18 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

See and hear a Viscount

Newsletters

Flight Magazine Reports

Aircraft operational
records and photos

Viscount illustrations
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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Our 'Live Magazine' is used by members and non-members to share their Viscount photos and stories with fellow enthusiasts located throughout the world in real time.

You are able to send in your photos, stories and comments by Facebook, Twitter or email and we will post them for all to enjoy.

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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 217

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 217
Capital Airlines (USA)


United States flag United States

This V.745D series Viscount was built for
Capital Airlines (USA) as N7462

It first flew on Saturday, 2 February 1957 at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 510 engines.

Photo of Viscount c/n 217
Capital Airlines (USA)


United States flag United States

Its final owner/operator was
Capital Airlines (USA) as N7462.

Its fate:-
Crashed at Holdcroft near Charles City, Virginia, USA 18 January 1960 after taking off from Richmond, Virginia, USA. All 46 passengers and 4 crew on board were sadly killed.


Operational record
Photo of Capital Airlines (USA) Viscount N7462

Country of Registration United States

March 1957 to January 1960

Capital Airlines (USA)

N7462 - c/n 217 - 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 57th Viscount ordered by Capital Airlines.

Production Order No. F57/745. Sales Order No. F57/68B. Stock Order No. F70/27B.

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.

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.

2 February 1957
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

2 March 1957
Delivered to Capital Airlines with fleet number '380' 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).

This was the first to be delivered with a weather radar system installed, resulting in a change to the nose.

18 January 1960
Crashed at Holdcroft near Charles City, Virginia, USA at 22:19 Eastern Standard Time (EST) after taking off from Richmond, Virginia, USA.

Crashed at Holdcroft near Charles City, Virginia, USA at 22:19 Eastern Standard Time after taking off from Richmond, Virginia, USA.

The aircraft was on a service from Washington National Airport, DC, USA to Norfolk, Virginia, USA.

After an intermediate stop flight 20 climbed to an altitude of 8,000 feet and then entered icing conditions.

Two of the engines failed and auto-feathered the propellers. The flight crew managed to restart the No.4 (starboard outer) engine but after applying full power the aircraft entered a circling anti-clockwise descent. While descending to a lower altitude, the other two operating engines also failed and the propellers auto-feathered.

The crew tried to restart the engines and put the aircraft into a dive to try to get the propellers out of the feathered position as they were not able to unfeather them normally using the electrically driven feathering oil pump.

This attempt failed and the aircraft entered a flat spin and crashed into trees with almost no forward momentum and then caught on fire.

The accident was attributed to the delay in switching on the engine and propeller electrical anti-ice systems while flying in icy conditions, resulting in the loss of engine power and sufficient electrical energy required to unfeather the propellers and to relight enough engines to maintain flight control.

All 46 passengers and 4 crew on board were sadly killed.

Capital Airlines subsequently changed the emergency checklist by deleting the phrase 'descend to a warmer climate before attempting to restart a failed engine' and instructed flight crews that engine restarts could be accomplished at any height, providing that the correct procedures were followed.

Total time 9,247 hours and 7,200 total landings.


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.