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VISCOUNT
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Other title in the Crowood Aviation Series
VANGUARD
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Bristol Beaufighter Jerry Scu ~ts
Bristol Britannia Charles Woodley
British Experimental Turbojet Aircraft Barry Jones
Concorde Kev Darling
Consolidated B-24 Liberator Martin W. Bowman
Curtiss SB2C Helldiver Peter C. Smith
Douglas A-26 and B-26 Invader Scott Thompson
Douglas Havoc and Boston Scott Thompson
English Electric Canberra Barry Jones Malcolm L. Hill
English Electric Lightning Martin W. Bowman
Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II Peter C. Smith
Fairey Swordfish and Albacore Bill Harrison
Hawker Hunter Barry Jones
Hawker Typhoon, Tempest and Sea Fury Kev Darling
Heinkel He III Ron Mackay
Ilyushin Il-2 and Il-10 Shturmovik Yefim Gordon and Sergey Kommissarov
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Martin W. Bowman
McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk Brad Elward
Messerschmitt Bf 110 Ron Mackay
Messerschmitt Me 262 David Baker
Nieuport Aircraft of World War One Ray Sanger
North American B-25 Mitchell Jerry Scutts
North American F-86 Sabre Duncan Curtis
North American F-100 Super Sabre Peter E. Davies
North American T-6 Peter C. Smith
Panavia Tornado Andy Evans
Petlyakov Pe-2 Peshlw Peter C. Smith
V-Bombers Barry Jones
\, Vickers VC10 Lance Cole
Vought F4U Corsair Martin W. Bowman
I:)~cl
The Crowood Press
First published in 2004 by
The Crowood Press Ltd
Ramsbury, Marlborough
Wiltshire SN8 2HR
www.crowood.com
6 7
TIlE FIR TOE TIlE FIRST 0 E
Vickers and Aircraft a requirement for a 24- eat airliner 'pow_ w uld abl to carry a 7,5001b (3,400kg) 1946, outlining a definitive Brabazon lIB
-------------------- ered by four gas turbine engines driving pa I d over a 1,040-mile (l,670km) aircraft. The final specification confirmed
As long-standing suppliers of munitions, ships and other hardware to the British armed runs or were one-off projects which were spin-offs from military contracts. For the most ,Iltscrews'. Another propo ai, Brabazon rang, rui ing at 297mph (478km/h) at the Mini try's requirement for:
forces, the Vickers-Armstrongs group of engineering companies had taken an Interest part, military designs took up most of the company's time, amore notable exception being IIA, was for a imilar- ized aircraft pow- 20, ft (6,000m). The aircraft' estimated
in the design and production of aircraft since their military potential had been recog- the development of the civil Rl00 rigid airship.
ered by piston engines, This was eventual- gr wight wa 24,500Ib (1l,100kg), and • A hort-to-medium-range tran port air-
nized in the early years of the twentieth century. The company had become involved in The Second World War saw Vickers-Armstrongs producing large numbers of Welling-
early airship designs, mostly for military applications, as far back as 1908. This work ton and Warwick bombers, small numbers of which were also produced in modified ver-
ly to be produced by the Air peed Compa- i dubie-bubble fuselage would have a craft powered by four turbine engine.
led to an interest in also developing aeroplanes. sions as wartime transports. By its acquisition of the Supermarine Company, in ny as the AS57 Ambassador. abin 4ft (l.2m) wide, with the floor line at • A 24- eater with pOSSible conversion to
Initially, aeroplane projects were studied at the Vickers plant at Erith in Kent. with Southampton, Vickers 'inherited' the famous Spitfire fighter, which the company contin- The Brabazon IIA and lIB specifications the ammon chord to the two circular ec- 28 seat.
design offices in Vickers House in Broadway, Westminster, London. Eventually a new ued to develop throughout the war years. As the war progressed and the Allied victory were devised with a view to providing an ti n . Th fuselage would be 63.7ft (l9.4m) • Freight capacity to be 274sq ft (25.5sq m).
aviation department was established at Brooklands, near Weybridge in Surrey, in 1915, became more likely, Vickers took more of an interest in the proposed civil products. Stud- early, yet more sophisticated, replacement long, th wingspan 88ft (26.8m) and the • pecified noi e level not to be more
where a great deal of the early experimental work was undertaken. Brooklands also ies of more radical conversions of its wartime bomber types eventually led to the propos- for the rather basic Viking. Vickers-Arm- wing area 60sq ft (80sq m). than 60 decibels in the cabin and 70
became home for a Vickers-run civil flying school that was to become well known as a ing of a 'Wellington Continental' airliner. This was to be refined to become the Vickers strongs' chief designer, Rex Pierson, had decibel in the flight d ck.
centre for innovation and pioneering efforts. VCl Viking, based on the Wellington but incorporating a new fuselage with a spacious appeared before the second meeting of the • The working differentials pressure to be
After peace returned, Vickers continued to concentrate mainly on military projects. The passenger cabin, and powered by two Bristol Hercules radial engines.
company's work on large military transport aircraft as well as trainers and fighters saw The 21 -passenger Viking entered service with the then fledgling British European
Brabazon Committee in December 1944, Changes at the Top and 6~lb/sq in (3 1.7 kg/ q m), with lib
where progre s on the Viking and its possi- on the Drawing Board (0.45kg) of fresh air per minute at all
some interwar civilian spin-offs, such as the Vimy Commercial, Vulcan, Viastra, Vellox and Airways (BEA) on 1 September 1946, and also won a number of important export sales
Vanguard airliners. However, actual production of all these types was very limited. The to customers in such far-flung regions as the Middle East. India and South America.
ble successor were examined. At another height. There was to be individual
all-metal Viastra won a handful of export sales to Australia and was selected to equip Although only ever intended as an 'interim' front-line airliner, the rugged Viking and its meeting, in March 1945, between the Min- Pierson wa promoted to chief engineer for cold-air supply to passenger, and
the fledgling Royal Flight of the RAF. The others enjoyed either small production military versions, the Valetta and Varsity, gave many years of service to their users. istry of Aircraft Production (MAP), the all fVickers-Annstrongs Ltd in September humidity was to be controllable bet-
Ministry of Civil Aviation and the main 1945. Hi place as chief designer was taken ween 40 per cent and 60 per cent.
airline operators, the British Oversea Air- by George Edwards, who had previously • Emergency oxygen for the crew wa
ways Corporation (BOAC) and Railway been the Experimental Works Manager. required.
Air Service (RA ), it was concluded that Edwards took over the general control of the • The aircraft wa to be capable of carry-
a contract to develop the Brabazon lIB VC2 design until Pierson died uddenly in ing a 7,5001b (3,400kg) payload for 700
would probably be awarded to Vickers. 1948. From then on, Edward a umed total nautical miles (800 mil /l ,290km) at
oon after this meeting Vickers designers technical control of the project. 240kt (275mph/440km/h) at 20,000ft
submitted several proposals of their own Ministry of Supply (MoS) Specification (6,000m). Total fuel capacity was to be
options for the Brabazon lIB to the MAP. 8/46 was i sued to Vicker on 17 April for a 1,200-mile (l,930km) range, and
On 19 April 1945 the company was for-
mally in tructed to proceed with it
Brabazon Type lIB de ign studies,
8 9
TilE FIRST ONE THE FIRST ONE
the aircraft had to be capable of cruising Viceroy t D rt power, and with confirma- British airlines, Imperial Airways and he at ortholt, an RAF aerodrome we t of
at 30,000ft (9,10001). tion f the ev ntllal engine preference the British Airways Ltd. Throughout the war
years BOA had kept the country in phys-
London. On 1 August the European Divi-
'Ion was reconstituted and renamed the
VIKING
• Specified stalling speed was to be 70kt aircraft was r designat d the V630, and its
(80mph/130km/h with flaps and under- name was al 0 changed, to Viscount. This ical contact, under great difficulties, with British European Airways Corporation
carriage down, and the take-off distance was seen as politically expedient, as India the rest of the Allied world, as well a with (BEA), becoming a new government-
was to be l,200yd (1,10001) with all had ju t been granted independence from some important neutral ports of call. owned airline in its own right. On th sep-
engines operating, but the aircraft also Britain and the imperial post of Viceroy of At the war's end BOAC was able to ,Irate emergence of BEA, no fewer than
had to be able to take off with one India no longer exi ted. reopen service to a newly liberated Europe, twenty-one D -3s were in use and, a
engine cut. The landing run was to be and a specialist division began operations month later, the first of seventy-five new
1,200yd (1,10001). on 1 February 1946. The new European Vickers Vikings ordered for the carrier )
Division of BOAC took over route previ- l'ntered service.
• Seats had to be readily removable for BOAC to BEA ously operated by No. 110 Wing, RAF
freight conversion.
• Specified floor loadings: Passengers Changes were also taking place regarding Transport Command. A handful of Douglas
1001b/sq ft (488kg/sq 01), freight the primary customer at which the new DC-3 Dakotas, many till in wartime RAF oubts at BEA
1501b/sq ft (730km/sq 01). aircraft was aimed. Originally constituted camouflage and with their recently
• Operating costs were to be estimated at in 1940, BOA had been formed as a gov- demobbed crews mostly still wearing RAF Even during the changeover from BOAC
2Yzd per capacity ton-mile, assuming a ernment-owned airline by the merger of uniform, were to form the core of the oper- to BEA, officials at the new corporation
3,000hr annual utilization. the operations of the two main pre-war ation. The new division' main base was to were still expressing doubts as to the oper-
ational viability of a revolutionary, Dart- L
powered aircraft. In response to their con-
However, before the final contract could o CaI)tAin D Dir«tlol\.liJ1dluG 10011 m ....
PllMCll.I;ltr baA"ge stowed in I,old, IIl1dcr
b signed, significant changes were agreed cerns, Vickers produced studies involving o Fil'810fficer IJ Itoor lI&h~
1m Airilltllke
upon. As a re ult of consultations with several different engine combinations, II Iladio equipment II!] Suubli.nd
potential airline customers, a need was some of them even more innovative, I] Radio OffiCCf m Ught luggage rack ID Uri,loJ lIerc.uJe. Mol cnglJle, 14 cyl., 2:
row &I~vo ..lvII rtulilll O'toJ.118
mcluding four Naiads, two Naiads, or two EJ Pullm311lAble- inCOC'poratillg ..htMly' ,lid IE Steward', pa~I'7 Outpul 770 b.II'II.
now seen for a larger 32-seater. The fuse- ;lIdi"idllnllAblu
lage would be lengthened from 65ft 6in Darts inboard and two Nene turbojets out- m C61t111itlouvre III Toilet mJ St~wltrd call bullon lithl ...·itdt
board (and vice versa). o RelllLing light ill hClidrat III f;ntrallCCl lIo9r 1m Ufebeh lIowlle:e untler telll
(19.9601) to 74ft 6in (22.701), with an
appropriate increase in wingspan to 89ft BEA's choices for a DC-3 and Viking
(27.101). This increased the possible pay- replacement were not confined to the pro- The Viking offered basic but comfortable accommodation for BEA's early passengers
gressively varied versions of the Brabazon on its main routes. Nonetheless, the airline was very keen to introduce a modern
load to the required thirty-two passengers.
lIB designs being offered by the manufac- replacement to help attract traffic from its rivals. AuthOr's collection
As, at the time, the Armstrong Siddeley
Mamba still appeared to making better turer in increasingly desperate attempts to
progress than the Rolls-Royce Dart, the keep the airline's attention. The Airspeed
engine nacelles were designed to take either The DC-3 comprised the backbone of the BEA fleet when the airline was formed from AS57 Ambassador, developed from the
engine. The higher gross weight of the new BDAC's European Division in 1946. Global Air Image Brabazon llA requirement, also had much smaller designs, some experience with the Amba sador's 282mph (454km/h),
version was to be 38,1701b (17,325kg), later support at BEA. Not least, it found favour larger airframes was gained by Airspeed Airspeed calculated that thi would only
increased to 39,5001b (17,930kg). among more conservative elements in during wartime production of the Horsa result in an 18min saving in overall journey
Thi much-modified VC2 design was BEA's management because of its use of troop-carrying glider. time over an 800-mile (1 ,290km) routeing.
given the Vickers type number 609 and two much more conventional Bristol Cen- After the war the company continued to In addition, the Ambassador could carry 15
named the Viceroy. The MoS finally taurus piston engines. concentrate on its established market, pro- per cent more payload over 800 miles
ordered two V609 prototypes in December ducing the Consul light-twin transport, (1,290km), 21 per cent over 1,000 mile
1946, to be built at Vickers' experimental developed from its established Oxford (1,600km) and 30 per cent over 1,150
works at Foxwarren. A new study of alter- Airspeed versus Vickers design. All the while, though, Airspeed miles (1,850km). Air peed also claimed
native powerplants for the aircraft, in was working on its own Brabazon llA pro- that the Amba sador would require less
March 1947, saw the MoS confirm its cur- Although no way matching the giant posal. Despite having only limited experi- fuel. The Viscount was estimated by Air-
rent preference for the Mamba. Nonethe- Vickers-Armstrongs concern in size or ence in building larger ailframes, Airspeed speed to need 10,9951b (4,990kg) offuel for
less, less than five months later the Min- financial strength, Airspeed Ltd of produced an impressive and very attractive a 1,000-mile (1,600km) flight, compared
istry underwent a change of heart, and Christchurch, Hampshire, gave the larger de ign in the AS57 Ambassador. Original- with the Ambassador' 6,3801b (2,900kg).
instructions were issued to Vickers to company a lot to worry about in the race ly envisaged as a thirty-seater, powered by This difference was mainly accounted for
install Darts, first on just one of the aircraft, for BEA's Brabazon Type II orders. Air- two Bristol Hercules, the initial design pro- by the higher fuel reserves required by the
and later on the other as well. This change speed had made its name in the pre-war posal soon grew, mainly as a result of con- turboprop.
was prompted by significant progres at years as a producer of smaller light trans- sultations with the Brabazon Committee
Rolls-Royce, the company having effec- port and military training aircraft, such as and potential operators. The increase in
tively redesigned and upgraded its original the Courier, Envoy and Oxford twin- size called for larger engines, which led to Debut
Dart engine. The new version of the Dart engine types. During the war, in 1940, the the eventual selection of the more power-
made its first flight attached, as an addi- de Havilland Aircraft Company had ful eighteen-cylinder Bristol Centaurus. The Viscount versus Ambassador competi-
tional engine, to the nose of an Avro Lan- acquired a majority shareholding in Air- Airspeeds' engineers and designers claimed tion steadily increased, both manufactllrers
caster bomber. Two Darts were also later speed, though the latter maintained a several important performance advantages trying to meet BEA's requirements as close-
fitted to a Wellington, as its sole source of The RAF station at Northolt, west of london, was adapted to serve as BEA's main
great deal of independence as a sub idiary for the Ambassador over the Viscount. For ly as they could. Proposals and counter-
power, to great effect. The success of the base. Not only BEA but several European operators flew into Northolt until the early company of the larger concern. Despite example, though the Viscount's 310mph proposals were batted back and forth
new Dart prompted the MoS to switch the 1950s, when more facilities were made available at Heathrow. BEA via author the company's pre-war preoccupation with (500km/h) cruising speed was faster than between George Edwards at Vickers, the
70 77
THE FIRST 0 E
THE FIRST ONE
by two entaurus engines. This hybrid trationG-AHRF. On the morningof16July live up to its promise. The failure of the Junkers Ju 52s, thirteen Avro 19s and no
various government ministries concerned Tudor had left BSAA with an uncompeti- fewer than forty-five D.H.89 Rapide
design would be capable of being re- Vickers chief test pilot, J. 'Mutt' umm rs,
and BEA executives. Following a meeting tlve and hopelessly uneconomic fleet of biplanes, as well a small collection of most-
engined with ~ ur Darts at a later date. with J.R. 'Jock' Btyce as c pil t, took
of the Interdepartmental Civil Aircraft 'Illterim' Avro Lancastrians, converted ly highly unsuitable types. The unpopular Ju
The fu lag of the first V630 was even- G-AHRF into the air for the first tim. The
Requirements Committee on 16 August from the Lancaster wartime bomber, and 52s, which had been passed to RAS as war
tually compl ted at Foxwarren. Tran ferred V630 Viscount was the forty-third proto-
1947, Vickers even seriously considered unpressurized York. BSAA was unable to reparations, and the small, uneconomic
to Vickers' Wisley facility for final assembly, type aircraft Summers had taken on its first
BEA's proposal at the meeting for building lOmpete with foreign operators equipped Avro 19s were disposed of as soon as possi-
the first complet Vi count was rolled out in flight. He commented after th flight that:
an interim aircraft based on the V630 air- with more modern aircraft, and this led ble. These had mo tly been based at RAS's
June 1948, having been allocated the regis- 'It was the smoothest and be t I have ever
frame, but with a larger wing and powered directly to the forced merger with BOAC. main base at Croydon, the original London
flown'. The only reported fault aft r the
brief first flight was a faulty fuel-flow gauge. Airport, in Surrey. BEA eventually tran -
With only fifteen test-flying hours ferred all the Croydon services to Northolt.
