12 October 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 371

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 371
Ghana Airways


Ghana flag Ghana

This V.838 series Viscount was built for
Ghana Airways as 9G-AAV

It first flew on Wednesday, 6 September 1961 at Hurn Airport, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 525 engines.


During its life this aircraft was also owned and/or operated by
Royal Radar & Signals Establishment (RRE), Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE), Defence Research Agency (DRA) and International Turbine Service Inc (ITS)


Photo of Viscount c/n 371
Hanningfield Metals


England flag England

Its final owner/operator was
Hanningfield Metals as XT661.

Its fate:-
Last flight and withdrawn from service by the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) and stored outside at Thurleigh Airfield, Bedfordshire, England in February 1989. Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) renamed Defence Research Agency (DRA) in April 1991.

Purchased by International Turbine Service Inc (ITS) of Grapevine, Texas, USA at a Phillips auction in London, England 8 July 1993 for £161,000 primarily for the Rolls-Royce Dart engine recovery (four installed and two spares).

Airframe dismantled by Hanningfield Metals at Thurleigh Airfield, Bedfordshire, England and transferred to their yard at Templewood Industrial Estate, Stock Road, West Hanningfield, Essex, England in August 1993.

The current status of the forward fuselage section is not known, but it is suspected that it was finally scrapped within the yard sometime in 1996.


Operational record
Photo of Ghana Airways Viscount 9G-AAV

Country of Registration Ghana

October 1961 to February 1965

Ghana Airways

9G-AAV - c/n 371 - a V.838 series Viscount
Ghana registered

April 1960
Ghana Airways placed an order for three Type 838 Viscounts.

6 September 1961
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

29 September 1961
Arrived at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England from Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England using callsign 'Lima 22'.

It then carried out multiple ILS approaches and overshoots before returning to Wisley.

David Carter illustration of Ghana Airways Viscount 9G-AAV

Viscount illustrations by David Carter


3 October 1961
Departed from Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England on delivery to Ghana Airways.

Later fitted with extended range 'slipper' fuel tanks.
Fitted with extended range 'slipper' fuel tanks

Later fitted with extended range 'slipper' fuel tanks. The actual date is not known.
Details please to
information@vickersviscount.net

26 July 1963
Arrived at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England to clear customs before departing to Wymeswold Airfield, Leicestershire, England for maintenance with Field Aircraft Services Ltd.

3 September 1963
Arrived at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England after maintenance at Wymeswold Airfield, Leicestershire, England.

4 September 1963
Departed from Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England to Malaga Airport, Spain before crossing the Mediterranean Sea back to West Africa.

28 January 1965
Arrived at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England to clear customs.

29 January 1965
Departed from Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England to Pershore Airfield, Worcestershire, England.

22 February 1965
Sold to the Ministry of Technology for Royal Radar & Signals Establishment (RRE) at Pershore Airfield, Worcestershire, England.


Photo of Royal Radar & Signals Establishment (RRE) Viscount XT661

Country of Registration United Kingdom

February 1965 to April 1977

Royal Radar & Signals Establishment (RRE)

XT661 - c/n 371 - a V.838 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

22 February 1965
Purchased from Ghana Airways by the Ministry of Technology for the Royal Radar & Signals Establishment (RRE) at Pershore Airfield, Worcestershire, England.

Fitted with various under belly pods for electronic trials work.

25 April 1977
Transferred to the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) at Thurleigh Airfield, Bedfordshire, England after the closure of Pershore Airfield, Worcestershire, England.


Photo of Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) Viscount XT661

Country of Registration United Kingdom

April 1977 to April 1991

Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE)

XT661 - c/n 371 - a V.838 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

25 April 1977
Transferred from the Royal Radar & Signals Establishment (RRE) after the closure of Pershore Airfield, Worcestershire, England to Thurleigh Airfield, Bedfordshire, England.

27 June 1981
Noted on static display at the International Air Tattoo (IAT) at RAF Greenham Common, Berkshire, England.

19 September 1981
Noted on static display at the Battle of Britain air show at RAF Finningley, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England.

July 1983
Noted repainted in a new livery commonly described as 'Raspberry Ripple'.

Repainted in a new livery commonly described as 'Raspberry Ripple'
Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE)
'Raspberry Ripple' livery

1 June 1986
Noted on static display at the Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Dorset, England air show.

February 1989
Last flight and withdrawn from service and stored outside at Thurleigh Airfield, Bedfordshire, England.

Total time 6,348 hours 45 minutes.

April 1991
Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) renamed Defence Research Agency (DRA) at Thurleigh Airfield, Bedfordshire, England.


Photo of Defence Research Agency (DRA) Viscount XT661

Country of Registration United Kingdom

April 1991 to July 1993

Defence Research Agency (DRA)

XT661 - c/n 371 - a V.838 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

April 1991
Renamed from Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) at Thurleigh Airfield, Bedfordshire, England.

8 July 1993
Sold at auction (Lot 18) by Phillips in London to International Turbine Service Inc (ITS) of Grapevine, Texas, USA.


Photo of International Turbine Service Inc (ITS) Viscount XT661

Country of Registration United Kingdom

July 1993 to July 1993

International Turbine Service Inc (ITS)

XT661 - c/n 371 - a V.838 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

8 July 1993
Purchased from the Ministry of Defence at a Phillips auction (Lot 18) in London, England for £161,000 (including fees) specifically for the recovery of the four installed Rolls-Royce Dart RDa7 Mark 525F engines and two more spare engines.

July 1993
Rolls-Royce Dart engines and other useful parts removed at Thurleigh Airfield, Bedfordshire, England.

31 July 1993
Airframe less the Rolls-Royce Dart engines was sold to Hanningfield Metals and broken up into sections at Thurleigh Airfield, Bedfordshire, England.


Photo of Hanningfield Metals Viscount XT661

Country of Registration United Kingdom

July 1993 to

Hanningfield Metals

XT661 - c/n 371 - a V.838 series Viscount
United Kingdom registered

31 July 1993
Airframe less the Rolls-Royce Dart engines purchased from International Turbine Service Inc (ITS) and dismantled at Thurleigh Airfield, Bedfordshire, England.

August 1993
Sections transferred to their yard at Templewood Industrial Estate, Stock Road, West Hanningfield, Essex, England.

The forward section was to be donated to a museum on the instructions of Phil Reid, the UK representative of International Turbine Service Inc (ITS).

November 1994
Front and rear fuselage sections noted still lying within the scrap yard together with the rear fuselage section of XT575 (C/N 438).

It is suspected that it was finally broken up for scrap sometime in 1996.

A report in Wrecks & Relics 14th Edition book stated that the forward fuselage section had been moved to Cockpits for Hire at Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire, England, but this was later corrected to XT575 (C/N 438).


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.