January 1957 to May 1957
Capital Airlines (USA)
N7464 * - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered
Production Aircraft No. 186 - the 186th production 700 series Viscount built,
was the 139th Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 141st Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
Production Order No. F59/745. Sales Order No. F02/87B. Stock Order No. F12/32B.
29 October 1956
Fuselage assembly commenced at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
12 December 1956
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.
Capital Airlines Viscounts had integral front 'airsteps' fitted from new and now with weather radar fitted during the construction.
circa March 1957
The sale to Capital Airlines with fleet number ‘382’ was not completed. Fleet number '382' was later used on Viscount C/N 285.
12 March 1957
First engine runs carried out.
22 March 1957
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England painted up in full Capital Airlines livery.
March 1957
To Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England for flap modifications.
14 May 1957
Registered to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd.
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March 1957 to
Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd
G-APHD - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
1957
Registration G-APHD allocated but not taken up. This registration was re-issued to a Percival P.40 Prentice T.1 18 June 1957.
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May 1957 to February 1958
Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd
G-APBH - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
14 May 1957
Registered to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd after the sale to Capital Airlines was not completed.
15 May 1957
A Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) (A.5812) was issued by the Air Registration Board (ARB).
It was painted up in the Vickers livery and titled 'Vickers Viscount'.
It then departed on a sales tour of the USA.
The six man crew was headed up by Vickers test pilot Gabriel (Gabe) Robb 'Jock' Bryce and included W R Peasley.
The standard northerly route was taken through Prestwick, Iceland, Bluie West 1 or 8 and Goose Bay, Canada.
17 May 1957
Arrived at Idlewild Airport, New York, USA.
Howard Hughes wanted to buy this aircraft while it was in the USA but the US Authorities said that it must return to the UK as it was only here for demonstration purposes.
An order from his Trans World Airlines (TWA) never materialised.
28 May 1957
Departed from Idlewild Airport, New York, USA to Washington National Airport, District of Colombia, USA. The flight took 1 hour 10 minutes.
All four R-R Dart engines were then removed and shipped to Rolls-Royce for overhaul.
The aircraft remained at Washington with very little flying being carried out until it was loaned to Continental Airlines.
Planned visits to Kansas City, Missouri, Los Angeles, California and up into Canada for demonstrations to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) for some reason never happened.
As Shell had been requested to supply a stock of turbine fuel and Water Methanol at both Kansas City and Los Angeles they invoiced Vickers for the transport and storage costs involved.
This extended external storage period resulted in light corrosion to the external surfaces of the fuselage and wings which needed remedial action and was carried out under contract to Lockheed Air Services using technical support from Capital Airlines and the use of one of their hangars.
20 February 1958
A test flight was undertaken from Washington National Airport, District of Colombia, USA.
21 February 1958
Departed from Washington National Airport, District of Colombia, USA to Stapleton International Airport, Denver, Colorado, USA.
28 February 1958
Loaned to Continental Airlines for crew training purposes.
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February 1958 to June 1958
Continental Airlines
G-APBH - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
28 February 1958
Loaned from Vickers Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd at Denver for crew training purposes under the instruction of Vickers pilots P Marsh and Hayley-Bell.
The aircraft was insured through the British Aviation Insurance Company Limited for £350,000 with a premium of £787-10 shillings.
The BAIC address at that time was 3-4 Lime Street, London E.C.3.
Capital Airlines also insured the aircraft for US$1,125,000 (approx £400,000).
9 April 1958
The aircraft was damaged while it was parked inside a Continental Airlines hangar at Stapleton International Airport, Denver, Colorado, USA.
A mechanic was attempting to put a locking pin in the undercarriage selector lever in the cockpit but inadvertantly moved the lever towards the up position.
This resulted in the sudden collapse of the nose undercarriage leg. The main undercarriage legs remained in place as they had safety pins fitted.
The aircraft nose came down, crushing the nose doors resulting in localised skin wrinkling and distortion of the framework within the nose undercarriage bay.
Several propeller blades contacted the hangar floor.