(albeit very promising hours) in its log- EA's Inheritance The absorption of the smaller, domestic
book, G-AHRF was shown off to great carriers had been a complicated affair for
effect at the 1948 Society of Briti h Air- The ten airlines absorbed by BEA under BEA, and resulted in the fledgling airline
craft Constructors' (SBAC) show at Farn- nationalization were Allied Airways (Gan- being presented with a meandering,
borough in September. The aircraft's spir- dar Dower), Channel Island Airways, Great uneconomic network, much of it uncon-
ited Farnborough appearance attracted a Western & Southern Airlines, Highland Author's collection nected with th main route system. Such a
great deal of press coverage, as well as a Airways, Isle of Man Air Services, North network stood little chance of making any
degree of initial interest from other poten- Eastern Airways, RAS, Scottish Airway, money for BEA, especially in financially
tial airline customers. On 20 September West Coast Air Services and Western Isles governments of th autonomous Channel strapped post-war Britain.
G-AHRF made its international debut Airways. Of these, Highland Airways, Islands had al 0 tried to retain their own Following nationalization, BEA had
with a flight to Villacoublay in France. North Eastern Airways, West Coast Air Ser- airline's independence, but eventually had tried to rationalize the much-expanded
vices and Western Isles Airways were actu- been forced to bow to political pressure operation, cutting many routes in an
ally dormant by the time of the takeover. from the mainland. attempt to create a viable airline out of the
The absorption of the remaining com- The engineering and operations depart- multiple 'shot-gun marriages' forced upon
SEA's Challenge panies still had to be delayed until January ments of BEA encountered many problems it. Services to Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff,
The unusual, modern lines of the completed Viscount 630 prototype attracted interest BEA's apparent reluctance to commit itself 1947 whil the complicated details of the in trying to integrate this 'inherited' fleet Carlisle, the Isle of Man and Prestwick
as soon as it made its first appearances. Author's collection to either the Viscount or the Amba sador Illtegration were worked out. In the mean- with the BEA's DC~3s and Vikings. The air- were either severely reduced or dropped
was partly influenced by its own uncertain time the operating airlines continued to line now found itself the 'proud' owner of altogether. In addition, an unexpected
future. As well as being formed out of the fly their services on behalf of BEA. The two more DC-3s, eight German-built slump in air travel in 1947--48, following
old European Division of BOA ,under
nationalization, the infant BEA had
also been obliged to take over the opera-
tions of ten smaller, previously indepen-
dent scheduled British airlines. The newly
elected post-war socialist government had
embarked on mas nationalization of many
sectors of the country's commercial activi-
ties, and the scheduled airline companies
were prime targets. This was to affect the
airline industry, in ofar a all British
scheduled services were only to be operat-
ed by one of the three government airline
corporations: BOAC, which was to oper-
ate long-haul, worldwide services; BEA,
'Mutt' Summers and Jock Bryce took G-AHRF aloft on its first flight and saw the which would operate all domestic and
Viscount project finally airborne. Author's collection European routes; and the British South
American Airways Corporation (BSAA).
Specification - V.630 The last-named, BSAA, had originally
been formed as an independent operator
Powerplant: 4 x R.Da.1 Mk502 Dart but was nationalized under the new regu-
Weights: Empty basic equipment weight 27,OOOIb (12,200kg); maximum zero fuel weight 36,OOOIb
(16,300kg); maximum take-off weight 45,OOOIb (20,400kg); maximum landing weight
lations before it had began commercial
40,OOOIb (lB,100kgl; typical maximum payload 9,OOOIb (4.100kg). operations. It flew routes from London to
Length 74ft 6in (22.71 m); span B9ft (27 .13m); fin height 26ft 3in (Bml; wing area BB5sq ft the Caribbean and South America, but,
Dimensions:
(B222sq m). after a very turbulent and short existence,
Performance: Economic cruising speed 273mph (439km/h); maximum cruising speed 300mph (4BOkm/h); marred by numerous accidents and equip-
range with maximum payload 700 statute miles (l,130km). ment problems, BSAA was eventually
Average passenger taken over by BOAC. One of BSAA's
accommodation: 32 (all first class - high densityj major problems had been the failure of a The Convair CV240 attracted a great deal of interest, winning many orders from airline operators
new British airliner, the Avro Tudor, to worldwide, as well as in its native USA. Author's collection
12 13
THE FIRST 0 E
TilE FIRST ONE
10 July 1947. Vickers seriously had to con- engine, the R.Da.3, allowed the increase (C of A) on 15 September 1949, after 290hr
the post-war boom, had led to a number of sider the option of ceasing work on the Vi - in th aircraft's size, and Vickers was final- flying and more than 160 flights. Further
redundancies in BEA and a reduction of count altogether. However, with test flying ly nfident that it could to offer a design trials, covering pressurization, the de-icing
the Viking order. of the first V630 prototype well under way, mat hing BEA's requirements. systems and operation under tropical con-
The economic drain on BEA's limited work was continued on the project. George The prototype V630, G-AHRF, received ditions, followed over the next few months.
resources caused the airline to examine its Edwards, strongly supported by Vickers its initial Certificate of Airworthiness The pressurization system was tested up to
future fleet options very closely. Even so, a Aircraft Division managing dir ctor Sir
re-equipment decision was urgently needed. Hew Kilner, managed to keep the Viscount
After some initial de-icing problems, which alive, though the aircraft's future was in
had led to a short period of grounding, the some doubt for several months after the
Viking had finally proved itself a sturdy and loss of the BEA order. Nonetheless, the air-
reliable transport. However, BEA's rivals on line still encouraged Vickers to develop the
Europe's major routes were taking delivery design to meet its requirements, even with-
of much more modem rypes, and the Viking out placing a definite order.
was having increasing difficulry competing. Despite BEA's apparent preference for
The new Convair CV240, imported from piston engines, continuing improvements
the USA, was proving popular with the in the prototype turboprop's performance
newly re-emerging European airlines such as continued to keep the airline interested.
KLM, Sabena and wissair. Although its modern lines and turboprop power drew some attention, the Armstrong
Vickers eventually offered BEA the V 700,
Whitworth Apollo was far too small to be seriously considered for commercial
a forty-seater, stretched Viscount with big-
operation by BEA. Jenny Gradidge
ger wings and powered by a new, more
SEA's Shopping Lists powerful version of the Dart than the
R.Da.l fitted to the initial V630, which A large order for twenty of the attractive, yet still piston-powered, Airspeed
Despite the MoS's improved confidence in Cunliffe-Owen Concordia were all con- was now available. This higher-rated Ambassadors was placed by BEA in preference to the Vickers V.630 Viscount. MAP
the design and its placing of orders for the Armstrong iddeley Mamba engines that
powered it, finally ruled the Apollo out as tenders for the contract. A large order was
Dart-powered V630 prototypes, the air- actually placed for twenty-five Marathons,
line continued to hedge its bets even a year a commercial proposition.
though this was later reduced and eventu- The Jilt Viscount
after its formation. The MoS was also Even when the newly refined versions
of the Dart started to show significant ally cancelled altogether. In the end, of all The Ambassador order led to an initial slow-down on work on the second Viscount pro- Bolton Paul Aircraft and used to test its new flying control systems, flying from Defford.
actively supporting and promoting devel- these available options only a handful of
opment of Viscount rivals. As well as Air- improvement, BEA continued to delay totype, still being built at Foxwarren. Intended initially to be powered by four Dart tur- Further valuable research and test flying was undertaken for Louis Newmark Ltd and
making any firm commitment to the air- Herons were delivered as 'Rapide replace- boprops, like G~AHRF, the incomplete aircraft was fitted instead with a pair of wing- the Decca Navigator Company, operating once again, from 1957, from Seighford.
speed's Ambassador, Armstrong Whit- ments'. The somewhat primitive Rapide
craft, much to the continued frustration of mounted expenmental Rolls-Royce Tay jets. The resulting aircraft was to serve as a In 1958, while undertaking a research flighi for Decca, VX217 suffered a serious in·
worth in Coventry was developing its own biplanes, once earmarked for early dispos- flying test bed,for the new engine, instead of assisting in developing the airliner aspects flight fire in a wheel bay, following hydraulic failure. A safe landing was made, but the
turboprop airliner, the AW.55 Apollo. A Vickers and George Edwards. The airline
al, managed to remain in BEA service, of the alrcrafts onglnal deSign. In place of its originally allotted civil registration, G- fire had burnt through the main spar and the aircraft was declared a write-off. With
24-30-seat aircraft, the Apollo was even- was also examining its options for smaller
albeit in steadily declining number, until ARHG, the aircraft, now designated V.663, wore the military serial VX217. After final only 110hr 15min in its flight log, VX217 was broken up at Seighford during 1960.
tually cancelled as a commercial project aircraft to operate on the local services it assembly at Wisley it made its first flight, piloted by 'Jock' Bryce, on 15 March 1950.
had retained. The de Havilland Dove the mid-1960s.
after two prototypes had flown. Its smaller Amid all the upheaval of taking on and Only one public appearance was made by VX217, at the SBAC Display at Farnbor- The unique V.663 spent most of its existence out of the public eye, making important
capacity, and disappointment with the and Heron, the Miles Marathon and the ough In September 1950. Thereafter the aircraft was operated from Seighford in contributions to aeronautical research and the development of new equipment.
reorganizing the nationalized routes, as Staffordshire on research flights by the MoS. This unique aircraft was then leased to Jenny Gradidge
well as trying to develop the mainline air-
line operation, BEA's management faced a
daily struggle to survive and prove the air-
line was a viable concern. Unless BEA was
seen to have made the right equipment
choices, it would face severe scrutiny and
might well suffer the ignominy of a re-
merger back into BOAC. Just one expen-
sive mistake could well have proved fatal
for the airline's existence.
Y.630 Certification
and the Y. 700
Two days after the G-AHRF's triumphant
Villacoublay flight, on 22 September 1948,
Vicker' increasingly high hopes for the air-
craft were dealt a sudden, severe blow
when BEA's management finally signed a
£3 million contract for twenty Airspeed
BEA inherited a sizeable fleet of de Havilland D.H.89 Rapides from the UK operators it Ambassadors. The Ambassador prototype
was obliged to absorb. Several of these pre-war-designed biplanes were retained in
had made its first flight over a year earlier, on
the fleet for another twenty years on some local routes. MAP
15
14
THE FIRST ONE TilE FIRST 0 E
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ItLUGGA'(:~
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,,"""""""""
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arate Vickers-Superrnarine factorie ,on at
route between 15 and 23 Augu t, to carry
increa ed traffic on the ervice during that
U iLA'lJHCiW.TCH
1J00000s
D
14 n~ ~NCKAT
CHAJIl IloIClt IIUT
11 K.ItVIHGHA1CH~" outh Marston, which built the fu elage, year's Edinburgh Fe tival.
rs.~ CAatNn 2 .. K¥'0ll;....JUCC~
2i ~COHT.....u and the other at Itchen, where the wings By the time the Vi count was returned to
were built. The disparate parts were brought Vickers it had flown 1,815 scheduled pa -
together at Brooklands for final a embly in senger. The airline, whose crew had oper-
BEA titles and logos were applied to April 1950, and the first of the larger Vi - ated the aircraft, had been very impressed
G-AHRF for a number of demonstration counts, the V, 700, now registered G- by the new type's timeke ping in scheduled
and display flights. The forward cabin AMAV, made its maiden flight on 28 service, as well a its reliable erviceability.
area, behind the flight deck, could be August. Taking off from Brooklands, it land- The favourable publicity generated for
configured with a well-designed,
ed at Wisley, where the te t-flying pro- both BEA and the aircraft was invaluable
compact galley, as well as offering
gramme was to be ba ed. The fll elage of the to both airline and manufacturer. The pas-
extra baggage space and providing
access to some of the aircraft systems. new design was 7ft 4in (2.2m) longer than sengers lucky enough to find them elve on
Vickers via author that of the V,630, and its wing pan was Sft G-AHRF's flights showed great enthusiasm
(l.5m) greater. for the new aircraft with its revolutionary
76 77
Till' fiRST 0 E
TilE FIRST ONE
powerplant. The comparative smoothness shown th d y-to-day practicality of the Vis- A New Impetus Test equipment was often installed in the
of the flight and quierne of the cabin count d i , ially in term of engine cabins of both Viscount prototypes. G-AHRF and
came as a revelation to regular passengers. reliability nd of operation compared The final confirmation of the hard- ought G-AMAV. during trials. alongside the representative
It became a common trick on the V630 with th t bli heJ pi ton-powered airlin- BEA order gave a huge boost to th whole passenger interiors fitted for demonstration work.
Author's collection
flight to balance various items on tables ers. A w II i qui ter, much more com- Viscount programme, not to mention the
and trays in the pa enger cabin to show off fortable cabin, th Vi unt' large oval pa - collective m rale of Vicker -Arm trongs
the vibration-free ride. senger wind ws, off, ring panoramic views staff. The increasingly encouraging report
The European demonstration tour and even for tho e ated over the wing, gave from the flight-test programmes of the two
the u e of G-AHRF on BEA schedules had rise to much fav urable comment. busy prototype, G-AHRF and G-AMAV, The Loss of G-AHRF
enabled Vicker to build up an impre ive The flight-te t programme suffered a
portfolio of data to show to mor p tential major setback in August when G-AHRF
customers. The appetite of BEA had been wa 10 t during furth r trial in East Africa.
whetted by G-AHRF's encouraging per- In the course of a simulated forced landing
formance on the Paris and Edinburgh in the Sudan on 27 August 1952, the air-
route, and the airline wa eager t put the craft's undercarriage collapsed. Although
production mod Is into regular ervice a none of tho e on board uffered any serious
soon as possible. With both the Ambas- injury, the aircraft was very seriously dam-
sador and Viscount on order, BEA was aged and it was eventually decided that it
looking forward to finally being able oper- was unrecoverable and should be scrapped
ate a modern, commercially viable fle t.
The Viscount 700, G-AMAV, wa oon
undergoing a development and flight-test
programme similar to that already being BELOW: The V.630. G-AHRF. was despatched on various
trials once BEA had returned it to Vickers. On the
undertaken by V630 G-AHRE nce it had
trials services a mixture of Vickers and airline
gained enough flight-t t h ur ,th V 700
personnel would usually accompany the aircraft.
had impressed visitors to th 1950 BAC giving customers' staffs a chance to familiarize
show at Farnborough when it pem rmed a themselves with the aircraft. Author's collection
low-level fly-past with only engine operat-
ing. By October 1951 G-AMAV had flown
for 250hr, and it wa d patch d t Africa
for tropical trials. The opportunity was al 0
taken to demonstrate the air raft ro inter-
ested parties, including airline offi ial and
the local press, in alisbury, Johanne burg
and elsewhere en route. During th trials a
very satisfactory low oil con umption of
ll1gal per 1OOhr was achieved, and fu Icon-
sumption also returned exceptionally eco-
VISCOVNT!J@@ nomic figures.
March 1952 saw G-AMAV und rtaking
As so oflen before, British aircran designers show oncc again
Head-o" ...i• ..., showlnr Lh. twi" wh..11 ;a"d (he hI,h,sClt nil icing trials, and the aircraft wa awarded a
that aircraft call be buill to give still greater safety. comfort and pb.". which la..... ch. crim lettl", u";aff-.::t.d by cha"cel of
economy. From Vickers-Armstrongs comes lhe world's first "l,i". powff or ...,h." 10w"';"C th. f1;apl ;and u"der';'rriace.
normal C of A, excluding scheduled pas-
propeller turbine airliner-the Vickers Viscount 700. For sa/ely, senger operations, in June. Later that
the Viscount 700 has four Rolls·Royce 'Dart' engines using kero- month a demonstration and sales tour was
sene fuel; crash-prooflanks; twin wheels loeach undercarriage unit; undertaken, routeing via Malta, B irut,
thermal do .icing; and large double-slotted flaps making possible the Bahrein, Karachi, Delhi, Madra, Hyder-
use ofsmall undeveloped nirficlds. For comfort, there is a fully pressu-
abad and Bombay to Calcutta, before
rize~ air-conditioned cabin; the noise level has been reduced to a
figure never attained before and vibration almost eliminated. For
routeing back to Karachi. The journey
ecoftomy. the cruising speed IS 325 m.p.h -with a full load or 53 passen- home to Weybridge from Paki tan aw the
gcrs-giving a fuel consumption of 1.45 air miles per gaUon. aircraft calling at Baghdad, Bahrein,
Beirut, icosia, Ankara and Malta. This
VICKERS-ARMSTRONGS LIMITED A .. i..... ahowl"c part 01 chI cabl" wher. pun""rs g." relllll
i" quiet comfort " .... r befon 'ltp'';.nud in air cno.... I.
five-week tour introduced the Vis ount to
many important and influential airline
AIRClAFT SECTION' VICKERS HOUSE· BROAOWAY LONDON ENGLAND
and government official. uring the rest
of the summ r numerou flight were made
Early advertisements for the Viscount 700 used modified artists' impressions of to yprus, Gibraltar and Germany. As well
the V.630 and photographs of G-AHRF's interior as fitted for its BEA operation. as providing valuable data and ontinuing
Author's collection development and trial ervi e , the e trips
increasingly involved BEA r w members
familiarizing themselv with the aircraft.
