25 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.

Viscount history


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

Viscount c/n 427

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 427
Misrair - Egyptian Airlines


Egypt flag Egypt

This V.739B series Viscount was built for
Misrair - Egyptian Airlines as SU-AKW

It first flew on Monday, 21 March 1960 at Hurn Airport, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 506 engines.


Photo of Viscount c/n 427
United Arab Airlines (UAA)


Egypt flag Egypt

Its final owner/operator was
United Arab Airlines (UAA) as SU-AKW.

Its fate:-
Crashed into the Tyrrhenian Sea off Elba, Italy 29 September 1960. All 17 passengers and 4 crew on board were sadly killed.


Operational record
Photo of Misrair - Egyptian Airlines Viscount SU-AKW

Country of Registration Egypt

April 1960 to August 1960

Misrair - Egyptian Airlines

SU-AKW - c/n 427 - a V.739B series Viscount
Egypt registered

21 March 1960
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England as a Type 739B.

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

1 April 1960
Noted at Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, England carrying out crew training and ILS approaches.

7 April 1960
Noted at London Airport (Heathrow), Middlesex, England prior to delivery to Misrair - Egyptian Airlines with United Arab Airlines subtitles.

17 July 1960
Operated the first Viscount service from Cairo International Airport, Egypt to RAF Khormaksar, Aden.

August 1960
Transferred to United Arab Airlines (UAA) due to a name change when Misrair merged with Syrian Arab Airlines.


Photo of United Arab Airlines (UAA) Viscount SU-AKW

Country of Registration Egypt

August 1960 to September 1960

United Arab Airlines (UAA)

SU-AKW - c/n 427 - a V.739B series Viscount
Egypt registered

August 1960
Transferred from Misrair - Egyptian Airlines due to a operator name change when Misrair merged with Syrian Arab Airlines.

29 September 1960
Crashed into the Tyrrhenian Sea off Elba, Italy.

UAA flight 738 had departed from Cointrin Airport, Geneva, Switzerland at 10:05 GMT and was heading towards Fiumicino Airport, Rome, Italy, with an onward stop at Ellinikon Airport, Athens, Greece, before arriving at Cairo Airport, Egypt. The aircraft was cruising at 21,000 feet using Airway Amber 3 but requested a heading change due to bad weather ahead. Rome Air Traffic Control (ATC) approved the change of heading but no more was heard from the flight crew. The aircraft crashed into the Tyrrhenian Sea 27.5 km (17.2 miles) North of Elba, Italy at about 11:15 GMT.

After a sea search was initiated a small amount of wreckage was found but not enough to establish why the aircraft had crashed. The investigation concluded that the aircraft must have suffered some sort of structural failure after it had entered an area of severe weather as there were thunder storms in the vicinity at the time.

All 17 passengers and 4 crew on board were sadly killed including Captain Raouf Hussein.

Total time 1,230 hours and 535 total landings.


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.