Vickers-Armstrongs

24 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.

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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.

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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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Restoration of VH-TVR is an ongoing effort

The Australian National Aviation Museum

Viscount VH-TVR c/n 318 seen at Sydney, Australia
while in service with TAA - Trans Australia Airlines

Update by Mark Pilkington

VH-TVR at The Australian
National Aviation Museum
in August 2006

Viscount VH-TVR c/n 318 is a major exhibit in The Australian National Aviation Museum's collection, being the last complete surviving Viscount in Australia and the only preserved example of the post war turbo-prop airliners used by Australian interstate airlines Ansett-ANA Airlines and TAA - Trans Australia Airlines.

This VH-TVR was built for Cubana and first flew on Wednesday 19 November 1958 at Weybridge, England. Proposed sale to SAA - South African Airways in February 1962 was not taken up. Instead TAA - Trans Australia Airlines bought the aircraft in March 1962 and operated it until April 1970 named 'John Murray'. In 1970 TAA donated the aircraft to The Australian National Aviation Museum (formerly the Moorabbin Air Museum).

The first TAA Viscount to be registered VH-TVR c/n 435 September 1959

Viscount c/n 318 is the second Viscount to carry the registration VH-TVR for TAA - Trans Australia Airlines. The first was c/n 435 'John Murray' that carried TAA livery from August 1959 until May 1960. The sale of this aircraft to TAA was not taken up and it was sold to Union Carbide & Carbon Corporation in the USA. Interestingly c/n 435 did arrive in Australia in August 1964 when it was purchased by the Royal Australian Air Force for use as VIP transport.

The Australian National Aviation Museum's collection has a strong focus on Australian manufactured aircraft, together with a large military collection of airframes dating from WWII that includes an important collection of Naval aircraft. The current focus of the museum is to increase its Air Transport collection and to secure covered storage to display its airframes. In its Air Transport section the Museum has had for many years an original pre-war 'American Airlines' Douglas DC-3 and the Viscount, and have recently acquired a rare Douglas DC-2, a Bristol Freighter and a de Havilland Heron.

The Australian National Aviation Museum's Bristol 170 Freighter

VH-TVR at The Australian National Aviation Museum in February 2003

Restoration of VH-TVR is an ongoing effort as it is exposed to the elements. Recently the fuselage has been repainted and the bare skins polished in late TAA - Trans Australia Airlines Viscount livery. The aircraft is complete with its 4 Rolls-Royce Dart engines in place, however the tailplane and fin are curently removed for refurbishment. In the late 1990's a container load of parts was acquired from the UK that included replacement propellers, and instrumentation and other fittings for the cockpit.

To see the exterior of VH-TVR take one of the two the Australian National Aviation Museum's 360 degree Virtual Tours.

Tour 1 Tour 2

For more information about this project contact Mark Pilkington, or visit the Australian National Aviation Museum's web site.

Mark.Pilkington@VickersViscount.net Australian National Aviation Museum

The starboard side of the aircraft had recently been repainted and polished

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