18
19
TilE FIRST ONE
The Viscount 700 prototype. G-AMAV. prepared the way for the production models of the Viscount. which
were finally poised to enter service after several years of design development. Vickers via author
20 27
UP A GEAR
UP A GEAR
22 23
P A GEAR UP A GEAR
-
The fir t sale to a Commonwealth country
wa confirmed with an order for six Vis- £15,000 less expensive than a Convair.
counts, later increased to seven, for Tran VH'TAO
24 25
UP A GEAR
UP A GEAR
with detachable wing-tip. The flap and per minute could be delivered at ZS,OOOft tility with Simplicity tarboard side, allowed baggage and freight
• The incorporation of much more Amer- The Basi aileron w re metal-covered, each half- (7,600m). Any altitude between sea I vel handling to continue while pas enger were
ican-designed and -produced equipment. span consi ting of three section . When and S,200ft (l,600m) could be selected for Thr ba ic passenger-seating layouts were boarded using one or other of the main
• The air-conditioning coop on the Although, at 1 a t xternally, the Vi count
retracted, the double-slotted flaps howed the comfort of the occupants. De-icing of originally devi ed for the Viscount 700. doors on the port side. The other main door
under ide of the fuselage wa fitted flush, 701s of BEA, th 707 of Aer Lingu , the
no projection at all, giving exceptional the wing and tail unit was by air heated Th original standard four-abrea t, forty- could be u ed for galley servicing at the
replacing the original projecting scoop. 708s of Air France and all the other Vis-
aerodynamic efficiency. On the tailplane through heat exchangers. eater, a 48- at layout, ti II four-abreast same time, depending on the layout chosen.
• An integral heating system was installed, count 700 u tomer variant to follow
and elevators the moveable surfaces The twin-wheel undercarriage wa but with r duced seat pitch, and another Also on the tarboard side were external
and the soundproofing further improved. were identical, ach could be adapted, in
accounted for almost half the urface area. designed by Vickers and offered with a 48-seat arrangement with the original big- servicing connections for draining the lava-
• The weight of the aircraft was increased it own way to uit it purchaser's needs.
Two groups of eight fuel tank fed the choice of Goodyear or Dunlop wheel, anti- ger eat pitch but five-abreast seating and a tory and replenishing the water tank. All
to 60,0001b (27,OOOkg). The multitude of po sible modifications
four Darts. Made to a flexible bag design, skid units and brake plates. Hydraulic narrower ai leo Other seating variation the normal aircraft servicing panels were
• Even more powerful MkS06 Dart engines and adaptation w r , nonetheless, based
the tanks were ecured to the inner wing operated the raising and lowering of the were soon being proposed. The earliest located where they could be reach d with-
were installed. on a core design. main and nose undercarriage, the brakes production models were fitted with galleys out the use of ladders or platforms.
The aerodynamic formula for the air- structure to prevent their collapse when
empty. A cross-feed pipe, with a hut-off and the nosewheel steering. These systems at the front and lavatories at the rear. This The Dart engines' low-slung installa-
A number of the design improvements craft was till very much based on the
cock, connected both sides. A long-range were duplicated. The nosewhecl steering was later adapted for some cu tomers, being tion wa especially useful for any mainte-
specifically incorporated for TCA soon Viking, the wing having a similar taper and
tank was also fitted, feeding its content to was operated by two small handwheels on installed the opposite way round, and the nance required during the turn-round,
became options or, in many cas s, standard the tail sutface being a refined, developed,
the other tank and not directly to the the flight deck, one for each pilot. forward, main deck, baggage compartment helping to keep any last-minute technical
design features on later production air- version of tho e of the earlier aircraft, hav-
engines. The fuselage was built up with The electrical system was run from a could also be adapted to provide carry-on delays to a minimum. The engines, their
craft. The improved Viscounts offere I ing a di tinctive Vickers style and shape.
closely-spaced frames, carrying stringers to generator on each engine, stabilized by a luggage space. Alternatively it could be mountings and propellers made up inter-
greater efficiency, flexibility and economy However, pressurization had dictated a cir-
which the kin was attached. Flush riveting carbon-pile regulator which deliver d Z8V deleted altogether to provide space for changeable powerplant units. The whole
of operation over the arlier version, and cular rather than oval fuselage cross-sec-
was used on all external surfaces, except at to four Z4V batteries. An electrical actua- another row of seats, with the bulkhead assembly could be easily removed, ither
aroused the interest of many more poten- tion. The stressed- kin tructure of the
joints in the pressure kin, where mush- tor extended landing lights on the wing, moved forward. Combined cargo/passenger for regular maintenance or for an in- er-
tial cu tomers for Vickers. wing also betrayed its Viking origins. The
room-headed rivets were used. Cabin pres- and de-icing lights were al 0 provided to loads could also be catered for, by allocat- vice engine change, though the propell rs
wing compri ed three section, a centre
surization was run from the blow rs, con- illuminate the wing. In the event of a cra h ing the forward cabin to freight loads, mov- were u ually removed first for convenience
section, two inner plan ,which carried
The Viscount's fuel and water methanol systems nected to the engines; 66lb (30kg) of air an inertia switch cut out the g nerator sys- ing the forward bulkheads back and fitting and ea e of handling.
were grouped in the aircraft's wings. the engine nacelles, and two outer planes
tem and isolated a battery, which contin- strengthened floor panels forward of them. For less drastic maintenance, the cowling
Vickers via author ued to provide emergency cabin lighting. As much as possible, the Viscount was doors were connected and hinged behind
designed for swift turn-rounds and ease of the firewall. By releasing toggle fasteners,
servicing. The three cargo-hold doors, one the top and bottom panels of the nacelles
The forty-passenger first-class configuration was on the upper starboard fu elage erving the swung up or down respectively and clipped
just one of several cabin layouts available to rearmost hold, and two others on the lower to catches on the wing, exposing the entire
Viscount customers. Vickers via author fuselage, either side of the wing, also on the engine for servicing or removal. mall
..............
fLOAT S'tnTCH j
HIGH pQ(S$lIlE
(HG1N£ COCK
PR(SSUAE "'OAT
VALV[S
REu<F
VfJL'I£
/
--~.----
LOW P'flESSUAE
FllTt.A
_----.-J L--'
~.===dj;~~~~~====-===-='
27
26
UP A GEAR UP A GEAR
Initially, twenty-two experienced BEA by fl xible period of route flying and fur- address system. Cabin crews had to be
captains and twenty-two of the airlin ' th r typ tr ining before receiving the Vis- instructed in its correct u e, allowing a
first officers were selected for Viscount mt nd r ement on their licence . First much more civilized method of communi-
training. A remarkable 99 per cent of offi r r ceived 5Yzhr of type training cation with the passengers. At last they
those eligible to apply for conversion had b f, r b ginning their own route flying to would no longer have to hout their safety
done so, giving the new Viscount FIe t mIt th ir conversion to the Vis- briefings to make themselve heard above
Captain, AS. Johnson, previously with unt, The aim was to have between ten the infernal din of piston engines revving
the Dart Development Unit, a choice of and fourteen complete crews fully trained up. As well as operational staff, the airline'
the best pilots in the corporation. Eight- and ready to inaugurate services by the sales and marketing force had to be
week ground courses for the pilots includ- b ginning of April 1953. instructed on the aircraft's features and start
ed a week studying the Viscount's elec- Radio officers, cabin crews, engineers and to sell the Viscount to the travelling public.
tronic system at Northolt. That was all the other BEA staff who would soon be Once the Heathrow engineering base
followed by three weeks at the Vickers involved in the aircraft's operation, all wa open, the engineering staff soon ettled
Aircraft Servicing School, followed by two received their own training on the Viscount. into its fficient new surroundings. The
ROLl,S'ROYCE weeks with Rolls-Royce, studying engine
SLINGING
The engineers and electrician al 0 attended new building was ready by March 1952, and
B!\!\M. handling data. A week' revision saw the technical courses at the Vickers Aircraft Ser- BEA began the mammoth task of moving
course ending with a furth r we k on the vicing School. The Viscount innovations to the Northolt maintenance operation the
Decca simulator. Captains then w nt which BEA's personnel had to become few mile south to Heathrow. The new base
through 9Yzhr of type conversion, followed accustomed included the on-board public had an area of no Ie s than 458,405sq ft
1. Captain's Seat MAIN INSTRUMENTS The mostly trouble-free nature of the Viscount 701 's initial training and route-proving As with the original Imperial flight the all-first-class refined cabin service featured
2. First Officer's Seat 17. Engine Gauges
'It 18. Instrument Flying Panel period made a welcome change for BEA when compared with that of the Airspeed gourmet meals. The Elizabethan's passenger capacity was restricted to forty, instead of
FLYING CONTROLS 19. CL2 Compass Master Indicator Ambassador a year before. The first production aircraft began to be delivered to BEA the more usual forty-seven or forty-nine. The Silver Wing flight was actually slowed to
'3. Control Column (including Aileron and 20. Magnetic Compass
Elevator Controls and Handbrake for 21. VHF Radio Control Knobs from Airspeed for training and route-proving flights in September 1951. A period of 90min to allow a leisurely champagne luncheon to be served to the elite clientele by
Undercarriage Main Wheels) 22. Automatic Direction Finding Equipment
'4. Rudder Pedals (with Toe Brakes for ad hoc schedules followed on the Heathrow-Paris route, the aircraft replac- three experienced cabin crew. Air France introduced its own rival prestige
23. Decca Navigator Equipment
Undercarriage Main Wheels)
ANCILLARY CONTROLS
ing the Vikings normally assigned to the service. flight on the Paris-London route, though this was operated by its
'It S. Elevator Trim Wheel
6. Aileron Trim Switchc!i 24. Panel for Propeller Feathering Buttons, Unfortunately the initial Ambassadors suffered from numerous unpressurized, piston-powered Douglas DC-4s. Named The Epicure-
ElNGlNE SiANO Fire \Varning Lights and Switches, Fuel
7. Rudder Trim Unit technical problems, often centred on their electrical and radio sys- an', this was also a revival of a pre-war luxury service.
8. Flap Control Flowmclcrs, etc.
9. Control Locking Lever 25. Panel for Undercarriage Indicators, tems. This resulted in them being returned to Airspeed in attempt Even on this second attempt the Elizabethan fleet was ini-
Flap Indicator, etc.
ABOVE: Easy access to the Dart engines for line maintenance, regular ENGINE CONTROLS 26. Panel for Fuel Conlents Gauges and Rate to cure the faults. At the end of March 1952 six Ambassadors tially plagued by more technical difficulties. However, solutions
servicing or even a complete engine change, was a popular feature 10. Throttles of Fuel Flow Indicators were finally ready to enter full-time scheduled service with BEA, were soon found as more experience with the type was accu-
11. High Prossure Fuel Cocks 27. ockpit Lighting Controls
of the Viscount design. Vickers via author 12. Low Pressure Fuel Cocks 28. Automatic Pilot over ayear late. By the end of the year the Ambassador, or 'Eliz- mulated, and the aircraft finally started to leave its teething
13. Fuel Controls 29. Sporry Zero Reader Controls abethan class', as BEA rechristened the aircraft, was operating problems behind. Eventually the Elizabethans built up a popu-
14. Fuel Trimmers '30. Radio Selector Switches
The Viscount's flight-deck layout was only one aspect of the
RIGHT: UNDERCARRIAGE CONTROLS ACCESSORIES
from Heathrow to Athens, Copenhagen, Milan, Paris, Rome, lar following with crews and passengers. When the last of the
new aircraft with which potential crews had to become familiar IS. Undercarriage Lever *3L Sun Visor Stockholm, Vienna and Zurich. The Elizabethan chalked up one order were delivered, in 1953, they were also to be seen on
* 16. Nosewheel Steering Wheel *32. Wind!icreen Wiper
during type-conversion training. Author's collection 'These items are duplicated on porr (left) and starboard (right) sides
particular success with the reintroduction of the prestige Silver routes from Heathrow to Amsterdam, Brussels, Cologne. Dussel-
Wing service. This daily flight operated between Heathrow and Paris dorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Malta, Manchester and Nice. Manchester-
from June 1952, with a 1pm departure from either end of the route. Birmingham-Paris and Manchester-Dusseldorf passengers also
BEA's predecessor, Imperial Airways, had originally introduced the Silver enjoyed the elegant comforts of the new fleet.
particularly impressive when compared with Wing service in the pre-war era. Author's collection
access panels on the engine nacelle allowed first production Viscount 701, G-ALWE,
the inspection and checking of items such a spent most of its time, from January 1953, BEA's previous Viking journey time from
the gearbox oil level without having to open on intensive training and familiarization Northolt of 3hr 15min.
the main cowlings. Pressure-fuelling cou- sorties. It often operated for lOhr a day, The Ambassador and Vi count were
plings were located on the outboard side of
each of the two outboard nacelles, allowing
refuelling to be completed in seven minutes.
with up to thirty landings, many of the
training flights being made with only three
or two engines operating, in various com-
among the first commercial aircrafr for
which functional flight-deck imulators
were extensively used for pil t training.
_-_ .......... ,.._.....
40001000...-..0..,.,,... _ _
"'~~
It transpired that oil consumption on the binations, as crews learnt to handle the BEA in talled new Decca Navigator simula- ~ _
>l :;;.:::: ~;...........
turboprops was negligible, topping-up aircraft in as many different conditions tors for both types, much of th initial crew The Elizabethan class
between flights rarely being necessary. and circumstances as possible. conversion work being carried out on them. offered unprecedented
On 22 January G-ALWE set an official In addition to both aircraft being new and passenger comfort for
speed record from London to Cologne much more modern, in many instance it its day. Despite early
.....,-.,.. ...
mostly concerned with
its advanced electrical
tions. On another occasion, newly-deliv- altitude, pressurized aircraft. The extensive
Throughout early 1953, a the prototype
and fir t production Viscounts built up the
flying hours to the figure requir d for full
ered Viscount 701 G-AMNY operated a
London-Geneva proving flight in less than
two hours. This compared with Swissair's
u e of electrical control and much more
modern instrumentati n intr du ed the
crews, accustomed to the d idedly more
.......
"--'~""'-
_--.-' , 0
-__.,_ _,_._,..Nl..._.
.... ...
~
....... " . . .....,.
,.....,III.ISfOlU...,.......""'.11NGINU
1O....
~
systems, the aircraft
soon gained a popular
following on many
certification, an increa ing amount of fly- prestige services.
ing time could be allocated to BEA's crew- scheduled time of 2hr 10min using onvair basic comforts of the D -3 and Viking, to a Author's collection
training and type-conversion plans. The CV-240s. The Viscount's performance was whole new era of piloting.
28 29
UP A GEAR UP A GEAR
~
.~-
.....
....
...... _-
However, the seat pitch
remained the same as the
_
.
~
~o; ~:-.::...~.:. four-abreast layout, still
66~t\..,..---- allowing a great deal of leg
room, and the overall effect
was still one of spaciousness
compared with the Vikings
and DC-3s. Author's collection
(42,586sq m), divided into ten aircraft bays. new layout before entering full commercial The Elizabethans were one of the few
Five of these were ready in 1952, the service. Although seating extra passengers, instances when the BEA class name actu-
remaining bays coming into use during the new configuration was achieved with ally stuck. The type became known a the
1953. The innovative equipment installed no loss of legroom, imply by replacing the Elizabethan, or even 'The Lizzie', almo t a
includ d an engine iervicing cradle that original four-abrea t eat with a 2-3, five- much as by its original name, ven after
could be moved arouJld, with an engine in abreast layout. Sch duled service entry was BEA ceased using it. In most other cases, ABOVE: Viscount G-AMOG carried BEA's first revenue
it, by just one engineer. This, and other, planned for April 1953, and six Vi count especially with the Viscount, the last BEA loads by V.701 in April 1953, on scheduled freight
purpo e-built new engineering items was 701s were expected to be on hand to begin type to be renamed in this way, the new services. SEA via author
designed by Mr ]. ]. Gibbons, BEA's manag- commercial operation. name was almost universally ignored out-
er in charge of de ign and procurement of In the same way that the Ambassador had side the airline itself. With the Vi count,
equipment, and built Jy Bramber Engineer- been renamed the Elizabethan cla ,BEA the aircraft' own fame and reputation ~
ing Ltd. All of the Northolt-based engi-
neering work, except some electrical and
instrum nt work hop', which remained at
had plans to rename the Viscount the Di -
covery class. The Elizabethan all carried
the names of notable figure from the six-
from day one almost ensured the quiet
dropping of the Discovery classification,
even, eventually, within BEA.
