27 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.


Share your photos and stories


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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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.



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

The Viscount Shop - Main Menu


Aviation Books

These books have been chosen for their Viscount content,
and for the people and events that made the Viscount so enduring



Sir George Edwards

1. Sir George Edwards - the father of the Viscount

George Edwards (later Sir George Edwards), was for a quarter of a century from 1950, the dominant figure in British aviation, both civil and military. His name is synonymous with the Viscount, the world's first gas turbine-powered aircraft to carry fare-paying passengers on a scheduled service, and Concorde, for which he led the British team throughout its formative period to customer delivery.

Vickers

Beginning as a design draughtsman in 1935, George Edwards was promoted in 1940 to Experimental Department Manager and in 1945 he became the Chief Designer of the Vickers-Armstrongs team that produced the Viking airliner, Valetta military transport, Varsity trainer, Viscount airliners and Valiant strategic bomber. He later became managing director of the company, supervising the development of the Vanguard, VC10 and (post-merger) BAC TSR-2 strike bomber. He was knighted in 1957. He was President of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 1957-58.

BAC (British Aircraft Corporation)

When Vickers was merged into the newly created British Aircraft Corporation, he became Executive Director. During this period, he initiated the BAC One-Eleven (initially a Hunting Aircraft design). BAC was also a partner in the international projects for Concorde (for which he led the British team), Anglo-French SEPECAT Jaguar and the Panavia Tornado.

He was awarded the Daniel Guggenheim Medal in 1959. He won the Air League Founders Medal in 1969. He was made a member of the Order of Merit in 1971 and was awarded the Royal Medal in 1974 for his distinguished contributions in the applied sciences. He retired from BAC, as chairman, in 1975. In 1989 he was invested in the International Aerospace Hall of Fame.

Books about Sir George Edwards, and Vickers-Armstrongs and BAC aircraft
Sir George Edwards 1908 - 2003 - obituary





2. The Vickers Viscount - Books about the Viscount, its development, and its career

BEA Viscount

Introduced in 1948, the Vickers Viscount became Great Britain's most successful airliner by the late '50s, as well as the most widely used turbine-powered air transport in the world. Its huge windows and quiet, comfortable ride made it a favorite with passengers, and airlines found it to be a reliable, inexpensive plane to operate. In fact, in 1955 Flight magazine referred to the Viscount as, 'a machine so patently superior to its rivals that it has set in its field wholly new standards of comfort, performance and reliability'.

These books cover the Viscount history, from the development of turboprop engines in England after World War II, on through the plane's 50-year service history.


Books about the Viscount, its development, and its career





3. Accidents - Books about Viscount accidents

Books about Viscount accidents





4. Viscount owners and operators

Books about Aer Lingus
Books about BA - British Airways
Books about BEA - British European Airways
Books about New Zealand National Airways Corporation
Books about Silver City Airways





5. Generic aviation books

Books about general aviation





6. Books about aircraft accidents

Books about aircraft accident




Sorted into five categories the books detailed above have all been recommended by Vickers Viscount Network followers. If you can add to these lists please contact us with the details.



Viscount Mugs

Viscount Mugs





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.