26 April 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.

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

Viscount c/n 355

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 355
Continental Airlines


United States flag United States

This V.812 series Viscount was built for
Continental Airlines as N241V

It first flew on Tuesday, 1 April 1958 at Weybridge, Surrey, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 525 engines.


During its life this aircraft was also owned and/or operated by
ANSETT-ANA, Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd and Far Eastern Air Transport Corporation (FAT)


Photo of Viscount c/n 355
Merpati Nusantara Airlines (MNA)


Indonesia flag Indonesia

Its final owner/operator was
Merpati Nusantara Airlines (MNA) as PK-MVO.

Its fate:-
Withdrawn from service due to wing spar cracking and stored at Kemayoran Airport, Jakarta, Java, Indonesia in 1983. Noted still stored, but in an all white livery in October 1985. Broken up for scrap after recovery of all useful spares, particularly the valuable Rolls-Royce Dart engines circa 2003. The airport closed in 1985!


Operational record
Photo of Continental Airlines Viscount N241V

Country of Registration United States

May 1958 to September 1960

Continental Airlines

N241V - c/n 355 - a V.812 series Viscount
United States registered

December 1955
Continental Airlines placed an order for fifteen Type 812 aircraft, which were to be marketed by Continental as the 'Viscount II'.

Sales Order No. F03/94B.

1 April 1958
First flight from Brooklands Airfield, Weybridge, Surrey, England.

It landed at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England for fitting out and test flying.

David Carter illustration of Continental Airlines Viscount N241V

Viscount illustrations by David Carter


10 May 1958
Delivered to Continental Airlines fitted with integral front 'airsteps'.

The plush first class cabin, designed by Charles Butler & Associates was laid out in two plus two configuration with a capacity for 52 passengers, who enjoyed a sumptious meal en-route. A lounge area at the rear allowed for four people to sit on two curved side couches when the aircraft was cruising. A small window was added on each side.

After delivery it was named as 'Chicago' and the number '241' was applied to the nosewheel doors.

9 February 1960
During a landing at Tulsa Airport, Oklahoma, USA on a routine stop between Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Denver, Colorado a strong gust of wind occurred.

The starboard wing dropped and the aircraft swung off the left side of the runway resulting in damage to the No.4 (starboard outer) propeller, one nose undercarriage wheel and one port main undercarriage wheel. The No.4 Rolls-Royce Dart engine would also have been declared unserviceable due to possible shockloading.

The wind at the time was 20 knots gusting to 30 knots.

There were no reported injuries to the 9 passengers and 3 crew on board.

Repaired and returned to service.

2 September 1960
Sold to ANSETT-ANA.


Photo of ANSETT-ANA Viscount VH-RMK

Country of Registration Australia

September 1960 to December 1969

ANSETT-ANA

VH-RMK - c/n 355 - a V.812 series Viscount
Australia registered

2 September 1960
Purchased from Continental Airlines.

16 September 1960
Departed Stapleton International Airport, Denver, Colorado to Omaha Airport, Nebraska, USA with both N241V and VH-RMK registrations in basic Continental Airlines livery less titles flown by a Continental crew.

After completing the financial agreement and removal of the US registration the aircraft departed with an Ansett-ANA crew consisting of Captains Bull and Charles G Lister, First Officer James (Jim) Farrell, Navigator William (Bill) C Kennedy and Engineer Howard.

The route to Australia took them via Chicago, Montreal, Goose Bay, Sondrestrom, Keflavik, Prestwick, London, Naples, Ellinikon - Athens, Damascus, Bahrein, Karachi, Delhi, Calcutta, Bangkok, Saigon, Zamboanga, Biak, Darwin and Alice Springs.

18 September 1960
Noted at London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England during the delivery to Australia.

September 1960
Arrived at Essendon Airport, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

At the time this was the worlds longest ferry flight until Viscount VH-RML (C/N 319) was delivered from Cuba in March 1962.

Initially operated in 52 seat configuration with a 4 seat rear lounge that was later removed and the seating increased to 63.

A later livery variation
A later livery variation

May 1961
Overshot the runway when landing at Kingsford Smith Airport, Mascot, Sydney, New South Wales in heavy rain on a service from West Beach Airport, Adelaide, South Australia.

The undercarriage sank into soft sand resulting in propeller damage.

19 September 1961
Total time 8,444:12 hours.

29 May 1962
Total time 10,178:35 hours.

14 June 1964
Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and the groups manager Brian Epstein travelled from Sydney to Melbourne, Australia having arrived two hours earlier from London via San Francisco!

