19 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

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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 284

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 284
Capital Airlines (USA)


United States flag United States

This V.745D series Viscount was built for
Capital Airlines (USA) as N7473

It first flew on Friday, 31 May 1957 at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 510 engines.

During its life this aircraft was also owned and/or operated by
Northeast Airlines Inc, Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd and Alitalia

Photo of Viscount c/n 284
Francesco De Pinedo Aeronautical Technical Institute


Italy flag Italy

Its final owner/operator was
Francesco De Pinedo Aeronautical Technical Institute as I-LIRG.

Its fate:-
Withdrawn from service at Fiumicino Airport, Rome, Italy in January 1970 and donated by Alitalia for use as an instructional airframe in Southern Rome, Italy after some parts were sold to Aerolineas TAO including the port outer wing. An unserviceable replacement outer wing was found and fitted. Noted circa October 2015 in poor internal and external condition and covered in grafitti. Still visible on Google Earth in April 2017. Volunteers at the Technical Institute are planning to restore it after a period of fund-raising in 2018. Noted still in existence 10 May 2019 but no sign of any external restoration work.


Operational record
Photo of Capital Airlines (USA) Viscount N7473

Country of Registration United States

May 1957 to September 1958

Capital Airlines (USA)

N7473 - c/n 284 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

circa March 1957
The purchase by Capital Airlines with fleet number '391' was not completed.

31 May 1957
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England in a bare metal condition with the US registration applied.

August 1958
Converted to Type 798D for sale to Northeast Airlines Inc and re-registered N6594C.


Photo of Northeast Airlines Inc Viscount N6594C

Country of Registration United States

September 1958 to September 1963

Northeast Airlines Inc

N6594C - c/n 284 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

August 1958
Re-registered from N7473.

13 September 1958
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England after conversion.

22 September 1958
Handed over to Northeast Airlines Inc fitted with the integral front 'airsteps' and weather radar as ordered by Capital Airlines.

22 September 1958
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 US$3,700,000 which was recommended by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). It had however already lost its routes to Florida.


Photo of Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd Viscount N6594C

Country of Registration United States

September 1963 to October 1963

Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd

N6594C - c/n 284 - 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 Alitalia.


Photo of Alitalia Viscount I-LIRG

Country of Registration Italy

October 1963 to July 1971

Alitalia

I-LIRG - c/n 284 - a V.745D series Viscount
Italy registered

5 October 1963
Purchased from Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd at an auction at Logan Airport, Boston, Massachusetts, USA for approximately US$357,000 (the average of the total sale of nine aircraft).

8 May 1964
Delivered to Alitalia. This aircraft may have been purchased at the auction by a broker who then sold it on to Alitalia. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net

14 January 1970
Withdrawn from service and stored at Fiumicino Airport, Rome, Italy.

Total time 25,587 hours and 22,377 total landings.

July 1971
Donated to the Francesco de Pinedo Aeronautical Technical Institute, Southern Rome, Italy.


Photo of Francesco De Pinedo Aeronautical Technical Institute Viscount I-LIRG

Country of Registration Italy

July 1971 to

Francesco De Pinedo Aeronautical Technical Institute

I-LIRG - c/n 284 - a V.745D series Viscount
Italy registered

July 1971
Donated by Alitalia for use as an instructional airframe after some parts were sold to Aerolineas TAO including the port outer wing which was used to repair HK-1058 (C/N 380) in 1973.

The identity of the source for the replacement unserviceable port outer wing now fitted to this aircraft is unknown. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net.

The aircraft is supported on maintenance jacks and the starboard outer wing is lying under the fuselage.

Francesco de Pinedo was a famous Italian aviator. Originally an officer with the Regia Marina (Navy) he then transferred to the Regia Aeronautica (Air Force) and was an advocate of the seaplane and is best known for his long-range flying boat flights in the 1920s.

Francesco de Pinedo
Francesco de Pinedo

circa October 2015
Noted in poor external condition and covered in grafitti.

2018
Volunteers at the Technical Institute are planning to restore it after a period of fund-raising.

10 May 2019
Still in existence but no sign of any external restoration work.


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.