J. Whittaker. Attending to the pa engers
were steward L. Melton and the airline's
chief stewardess, Pamela Rome. This flight
BEA
INTER ATIONAL
orth It for the time being, had been teenth-century reign ofQu en Elizabeth the was actually only a BEA ervice as far a SERVICES
transferred by April 17. Many of the more First, and the Discovery class Viscounts were Athens. On arriving at the Greek capital
scattered resources around the south of given names of important Briti h discover- Into Scheduled Service that afternoon the flight became a Cyprus
England were al 0 relocated to Heathrow, ers and explorers. This trend had started Airway service onwards to Nicosia, under
greatly improving efficiency. early in BEA's exi tence with most aircraft Although it did not attract the publicity of a charter agreement with BEA. This
Happily, despite the intensity of the types being 'r christen d' by BEA for its the later scheduled passenger services, the arrangement had also applied to the previ-
training and route-proving services, the own marketing purposes. Subsequently the first actual Viscount 700 revenue-earning ous El izabethan service on the route.
engineers and technical staff were Rapides became known as Islander class, the flight took place on 2 April 1953. On that Cyprus Airways operated a mall fleet of
impre ed by the lack of technical prob- short-lived, unpopular] u 52 were ]upiters, day the newly delivered V.701 G-AMOG six D -3s of its own on local flights from
lems. The very unfamiliarity of the new the OC-3s eventually became Pionairs (or Robert Falcon Scou, flew as a ub titute for Nicosia to neighbouring Mediterran an
engine sh uld have cen many more prob- even Pionair Leopard for the freighter DC- one of the Dart Dakotas on the cheduled and Middle Eastern destinations. Thu ,
lems arising daily, but even minor troubles 3s!) and the Vikings had latterly been London-Rome-Athens-Nicosia route, car- Cyprus Airways was, technically, the sec-
with the fairly unproven Darts, and the air- renamed Admirals when operated in a new rying cargo. More scheduled freight ser- ond commercial operator of the Vi count.
craft in general, were few and far between. all-tourist-class configuration. vices were operated by G-AMOG over the After G-AMNY opened the Viscount _ "OUTU O"lNITlO I f aLA
The first of the production Viscount following weeks, on revenue cargo-carry- passenger service to Cyprus, the other
701s to be delivered, G-ALWE, had been ing flights to Istanbul following a similar deliver d V. 701s soon began earning their
Viscount or Discovery? briefly flown back to th Vicker plant at route via Rome and Athens, as well as keep for BEA on scheduled ervices. With
Wisley on 11 February 1953, where the more icosia services. new aircraft coming down the Weybridge In the 1950s BEA's expanding route system encompassed most of Western Europe
The fir t three production Viscount 701s wife of BEA's chairman, Lady Douglas, The flight that was to grab mo t of the production line, even more BEA pa en- and reached as far as North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean, in addition to the
were d livered to BEA with a first-class, officially christened it RMA Discovery as media attention, however, left Heathrow gers could look forward to experiencing a airline's extensive domestic network. Author's collection
forty-seat configuration. However, BEA the flagship of the fl et, RMA tanding for atO .32amon 1 April 1953, the day after new clas of travel on short- and medium-
announced that it in:ended to operate the 'Royal Mail Aircraft'. The next two pro- the type was granted a full C of A. That haul routes. The BEA Viscount passenger
Viscount only on new 'tourist-class' ser- duction aircraft, G-ALWF and G-AMNY, morning G-AMNY operated the first service inaugurals over the rest of 1953 • ] June, London-Geneva (G-AM Y) • 6 October, London-Geneva-Milan
vices, at fare up to 20 per cent cheaper were named RMA Sir John Franklin and scheduled Viscount 701 passeng r rvice, were a follows: • 1 July, London-Copenhagen-Stock- (G-AMOB)
than the 1952 levels. Subsequently, all the RMA Sir Ernest hackle ton respectively on the icosia route, again via Rom and holm (G-ALWE) • 1 November, London-Frankfurt
remaining aircraft were delivered in five- with BEA, and the ucceeding aircraft Athens. The flight was crewed by two cap- • 19 April, London-Rome-Athens-Istan- • 17 July, London-Glasgow (G-AMOB) (G-AMOD)
abreast, 47 -passenger arrangement, and were all chri tened in a imilar fashion as tains, A. . Johnson, the Viscount fleet bul ( -ALWE) - initially only on an ad hoc basis • I ovember, London-Belfast
the early aircraft were converted to the they were del ivered. captain, and A. Wilson, with radio officer • 25 April, London-Zurich (G-ALWE) • 6 October, London-Milan (G-AMNY) (G-AMOD)
30 37
UP A GEAR P A GEAR
The service from Heathrow to Belfast wa a f the Viscount brought a French airlines could operate dome tic efficiency. Early in 1952 Rolls-Royce had u J to arry an increased revenue load shorter-range servi es to European cities
first-class luxury flight along the lines of the rapid in r in BEA ' percentage share flight fr m W t Berlin, and BEA main- propo ed the R. Da.5, an uprated versi n of v r horter tages. With th fuselage such as Amsterdam, Bru sels, Dusseldorf,
London-Paris 'Silver Wing' service. Depart- of th mark t n ervic to Switzerland tained a bu y out-station at Tempelhof, the Dart capable of producing 1,690 hp tr t h d by no less than 13ft 3in (4m) Nice, Paris and Zurich, and the bu ier
ing London in the evening, the 'Ulster and candin via in particular. the downtown airport. The Elizabethans for take-off. Inevitably, Vickers looked at and the gross weight inc rea ed to dome tic routes to Belfast, Edinburgh and
Flyer' would night-stop in Belfast and oper- increa ed their presence on ervice to options for employing the new engine in 65,0001b (29,500kg), the aircraft would Glasgow. An initial order was placed for
ate the morning flight to Heathrow. imi- Malta, taking over Viking route from the future developments of the Vi count, and be capable of carrying sixty- ix pass n- twelve of the larger aircraft, designated
larly cheduled, first-class Viscount services Elizabethan R shuffle Mediterranean islahd to Cairo via Tripoli eventually cam up with a much-enlarged grin a tandard configuration. Higher- the VSO I for BEA. The new contract was
were later introduced on flights to Glasgow and Benghazi. As the process continued design, the Viscount 00. d n ity layouts were also designed for up signed at the official christening of G-
as 'The Clansman' and to Edinburgh as 'The As the new Vi ount took over many of the Vikings were g.radually withdrawn, In the VSOO the extra power availabl to ighty-six seats. BEA decided this ALWE Discovery at Wisley on 11 Febru-
Chieftain'. the BEA Elizab than ' initial services, the and by the beginning of 1954 only eigh- from the more powerful engines was to be would be ideal for its high-capacity, ary 1953.
Typical of the time savings that were to Elizabethan, in tum, t ok on new routes teen remained in u e at Northolt. BEA
become tandard on routes on which the from Heathrow that had previou ly been already had plans in hand to dispose of the
Viscount replaced earlier, lower aircraft operated by the Viking from ortholt. The last survivors and move all remaining
wa the Heathrow-Frankfurt route. The Elizabethans opened a Heathrow-Man- London services to Heathrow by the
Vi counts cut over 50min off the Viking's chester service to provide the northern city autumn.
chedule from Northolt. The reduced fly- with access to worldwide connections from
ing times were of great imp rtance where Heathrow, and were also seen more on
the comparatively primitive Viking, and important routes to Belgium, Germany, Bigger Yet
even the much more modern Elizabethans, Italy and the Neth rland .
had been losing the commercial battle for Elizabethans also replaced Vikings on As the Viscount accumulated operating
passenger again t orne of the European busier routes on BEA' West Berlin-based hours, new data and research allowed the
national carriers operating modem U air- German Internal ervice. At that time, Dart engine to be even further developed
craft such as the onvairs and DC-6s. The only aircraft of British, American or and modified to increa e it power and
A 68-passenger configuration was one option for the Viscount 800 offered to BEA. Authors collection
Following its construction at Wevbridge. the first Air France V.708 made its maiden flight in March 1953.
Vickers' initial proposal for a stretched Viscount for BEA was an impressive design. Authors collection Air France
32 33
UP A GEAR
34 35
MOR WORLDWIDE SUCCESS MORE WORLDWIDE S CESS
with its eventy-four occupants all to b hri t hur h Airport with a flourish, exe- and it crew were off again, this time on a
dealt with by the authorities. At 03.06 in u in a low-level flypast before finally more I i urely full demonstration tour in
the morning G-AMAV left Bahrein for i I nding, with Baillie at the controls. The the area before heading homewards. The
next stop, olombo in Ceylon. The sector i ount was the fourth aircraft to cross the Vi count routed via Wellington and
wa flown in 8hr 3min, averaging 310mph fini hing line, the four remaining Canber- Auckland, back to Melbourne. Once in
(500kmfh) at 25,000ft (7,600m). ras, n t urprisingly, having landed hour Australia, calls were made at Launceston,
The Viscount's four Darts continued to befor . The DC-6A followed 9hr after Adelaide, anberra, Sydney, Bri bane and
give little cau e for concern throughout Endeavour, but was still awarded the first Darwin before departing to ingapore.
their ordeal, despite being abu ed on long priz ,on handicap, in the transport section. Colombo, Delhi, Bahrein, ico ia and
sectors through tropical conditions, fol- Vi count G-AMAV had flown the Rome were also vi ited by G-AMAV before
low d by speedy turn-rounds at the refu- 12,365 miles (l9,895km) of the race in it finally returned to the UK. Throughout
elling tops. Endeavoul' sp nt barely 19min an elapsed time of 40hr 43min, of which the journey Endeavoul' was demonstrated
on the ground at Colombo and wa soon 39hr 38min had been spent in the air. to potential customer, attracting a great
on its way to Cocos Island in the middle of The Rolls-Royce Dart turboprops had deal of interest from airlines and op rators
the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile, Trade completed 125,000,000 revolutions with- all along the route. From the time it left
Wings had encountered technical prob- out having given a moment' cause for London to its r turn to Weybridge, the
lems when it reached Colombo, and the concern on the entir trip. most serious technical problem encoun-
Hastings was forced to drop out of the race. This was far from th end of Endeavour's tered with G-AMAV was a singl burst
This I ft just the KLM DC-6A and the odyssey. After a short break the aircraft tyre.
ABOVE: Both Britain's RAF and the Royal Australian
Air Force entered English Electric Canberras in the
Viscount in the handicap section. One of
speed section of the race. Jenny Gradidge the RAAF Canberras also retired during
the race, at Cocos Island, but the remain-
ing military jets in the speed section con-
-22 tinued to leave the more sedate tran port
BfA
36 37
MORE W RLDWIDE SUCCESS MORE WORLDWIDE SUCCESS
Changes to the 800 ating included provision rear fu elage, on the tarboard side, to facil- LEIT. The Aer Lingus Viscounts brought a significant
la eats and thirty- even itate galley or toilet servicing away from the upgrade in comfort for the Irish carrier's passengers.
While G-AMAV wa making its dramatic tourist-cla pa nger in the rear section. loading of pas engers, and could also be u ed Jenny Gradidge
dash to ew Zealand and the more lei ure- An extra pa enger window was added at to embark passenger if required.
ly return tour, serious mi giving were the rear on a hide t rve the extra seat The more powerful Dart R. Da.6 Mk51O,
being voiced about the new, much larger row, and mor pa ng r eating was avail- rated at 1,740ehp, was developed from the NOW YOU CAN
VSOl. As the enlarged design wa refined able in the ~ rward, tretched area of the earlier engine variants for the larger air-
and probable performance data examined, cabin. The galley and forward bulkhead craft. It would be able to offer crui ing
it was becoming clear that it would actual- were to be mounted on rails, permitting an speeds of 325mph (520km/h), even with
ly be slower than BEA's V 701 . The cur- adju table- ized fr ight compartment and an all-up weight of 64,500lb (29,275kg).
rent version of the Dart would need more offering a great d al of flexibility, depen- Thi was much more respectable than the
power to be able to maintain the higher dent on commercial traffic requirements. now-cancelled VS01's estimated speed of
speeds with the larger aircraft. The corpo- The tailplane incidence would also be less than 300mph (4S0km/h). WOTld'• .6.rst tUTbo-plop .irlinen on these rOutes-
ration wa also having second thought revi ed to allow for the aerodynamic effects AMSTERDAM -MANCHESTER - DUBLIN
regarding the capacity, recent projections of the longer fu elage. Prior to Aer Lingus taking deli very of it specialized Lourdes configuration could be PARIS - DU;IlLIN· LONDON - DUBLIN'
having indicated that it might b too larg The most noticeable difference, apart Eire Introduction Viscounts, BEA had provided a great deal achieved in 90min. In their fi rst year of Aer 'The V1ch.n "(ltWI1tl if; 6w .•• .mooth •.• Q'lfnrl\ta.hle •• 'nU
prulurind 10 It, h1ah .bole l~ ftlthcr. fNidt the IlIlc.c'londrflj,<1nI
for the exp cted traffic on many of the from the longer fuselage, was the rede igned of assistanc in training the Irish airline's Lingus service the Viscounts carried over bln.fO'I.illncwhkwlcd•• rmc.... I (Ull. 11lotre'.I""•• n.\Innur
0( .~. 1)0 ,11tfsti<ln I' .ll r~ che ~ ft"U fl.o (C 1'1
route ~ r which it was being designed. cabin doors. The initial SOO/S01 proposal Aer Lingus took delivery of their ~ ur Vis- personnel, in addition to the already 50,000 passengers. They managed to aver- pf'OPtlkr u,lrblMSt 1k:nnlll bt ..Indo.... ItIt ",IJ ,firot
Cons quently the aircraft wa remod- originally used the oval design, but this had count 707s in March and April 1954. extensive training and conversion pro- age a very healthy 75 per cent load factor,
~.:~':c:,. m~ch. d:~:~,:
Jo.-n 'n lNbllo. You 1I~
..nll -::=..:r onI'I':~1'
I'd' n--Ic:d. "h ••-.J.
',"her lhan whc:1l }'OU Mined.
elled and refined to match BEA' now-per- been proving a problem to open, and keep They were oon put into service, initially grammes offered by Vickers. Once licensed even with their much-increased capacity
ceived need much more clo ely. In Febru- open, against a high wind. Instead, the on route to London, Paris and also to on the aircraft, senior Aer Lingus pilots over the smaller DC-3s and Bristol
ary 1954 the original order for the VS01 VS02s were given a new, sideways-opening Amsterdam via Manchester, and Frankfurt served as crewmembers on BEA Vi count Freighters.
wa canc lied, but immediately replaced rectangular door that lay flat against the via Manchester and Bru sel . As experi- flight to build up experience on the type.
by on for twelve VS02s, the modified ver- fuselage when fully opened. The forward ence accumulated, the new aircraft were A number of Aer Lingus engineers also
sion. Option were al 0 taken out on a fur- door was enlarged to 5ft by 4ft (l.5m by oon al 0 een on other important routes. pent time at BEA' new Heathrow Engi- TAA's Success
ther ten. The V 02 wa officially named 1.2m) to allow bulky item to be loaded The ultra-modern Viscounts were an neering Ba e.
Vi count Major to emphasize it increased through it during cargo operation. The undoubted improvement over the compar- As well a the scheduled service, the Trans Australia Airlines' introduction of
capacity, but the name did not stick and cabin floor was strengthened to be capable atively primitive Douglas DC-3 and Bris- Aer Lingus Vi counts were used on a num- the Viscount was initially marked by
the 'Major' uffix was soon forgotten. of bearing 150lb/sq ft (732kg/sq m), instead tol Freighters that had comprised Aer Lin- ber of services to the Roman Catholic tragedy. The fir t aircraft delivered, VH-
Although the fuselage wa not to be a of the more normal 100lb/sq ft (4SSkg/ q gu 's fleet until their arrival. The Bristol hrine at Lourdes, in southwest France. For TVA john Batman, named after the
stretched as that of the original VS01, only m), to allow more freight t be carried in the aircraft were fully convertible from all- these flight the cabin could be converted founder of Melbourne, was lost in a train-
3ft lOin (Urn) being added forward of the main cabin. In the BEA aircraft the hort cargo to pa enger configuration, and when to carry fourteen stretcher cases, a large ing accident during a three-engined take-
wing compared with the Viscount 700s, Brothers and Harland-designed eats could carrying passengers were known a Wayfar- number of the pilgrims being phy ically off at Mangalore Aerodrome, Victoria, on
th rear pr sure bulkhead was moved over be quickly and easily folded flat again t the ers. However, although they were extreme- disabled. In addition to the stretchers, thir- 31 October 1954. Of the eight occupants,
5ft (1.5m) to the rear. Thi greatly cabin wall, permitting v ry swift changes ly u eful in being able to operate a variety ty-five other passengers could b accom- three were killed in the accident. The sec- IRISH AIR LINES
increased the useable cabin area, allowing from all-passenger to all-cargo, or even of ervice, including combined pa en- modated in tandard seats. The conversion ond aircraft, VH-TVB Gregory Blacl<land,
up to seventy-one passenger seat in high- mixed, configuration. The rear entry door ger/cargo flights where traffic called for it, from the n rmal passenger layout to the was deliv red in late November and
d n ity layout, though BEA envisaged was of a more conventional size, but was also they wer highly unpopular, being ev n
using a Ie -cramped configuration. The rectangular. An extra door wa added to the noisier than the DC-3s and much slower.
ABOVE: Aer Lingus was quick
to promote its new modern
fleet members, emphasizing
OIL COOUII
COl1'USTION CHA.'1ll1l
OIL TANk
38 39
M RE WORLDWIDE SUCCESS MORE WORLDWIDE SUCCESS
enabled th di rupted training programme Viscounts replaced the TCA fleet of local- bin was punctured, no further damag or met by the changes already made to the
Canadian Triumph ly-built, but notoriously noisy, Canadair tru tural failure resulted, though an emer- TCA aircraft for Canadian certification,
to be resumed.