The propellers were removed and the R-R Dart engines were checked for signs of shockload damage such as distorted propeller shafts but these were found to be within the 0.002" runout limit. The tubular engine mounting struts were also found to be visually satisfactory. Three replacement propellers were ordered from Rotol and other spares were requested from Vickers.
29 April 1958
Vickers requested a CofA extension from the Air Registration Board (ARB) and a Customs Carnet (No.4134) extension from the Royal Aero Club.
15 May 1958
Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) (A.5812) extended by the ARB for a further two months, expiring 14 July.
19 May 1958
Total time 398 hours.
26 May 1958
The fuselage damage incurred in the hangar incident in April was completed followed by a successful air test.
The cost of the repairs was covered by the Continental Airlines insurers.
The original loan period was due to finish on 3 May but was extended into June to cover the period the aircraft was being repaired.
12 June 1958
Handed back to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd.
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June 1958 to June 1958
Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd
G-APBH - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
9 June 1958
Handed back to Vickers at Denver after the completion of crew training of Continental Airlines pilots by Vickers pilots P Marsh and Hayley-Bell.
11 June 1958
Ferried from Stapleton International Airport, Denver, Colorado to Logan Airport. Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
13 June 1958
Loaned to Northeast Airlines Inc for crew training purposes.
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June 1958 to August 1958
Northeast Airlines Inc
G-APBH - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
13 June 1958
Loaned to Northeast Airlines Inc at Boston for crew training purposes under the instruction of Vickers pilots P Marsh and Hayley-Bell.
The aircraft was insured through the British Aviation Insurance Company Limited for £350,000 with a premium of £787-10 shillings.
The BAIC address at that time was 3-4 Lime Street, London E.C.3.
late June 1958
Noted crew training at Worcester Regional Airport, Massachusetts, USA.
14 July 1958
Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) (A.5812) expired but was subsequently extended by the ARB for another two months.
12 August 1958
Handed back to Vickers at Boson after completion of the crew training.
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August 1958 to January 1959
Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd
G-APBH - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
United Kingdom registered
12 August 1958
Handed back to Vickers at Boston after the completion of crew training of Northeast Airlines pilots by Vickers Pilots P Marsh and Hayley-Bell.
29 August 1958
Arrived back at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England from the USA.
The only known stop on the way back was at Bluie West 8 (BW8) Airfield, Sondre Stromfjord, Western Greenland.
This was the standard northerly route taken by short-range trans-atlantic traffic.
A Northeast Airline flight crew travelled to the UK with this aircraft as they were sent over to bring back N6596C (C/N 288).
30 September 1958
The restricted Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) issued by the Air Registration Board had now expired.
1 January 1959
Sold to Northeast Airlines Inc and converted to V.798D.
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January 1959 to September 1963
Northeast Airlines Inc
N6599C - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered
1 January 1959
Purchased from Vickers Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd.
15 February 1959
First flight from Hurn, Bournemouth, England after conversion to a V.798D from a V.745D.
27 February 1959
Handed over to Northeast Airlines Inc.
28 February 1959
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England.
9 September 1963
Repossessed by Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd due to outstanding purchase payments. The airline continued to operate its New England routes with additional Douglas DC-6B aircraft, having gained a Government subsidy of US3,700,000 which was recommended by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). It had however already lost its routes to Florida.
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September 1963 to October 1963
Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd
N6599C - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered
9 September 1963
Repossessed from Northeast Airlines Inc due to outstanding purchase payments.
5 October 1963
Sold by auction at Logan Airport, Boston, Massachusetts, USA together with eight other Northeast Airlines Inc Viscounts for a total of US$3,215,000 which meant an average sale price of approximately US$357,000 compared to the US$1,700,000 original sale price. The actual debt amount is not known. The aircraft was purchased by the Essex Wire Corporation Inc
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October 1963 to January 1970
Essex Wire Corporation Inc
N1298 - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered
5 October 1963
Purchased from Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd an an auction at Logan Airport, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
circa January 1970
Title transferred to Essex International Inc due to a change in corporate name. The actual date is unknown. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net
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January 1970 to November 1970
Essex International Inc
N1298 - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered
circa January 1970
Title transferred from the Essex Wire Corporation Inc due to a change in corporate name. The actual date is unknown. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net
16 November 1970
Sold to North American Rockwell.
