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 417

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 417
ANSETT-ANA


Australia flag Australia

This V.832 series Viscount was built for
ANSETT-ANA as VH-RMJ

It first flew on Wednesday, 6 May 1959 at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 525 engines.


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


Photo of Viscount c/n 417
Merpati Nusantara Airlines (MNA)


Indonesia flag Indonesia

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

Its fate:-
Withdrawn from service and stored at Kemayoran Airport, Jakarta, Java, Indonesia in late 1983. Broken up for scrap circa September 1985. Details please to information@vickersviscount.net


Operational record
Photo of ANSETT-ANA Viscount VH-RMJ

Country of Registration Australia

May 1959 to December 1969

ANSETT-ANA

VH-RMJ - c/n 417 - a V.832 series Viscount
Australia registered

23 July 1958
An order for four Type 832 aircraft was placed by ANSETT-ANA. ANA stands for Australian National Airways.

6 May 1959
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

8 May 1959
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England carrying out crew training and ILS approaches.

15 May 1959
Ferried from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England to Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England.

Handed over to ANSETT-ANA after an acceptance test flight.

It was fitted with integral front 'airsteps' and had a rear lounge which was not occupied in service during the takeoff or landing phases.

It then flew to Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England.

17 May 1959
Departed from Blackbushe, Hampshire, England on delivery to Australia via Rome, Italy - Beirut, Lebanon - Bahrain, Persian Gulf (18 May) - Karachi, Pakistan - Hyderabad, India - Calcutta, India - Bangkok, Thailand - Saigon, Vietnam - Zamboanga, Philippines - Biak, Indonesia - Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia - Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia.

The stop at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad, was a last minute alternative for Delhi, as the crew were notified at Karachi that Safdarjung Airport was closed for runway repairs.

The ferry crew consisted of Captains Raymond Grocott, Charles G Lister and Stanley W Russell together with Navigator William C Kennedy and Engineer Jack Clayton.

22 May 1959
Arrived at Essendon Airport, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Late May 1959
First entered service with ANSETT-ANA.

It was originally configured with 52 seats, this was later changed to 63 seats. At this time the rear lounge was removed.

28 March 1960
Suffered an Rolls-Royce Dart turbine burnout at an unknown location.

10 October 1961
Total time 6,237:09 hours.

12 January 1962
Total time 6,892:44 hours.

7 April 1963
Departure delayed at Eagle Farm Airport, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia due to a bomb hoax.

4 August 1965
Damaged when a fire in the No.1 Dart engine could not be extinguished while operating flight AN327 from Sydney to Melbourne via Canberra, Australia.

After shutting down the No.1 engine and setting off the nacelle fire bottles Captain Gilles made a successful emergency landing at Mangalore Airport, Victoria, Australia where the fire was eventually extinguished by the airport fire crew.

The engine fire was caused by the failure of the HP Impeller Location Bearing resulting in a fierce oil fire with secondary Combustion damage due to the increase in vibration.

There were only minor injuries amongst the 38 passengers and 4 crew on board.

Repaired and returned to service.

25 September 1966
Total time 7,295:14 hours.

21 July 1968
Total time 9,272:59 hours.

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


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

Country of Registration Australia

December 1969 to May 1970

Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd

VH-RMJ - c/n 417 - a V.832 series Viscount
Australia registered

18 December 1969
Title transferred from ANSETT-ANA.

22 February 1970
Operated its final Ansett-ANA service then withdrawn from service at Essendon Airport, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Total time 25,972 hours.

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

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


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

Country of Registration Australia

May 1970 to May 1970

Far Eastern Air Transport Corporation (FAT)

VH-RMJ - c/n 417 - a V.832 series Viscount
Australia registered

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

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

21 May 1970
Departed Essendon Airport, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on delivery to Songshan Airport, Taipei, Taiwan painted up in Far Eastern Air Transport (FAT) livery without titles and with VH-RMJ applied.

VH-RML (C/N 319) was delivered at the same time.

The route taken was Adelaide, South Australia - Alice Springs, Northern Territory - Darwin, Northern Territory - Bali, Indonesia - Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia - Manila, Philippines.

The ferry crew consisted of Captains Presgrave and Yang and Navigator McEwen and took 23 flying hours.

22 May 1970
Australian registration cancelled.

25 May 1970
Re-registered as B-2017.


Photo of Far Eastern Air Transport Corporation (FAT) Viscount B-2017

Country of Registration Taiwan

May 1970 to October 1975

Far Eastern Air Transport Corporation (FAT)

B-2017 - c/n 417 - a V.832 series Viscount
Taiwan registered

25 May 1970
Re-registered from VH-RMJ.

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

4 June 1971
Ferried from Taipei to an unknown 1 hour flying time destination for wing spar change work.

30 July 1971
Total time 27,570:02 hours and 22,764 total landings.

24 October 1971
Total time 27,885:22 hours and 23,336 total landings.

16 May 1972
Total time 28,590:05 hours and 24,598 total landings.

8 August 1972
Landing incident at an unknown location. No further details.

Total time 28,881:00 hours and 25,085 total landings.

1 September 1973
Total time 30,392:45 hours and 27,276 total landings.

7 January 1974
Total time 30,923:45 hours and 28,183 total landings.

2 December 1974
Total time 31,864:35 hours and 29,541 total landings.

5 July 1975
Total time 32,202:00 hours and 30,000 total landings.

7 October 1975
Taiwan registration cancelled.

14 October 1975
Local air test from Songshan Airport, Taipei, Taiwan which lasted for 2 hours and 20 minutes.

15 October 1975
Leased to Merpati Nusantara Airlines.


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

Country of Registration Indonesia

October 1975 to September 1985

Merpati Nusantara Airlines (MNA)

PK-MVN - c/n 417 - a V.832 series Viscount
Indonesia registered

15 October 1975
Leased from Far Eastern Air Transport Corporation (FAT) and named as 'Sumbawa' which is an Indonesian Island in the Lesser Sunda Island chain.

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

18 October 1975
Arrived at Kemayoran Airport, Jakarta, Java, Indonesia from Taipei, Taiwan.

18 April 1977
Total time 34,697 hours and 31,505 total landings.

23 July 1980
Total time 40,215:47 hours and 34,601 total landings.

October 1982
Noted in a later brown livery and without a name.

December 1983
Noted stored at Kemayoran Airport, Jakarta, Java, Indonesia with all titles painted out and partially repainted in green primer.

July 1985
Noted stored at Kemayoran Airport, Jakarta, Java, Indonesia painted all white.

circa September 1985
Broken up for scrap after the closure of the airport in March for redevelopment as housing.

The actual date is not known.
Details please to information@vickersviscount.net


Photo of BEA - British European Airways Viscount G-AOJC

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This website has been designed, built and is maintained by Geoff Blampied, Norwich, Norfolk, England.