Once the third aircraft, VH-TVC John The end of 1954 aw the first of the TCA C4M North Stars on busier routes, or even g n y dent was immediately initiated. but further measures required that a fuel jet-
Oxley, arriv d, TAA was ready to open Viscount 724s, CF-TGl, being ferried across the smaller, long-serving Douglas DC-3 . h it t kilfully managed to control the tisoning system be added. A pipe projecting
scheduled Vi ount services with the two the Atlantic to its new owner at Montreal. In addition to the TCA domestic route ir r ft with the two remaining engines, from the trailing edge of the inner wing was
aircraft on 18 December. It was the first Upon arriving in December the aircraft network, the Viscount enjoyed a significant nd uccessful landing was made at fitted to facilitate this
airline outside Europe to fly the Viscount embarked on the n w-familiar round of success on the cross-border flights to the Wind or, Ontario. The 'Americanization' of the new Vis-
commercially, initially operating them in a training and route-proving flights. Encour- USA. On the Montreal and Toronto er- count variant included yet more US tech-
comfortable forty-seat, four-abreast con- aged by the resounding success of the earli- vices to New York business was so brisk that nical and radio equipment being fitted as
figuration. By January 1955 190 commer- er Viscount operators, TCA had placed a the frequencies were doubled from three More 'Americanization' standard, over and above the many changes
cial flights had accounted for 390 flying follow-up order for no fewer than thirty-six each, as previously flown by the North and modifications already made for TCA.
hours for the pair, and the average load more of the type. These aircraft, their own Stars, to six. Between April and December The T A order attracted a great deal of The TCA and Capital Viscount cabins
factor was a staggering 94 per cent. Two extra improvements earning them the new 1955 passenger boat'dings from Toronto to attention from the media, but the next were also fitted out with a much brighter,
more aircraft were in service by March, designation Viscount 754, had been ordered New York flights increased by 31 per cent transatlantic Viscount order caused a mild more modern style of interior furnishing,
More people ny TAil. than any olher airline in Austr.II;o. TAil. hal
when an average utilization of Ilhr per in August 1954, two months before CF-TGI southbound and 34 per cent northbound. sensation. Vickers had found a customer in designed to appeal to the more sophisticat-
luch ;II hilh standard of I., ... lee and efficiency that most people
prefer to 0, with thll dependable airline. 'n 9 rur"
operation TAA hu urried ov.r S million pallo
day was becoming common. had even made its first flight. The Montreal to New York route was even the heartland of commercial aviation pro- ed North American taste.
senile,." In II month" 180,000 people have nown
In TAA's Viscounts alone - the nne5l, (",steu, Although they were an undoubted suc- The delivery flight left the UK on 8 more successful for the Viscount, boardings duction, where no British, or even European Capital also required that its V745s
smoothest aircraft oper;otlnll in AUHralla. For
the .... ry ben In air tr.vel ..
cess on the busy short/medium-haul runs December and routed from Weybridge to increasing by an incredible 64 per cent airliner had been old before - the USA. could be fitted with weather radar, and the
"~TAA between Australia's bigger east-coast cities, Prestwick, then onwards to Keflavik, southbound and 69 per cent northbound! The initial order that caused all the fuss, redesign of the nose to accommodate it
-i~f~~~~' \ I
the Viscounts speed advantage was espe- Bluey West, Goose Bay and on to Montre- The TCA aircraft were competing albeit for just three Viscounts, came from added a further 8in (20Cln) to the aircraft's
cially significant on longer route, such as al, arriving on the 12th. On this epic deliv- directly with major US airlines operating Washington D.C.-based carrier Capital length. A freon-based air-conditioning sys-
Reseryations: TAil. BookinS Offices all States or any iluthorised Travel Alent
Melbourne-Adelaide-Perth. The extra ery flight, Vickers' Jock Bryce and Capt G. Convairs and Douglas DC-6s. Other US Airlines, the contract for the three V 744s tem and a com.bustion-style cabin heater
fuel capacity provided by the optional slip- Lothian of TCA piloted the aircraft. points soon included on TCA's Viscount being signed in June 1954. These aircraft for use on the ground, as in the TCA air-
per tanks, plus additional tankage for an George Edwards, who had worked so hard network included Boston in the east, were to be powered by the Dart 506. The craft, was to be fitted, as were hydraulical-
Onlya few months after full scheduled operations extra 230gal (l,044Itr) built into the inner for the TCA order, was al 0 on board. Chicago in the Midwest, and eattle was icing on the cake came two months later, ly operated integral airstairs giving quicker
were introduced, TAA's Viscount services were wing of the V 720s, came into its own. The The first North American scheduled served from Vancouver. It took only 134 when Capital signed another contract, turnarounds and less dependence on
returning impressive traffic figures. Author's collection turbine-powered-airliner service was flown days for TCA to carry its 100,000th Vis- this time for no fewer than thirty-seven ground equipment. In December 1954
carrier's main rival was Au trallan Nation-
al Airways, which operated much larger, on 1 April 1955, from Montreal to Win- count passenger, by which time only four- V745s powered by the more-powerful another order for a further twenty V745s
long-range DC-6s against the Viscounts on nipeg, by a TCA Viscount. Other domes- teen aircraft of the order had been deliv- Dart R.Da.6 Mk510 being developed for was placed by Capital, bringing its total
the longer transcontinental runs. However, tic routes were soon included in the Vis- ered. In the fir t year of operations, TCA the forthcoming V802s for BEA. The new number of Vi counts on order, including
The first of what was to become a healthy stream of the turboprops were consistently shown to be count network as more aircraft joined Viscounts carried 470,000 passengers, engine would give the Viscount 700s to the initial three 7445, to sixty. The apital
export Viscounts that made their way taking passengers away from the piston-pow- CF-TGI after making the trek from the with a load factor of over 80 per cent. which it was fitted greater speed and range, order, worth in the region of$67 million in
over the Atlantic to North American customers ered competition wherever they appeared on production line at Weybridge to their new One TCA Viscount unwittingly demon- and allow higher operating weights. total, was the greatest single post-war dol-
was TCA's CF-TGI. Vickers via author TAA's network. home in Canada. For the most part the strated the design's ruggedness only fifteen The Viscount 700s with R.Da.6 Mk 510s lar earner for Britain at the time.
months after the Canadian airline had put were redesignated Viscount 700Ds, and the
its new turboprops into service. On 9 July improvements helped to attract interest
1956 one of the Viscounts was en route from even more prospective customers. Capital's Story
from Chicago to Toronto, cruising at New paddle-blade propellers were fitted to
18,000ft (5,500m), when it suddenly lost the higher-rated engines, as they had a At the time of its historic Viscount orders,
its starboard outer propeller, debris from revi ed reduction-gear ratio that reduced Capital Airlines was one of the USA'
which also damaged the inner engine and propeller tip speed. The wing spars were larger regional carrier. Its network spread
caused a fire. Although the engine fire was strengthened, to cope with the short stages over the eastern USA, south to Alabama
soon extinguished, more debris had and frequent landings on Capital's busy net- and west to the Great Lakes and Minneso-
smashed its way into the cabin, killing one work. A great many modifications had to be ta. Florida was served by an 'interchange'
passenger and injuring five others. Despite made to the design to achieve US certifica- arrangement with Miami-based National
the sudden depressurization when th tion. Nineteen of these had already been Airlines.
The airline could trace it lineage back to
1928, when a pioneering carrier, Clifford
Specification - V.700D Ball Inc, owned by a Pittsburgh-based busi-
Powerplant 4 x R.Da.6 Mk510 Dart nessman Clifford Ball, started flying for the
Weights Empty basic equipment weight 37,91SIb (17,211 kg) (40 seats); maximum zero fuel weight US mail between Pittsburgh and Cleveland
50,1681b (22)71 kg); maximum take-off weight 64,500lb (29,275kg); maximum landing via Youngstown. Initially using a fleet of
weight 58,5001b (26,325kgl; typical maximum payload 12,250lb (5,560kgl. Waco 9 biplanes, the company soon pur-
Dimensions Length 81 ft 1Din (24.94ml; span 93ft 8Xin (2856m); fin height 26ft 9in (S.15m); wing area chased Fairchild F -2 monoplanes, with
963sq ft (89.46sq m); wheelbase 24ft 1Din (7.57m). accommodation for four passengers. In 1929
Performance Economic cruising speed 325mph (520km/h); maximum cruising speed 335mph (540km/h); Pittsburgh to Washington services were
service ceiling 27,500ft (8,380m); range with maximum payload 1,330 statute miles
begun, using slightly larger Fairchild 71s
(2,140km).
Average passenger
that could accommodate six passengers.
accommodation: 40-65 (all first class - high density) Following a change of owner the airline
was renamed Pennsylvania Airlin s, and
40 41
MORE WORLDWIDE SUCCESS MORE WORLDWIDE SUCCESS
Following the merger of Pennsylvania Airlines comfort for Capital's customers, offering the British Commonwealth, where UK fad h and contract charter services was an attempt to encourage higher loads on
and Central Airlines, the newly formed PCA relied pressurization and speed, and boasted a forces were still charged with keeping til. fl wn thr ughout Europe and to the Middle routes that had returned disappointing fig-
a great deal on the ten-passenger Boeing 247 for forward 'Cloud Club' lounge area for in- peace. Among the bu iest routes wer the t nd Africa. Trooping contracts soon ures when flown by DC-3s. Unfortunately
many of its routes. Author's collection flight relaxation, complete with club ones serving the Mediterranean islands of ~ rm d a large part of Hunting's portfolio, as the trooping contracts were due to end in
chairs. By 1954 Capital was operating Malta and Gibraltar, both still heavily gar- w ran twork of scheduled services based September, and were not renewed. The
twelve Constellations, twenty-five DC-4s risoned with bases for all three armed ser- at N w a tle, for which the company oper- scheduled route from Newcastle were not
and twenty-five DC-3s, and was ranked vices. One holder of a government con- at d a an 'as ociate' of BEA. busy enough to support the costs of oper-
all-metal Ford Trimotors were intro- fifth among US domestic carriers. tract to carry force personnel and their A very successful low-fare ' olonial ating the larger aircraft, and HCAT was
duced in 1933. A year later Pennsylva- The decision to buy the fleet of Vis- dependants to the islands was Hunting- oach' service was also opened from Bov- forced to look elsewhere for gainful
nia bought out Kohler Aviation orpo- counts was based on the recommenda- Clan Air Transport (HCAT). ingdon to East Africa in 1952, in partner- employment for its Viscount fleet.
ration, and added its route from tions of a task force sent over by Based at Bovingdon, near London, hip with another independent, Airwork
Milwaukee to Detroit, via Muskegon, Carmichael to evaluate the new turbo- HCAT had originally been formed as Hunt- Ltd, using both companies' fleets of
Grand Rapids and Lansing. This one prop. Capital had already looked closely at ing Air Transport shortly after the war's Vikings. The Clan Line shipping group Wanted, a Good Home
move almost doubled the route miles of the the available US options for re-equipment, end. Initially flying various light aircraft, purchased a major shareholding in Hunt-
company at a stroke. Cleveland and Detroit but was unable to find anything meeting its the company soon graduated to larger types, ing in October 1953, the company name The trio of HCAT Vi counts oon found a
were linked by a new route extension, requirements. The task force looked closely such as the DC-3, and ordered a fleet of new being changed to Hunting-Clan. home with Middle East Airlines (MEA),
merging the two original networks. at data supplied by Vickers and BEA, even- Vikings from Vickers. A varied programme In May 1953 HCAT made a brave mov , based at Beirut. The Lebanese carrier was
However, in 1934, a new competitor tually deciding that the Viscount offered becoming the first UK independent airline an associate company of BOAC, which had
began operations from Pittsburgh, when the flexibility needed to operate profitably to order the Viscount when it signed a con- a shareholding in MEA. Although BOAC
Central Airlines opened a rival Washing- D.C. With this expansion outside the orig- on the airline's varied network. With its tract for three V 732s. It had hoped to Associated Companie had already placed
ton-Pittsburgh-Akron-Cleveland-Detroit inal Pennsylvania catchment area, the air- mixture of short regional flights and longer introduce the Viscounts on the African an order for Viscounts on MEA's behalf,
route. A fares war ensued, and the two air- line's name was regarded as too parochial, services between major cities, a commer- services, but BOAC objected to the inde- these aircraft, improved 7000 versions,
lines also fought to match each other with and soon it was being promoted as 'PCA - cially viable competitor to the larger air- pendent being allowed to fly such modern were not due for delivery until 1957. The
duplicated frequencies. Central eventually The Capital Airline'. Post-war, more DC- lines' equipment was vital. equipment in competition against it. Con- sudden availability of the HCAT aircraft
leased ex-American Airlines Ford Trimo- 3s arrived and were joined by a new fleet At the signing of the first contract, at sequently, the trusty Vikings continued to allowed MEA to bring turboprop comfort
tors to upgrade its equipment from its orig- of DC-4s. By 1948 a new interim PCA- Weybridge, Carmichael praised the happy operate the longer routes. Instead, when to its routes much earlier than planned.
inal Stinsons. Pennsylvania responded by Capital Airlines name had been phased personal relationships that he and hi task the three Viscounts, G-ANRR, 'RS and Operated on a long-term lease from HCAT,
replacing its Fords with then-ultra-mod- through Capital Airlines-PCA to become force had built up with Vickers during the 'RT, were delivered to HCAT in May and the Viscount 732s joined a fleet of DC-3s
ern Boeing 247s. Central then promptly just Capital Airlines. evaluation and sales negotiations. He also July 1955, they were placed in service on on the busier regional routes from Beirut.
replaced its Fords wi til. a fleet of more mod- Routes were extended to New Orleans praised BEA for freely supplying operational the trooping runs to the Mediterranean. Almost overnight, the Viscount turned
ern versions of their original Stinsons, A- via Mobile and to Atlanta via Asheville in data on the Viscount, based on its own expe- The V732s were laid out in a 53-pas- MEA from a small regional operator to a
model tri-motors that could match the 1948, the Midwest services having been rience as an operator of the aircraft. The senger configuration, their seats all being major international carrier. They were also
Boeing's speed. Finally, however, both extended to Minneapolis-St Paul the year British airline had actually been persuaded rearward facing as required for military eventually introduced on new, longer-rang-
managements recognized that the compe- before. Also in 1947, Capital had intro- to give up three delivery positions on the contract work. They also appeared briefly ing services reaching European cities, and
tition was potentially ruinous for both air- duced a new style of 'Air Coach' services, production line 'in the national interest', to on the scheduled service network from in due course were used to extend the MEA
lines. An agreement was reached in late whereby low-fare, no-frills services were allow the V744s to be supplied earlier than Author's collection Newcastle to Scandinavia and London, in network east to India and Pakistan.
1936 and the two carriers were merged to offered over the company's routes at night, would otherwise have been possibl .
produce Pennsylvania Central Airlines when the aircraft used would otherwise
(PCA), with effect from 1 November that have been idle. Capital was the first US
year. carrier to introduce this new class of air First Independent Order
travel, which proved an immediate success.
[n the early 1950s the remaining British
PCA Becomes Capital independent airlines were kept firmly in
Carmichael, Capital their place by the nationalization of sched-
Following the merger of the two arch rivals, and the Viscount uled UK services, only being permitted to
PCA entered an unprecedented period of operate ad hoc and contract charter ervices.
growth. The original main route was This profitable 'Air Coach' was the brain- Although there was work available and
extended to the southeast from Washington child of Capital's newly appointed presi- money to be made, the competition was
to Norfolk, Virginia. Important new services dent, J.H. (Slim) Carmichael. Previously intense, and it could be a very lean exis-
were added to Baltimore and Buffalo from the airline's chief pilot, Carmichael had tence, The ban on independent operating
Pittsburgh, and both Chicago and Sault Ste al 0 served as operations manager, vice- schedules was eventually relaxed with the
Marie were reached via new routes from president operations and executive vice- introduction of 'Associate Agreements',
Detroit. By 1939 new 2l-passenger Douglas president. Taking up the post in late 1947, whereby the private airlines were permitted
DC-3s were being introduced, with six in he faced spiralling costs and declining pas- to operate scheduled services that the cor-
use, alongside the thirteen 247s, by 1940. senger loads. porations had no interest in serving.
The system was expanded southwards in Under Carmichael's careful manage- One major source of revenue for the
late 1940, with new routes to Birmingham, ment, Capital's financial situation charter companies at the time was troop-
Alabama. In December 1941 the COt'PO- improved enough to allow the introduc- ing contracts, issued by the military
rate head office was moved to the new tion of a fleet of modern Constellations in authoritie for the carriage of servicemen Hunting-Clan was forced to find new homes for its expensive, under-used Viscounts when the initial
National Airport serving Washington, 1950. These brought a new standard of and their families to the far-flung parts of trooping contracts were not renewed. MAP
42 43
MORL WORLDWIDE SUCCESS MORI· WORLDWIDE SUCCESS
44 45
MORI, WORLDWIDE SUCCESS MORL WORLDWIDE S CCESS
46 47
M RE WORLDWIDE SUCCESS
CHAPTER FOUR
Viscount to Vanguard
Global Expansion
The forthcoming arrival of the stretched
new Viscount models far from heralded the
immediate end of the original, shorter-bod-
ied Series 700s. Indeed, with the improve-
ments made to the aircraft after the 'Amer-
icanization' of the design for anadian and
US customers, the aircraft was attracting
even greater numbers of potential new cus-
tomer . Between 1955 and 1958, Viscount
700s were een around the world in the
colours of an increasing variety of opera-
tors, large and small.