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November 1970 to July 1971
North American Rockwell
N1298G - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered
16 November 1970
Purchased from Essex International Inc and re-registered from N1298.
July 1971
Sold to Travis Ward.
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July 1971 to November 1971
Travis Ward
N1298G - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered
July 1971
Purchased from North American Rockwell.
November 1971
Sold to Westernair of Albuquerque.
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November 1971 to May 1972
Westernair of Albuquerque
N1298G - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered
November 1971
Purchased from Travis Ward.
January 1972
Registered to Westernair of Albuquerque.
5 May 1972
Leased to Comision Federal de Electricidad (Mexican Federal Electricity Commission).
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May 1972 to February 1975
Comision Federal de Electricidad
XC-FOV - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
Mexico registered
5 May 1972
Leased from Westernair of Albuquerque. This aircraft has been mis-identified as XC-POV over the years in various aviation publications and listings.
1 February 1975
Returned to Westernair of Albuquerque.
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February 1975 to April 1976
Westernair of Albuquerque
XC-FOV - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
Mexico registered
1 February 1975
Returned from Comision Federal de Electricidad lease.
April 1976
Sold to Distribute Air Inc.
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April 1976 to April 1976
Distribute Air Inc
XC-FOV - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
Mexico registered
April 1976
Purchased from Westernair of Albuquerque.
April 1976
Sold to Sociedad Anonima Ecuatoriana de Transportes Aereos (SAETA).
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April 1976 to June 1985
Sociedad Anonima Ecuatoriana de Transportes Aereos (SAETA)
XC-FOV - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
Mexico registered
April 1976
Purchased from Distribute Air Inc and ferried to Quito Airport, Ecuador where it was withdrawn from service and stored for spares support use.
circa June 1985
Sold to Carlos Alfredo Gudiñho.
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June 1985 to May 2004
Carlos Alfredo Gudiñho
XC-FOV - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
Mexico registered
Carlos Alfredo Gudiñho
circa June 1985
Purchased from Sociedad Anonima Ecuatoriana de Transportes Aereos (SAETA) and dismantled for transportation by road to a private site at 'Laguardia', Puembo, Ecuador and re-assembled.
The actual date is not known. Details please to
information@vickersviscount.net
Transported by road
May 2004
Noted repainted in a modern style fictitious 'Aero Puembo' livery with an equally fictitious registration HC-CAG.
CAG represents the original owners initials.
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May 2004 to September 2014
Carlos Alfredo Gudiñho
HC-CAG - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
Ecuador registered
May 2004
Noted repainted in a modern style fictitious 'Aero Puembo' livery with an equally fictitious registration HC-CAG.
CAG represented the original owners initials.
Re-assembled on private land
The C/N of this aircraft was not confirmed until a visit by Andreas Hartmann in May 2010 discovered photos of the aircraft before it was repainted and clearly showed the distinctive Comision Federal de Electricidad, Mexico gold and green livery.
The interior of this aircraft is laid out with VIP seating and a bedroom at the rear. Amongst the luxurious cabin furnishings there is a chair that was used by Pope John Paul II during a visit to Ecuador. This was fitted to a more modern aircraft type but has now found its way into this aircraft and takes 'pride of place'.
Following the death of Carlos the aircraft is now in the care of his daughter Paula who is very proud of her father's achievement in saving it from the scrapman and moving it to Puembo.
September 2014
Noted repainted in a smart new livery without the fictitious registration HC-CAG.
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September 2014 to
Carlos Alfredo Gudiñho
XC-FOV - c/n 226 - a V.745D series Viscount
Mexico registered
September 2014
Noted repainted in a smart new livery without the fictitious registration HC-CAG. CAG represented the original owners initials.
Repainted in a new livery
4 November 2018
Noted still in good condition in an immaculately kept garden.
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