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

Viscount c/n 240

Click on a photo to see a larger version

Below are the 38 photos we have on file for Viscount c/n 240 together with either the actual date that the photo was taken or an estimate of that date based on clues such as the livery worn or other background information.

1

BOAC Associated Companies Ltd
OD-ACU
June 1957

Ordered by BOAC Associated Companies Ltd for use by Middle East Airlines (MEA). Taken at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England circa June 1957 on the production in the Erecting Shop.

The aircraft in the foreground is Viscount c/n 285 N7474 that was eventually delivered to Capital Airlines as N7464.

Vickers Photo Ref MP9695X1.

Photo source - BAE Systems Heritage Photographic Archive

2

BOAC Associated Companies Ltd
OD-ACU
September 1957

Ordered by BOAC Associated Companies Ltd for use by Middle East Airlines (MEA). Taken at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England in September 1957 during the flight test phase.

Photo source - Brian R Burrage collection (gallery 1)

3

Middle East Airlines (MEA)
OD-ACU
November 1957

Leased from BOAC Associated Companies. Taken at Beirut International Airport, Lebanon in November 1957.

Photo source - Peter R Keating

4

Middle East Airlines (MEA)
OD-ACU
November 1957

Leased from BOAC Associated Companies. Taken at Beirut International Airport, Lebanon in November 1957.

Photo source - Peter R Keating

5

Middle East Airlines (MEA)
OD-ACU
June 1958

Leased from BOAC Associated Companies. Taken at Beirut International Airport, Lebanon circa June 1958.

Photo source - Tony Ward collection

6

Middle East Airlines (MEA)
OD-ACU
June 1959

Leased from BOAC Associated Companies. Taken at London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England circa June 1959.

Photo source - Brian R Burrage collection (gallery 2)

7

Jersey Airlines
OD-ACU
July 1961

Sub-leased from Middle East Airlines (MEA) while on lease from BOAC Associated Companies Ltd. Taken at Jersey Airport, Channel Islands in July 1961.

This must have really confused the passengers and spotters!

Photo source - Nick Denbow

8

Jordan Airways
JY-ACI
October 1961

Leased from Middle East Airlines (MEA). Taken at Beirut International Airport, Lebanon 2 October 1961 outside the MEA maintenance facility.

It is returning from a test flight following a repaint in Jordan Airways livery.

The outboard Rolls-Royce Dart engines have already been shut down.

Note it also has 'Jordanian' titles.

Photo source - Brian R Burrage collection (gallery 2)

9

Jordan Airways
JY-ACI
October 1961

Leased from Middle East Airlines (MEA). Taken at Beirut International Airport, Lebanon 2 October 1961 outside the MEA maintenance facility prior to delivery.

Note it also has 'Jordanian' titles.

Photo source - Peter R Keating

10

Jordan Airways
JY-ACI
November 1961

Leased from Middle East Airlines (MEA). Taken at Beirut International Airport, Lebanon circa November 1961.

Note that it also has 'Jordanian' titles.

Photo Ref V536.

Photo source - Brian N Stainer (Aviation Photo News)

11

Jordan Airways
JY-ACI
June 1962

Leased from Middle East Airlines (MEA). Taken at Beirut International Airport, Lebanon in June 1962.

Note that it also has 'Jordanian' titles.

Photo source - Peter Upton collection

12

Jordan Airways
JY-ACI
June 1963

Leased from Middle East Airlines (MEA). Taken at Amman Civil Airport, Marka, Jordan circa June 1963.

Note it also has 'Jordanian' titles.

Photo source - Bob O'Brien collection

13

Middle East Airlines (MEA) / Air Liban
OD-ACU
February 1965

Returned from Jordan Airways lease. Taken at Baghdad Airport, Iraq in February 1965 preparing for a service to Beirut, Lebanon now with Air Liban titles added after the merger.