[n 1955 carriers as diverse as BWIA in
the Caribbean, Iraqi Airways, MEA and
TO THE MAN WHO'S NEVER FLOWN . . . Misrair in North Africa and the Middle
Let the VISCOUNT be your inuoduction [0 air (navd . . . for here is the "(timlte
in twifr, smooth, quiet flight. You'll be flying the world's m()jt modern airliner.
powered by (our Rolls-Royce tllrbo·lm,p· tf1gincs and provtd by more ilian
• bUlion.I"""8" m"". Tho qn'" .1'8.n~ 01
by experlen«d u"lIvelcn everywhere.
FI"h, e..,i,,.) VlJtOw,/I!rolll_
,Ii.
VI COUNT " p"I..,,,,
• I"·",.t
a
a~'1I'a
~~
I
East and Butler Air Transport of Australia
were taking delivery of their first aircraft
and starting to enjoy the ucces of earlier
operators. The fir t of BWIA's four aircraft
Cht"'IO, 0"'0", C1nntlI/J. Pt/flbNr~h NlJrjilllt. II'/'fJh",X""'. Nt.", \'0'" AIRLINES
was introduced on thrice-weekly first-class
services between New York and Bermuda,
The reputation for reliability and comfort that the Viscount soon gained As the 1950s progressed. the sight of airline passengers boarding or in co-operation with BOAC and in direct
with Capital was used to great effect in advertising campaigns to attract disembarking from Viscounts became increasingly common worldwide. competition with US airlines such as East-
new passengers to the airline's services. Author's collection United Archive ern Air Lines and Pan American. The Vis-
count's flying time of 3 hours was half an
hour less than that of the Lockheed Con-
stellations used by BWIA's rivals, and traf-
The engines were superb, the latest state of the But no matter how cold or how long since the for metal fragments that could fotetell an engine fic was soon being taken from the other
art. They required so much less routine mainte- last run, starting the Dart was no trick. Press the failure. As the number of engine failures on the carriers. Further south, the Viscounts also
nance than piston engines and seemed trouble- start button, open the fuel lever and your engine struggling DC-7 built up, the FAA [Federal Avi- operated from the Bahamas to Miami and
free and completely dependable. My life as a line was running, and the throttle could be ation Administration] ordered changes in the New York from Nassau. The success of the
mechanic became much easier. For instance, pis- advanced immediately. Most big pistons were departure schedules to prevent the tace. V. 702s BWIA had leased from BOAC was
ton engines used oil by the bucket, much of which limited to only operating a few minutes at rake- such that BWIA decided to order it own
wound up dripping from the cowling. Oil was off power, and then power had to be reduced. In aircraft, and placed orders for four V. 772s,
added to the engine by climbing out on the slip- contrast, the Dart throttle could be pushed to Up and Running later, improved models of the Viscount 700
pery wing, often wet, slippery or icy, with a 5-gal- the stops and left there throughout the climb. to replace three of the early-model V. 702s.
Ion can of thick oil, which was much thicker in A rival airline had a hangar near ours where its The Viscount was becoming a common Misrair's three-strong Viscount 739
winter. By contrast, after flying all day, a one- DC-7 was checked nightly after a round trip sight at many airports throughout the fleet, which contributed to the replace-
quart can per engine was all the Dart needed. Washington--Chicago-Washington run. The world as the 1950s passed their meridian. ment of Vickers Vikings and French-
Also, in cold conditions, piston engines were DC-7 left Washington at the same time each The bustling assembly lines at Weybridg built Languedocs, saw the Egyptian airline The two-crew 'Americanized' Viscounts. such as those supplied to Capital Airlines.
run-up several times during the night to keep morning as our Chicago-bound Viscount, so a and Hurn were busy fulfilling the contracts expand its services throughout North had a much more modern flight-deck layout. United Archive
their oil warm enough to enable starting for race became customary. Although the DC-7 was being brought back from around the world. Africa and to Europe and the Middle East,
morning departures. Then, after coaxing them probably a bit faster in a long cruise, the Viscount Nonetheless, new Viscounts were soon to The Suez Crisis of 1956 cut this expansion
to life, a careful run-up was needed before flight, could pull ahead in a long climb without risking be seen, with the larger 800 well on its way. short, though. One of the Viscounts, SU-
often involving some ignition problems such as engine problems at maximum power. All night, The Viscount's success had turned the AIC, was actually destroyed by the RAF in Viscounts, with extra aircraft acquired to tralian Viscount customer, Sydney-based
'mag drops', fouled plugs etc. It took some skill mechanics for the rival carrier could be seen hard thoughts of the design office staffs to a a raid on Almaza on 1 October. However, help rebuild the airline, Butler Air Transport (BAT). Founded by
to get the piston engines started in cold or wet at work on their DC-7 engines, changing spark whole new, even bigger turboprop airliner post-Suez, Misrair soon re-established its In September 1955 a pair of Viscount pioneer Australian airline owner Arthur
weather. plugs or even cylinders and checking oil screens for the 1960s. network, initially using the two surviving 747s was delivered to Vickers's second Aus- Butler, BAT had established a successful
48 49
VISCOliNT TO VANGUARD
regional network throughout th tat f 1 f1 'W to neighbouring countries. Its fleet per cent carried the same time the previ-
New outh Wales with a fleet of 0 -3 f ikll1g al a operated a long-range, low- ous year. Although one was lost in an acci-
and smaller aircraft. Serving both the larg- r ut from alisbury to London, along dent on approach to Oslo in 1963, the ur-
er cite and more 'outback' area, the air- lin f the HCATjAirwork afari ser- vivor served lcelandair for its entire life,
lin had made a point of getting involv d i . Th Vi count soon ousted the Vikings finally bing scrapped in 1970.
with the local communities it served. fr m th Zambezi service to London, flying The three V 7550 originally ordered by
Originally BAT had ordered the first via dola, Entebbe, Khartoum, Wadi Haifa, HCATs partner on the Safari flights, Air-
pair of Viscounts and then taken option nghazi and Rome. Th y also operated work, were delivered to Cubana in 1956.
on four more. However, only the initial flights to Mozambique and Mauritius, as Introduced on services to Miami and Vere-
pair wa delivered, the first entering er- well as proving a great success on the busier do Bach from Cuba, they were soon
vice in eptember 1955. They were soon local and regional routes to uch places a rebuilding Cubana's market share on the e
achieving high utilization figures, the Bulawayo, Durban and Johanne burg. routes, where its older equipment had been
average of 9hr 8min a day being a record suffering in competition with American car-
for the Viscount world-wide. The 1956-57 riers. Cubana al 0 put the Vi count into ser-
financial year was the first to see both Vis- Hunting-Clan Again vice on busier domestic routes from Havana
counts in service, and BAT was able to to bigger cities on the island. Within three
report a £28,997 profit, compared with a Hunting-Clan Air Tran port made anoth- months the traffic increase was nearly 120
loss the previous year. er bid to operate Vi counts on its own per cent over the Constellation's p rfor-
n 1 May 1956 Central African Airway increasingly popular afari services to mance and the load factor percentages were
ABOVE: The success of the V.702s leased
(CAA) took delivery of the first of an order Africa, but, although it took delivery of swiftly climbing towards the high 80s.
by BWIA from BOAC led to orders for for five V748Ds, fitted with weather radar the two V759s G-AOGG and G-AOGH Unfortunately, two years later, the first
later versions for the Caribbean network. and slipper tanks to give extra range. The in ovember and December 1956, penni - of Cubana's Viscounts became one of the
Jenny Gradidge aircraft also had de Havilland propellers fit- sion was still withheld and the airline was earliest victims of terrorist hijacking. On 1
ted to provide better take-off performance again forced to dispo e of the aircraft, as it ovember 1958 CU-T603, en route fr m
lEFT: Butler Air Transport introduced under difficult African conditions. The had with the three V732s it had earlier Miami to Varadero, was taken over by a
turboprop airliner service to several British olonial governments of the nations leased to MEA. This time the two aircraft group of five hijackers, one of whom
smaller Australian towns and cities, of orthern and Southern Rhodesia and were sold on, rather than lea ed out, both replaced the captain at the control.
as well as on routes linking the more
yasaland jointly owned CAA. As well as being delivered to lcelandair in March and Rerouted towards Oriente Province, near
important population centres.
linking the three African nations, CAA April 1957. They were oon placed into the base of revolutionary leader Fidel Ca -
Jenny Gradidge
regular service, operating from Reykjavik tro, the pilot wa unable to land because
to Copenhagen, Glasgow, Hamburg, Lon- the air trip was unlit. Rapidly running out
BelOW: The first Central African Airways The V.759D TF-ISU Hrimfaxi never actually entered don and Oslo. The lce1andair Viscounts' of fuel, the Viscount was eventually
Viscounts began making their way down commercial service with its original owner, first four months saw an incredible 40 per ditched in the sea off the Cuban coast,
the Vickers production lines in 1955-56. Hunting-Clan Air Transport, eventually being cent increase in traffic and an averag 75.5 bringing about the deaths of all but three
Jenny Gradidge delivered to Icelandair in March 1957. via Bob Turner per cent load factor, compared with 58.4 of its twenty ccupant.
50 51
VI 0 NT TO VANGUARD VISCOUNT TO VANGUARD
More Power BEA ord r d an extra V701 to replace an planned to introduce a two-class configu- delivery of CV-240s and eventually repla - than longer range. They Rolls-Royce met Vickers's new require-
Elizab than writt n off in a forced landing ration on these aircraft, which were other- ing them with the slightly enlarged V- w ult! initi lly operate alongside the ear- ment by giving the Mk 520 a recalibrated
The faith of BEA in the as-yet-unbuilt n ar Du ld rf th previous month. wise identical to the VS02s. 340s to operate their short/medium-haul Ii r V707s, which would then be rede- fuel control unit, increa ed flame temper-
enlarged VS02 was emphaSized by its plac- On-g ing development of the Dart The Vickers sales team clinched the first network from Amsterdam. However, th pi y d to bring Viscount service to more ature and modified controls with an addi-
ing of an extra order for ten more in May engine saw R ll-Royce offering the even export ale of the Viscount SOO a month extra capacity offered by the Viscount, a of th Iri h carrier's routes. tional pitch stop for the propeller. With
1955, before the first of the new version more powerful Mk 520, which had three after BEA's second VS02 order, when KLM well as the technical superiority of th new Dowty propellers giving greater effi-
had flown. Encouraged by the success and turbin tag and ffered increased shaft Royal Dutch Airlines placed a £2million more modern turboprop, tempted the air- ciency and increasing relative thrust, the
popularity of its initial 701s, BEA was anx- horsepow r, with a potential take-off order in June 1955 for nine Viscount SOOs, line away from the US supplier. The carri- Mk 525 offered a greatly improved take-off
ious to acquire more examples and build thrust of 1, 90ehp. In early 1956 BEA designated VS03s, for use on their busier
Mar Power
er had seen its market share on ervices to field performance. This allowed the u e of
up its turboprop operation. At the same ordered nineteen Mk 520-power d Vis- European services. Hitherto, KLM had the UK drop when it had been up again t Rolls-R yce' never-ending development shorter runways, or higher payloads and/or
time as it placed the second VS02 order, count SOO ,d ignated VS06. The airline been a faithful onvair customer, taking BEA's Viscounts, and it was anxious to of he versatile Dart soon led to yet anoth- fuel loads for greater range. The braking
redre s the balance. er version, the Mk 525, being offered. The system could also be enhanced to permit
The more powerful Dart Mk 520 also new engine could actually have produced landings at more-restricted airports.
The Viscount 'Major' Emerges found favour on more VSOOs that were sold a v ry cred itable 2,lOOehp for take-off, but The stretched production Viscount SOO
The first stretched Viscount S02 'Viscount Major' for BEA was assembled at Weybridge AOJD Sebastian Cabot, on 11 January 1957, two more, G-AOJC Robert O'Hara Burke
to UK independent airlines Transair Ltd this would have been far too powerful for airframe formed the basis of the new ver-
in 1956. Its fuselage had been built at the new Viscount production plant at Hurn, which and G-AOJE Sir Alexander Mackenzie, arriving later that month The airline introduced and Eagle Aviation. In 1955 the two carri- the Viscount airframe. Nonetheless, a de- sion, a number of the load-bearing compo-
was now responsible for all V700 series production as well as manufacturing the fuse- the VS02 into commercial service on 13 February, when G-AOJD carried forty-seven ers ordered three VS04s and two VS05s rated version offering a 'mere' 1,990ehp nents in the aircraft being strengthened to
lages for all Viscount variants. Initially Hurn had been designated to produce the larg- passengers from Heathrow to Glasgow Two days later, 'JD was used for the first inter- respectively. Both independents were could be used on the Viscount; its spare allow for higher stresses involved in the
er production runs, such as the Capital and TCA orders. After extra manufacturing space national service of the type, aHeathrow-Amsterdam schedule. The Paris route saw its heavily involved in a variety of charter power making it ideal for use at 'hot and more demanding kind of daily flying envi-
was built at Weybridge, this arrangement was altered so that Hurn took over all Vis- first Viscount S02 on lS February. As the production aircraft were steadily delivered to contracts for civil and military customers, high' airfields, for instance, in warm sioned by customer airlines. The wing con-
count 700 production and Weybridge was responsible for Viscount SOD series assem- BEA, the larger aircraft were also placed in service on flights to Belfast, Copenhagen, and the extra power of the new version of and/or mountainous regions. In eith r of struction, especially the pars and ribs, was
bly. All Viscount fuselages, though, were built at Hurn, and the wings were built by Dublin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hamburg, Nice and Zurich by the end of the sum- the Dart was expected to be of use in oper- these conditions an aircraft's effective strengthened, as was the fin and rear fuse-
Saunders-Roe, a Vickers subsidiary on the Isle of Wight. The first VS02 fuselage was mer. For the most part, the VS02s replaced V701 swhich, in turn, began to oust Eliza- ating from some of their more obscure, far- take-off power could b greatly reduced by lage to help cope with the increased load.
moved to the Weybridge production line for final assembly in April. Orders for all Vis- bethans. The Airspeed aircraft were already earmarked for replacement as more Vis-
flung destinations. As well as its extensive thinner air, especially in a more humid The rudder power was increased, larger
count variants had now exceeded 300 aircraft, for numerous customers, civil and mili- counts arrived, the small size of the fleet and the piston-powered aircrafts'
less-economic operating costs having sealed their fate. The first five of the Eliza-
civil and military charter contracts, Eagle atmosphere, and more available take-off deflections being obtained by adjusting
tary, all over the world.
