26 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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information@VickersViscount.net



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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 274

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 274
Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA)


Canada flag Canada

This V.757 series Viscount was built for
Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) as CF-THN

It first flew on Wednesday, 18 December 1957 at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 506 engines.

During its life this aircraft was also owned and/or operated by
Air Canada and Beaver Enterprises Ltd

Photo of Viscount c/n 274
Transport Canada


Canada flag Canada

Its final owner/operator was
Transport Canada as CF-THN.

Its fate:-
Withdrawn from service and stored at Winnipeg Airport, Manitoba, Canada 29 October 1973. Sold to Beaver Enterprises Ltd 30 April 1974. Remains acquired by Transport Canada in May 1984. Broken up for scrap in August 1984.


Operational record
Photo of Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) Viscount CF-THN

Country of Registration Canada

January 1958 to June 1964

Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA)

CF-THN - c/n 274 - a V.757 series Viscount
Canada registered

September 1955
An order was placed by Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) for a third batch of eleven Type 757 aircraft as a follow on from the previous Type 724 and Type 757 orders.

This was the sixteenth one built.

The total order for Type 757 aircraft reached thirty six in May 1957.

Production Order No. F16/757. Sales Order No. F16/76B. Stock Order No……...

18 December 1957
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

It was fitted with Rolls-Royce Dart RDa3 Mark 506 engines.

1 January 1958
Aircraft passed off by TCA inspectors as completed and ready for delivery at 17:50 local time.

It was painted in the later 'white top' livery.

3 January 1958
Departed from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England on delivery to Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) with fleet number '632'.

It was flown by Vickers pilot Captain Allen with an unknown co-pilot.

After refuelling at Prestwick Airport, Ayrshire, Scotland it then flew on to Keflavik Airport, Iceland (743 nautical miles) where it stopped overnight.

4 January 1958
Departed from Keflavik Airport, Iceland to Bluie West 8 (BW8) Airfield, Sondre Stromfjord, Western Greenland (804 nautical miles), Goose Bay Airport, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada (872 nautical miles), Dorval International Airport, Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada (810 nautical miles).

BW8 was built during WWII to assist the transfer of military aircraft from North America to Europe and was opened in October 1941.

The cabin seating was installed in Canada, as the seats used by TCA were of American manufacture.

The cabin was fitted out with 44 seats which was a reduction from the original 48 seat specification and provided more leg room.

This was heavily marketed and resulted in a high load factor compared to the 18 seat Douglas DC-3 that it replaced on some routes.

5 January 1958
Arrived at Dorval International Airport, Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.

31 August 1960
Total time 6,939 hours and 5,891 total landings.

Suffered an accident at Gander Airport, Newfoundland, Canada
Suffered an accident at
Gander, Newfoundland, Canada

18 July 1962
Suffered a landing accident at Gander Airport, Newfoundland, Canada while being flown by Captain William 'Bill' Gwynne. The aircraft was on a service from Dorval, Montreal, Province of Quebec to St John's, Newfoundland via Gander.

Having discovered that the nose undercarriage leg would not extend during the approach the aircraft circled for three hours while attempts were made to get the nose leg to drop which included negative 'G' force maneuvers but to no avail.

Advice was given by both TCA and Vickers-Armstrongs. Captain Gwynne finally made a successful landing on a foam covered runway with the nose undercarriage leg still retracted which resulted in the curling of all four propellers and shockloading of the Dart engines.

Bill had been advised that the outer props would not hit the runway which turned out to be incorrect. The TCA flight manual was subsequently amended.

There were no reported injuries to the 35 passengers and 4 crew on board.

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

1 June 1964
Transferred to Air Canada due to a corporate name change.


Photo of Air Canada Viscount CF-THN

Country of Registration Canada

June 1964 to April 1974

Air Canada

CF-THN - c/n 274 - a V.757 series Viscount
Canada registered

1 June 1964
Transferred from Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) due to a corporate name change retaining fleet number '632'.

It took several years to repaint the fleet in Air Canada livery.

26 October 1973
Withdrawn from service and stored at Winnipeg Airport, Manitoba, Canada.

Total time 33,062 hours and 34,822 total landings.

30 April 1974
Sold to Beaver Enterprises Ltd.


Photo of Beaver Enterprises Ltd Viscount CF-THN

Country of Registration Canada

April 1974 to May 1984

Beaver Enterprises Ltd

CF-THN - c/n 274 - a V.757 series Viscount
Canada registered

30 April 1974
Purchased from Air Canada but the aircraft remained stored at Winnipeg Airport, Manitoba, Canada.

A total of 24 aircraft were included in this sale.

United Aviation Services Ltd had some role in the processing of these Viscounts. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net

Stored at Winnipeg Airport, Manitoba, Canadaa
Stored at Winnipeg,
Manitoba, Canada

15 January 1980
Noted still stored but minus No.1 engine in Air Canada livery less titles.

February 1981
Noted minus all engines and nacelles.

July 1982
Noted moved to the south end of the airport after removal of all the remaining useful parts.

1 May 1984
Remains of the aircraft acquired by Transport Canada - Materiel Management Department.


Photo of Transport Canada Viscount CF-THN

Country of Registration Canada

May 1984 to August 1984

Transport Canada

CF-THN - c/n 274 - a V.757 series Viscount
Canada registered

1 May 1984
Remains of the aircraft acquired from Beaver Enterprises Ltd by Transport Canada - Materiel Management Department for disposal. It was then advertised in the Winnipeg Free Press for tender applications to be considered for the scrapping of the gutted remains of this Viscount and also CF-THP (C/N 276).

31 July 1984
Tender applications closed at 2 PM local time for the scrapping of the gutted remains of this Viscount and also CF-THP (C/N 276).

1 August 1984
Remains of this Viscount and also CF-THP (C/N 276) sold for scrap. The successful tender applicant is currently not known. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net.

August 1984
Broken up for scrap.


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.


Click here for more details about the Vickers Viscount Network

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