02 December 2024
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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


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

Viscount c/n 316

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 316
Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd


England flag England

This V.810 series Viscount was built for
Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd as G-AOYV

It first flew on Monday, 23 December 1957 at Weybridge, Surrey, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 525 engines.


During its life this aircraft was also owned and/or operated by
Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP) and Aero Club Canelones


Photo of Viscount c/n 316
Uruservis SL


Uruguay flag Uruguay

Its final owner/operator was
Uruservis SL as CX-BIZ.

Its fate:-
Withdrawn from service at Carrasco Airport, Montevideo, Uruguay in 1986. Noted in derelict condition near the entrance to the Airport in May 1990. Noted on the airport fire dump in November 1995. Still noted in existence in March 1997. Fuselage with crudely chopped off wings and tail moved to the Aero Club Canelones circa 1998. In 2005 it was moved to a commercial scrap yard near Progreso, Uruguay. Still visible on Google Earth 19 March 2021.


Operational record
Photo of Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd Viscount G-AOYV

Country of Registration United Kingdom

December 1956 to October 1960

Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd

G-AOYV - c/n 316 - a V.810 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

20 December 1956
Registered to Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd.

23 December 1957
First flight from Brooklands Airfield, Weybridge, Surrey, England painted in Continental Airlines livery.

It landed back at Brooklands Airfield, Surrey, England for further test flying.

This aircraft was fitted with an experimental rudder. The rudder included the complete fin cap which acted like a horn balance. This type of rudder had previously been fitted to G-AOYF (C/N 255) when owned by Vickers but during a flight trial suffered a serious rudder failure and fuselage damage and was grounded.

During flight trials with this aircraft a similar failure occurred but fortunately without any damage to the fuselage.

N240V (C/N 353) of Continental Airlines also has this type of rudder temporarily fitted, for US certification purposes and was test flown in this configuration.

It reverted to the standard rudder type before delivery. No customer aircraft were delivered with this type of rudder.

Temporarily fitted with a Vickers Vanguard tail for de-icing trials.

27 January 1958
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England.

14 February 1958
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England carrying out crew training flights with BEA pilots.

February 1958
Noted at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England with a mast fitted above the cockpit which carried equipment to measure the amount of yaw encountered during varying flight conditions.

1 April 1958
Local flight from Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England with Gabriel (Gabe) Robb 'Jock' Bryce and John W Charles Judge which lasted for 55 minutes.

April 1958
Noted at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England now fitted with a standard rudder. The tail was painted white.

22 April 1958
US Certificate of Airworthiness issued.

July 1959
Temporarily fitted with a Vickers Vanguard tail and water spray rig for de-icing trials.

It also had a mast fitted above the cockpit which carried equipment to measure the amount of yaw encountered during varying flight conditions.

21 March 1960
UK registration cancelled as aircraft scheduled for export.

5 September 1960
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England carrying out multiple ILS approaches and overshoots.

16 September 1960
Arrived at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

It then departed to Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England .

6 October 1960
Sold to Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP) after conversion to Type 827 standard.


Photo of Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP) Viscount PP-SRH

Country of Registration Brasil

October 1960 to January 1976

Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP)

PP-SRH - c/n 316 - a V.810 series Viscount
Brasil registered

6 October 1960
Purchased from Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd after conversion to Type 827 standard.

6 October 1960
Departed on delivery to Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP) and night stopped at Prestwick Airport, Ayrshire, Scotland.

7 October 1960
Departed from Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland to continue the long delivery journey to Brasil.

8 January 1963
Landed at an unknown location with the starboard main undercarriage leg retracted. The uplock had failed to release as the undercarriage was lowered.

Repaired and returned to service.

14 November 1975
This aircraft operated the very last VASP Viscount service, which was from Rio to Sao Paulo.

circa January 1976
Sold to Primeras Lineas Uruguayas de Navegacion Aerea (PLUNA).


Photo of Primeras Lineas Uruguayas de Navegacion Aerea (PLUNA) Viscount CX-BIZ

Country of Registration Uruguay

January 1976 to June 1998

Primeras Lineas Uruguayas de Navegacion Aerea (PLUNA)

CX-BIZ - c/n 316 - a V.810 series Viscount
Uruguay registered

circa January 1976
Purchased from Viação Aérea São Paulo SA (VASP).

David Carter illustration of Primeras Lineas Uruguayas de Navegacion Aerea Viscount CX-BIZ

Viscount illustrations by David Carter


March 1982
The aircraft was withdrawn from service after the delivery of three new Boeing 737-2A3, CX-BON (22737), CX-BOO (22738) & CX-BOP (22739).

PLUNA had already operated one 737-2A3 CX-BHM (20299) since December 1969, but this was sold in May 1974.

A proposed sale to the Go Group Inc of Tucson, Arizona, USA as N460RC was not completed. The US registration was then used on C/N 117.

A proposed sale to Airgo Inc of Dallas, Texas, USA was not completed.

After the failure to sell the aircraft the propellers and R-R Dart engines were removed.

May 1990
Noted in a derelict condition near the entrance to the airport.

November 1995
Noted on the airport fire dump.

March 1997
Still noted in existence.

circa June 1998
The fuselage with the wings and tail crudely chopped off was moved by road to the Aero Club Canelones.

More details about PLUNA here: -www.pluna.uy/flota-historica/


Photo of Aero Club Canelones Viscount CX-BIZ

Country of Registration Uruguay

June 1998 to June 2005

Aero Club Canelones

CX-BIZ - c/n 316 - a V.810 series Viscount
Uruguay registered

circa June 1998
Fuselage with the wings and tail crudely chopped off was moved by road from Carrasco Airport, Montevideo to the Aero Club Canelones, Uruguay.

Does anyone know the actual date of these moves?

circa June 2005
Fuselage moved by road to a commercial scrap yard near Progreso, Uruguay next to Highway 5 which runs from Montevideo to Canelones, Uruguay.


Photo of Uruservis SL Viscount CX-BIZ

Country of Registration Uruguay

June 2005 to

Uruservis SL

CX-BIZ - c/n 316 - a V.810 series Viscount
Uruguay registered

circa June 2005
Fuselage moved by road from Aero Club Canelones to a commercial scrap yard near Progreso, Uruguay next to Highway 5 which runs from Montevideo to Canelones, Uruguay.

Does anyone know the actual date of this move?

Progreso is 13.6 miles / 22 kilometres north of Montevideo.

28 January 2020
Fuselage still noted in the commercial scrap yard and in the same poor condition.

Tim Levitt visited the yard and says that the scrapyard owner is very proud of his Viscount acquisition!

19 March 2021
Still visible on Google Earth

The Google Earth co-ordinates are 34.669998S / 56.239423W


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.