No separate prototype VS02 was built. Instead, the first of the stretched Viscounts to bethans left BEA in 1957, though the remaining aircraft continued in service until 1955. also planned to use its aircraft on their power was very welcome. Earlier remedies the forward balance of the controls. In
fly was the first production model, G-AOJA, named Sir Samuel White Baker by BEA. It Among the improvements enjoyed by the VS02's passengers was a more modern expanding network of scheduled services, to this problem with other airliners had addition, the nacelles and mountings also
first took to the air on 27 July 1956, taking off from Weybridge. After being put through looking decor, with new-style overhead luggage racks, fluorescent strip lighting and a under the name of its wholly-owned sched- entailed the fitting of small rocket or jet had to be modified to take the larger, more
its paces for 55min, G-AOJA landed at Vickers's flight-test base at Wisley, where it redesigned galley and bar unit ensuring them an even higher quality of cabin service. uled service subsidiary, Eagle Airways. engines to the lower fu elage, to provide powerful engine.
would be based for the Vsots development and certification programme. The aircraft The washrooms were redesigned as well, most of the changes for the better resulting Eagle's small scheduled network was oper- an extra bur t of thrust during the take-off
made its public debut two months later in September, being exhibited at Farnborough. from the experience of BEA and other operators with the earlier models. The VS02 also ated from its home base of Blackbushe to run. Although this was an effective, if not
The second VS02 was rolled off the production line later that month, followed by heralded the use of a two-pilot flight deck for BEA's Viscounts, the superfluous radio the southwest of London, and also from to say spectacular, answer, it was hardly an
two more in November. The first Viscount S02 to be officially delivered to BEA was G- officer finally being replaced by more modern communications equipment. Launch Orders
Manche ter. The company had great ambi- ideal solution.
tions to xpand from both bases. Several potential Viscount customers The new sub-type, designated the Viscount
New Zealand's national domestic oper- operating aircraft in this environm nt had S10, soon attracted a great deal of interest
ator, New Zealand National Airways Cor- been forced to reconsider once they exam- from around the world. Vickers was espe-
poration (NZNAC), igned up for three ined the performance figures for the earli- cially pleased when the first airline to place
VS07s in November 1955. The airline's er Viscount/Dart combinations. Although an order turned out to be yet another US-
then-current flagship on its major routes Vickers was keen for their business, the based carrier, Continental Airlines, then
was the DC-3, and the Viscount repre- Viscount then on offer were geared more headquartered at Denver, Colorado. on-
sented an impressive leap in progress. The towards short, high-density inter-city tinental signed up for fifteen Viscount
first Viscount 700 operator, after BEA, to routes and were not suitable for similar S12s, straight off the drawing board, in
order the VSOO was faithful customer Aer load-carrying over longer distances and at December 1955. Continental's route net-
Final assembly of the V.802s
Lingus, which ordered six VSOSs in May higher speed. There appeared to be a defi- work was varied, with larger DC-6s and
was completed at Weybridge, 1956. The Aer Lingus Viscount SOSs were nite niche for a Viscount SOO-sized aircraft DC-7s erving major transcontinental
though many components were intended for the busier runs to the UK capable of economic operation under routes from th Great Lakes and Midwest
constructed at other plants and Europe, where capacity was of more these complex conditions. to the West Coast. On more regionally ori-
throughout the company. ented, local service in the western half of
via Bob Turner
the USA the airline wa operating a mix-
Specification - V.BOO ture of Convair CV340s and V440s, the
Powerplant: 4 x R.Da.6 Mk570 latest version of onvair's twin. In addi-
Weights: Empty basic equipment weight 41 ,2001b (lS,700kg) (71 seats); maximum zero fuel weight tion, a small fl et of faithful, if ageing, DC-
55,0001b (24,960kg); maximum take-off weight 64,5001b (29,275kg); maximum landing 3s was still operated. Denver airport was
weight 5S,5001b (26,325kg); typical maximum payload 13,7001b (6,220kg). 5,OOOft (I,500m) above sea level, located
Dimensions: Length S5ft Din (25.91 m); span 93ft S~in (2S.56ml; fin height 26ft 9in (S.15ml; wing area in an area haVing both hot summers and
963sq ft (S9.46sq ml; wheelbase 2Sft S~in (S.75m)
freezing winters, and close to the Rocky
Performance: Economic cruising speed 310mph (500kmjh); maximum cruising speed 335mph (540kmjhl;
Mountains; the very conditions that had
service ceiling 27,500ft (S,3S0ml; range with maximum payload 690 statute miles (1, 110kml.
Average passenger inspired the design of the VSI0.
accommodation: 53-71 (all first class - high density) More orders for the VSI0 soon followed.
Interestingly, these mostly came from new
52 53
VIS OUNT TO VANGUARD VISCOUNT TO VANGUARD
Viscount customers, rather than V 700 well as all twenty on board the aircraft. An
operators. South African Airways (SAA) investigation revealed that a YJ2in bolt on the
STANDARD
52 SEAT VERSION
signed up for seven VS13s in March 1956, No 2 starboard flap unit had failed owing to
and this was followed by an order for three metal fatigue. This caused the aileron on the
VS15s from Pakistan International Airways starboard wing to lock, and the aircraft
SEAT PITCH 38-
(PIA) in May, and one for nine VS14s from entered a shallow right descending tum with
Corry on BogqaljC
West Germany's Lufthansa in June. Both a steep bank angle. In this uncontrollable
PIA and SAA operated ervices into more configuration, the aircraft's starboard wing-tip
STANDARD remote, 'hot and high' airports on their net- struck the ground and the Viscount careered
56 SEAT VERSION works. In addition they operated busy inter- into the house before bursting into flames.
(I"c.lude. rcor loun(jc as lor
Continental Airlinn Inc.) city routes in more populated areas. These At the time more than ISO Viscounts
routes were also earmarked for modem Vis- were in service and had accumulated
count service in place of the Convairs and 500,000 flying hours between them. Of this,
DC-3s operated by PIA and the Constella- 150,000hr had been flown by BEA and, in
tions, DC-4s and DC-3s flown by SAA on the process, BEA alone had carried over two
their regional routes. Lufthansa, which had The first production Viscount, G-ALWE, met a tragic end at Manchester in 1957. million passengers in its Discovery fleet.
A TYPICAL
65 SEAT VERSION only just restarted operations with Convair Jenny Gradidge Before the fatal flight, 'WE itself had logged
340s after being forbidden to operate since 6,900hr and made 3,450 landings. Many of
S(AT PITCH 304- (APPROX.)
the defeat of Germany in 1945, planned to the older Viscount 700s were temporarily
use the aircraft to expand its busy domestic grounded for inspection of all suspect bolts,
and European routes. Plans were also in problems. However, there was a need for a even-heavier-than-intended landing caused and examined for evidence of fatigue. Thir-
Buffet
hand to operate the Viscounts to points in more representative aircraft on which to the starboard undercarriage to collapse, ty-three bolts were found to show signs of
70 SEAT VERSION
the Middle East and the Mediterranean tryout the new components fully. Conse- severely damaging the starboard wing and minor fatigue in the inspection of over 100
(ProPoled) from West Germany. quently the airframe that was originally to engines. Although, fortunately, none of the aircraft.
have been the first production Viscount occupants was badly injured, the aircraft was Later the same year, on 23 October, BEA
SEAT PITCH 3'" (APPROX)
S06, G-AOYF, was built to the new considered far too seriously damaged for on- lost another aircraft. The first production
A Hybrid VS06/S10 Viscount SI 0 structural standards as the sole site repair. Its battered remains were igno- Viscount S02, G-AOJA, crashed during an
TYPICAL ACCOMMODATION LAYOUTS
VS06A. Wearing dual Viscount S06/S10 miniously shipped home by sea to Wey- attempted overshoot at Belfast in bad weath-
A great deal of the test flying for the VSl 0 titles, G-AOYF first flew on 9 August 1957. bridge, where Vickers would decide its fate. er. The accident was not the fault of the air-
structural modifications and the Dart Mk Therefore the second VS06, G-AOYG craft this time, being accredited to a fatal
ABOVE: Cabin seating options for the Viscount 810 included all-first-class
525 was carried out by the long-suffering Charles Darwin, was the first actual produc- combination of bad weather and pilot error.
arrangements with a rear lounge and an all-economy seventy-passenger version.
V700 prototype, G-AMAV With its tion VS06 to fly, on 4 October. More Losses at Home Nonetheless, it still claimed the lives of the
Vickers via author
engines uprated 'AV was successfully flown In September G-AOYF was despatched five crew and two staff passengers on board.
BELOW: The more-powerful, hybrid V.80G/810 G-AQYF took to the air for the first time in at speed of up to 400mph (645km/h) on to South Africa for tropical trials, with a It was not only on experimental test flying Much luckier were the two crew on VS02 G-
August 1957. Vickers via Bob Turner several occasions, with no significant special clearance to operate at weights up that Viscounts came to grief in 1957. On 14 AOHp, which suffered a triple engine failure
to 69,0001b (31,300kg). Initially the trials March the first production V701, G-ALWE, as it approached Copenhagen during a cargo
proceeded to plan, but on 20 October was lost when it crashed on approach to Man- flight on 17 November. Crashing short of the
G-AOYF was badly damaged at Johannes- chester at the end of a BEA flight from runway, the Viscount was written off, but the
burg during a simulated emergency landing. Amsterdam. The aircraft struck a house close crew escaped serious injury. Extra VS06s
The 'simulation' went very wrong when an to the airport, killing two of its occupants, as were ordered to replace th se aircraft.
The mixed-class-configured
V.80Gs entered SEA service in
early 1958. Vickers via Bob Turner
54 55
Despite the loss of G-AOYF, the re t of lionth Vi ount p -enger. As more Y.806s Spaciou, ure' Viscount service, a the air- passengers and operating at 75 per c nt
the Vi count 806's certification programm arrived at H athrow, the last operational line marketed it, on many of its European load factors. Other important N w
was a trouble-free as those of the earlier member of th Elizabethan fleet were services from June 1957. The Dutch aircraft Zealand cities, such as Palmerston orth
versions, and BEA took delivery of its first finally withdrawn, the type flying its la t were u ually operated in a mixed-class, 53- and Wellington, soon saw Vi coun
aircraft, G-AOYH William Harvey, on 23 BEA operation, Hanover-Cologne/ passeng r lay ut, with thirty-eight tourist- replacing DC-3s on busier flight, with
December. Thi aircraft was used for the Bonn-Heathrow rvice, on 30 June 195 . cla s seat forward and fifteen fir t-cla similar dramatic increases in traffic.
fir t commercial flight of the new type, on seats in the rear. When required, the cabin Transair's two Dart Mk 520-powered
27 January 1958, a Heathrow-Amsterdam could also be converted to a 63-seat all- Y.804 entered ervice on military troop-
service. The mixed-class Y.806s replaced Worldwide 800s touri t configuration. ing flights from the UK to Gibraltar, Libya
the Elizabethans on the Silver Wing ervice The d liv ry flight of Z AC' fir t and Malta in October 1957. Transair wa
to Pari, and were also scheduled to operate Aer Lingus began upplementing its Y.707s Viscount 807, in December 1957, wa the ba ed at the old Croydon Airport, south of
on flight to Copenhagen, Geneva, ice, with the fir t of it Y. 08s on its high-den- longest to date. cheduled services began on London, from where it operated a large
Oslo, Stockholm and Zurich. The last ity, shorter-rang routes. When first intro- 3 February 1958, over the Christchurch- fleet of 0 -3 on scheduled services to the
branded ilver Wing service on the Pari duced, the long t r gular Viscount 808 ser- Auckland route. Despite offering twice hannel1s1ands and Northern France, a
route was operated by Y.802 G-AOHU Sir vice was Shannon-London, at 378 miles the available eat of the 0 -3s previou Iy well a large programme of ad hoc, contract
George Strong on 30 April 1958, and on the (608km). The Y.803s of KLM were much used on the trunk services, the three Vi - and inclusive-tour holiday flights.
next day, 1 May, BEA carried its three-mil- further ranging, ffering 'Swift, Smooth, counts were soon carrying 40 per cent more The hart grass runway at roydon was
totally un uitable for the Vi counts, and
Transair was already planning to move its
ntire operation further south, to Gatwick
Airport in Sussex. At that time Gatwick
had been elected for development as
London's second airport, and wa being
completely rebuilt, with a new runway,
terminal and hangar complex. Until
Gatwick wa ready, Tran air based its Vis- The economy cabin of KlM's Viscount 803s provided a bright and welcoming environment.
counts at Heathrow. Its Y.804 had fifty- First-class passengers were accommodated in the rear section. via Bob Turner
eight rear-facing eats, as required for
trooping flights. The layout also included
a 'mother' room' and a four-cot nursery,
which had been included specifically to
cater for th large numbers of ervice fam-
ilies carried on the military charter. The
Transair aircraft were al 0 chartered by
Air France during 1958 to operate sched-
uled flights from Heathrow to Paris and
Nice.
56 57
VI OUNT TO VANGUARD VISCOUNT TO VA GUARD
Boston-based Viscounts The Boston-based Northeast Airlines' Viscounts were mostly kept busy on the northern
half of the company's network. ranging from Canada and New England as far south as
Another US airline also found itself able to Washington and Virginia. but were also used on longer services to Florida before jets
introduce Viscount in 1958. Northeast replaced them. Global Air Image
Airline of Boston, Massachusetts, uccess-
fully negotiated with Vicker for an order
for ten V. 798Ds in the previou y ar. These
aircraft were originally part of an option for oon seen on services to other larger cities official business, and many leading British
fifteen that Capital had been unable to on ortheast's regional network, such a politicians of the day were frequently een
take up, a it had begun to suffer seriou Philadelphia, Portland and Washington, as patronising BEA, both on charters and on
financial problems. orthea t's own finan- well as the important longer-range routes to normal scheduled services.
cial position wa not that healthy either, as Florida, serving Jack onville, Miami and Once the Viscount had made its mark
it operated a predominately short-haul, Tampa. ortheast also operated an interna- as a VIP transport as well as a commercial
fairly uneconomic network. tional service to Montreal, Canada, from airliner, the comparatively new corporate
onetheless, ortheast had been ew England, and the introduction of Vis- flying market tarted to take an intere t.
awarded a number of important trunk counts brought greatly increased frequen- Use of private large tran port aircraft by
--- routes in the region, as well as receiving cie and load factors in re ponse to increas- companies and individuals was still a
comparatively novel concept in the mid-
authority to extend its network south to ing passenger boardings.
Florida in an ffort to strengthen its oper- 1950s. Pre-war, only a handful of airlin r-
ating ba e. The airline was keen to obtain size aircraft were operated privately. A
more modern equipment than the DC-3s, VIP and Corporate Viscounts large number of war-surplus aircraft, espe-
aircraft were delivered, Vickers leased an onvairs and DC-6Bs it was operating at cially the versatile DC-3, were converted
ex- apital V. 744 to the airline for a month the time. This, it was hoped, would give With the early government and military after the ho tiliti s ended. Once flying on
for crew training. The vital US Federal the comparatively small airline a compet- orders for VIP Vi counts from India and the scheduled airlines for bu ines
Aviation Administration (FAA) type cer- itive edge over the larger carriers operating outh Africa, later followed by Brazil and became m re common, a number of the
tification was awarded to the aircraft on 22 rival services in the area. Paki tan, the aircraft wa oon to be seen larg r industrial and commercial con-
April 1958, allowing deliveries of the first Northeast had rec ntly cancelled an carrying important politi al and military c rns found that having their own tran -
aircraft to ontinental Airlines in May. order for five UK-built Bristol Britannia personages in different parts of the world. port aircraft tarted to make financial
On 28 May the airline became the econd turboprop, following difficulties not only This helped promote the aircraft to the sense. Where regular trips by a number of
US carrier to operate the Viscount. in getting finance for the order but al 0 due airlines in the region. Indeed, the Indian personn I were required, operating a pri-
ontinental initially operated the Vis- to obstacles encountered when attempts Airlines Corporation (lAC) did not order vate service started to look economical
count in an all-first-class, 52-passenger were made to get the Britannia certificated its initial fleet of five Vi count 768Ds until when ompared with repeatedly buying
configuration, in a very comfortable 2-2 for US regi try. A complicated finance deal after the country' air force had taken airline ticket. A dedicated aircraft could
layout. The interior trim and decor were for the Vi counts, and their engine, was delivery of its aircraft. Later, lAC acquired be scheduled to meet the company' spe-
skilfully redesigned on the Viscount 812 so finally agreed with the assistance of the Irv- a further nine Vi counts for use on domes- cific need, as opposed to tho e of the air-
that an effective 4in (IOcm) greater cabin occupied the area more usually used as a the western half of the country. As well a ing Trust Company of ew York, between tic and regional routes throughout the sub- lines, and staff time was used more effi-
width wa obtained. A forward eight- eat rear main-deck baggage compartment or coping with the difficult condition at Den- ortheast, Vickers-Armstrongs and Rolls- continent. ciently.
cabin was located between the two-crew wa hrooms. Forward-folding airstair were ver, the fleet wa required to operate in Royce in July 1957. With the aircraft Britain's Royal Family were early users The Steel Corporation was an enthu-
flight deck and the forward washrooms. also fitted to the new aircraft. demanding temperatures and other arduous already in an advanced state of con truc- of the Viscount, beginning with HRH siastic executive aircraft operator, with a
Behind the main cabin was the galley, and Marketing the aircraft a the Viscount Il, weather conditions at airports the airline tion, the first delivery was quite swift, tak- Princess Margaret, who flew to Oslo in large fleet of DC-3s ferrying executives and
behind that there was a small four-seat to distinguish it from apital's earlier served in the southwestern states. Even ing place the following March, and all ten BEA' G-AMOB in May 1953. From then personnel throughout the USA and ur-
lounge lit by two mall window. Thi new Vi count 700s, the airline initially placed though the aircraft was operated in a aircraft were in service by February 1959. on BEA was regularly chartered for official rounding countries. It ordered three Vis-
feature was similar to the popular lounge its new turboprops in ervice on its reduced-capacity, first-class configuration, Originally introduced on the Boston- royal visits, and the Royal Family repeat- count 764D in June 1955, to be equipped
areas already found on the airline' larger hicago-Kansas City-D nv r-Lo Angeles Cantin ntal found that the Viscount was New York trunk route, the Viscounts aw edly used BEA's cheduled services for with VIP interiors, extra belly and slipper
DC-6s and DC- 7s used on the longer trunk route. This wa the Vi count's first appear- able to break even on most of its routes at a the airlin 's load factors rise by as much as personal travel. The royal patronage was fuel tanks and integral airstairs. At about the
routes. On the ontinental Viscounts it ance on US domestic scheduled services in 38 per cent load factor. 60 per cent in some cases. The typ was often matched by government charters on same time the Standard Oil Corporation
58 59
VIS OU T TO VANGUARD VISCOUNT TO VANGUARD
A Merging of Ideas I !I
.. '
Eventually BEA determined that the
short-range option be t served its future
ordered a similar Viscount 7650, which was plied with its customer's wishes, and the needs. The airline's chief executive, Peter
delivered in February 1957.