Photo source - Richard Millington

14

Middle East Airlines (MEA) / Air Liban
OD-ACU
February 1965

Returned from Jordan Airways lease. A view of the starboard Rolls-Royce Dart engines taken during a flight from Baghdad, Iraq to Beirut, Lebanon in February 1965

Photo source - Richard Millington

15

Middle East Airlines (MEA) / Air Liban
OD-ACU
June 1965

Returned from Jordan Airways lease. Taken at Beirut International Airport, Lebanon circa June 1965 now with Air Liban titles added after the merger.

Note the tail of the MEA DH106 Comet 4C in the background. Several MEA Comets and Viscount OD-ACT (C/N 239) were destroyed during an Israeli Commando raid on Beirut 28 December 1968.

Photo source - Brian R Burrage collection (gallery 2)

16

Middle East Airlines (MEA) / Air Liban
OD-ACU
July 1965

Returned from Jordan Airways lease. Taken at Beirut International Airport, Lebanon circa July 1965 now with Air Liban titles added after the merger.

Note the tail of the MEA DH106 Comet 4C in the far right background.

Photo source - Adrian Wij

17

Middle East Airlines (MEA) / Air Liban
OD-ACU
June 1966

Leased from BOAC Associated Companies. Taken at Beirut International Airport, Lebanon circa June 1966.

Photo source - Tony Ward collection

18

Air Rhodesia
VP-WAR
October 1968

Purchased from Middle East Airlines (MEA). Taken at Jan Smuts International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa circa October 1968.

Photo source - Paul A Tomlin

19

Air Rhodesia
VP-WAR
June 1969

Transferred from Alidair due to a corporate name change. Taken at Salisbury International Airport, Kentucky, Rhodesia circa June 1969 with a low afternoon sun creating a soft lighting scene.

Photo source - Robin D W Norton

20

Air Rhodesia
VP-WAR
June 1970

Purchased from Middle East Airlines (MEA). Taken arriving at Jan Smuts International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa in June 1970.

The outboard Rolls-Royce Dart engines have already been shut down.

Note that the emergency exit windows have now been circled in white.

Photo source - Peter Upton collection

21

Air Rhodesia
VP-WAR
July 1970

Purchased from Middle East Airlines (MEA). A view from the cabin of the starboard Dart engines and Dowty propellers during the climb out from Bulawayo Airport, Rhodesia in July 1970.

Photo source - Tony Ward collection

22

Air Rhodesia
VP-WAR
June 1972

Purchased from Middle East Airlines (MEA). Taken at Salisbury International Airport, Kentucky, Rhodesia circa June 1972.

Photo source - Tony Ward collection

23

Air Rhodesia
VP-WAR
May 1974

Purchased from Middle East Airlines (MEA). Taken arriving at Jan Smuts International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa in May 1974.

The outboard Rolls-Royce Dart engines have already been shut down.

Photo source - Ger Buskermolen

24

Air Rhodesia
VP-WAR
June 1975

Purchased from Middle East Airlines (MEA) and now named 'Umzingwani'. Taken at Kariba Airport, Rhodesia circa June 1975 in the later 'Calair' livery.

Photo source - Tony Ward collection

25

Aviation Hire & Travel Pty Ltd (AT)
ZS-JPU
December 1975

Transferred from Air Rhodesia. Taken at Salisbury International Airport, Kentucky, Rhodesia in December 1975.

Photo source - Richard Stanton collection

26

Swazi Air
ZS-JPU
February 1976

Leased from Aviation Hire & Travel Ltd (AT). Taken at Jan Smuts International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa 8 February 1976 still in the 'AT' livery.

Photo source - L J Vosloo

27

Swazi Air
3D-AAL
June 1976

Leased from Aviation Hire & Travel Ltd (AT) and re-registed from ZS-JPU. Taken at Jan Smuts International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa circa June 1976, now in a basic 'AT' livery with Swazi titles.

