Travel back in time with the Viscount
This page will automatically change every 10 seconds
England
G-AMAV - British European Airways Corporation (BEA) - October 1953 to November 1953
Loaned from the Ministry of Supply for participation in the London, England to Christchurch, New Zealand air race and restored to BEA livery named 'R M A Endeavour'. Taken at Paraparaumu Airport, Wellington, New Zealand 16 October 1953 after the end of the race.
Photo source - Peter Lewis collection
Aircraft Summary
Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd
This aircraft c/n 3, a V.700, was built for Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd as G-AMAV and first flew on Monday, 28 August 1950 at Weybridge, Surrey, England.
During its life it was also owned and/or operated by Ministry of Supply and British European Airways (BEA)
Its final owner/operator was Ministry of Aviation Firefighting School as G-AMAV.Its fate:-
Used for certification trials for the Type 701, Type 800 and Type 801 series Viscounts, and also used for the Type 900 Vanguard series control system trials. Fitted with Rolls-Royce Dart RDa7 Mark 525 engines for V.840 trials at 400 MPH.
Displayed flying at an airshow at RAF Syerston, Nottinghamshire, England 14 September 1957.
Delivered to Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England for storage 1 April 1958. Registration cancelled as aircraft permanently withdrawn from use 11 October 1960.
Fuselage cut into two sections in 1961. The rear fuselage section and rudderless tail was transferred to Weybridge, Surrey, England for BAC One-Eleven engine installation trials in 1961. The main fuselage section was transferred to the Ministry of Aviation Fire fighting School at Stansted Airport, Essex, England in August 1963.
The main fuselage section was later broken up for scrap. The rear fuselage section and rudderless tail was noted in the middle of Weybridge Airfield joined to a hut that had a BAC One-Eleven nose at one end and the Viscount rear section at the other. The tail section was used for BAC One-Eleven APU trials in 1975. Only the BAC One-Eleven nose section was noted in June 1976 so the rear fuselage section and rudderless tail must have been scrapped by then.