Vickers-Armstrongs

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

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.

Share your photos and stories

Live Magazine

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.

Contact us

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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NAC's 60th anniversary

New Zealand National Airways Corporation Viscount ZK-BRF

A book and an aviation tour of New Zealand are being prepared to mark the 60th anniversary of the formation of NAC – New Zealand National Airways Corporation.

Douglas DC-3 ZK-DAK

The book will be in a landscape format of about 250 pages featuring around 300 photographs and illustrations - many in colour and many of Viscounts. Included will be a substantial chronology of the airline and a short history of each aircraft that served in the fleet, almost a 100 in all ranging from pre WWII prop-liners through to the latest jets.

The 9 day flying tour of New Zealand visits 19 locations travelling in Douglas DC-3 ZK-DAK and possibly DC-3 ZK-AMY and follows some of the old NAC routes. The tour starts at Christchurch on Friday 22nd March 2007 with a visit to the Ferrymead Heritage Park to view the former NAC Viscount ZK-BRF and Douglas LC-47H 17221, which was used on Deep Freeze Operations to the Antarctic. The 3 aviation authors, Richard Waugh, Graeme McConnell and Peter Layne, who are responsible for the book, will be on hand to act as guides to the many aviation sites and museums to be visited.

NAC Viscount ZK-BRF

NAC operated 5 Viscounts between December 1957 and December 1975. The Viscount became a household word in New Zealand soon after ZK-BRD started service in 1958, with many people making that extra effort to have a Viscount experience. NAC was justifiably proud of its Viscount fleet which ushered in a whole new concept of airline flying. The Viscount was the first pressurised turbo-prop aircraft to fly in New Zealand skies, and was popular with travellers as it flew above air turbulence and reduced flight times.

Two NAC Lockheed Lodestars and two DC3s at Paraparaumu airport in 1949.

NAC was established in 1947 by the New Zealand Government as the primary operator of domestic air services between major centres and provincial cities and towns by a forced take over of Union Airways and a number of other smaller operators.

It was on 1 April 1947 that NAC formally took over the private airlines’ aircraft, timetables, engineering services, and most of their key personnel. These operators were equipped with de Havilland Dragon Rapides, de Havilland Fox Moths, Douglas DC-3’s, Lockheed Electras and Lockheed 14s. In the late 1940s NAC started to provide international services to some nearby South Pacific countries using converted ex Royal New Zealand Air Force Short Sunderlands.

Ex NAC de Havilland Heron ZK-BBM being restored and eventually painted in NAC livery at Tauranga, New Zealand

In the 1950s NAC acquired de Havilland Herons, Vickers Viscounts and in the 1960s Fokker Friendships and Boeing 737s. A fully owned subsidiary was the freight company SAFE Air, which operated Bristol Freighters and Armstrong Whitworth Argosies. In 1978 NAC merged with Air New Zealand.

The authors of the book are still looking for memorabilia, photos and stories about NAC. Also needed are copies of Airline Review and Skylines or anything else that may be helpful to complete their project. If you are able to help please contact them at New Zealand Airline Research

For further information, itinerary and prices for the 9 day flying tour of New Zealand please contact Anne-Marie at Easy Book Tours.

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