449

Country of Registration United States

March 1980 to March 1980

Sunny South Inc

N7449 - c/n 205 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

16 March 1980
Purchased from Morgan Rourke Aircraft Sales Inc.

27 March 1980
Sold to Aerolineas Condor.


Photo of Aerolineas Condor Viscount HC-BHB

Country of Registration Ecuador

March 1980 to June 1981

Aerolineas Condor

HC-BHB - c/n 205 - a V.745D series Viscount
Ecuador registered

27 March 1980
Purchased from Sunny South Inc.

14 July 1980
Damaged beyond economic repair after landing 3 metres short of runway 06 at Presidente Camilo Ponce Enríquez Airport, Catamayo, Provincia de Loja, Ecuador.

The two man crew were the only people on board at the time of the accident and both survived.

The visibility at the time was good but local farmers were burning off sugar cane stubble in the fields nearby and smoke drifted across the runway as the aircraft appoached. This together with a low sun at 07:55 local time caused the crew to momentarily lose their approach vision.

The starboard main undercarriage leg caught the raised end of the runway and collaped during the 200 metre run resulting in the curling of the No.3 and No.4 propellers and shockload damage to the starboard Rolls-Royce Dart engines.

The aircraft was subsequently robbed of all useful parts including the Rolls-Royce Dart engines.

circa June 1981
Noted back on its undercarriage at Parque Eliseo Arias Carrion, which is northeast of Catamayo, Provincia de Loja, Ecuador.


Photo of Parque Eliseo Arias Carrion Viscount HC-BHB

Country of Registration Ecuador

June 1981 to

Parque Eliseo Arias Carrion

HC-BHB - c/n 205 - a V.745D series Viscount
Ecuador registered

circa June 1981
Noted back on its undercarriage at Parque Eliseo Arias Carrion, which is 5 KM northeast of Catamayo, Provincia de Loja, Ecuador.

The public park is located next to the main road to San Pedro de la Bentita.

At some point it was dismantled and moved by road to this location.

3 January 2018
Noted still in existence on Google Earth at S3.959094,W79.391156.


Photo of BEA - British European Airways Viscount G-AOJC

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