20 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 379

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 379
Alitalia


Italy flag Italy

This V.785D series Viscount was built for
Alitalia as I-LIRP

It first flew on Wednesday, 23 April 1958 at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 510 engines.

Photo of Viscount c/n 379
Somali Airlines


Somalia flag Somalia

Its final owner/operator was
Somali Airlines as 6O-AAJ.

Its fate:-
Burnt out during an emergency landing at Mogadishu Airport, Somalia 6 May 1970.

At about three miles from the airport the pilots had difficulty with the elevator controls. On landing, the nose undercarriage leg hit the runway hard and collapsed, resulting in the aircraft skidding down the runway for 900 metres before veering off to the side.

The aircraft was then engulfed in fire. All four crew and 21 passengers escaped but 5 passengers sadly died in the plane.


Operational record
Photo of Alitalia Viscount I-LIRP

Country of Registration Italy

April 1958 to August 1968

Alitalia

I-LIRP - c/n 379 - a V.785D series Viscount
Italy registered

May 1956
An order for ten Type 785D was placed by Linee Aeree Italiane (LAI).

Only six were delivered to LAI before the merger with Alitalia.

Production Aircraft No. 260 - the 260th production 700 series Viscount built,
was the 220th Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 210th Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Production Order No. F09/785. Sales Order No. F03/24C. Stock Order No. F22/37B.

27 November 1957
Fuselage assembly commenced at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

16 January 1958
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

23 April 1958
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

29 April 1958
Delivered to Alitalia at Ciampino Airport, Rome, Italy.

12 August 1968
Sold to Somali Airlines.


Photo of Somali Airlines Viscount 6OS-AAJ

Country of Registration Somalia

August 1968 to August 1968

Somali Airlines

6OS-AAJ - c/n 379 - a V.785D series Viscount
Somalia registered

12 August 1968
Purchased from Alitalia.

Late August 1968
Re-registered 6O-AAJ.

Somali Airlines was the flag carrier of Somalia and was established on 5 March 1964 by the then civilian government and Alitalia. Each owned an equal share in the company that offered flights to both domestic and international destinations. This version of the airline discontinued operations after the start of the civil war in the early 1990s.


Photo of Somali Airlines Viscount 6O-AAJ

Country of Registration Somalia

August 1968 to May 1970

Somali Airlines

6O-AAJ - c/n 379 - a V.785D series Viscount
Somalia registered

Late August 1968
Re-registered from 6OS-AAJ.

6 May 1970
Burnt out after an emergency landing at Mogadishu Airport, Somalia.

At about three miles from the airport the pilots had difficulty with the elevator controls. They advised the tower of their situation and continued the approach using biased engine power to keep them on track.

On landing the nose undercarriage leg hit the runway hard and collapsed resulting in the aircraft skidding down the runway for 900 metres before veering off to the side.

The aircraft was then engulfed in fire. All four crew and 21 passengers escaped but 5 passengers sadly died in the plane.

The cause of the loss of some of the flight controls was that there was a fire in the forward baggage hold under cabin seating row 6 which had burnt through some of the control cables.

Total time 26,135 hours and 22,100 total landings.

Somali Airlines was the flag carrier of Somalia and was established on 5 March 1964 by the then civilian government and Alitalia. Each owned an equal share in the company that offered flights to both domestic and international destinations. This version of the airline discontinued operations after the start of the civil war in the early 1990s.


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.