They were catching up with the rest of the group, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison, who were two weeks into a world music tour and used a stand-in drummer named Jimmie Nicol until Ringo returned from the UK. Ringo had to be left behind, as he was suffering from tonsillitis and pharyngitis. Meanwhile, the other three Beatles travelled from their last gig in Adelaide, South Australia on a chartered Ansett-ANA Fokker F27 Friendship.

Ringo Starr arrives in Melbourne, Australia
Ringo Starr arrives in Melbourne, Australia

20 November 1964
Total time 6,096:07 hours.

9 July 1965
Total time 7,731:40 hours.

15 January 1966
Total time 9,038:31 hours.

21 July 1966
Total time 10,228:59 hours.

28 March 1967
Total time 12,083:05 hours.

10 August 1969
Withdrawn from service and stored at Essendon Airport, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

18 December 1969
Transferred to Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd.


Photo of Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd Viscount VH-RMK

Country of Registration Australia

December 1969 to May 1970

Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd

VH-RMK - c/n 355 - a V.812 series Viscount
Australia registered

18 December 1969
Transferred from ANSETT-ANA.

23 May 1970
Sold to Far Eastern Air Transport Corporation (FAT)

The sale was brokered by American Airline Sales via Consolidated Aviation Holdings Pty Ltd.


Photo of Far Eastern Air Transport Corporation (FAT) Viscount VH-RMK

Country of Registration Australia

May 1970 to July 1970

Far Eastern Air Transport Corporation (FAT)

VH-RMK - c/n 355 - a V.812 series Viscount
Australia registered

23 May 1970
Purchased from Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd.

Departed on delivery to Taipei in basic Far Eastern Air Transport (FAT) livery less titles but still displaying the VH-RMK registration.
Delivered in a basic Far Eastern Air Transport (FAT) livery

10 July 1970
Departed on delivery to Songshan Airport, Taipei in basic Far Eastern Air Transport Corporation (FAT) livery less titles but still displaying the VH-RMK registration. The flight was via Adelaide - Alice Springs - Darwin - Bali, Indonesia - Kota Kinabalu and Manila, Philippines.

20 July 1970
Re-registered to Far Eastern Air Transport Corporation (FAT).


Photo of Far Eastern Air Transport Corporation (FAT) Viscount B-2021

Country of Registration Taiwan

July 1970 to October 1976

Far Eastern Air Transport Corporation (FAT)

B-2021 - c/n 355 - a V.812 series Viscount
Taiwan registered

20 July 1970
Re-registered to Far Eastern Air Transport Corporation (FAT).

Registered address: - No.36 Kuan Chien Road, Taipei, Taiwan.

18 August 1972
Total time 28,443:00 hours and 23,617 total landings.

28 September 1972
Total time 28,581:10 hours and 23,866 total landings.

24 August 1973
Total time 29,701:51 hours and 25,506 total landings.

23 August 1974
Total time 30,533:06 hours and 26,832 total landings.

12 April 1975
Total time 31,935:04 hours and 28,741 total landings.

12 October 1976
Sold to Merpati Nusantara Airlines and registration cancelled.


Photo of Merpati Nusantara Airlines (MNA) Viscount PK-MVO

Country of Registration Indonesia

October 1976 to December 1985

Merpati Nusantara Airlines (MNA)

PK-MVO - c/n 355 - a V.812 series Viscount
Indonesia registered

12 October 1976
Purchased from Far Eastern Air Transport Corporation (FAT) and named as 'Buru' which means hunt or chase in Malay.

Merpati means Dove (or Pigeon) in Malay and Nusantara means 'of the Indonesian Islands'

20 April 1977
Total time 33,893:00 hours and 30,485 total landings.

June 1980
Noted in a later 'blue and gold' livery.

26 April 1981
Total time 39,163:29 hours and 33,551 total landings.

21 June 1982
Shortly after takeoff at an unknown location a fire broke out in the No.4 engine nacelle.

The crew shut down the Rolls-Royce Dart engine and feathered the propeller and set off the extinguisher bottles.

The aircraft landed safely and everyone was evacuated without serios injury.

The cause of the fire was found to be a perforated Combustion Air Casing due to corrosion, resulting in a release of flame.

Total time 40,993:11 and 34,580 total landings.

1983
Withdrawn from service due to wing spar cracking and stored at Kemayoran Airport, Jakarta, Java, Indonesia.

December 1983
Noted minus its Rolls-Royce Dart engines and with all the airline titles blacked out.

October 1985
Noted still stored, but in an all white livery.

The reason is not known.

Details please to information@vickersviscount.net.

This airport was now closed, having been replaced by Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, which was further out from the city centre at Cengkareng.

Broken up for scrap after recovery of all useful spares, particularly the valuable Rolls-Royce Dart engines. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net


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.