Photo source - Helio Bastos Salmon collection

28

Swazi Air
3D-AAL
July 1976

Leased from Aviation Hire & Travel Ltd (AT) and re-registed from ZS-JPU. Taken at Matsapha International Airport, Manzini, Swaziland in July 1976.

Photo source - Peter Upton collection

29

Swazi Air
3D-AAL
August 1976

Leased from Aviation Hire & Travel Ltd (AT) and re-registed from ZS-JPU. Taken at Matsapha International Airport, Manzini, Swaziland in August 1976.

Photo source - Trevor Ayton

30

Swazi Air
3D-AAL
December 1976

Leased from Aviation Hire & Travel Ltd (AT) and re-registed from ZS-JPU. Taken at Jan Smuts International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa in December 1976.

Photo source - Peter Gates collection

31

Swazi Air
3D-AAL
June 1978

Leased from Aviation Hire & Travel Ltd (AT) and re-registed from ZS-JPU. Taken at Jan Smuts International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa circa June 1978.

Photo source - Ed Jones collection

32

Aviation Hire & Travel Pty Ltd (AT)
ZS-JPU
March 1980

Returned from Swazi Air lease. Taken at Salisbury International Airport, Kentucky, Zimbabwe Rhodesia circa March 1980.

Note the heat deflectors fitted to the Rolls-Royce Dart engine exhausts.

These were fitted after the shooting down of two Air Rhodesia Viscounts, VP-WAS (C/N 297) in September 1978 and VP-YND (C/N 101) in February 1979 by heat-seeking SAM-7 (Soviet 9K32 Cтрела (Arrow) Strela-2) surface-to air-missiles fired by fighters from Joshua Nkomo's Zimbabwe People's Revolution Army (ZIPRA).

Photo source - Jerry Boyd collection

33

Aviation Hire & Travel Pty Ltd (AT)
ZS-JPU
March 1980

Returned from Swazi Air lease. Taken at Salisbury International Airport, Kentucky, Zimbabwe Rhodesia 29 March 1980 operating Air Rhodesia service RH839 to Bulawayo.

The Griffon powered Spitfire PK350 is taxiing out for its first flight after a long rebuild and is piloted by Jack Malloch.

Note the vortices on the Viscount's propellers caused by the high humidity.

This photo also appeared in the Rhodesia Herald Newspaper.

Photo source - Paddy Gray

34

Aviation Hire & Travel Pty Ltd (AT)
ZS-JPU
September 1980

Returned from Swazi Air lease. Taken at Salisbury International Airport, Kentucky, Zimbabwe in September 1980 outside the domestic terminal in a basic Air Zimbabwe livery.

The exhaust heat deflectors have now been removed.

Photo source - Gerry Hoole

35

Aviation Hire & Travel Pty Ltd (AT)
ZS-JPU
January 1981

Returned from Swazi Air lease. Taken at Salisbury International Airport, Kentucky, Zimbabwe 28 January 1981.

The aircraft was formerly handed back to Air Zimbabwe in August 1981.

Photo source - Brian R Burrage collection (gallery 3)

36

Air Zimbabwe
VP-WAR
August 1981

Returned from Aviation Hire & Travel Ltd. Taken departing from Salisbury International Airport, Kentucky, Zimbabwe 20 August 1980.

Photo source - Gerry Hoole

37

Air Zimbabwe
VP-WAR
June 1982

Returned from Aviation Hire & Travel Ltd. Taken at Salisbury International Airport, Kentucky, Zimbabwe circa June 1982, now in full livery.

Photo source - Choice Aviation Fotos

38

Air Zimbabwe
VP-WAR
August 1986

Returned from Aviation Hire & Travel Ltd. Taken at Harare International Airport, Kentucky, Zimbabwe in August 1986.

Having been robbed of all useful parts the final act of destruction by the scrap man is not far away.

This aircraft was withdrawn from service in November 1983 and was therefore never re-registered as Z-WAR. as Z-WAR.

Photo source - Jerry Boyd collection

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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.