The Vanguard Masefield, wrote to George Edward at
aircraft was untouched for a further ten The Vanguard as shown in a Vickers
A single Viscount 7630 had been months. By 1959 Vickers was getting Although BEA had subsequently declined Vickers, giving BEA's requirements, on 15 sales brochure. Author's collection
ordered by the Hughes Tool Corporation increasingly concerned about the state of the original version of the stretched VSOO April 1953. A 370kt (425mph/6S0km/h)
for use by its eccentric millionaire owner, the aircraft, and insisted on being allowed in favour of the more modest VS02 cruising speed, 100-pas enger capacity,
Howard Hughes, and Vickers duly com- to inspect it. The Vickers engineers dis- option, the airline had remained in active 1,000-mile (l,600km) range with a 350-
pleted the aircraft ready for delivery in covered that over £55,000 work would discussion with Vickers with a view to mile (560km) diversion reserve and a large
1956. However, after the aircraft had been have to be done on the Viscount to bring it producing an even larger Viscount ver- freight hold was requested. These initial
sitting at Weybridge for a while, instruc- back to standard, and Vickers initiated sion. The airline tated that it wanted the thoughts were refined and generalized into
tions arrived from the American company steps to regain legal posses ion. Eventually aircraft to be in ervice by 1959, and that five basic requirement for the aircraft:
that the Viscount was to be stored away Hughe was persuaded to return ownership it was to be bigger, faster, and to exhibit a
from any other aircraft and not to be of the aircraft in July, and it was old on to 10 per cent improvement in economics • It must have better economics than any-
approached by anyone. Although far from Central American airline TACA Interna- over even the latest, improved Viscount thing else then available or even in
happy with the arrangement, Vickers com- tional Airways of Honduras. model . prospect.
60 61
VISCOUNT TO VANGUARD
• It must be big enough to handle the It wa B A' stated requirement for inc- peed of 425mph (6S0km/h) at 25,000ft
amount of air traffic to be expected six reased cargo- arrying that finally clinched (7,60001) and, originally, with a 1,000-mile
years hence. the choice. 0 provide this, a high-wing (1,600km) range, though it was accepted
• It must be fast enough to compete suc- aircraft w uld have needed an impossibly that 500 miles (SOOkm) would be sufficient
cessfully with any possible challengers extra-long fus lage, as well as a long, cum- for most of BEA's needs. Once BEA had
on its own routes. bersome and very heavy undercarriage. agreed to the ba ic design, Vickers began
• It must have better 'customer appeal' Instead, the d signers proposed a deeper, improving the specifications to attract
than any likely US-built rival. double-bubble fuselage, with a passenger other airlines.
• It must be available for service by cabin in the top half and large, low-slung
1955/1960. baggage and cargo holds forward and aft of
the midsection to which the wing would The Orders
By pure coincidence TCA had been hav- be attached. The low wing also offered
ing similar thoughts, and a letter from the much easier maintenance and refuelling. Changes during project development saw
Canadian carrier arrived on George At a meeting with BEA on 13 April the range increased to 2,500 miles
Edwards' desk at Vickers on the same day. 1955 the five remaining proposals were (4,000km) with the addition of wing tanks.
It outlined TCA's own requirements for an finally narrowed down to one, the Scheme The payload wa increased to 21,0001b
aircraft with transcontinental capability, 16A version of the VS70. This was for (9,500kg) and the passenger capacity grew
as well as the ability to supplement their an SS-passenger aircraft with a cruising to ninety-three. The cargo capacity was,
Viscounts economically on shorter routes,
carrying sixty passengers at a gross weight
of n,OOOlb (32,6S0kg).
Vickers designers saw the possibility of
meeting the needs of both airlines with
one new aircraft, and began work on a new
VS70 project, which soon overtook and
replaced the VS50. While the VS50 had
still been a Dart-powered venture, the
much larger VS90 called for even more
power. Rolls-Royce had a likely new tur-
boprop engine, the RB.l09, under devel-
opment, and the design proceeded with
this powerplant in mind. The pure turbo- The Vanguard eventually emerged as a potentially impressive aircraft. via author
jet was also considered, but was eventual-
ly dismissed as there was still no jet engine
available that was deemed suitable for eco-
nomic short-haul operations. for its day, a very generous 1,300cu ft (36cu Vickers countered this objection by coming
01). The alterations were sufficient to war-
The Viscount Glory Years
up with a design having an increased gross
rant another change of type number, to weight of 142,0001b (64,450kg), all but One of the busiest years for the Viscount
The Options V900, the BEA version being designated 1,0001b (4,500kg) of this being increa ed production lines was 1957, with both
V901. By the time the gross weight had payload. After further negotiations TCA V 700s and VSOOs rolling off the Weybridg
More than sixty design proposals were pro- been finalized at 135,000Ib (61,275kg), the finally signed a $67.1 million order for 20 and Hurn production lines in th colours of
duced. These varied from propjet to pure- type number was V950, with the BEA air- Vanguards on31 January 1957. Its improved numerous operators. As usual, the spread
jet, straight-wing to swept-back, and most craft designated V951. Vickers and BEA model was designated V952. Options were was wide. New operators that year included
combinations in between. This number signed a contract for twenty aircraft, now also taken out on four more aircraft, three Hong Kong Airways, Indian Airline or-
was soon whittled down to five, all turbo- named Vanguard by the airline, on 20 July of which were eventually converted to firm pOl'ation, KLM, Linee Aeree Italiene, Lloyd
prop powered. One area where BEA and 1956. Service entry was planned for 1960. orders. Aereo Colombiano, New Zealand Nation-
TCA had shown greatly differing prefer- Although TCA had been instrumental Very interested in the improvements al Airways, Philippine Airlines, TACA
ences was in the possible position of the in encouraging Vickers to produce the Van- made for TCA, BEA contacted Vickers International Airlines, Transair and Union
wing. Following the very favourable pas- guard, the Canadian carrier had taken little with a view to having its own aircraft built of Burma Airways.
senger reaction to the high-wing Eliza- part in the design developments up to the to the same standard. By then, however, the Both BWIA and MEA took delivery of
bethan, BEA was very keen that the VS70 time that BEA signed the order. The new first six BEA Vanguards were already being their more modern version Viscount 700s,
would also have this feature. Combined production specifications were examined built and could not be economically modi- passing their original older models back to
with the already popular large Viscount by TCA and, although they represented a fied on the production line. Nonetheless, in their owners when the leases ended. Fred
windows, the unobstructed view of the great improvement on the earlier options, July 1955 the airline p rsuaded Vickers to Olsen Air Transport also took delivery of
passing scene from the passenger cabin they were actually found to be wanting. allow it to modify its order to cover the six new aircraft, in the shape of four V 779Ds.
would have been unprecedented. On the With full load and tanks, the freight and V951s already under construction, while The Norwegian shipping company operat-
other hand, TCA was concerned that a mail capacity would be insufficient to meet the remaining fourteen would be built to the ed them on a variety of charter services, as
high wing would have been difficult to de- TCA's needs. Vickers was informed that a new specifications and redesignated V953s. well as continuing to lease them out fre-
ice properly and clear of snow in the harsh Eventually satisfied with the final proposal. BEA felt confident enough to place a greater payload would have to be available The V952/V.953s' increased weights would quently to other carriers short of capacity.
Canadian winter conditions. production order for the Vanguard. Author's collection if TCA was to consider placing an order. allow a passenger capacity of up to 139. The two Fred Olsen V736s that had been
62 63
VI COU T TO VANGUARD VISCOUNT TO VA GUARD
RIGHT: The Viscount 772 joined BWIA's aircraft actually started their delivery flight
V.702s on the Caribbean and Western from Heathrow, where they had been ba d
Atlantic network. via author
briefly for crew training. They entered er-
Asian Arrivals
The Indian Airlines Corporation (lAC),
created by the nationalization and merger
of several independent domestic opera-
tors, had been in exi tence for only two
years when it placed it first Viscount order
in 1953. It network covered a va t
amount of territory throughout India and
also reached into neighbouring countries.
lea ed to BEA, G-AODG and G-AODH, Hunting-Clan had reclaimed its Y.732s Operations were centred on three main
had been returned to their Norwegian at the end of their lease to MEA, and the bases, at Delhi, alcutta and Bombay, and
owner in March and April 1957 and then two partners were finally permitted to before the arrival of the Viscounts the fl et
immediately leased on to MEA and BWIA introduce Viscounts on their scheduled consisted mostly of DC-3 and D -4s,
a OD-ACR and VP-TBY respectively. UK-Africa colonial coach-cla afari ser- with a large fleet of Vikings also taking
They returned to the UK later that year vices in January 1958. Both airlines had much of the workload.
and were finally sold, via BOAC Associat- also ordered Y.800s, planning to replace Deliveries of the five Y.768Ds initially The pair of Viscounts operated by Hong Kong Airways gained a remarkable reputation for reliability,
d ompanies, to Airwork Ltd. the Y. 700s with the new aircraft on the ordered began in August 1957. Most of the especially considering their high utilization. via Bob Turner
64 65
VI OUNT TO VANGUARD
guard taking shape, Vickers was looking for- Fokker E27s in 1958. US-built versions produced
under licence bV Fairchild had entered service
ward to a prosperous end to the 1950s. Yet,
shortlv before. MAP
even as new customers continued to sign up,
VICKERS-ARM,STRONGS (AIRCRAFT) LTD .• WEYBRIDGE t ENGLAND
rivals abroad were finally finding their feet.
J[ember Cornpally o/the Great Vicker8 Group_
The Vickers turboprops would soon face
some serious competition.
66 67
THE EW COMPETITION TIlE EW COM PETITIO
Handley Page companies, and Fokker of Page and Fokker, Vickers attempted to
the Netherlands, coming up with very sim- offer its own solution to the regional air-
ilar designs during the mid-1950s, all of craft market's requirements. The company
which were eventually to be powered by proposed a much-modified Viscount 700
G-AOOF two Darts. Handley Page's aircraft, the in January 1958, to be designated V790.
• Herald, was originally de igned to be pow- The needs of the local service operators,
ered by four Alvis Leonides pi ton engines, flying shorter-range services, were to be
the prototype originally flying in this form accommodated by incorporating extra
in August 1955. However, that November strengthening already developed for th
the Similarly sized, 44-passenger Fokker Viscount 810. This permitted higher land-
F.27 Friendship flew for the fir t time, pow- ing weights and much faster cruising
ered by two Darts. Handley Page realized speeds at lower altitudes.
that it faced the prospect of an originally The aircraft would be much more uit-
healthy order book disappearing overnight able for operations over shorter, lOO-mile
in the light of the Dutch aircraft's obvious (l60km) stage lengths, wher there was
The Handley Page Herald later had its four piston engines replaced by two
Rolls-Royce Dart turboprops. via author
technical superiority, and decided to call for more capacity than the 21-36-seat
redesign the Herald to be powered by a DC-3 could provide. Seating could be
pair of Darts. increased by redesigning the interior, only
This cost Handley Page valuable time, one toilet being provided and only basic
and the project never regained its momen- galley facilities being needed on the short-
tum. Most of the original orders were still er flights. Four-abreast seating for forty-
lost, and Dart Herald sales failed to live up eight passengers, or five-abreast for up to
to the aircraft's promise. Fokker's F.27 fared fifty-nine to sixty-five, was offered, galley
much better, with steady sales over many facilities being completely dispensed with
years. The Dutch design was also built in the den er configurations. A curious
under licence in the USA by Fairchild, mixture of four- and five-abreast seating was
this vel' ion actually being the first to enter also offered in some configurations.
service, with West Coast Airlines of Seat- Cabin pressurization was to be reduced,
tle, in eptember 1958. European-built to 4.5Ib/sq in (0.33kg/sq cm), instead of the
Friendships entered service with Aer Lin- more usual 6lb/sq in (0,42kg/sq cm), in
gus that November. The original version view of the lower altitudes at which the air-
was increased in size and updated, and craft would mostly be flown. To facilitate
Fairchild even built a tretched ver ion, quick turn-rounds on multi-sector flights,
Avro's robust, twin-Dart-powered 748 was to remain in production with Hawker
the FH-227. The much-delayed Dart Her- forward airstairs were to be fitted as stan-
Siddeley and British Aerospace for over twenty-five years. via author ald did not enter service until 1961. As dard, and it was expected that the No 4
well as Aer Lingus, a number of other Vis- engine would be kept running to provide
count operators ordered F.27s in order to start-up power for the other three. Brakes
bring turboprop service to smaller cities would be applied to the stationary pro-
and less-dense routes wh re the DC-3 had pellers on the other engines, to prevent
l~l
previously reigned supreme. dangerous wind milling during the turn-
Th last of the trio to appear was the round servicing and loading. The earlier- 54-59 seat version
British-designed 48-passenger Avro 748, version Dart R.DaJ Mk506 was to be used,
another twin-Dart-powered aircraft, which being much lighter than the later models
first flew as late as June 1960. Unlike the and already well proven in service.
previou two aircraft, the 748 sported a low The proposed new 'local service Vis-
wing instead of a high wing, and it wa count' was presented to a number of air-
aimed even more at regional and even lines around the world, but especially to
rough-field operations than were the F.27 regional carriers in the USA. Vickers even
and Herald. Avro wa later merged into organized a 'Local Service Carrier Jam-
Hawker Siddeley, and thereafter the aircraft boree' in 1958, in which top executives
wa marketed as the H .748. Although it from nine US local airlines were flown to
enjoyed more success and longevity than the UK and introduced to the Viscount
VICKERS the Dart Herald, it till found itself well out- 790 project. The presentation also includ-
68 69
Til" EW COMPETITION TilE NEW COMPETITION
American Airlines earlier specificati n on mi ally on hort- and medium-range potential to change the face of airline trav-
The Convair Turboprops for a turboprop airliner. Lockheed wa rvi e . In Europe, France's ud Aviation el. on equently the next generation of
The main US rival to the Viscount had remained the encouraged by American to develop it w building the E-210 Caravelle short- pure-jet airlin rs, both long- and short-haul,
piston-powered Convair series. Gradual improve- original, smaller, proposal into the L-1 haul j t and de Havilland wa considering a were designed from day one with at least a
ments had led to the development of the CV340 and Electra, which in due time was to be h rt-haul ver ion of the Comet for BEA. generou percentage of their capacity devot-
CV440 models, which, although still piston-engined, ordered not only by American but by ev- Even before producing its own turboprop ed to the lower-fare-paying passenger.
had achieved very respectable sales figures, not only eral other larger carriers in the U A and d ign, the oviet Union had enjoyed a
in the Americas but worldwide. world wid . Of imilar size and perfor- pectacular propaganda coup, putting its
While the Convairs' performance was still not able
to match that of the Viscount in terms of speed, the
mance to the Vanguard, the Electra was own Tupol v Tu-104 jet airliner into regular Jet Glamour or
progress made had produced avery capable aircraft.
powered by four Allison 501 turboprops, service a early as 1956. Even Convair wa Turboprop Economy?
In service, the actual block-to-block flight times were and entered service in January 1959 with de igning its own medium-range jet, the
certainly close to those of the Viscount, and improve- American Airlines and Eastern Air Lines, CV600, later redesignated CV880. onethele s, doubts still lingered in many
ments in cabin amenities and soundproofing had pro- which had placed firm orders in 1955. Although the original Comet models airline boardrooms as to the economic via-
duced almost as comfortable a ride for the passen- Although its use as an airliner was limit d had been in service for barely two years, bility of pure jets on short-haul services,
gers. In response to the imminent arrival of the by the advent of the short-haul jets, the the airlines that had operated them had especially on routes of less that 500 miles
Viscount with Capital Airlines, Convair proposed a Electra ha managed to survive far longer been very satisfied. Load factors on routes (800km), uch a most of those between
turboprop-powered, stretched version of the CV340 than the Vanguard by virtue of the very on which the handful of early Comet Is the European capitals and in the high-
as early as 1955. Ironically, the new design would successful production of a mi Iitary version. had been operated had oon been in the density US east coast region. Even the
have been fitted with four Rolls-Royce R.Da.7 Darts.
The Lockheed Orion early-warning and high-80-per-cent range, in spite of their developed jet engines still had compara-
Designed to specifications drawn up by American
Airlines, the 'Model 15', as it was known, was not
maritime patrol aircraft, developed direct- having offered only an all-first-class ser- tively high fuel consumption, especially
pursued after little interest was shown by the airline. ly from the Electra, remained in produc- vice. Although structurally flawed, the on short sector with little cruise time at
New turboprop Convairs were eventually pro- tion long after the last Electra airliner left fir t Comets had shown the enormous altitude. High fuel consumption during
duced, but not by the parent company. Canadair, in the Lockheed factories. potential for commercially successful jet- holding periods at low altitude while
Montreal. produced a version of the CV340/440 Russia's answer to the Vanguard and Elec- powered airliner ervice . awaiting their turn to land at bu ier air-
under licence, which was powered by two British- Vickers had hoped to sell the Vanguard to Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways. tra, the llyu hin 11-18, also entered sched- Just as the Comet and Viscount were ports wa al 0 widely regarded as a poten-
built Napier Eland turboprops. The CV540, as the new but the airline ordered the rival Lockheed L-188 Electra. CPA via author uled service in 1959. Similarly designed for making their joint revolutionary presence tial financial drawback for hort-haul jets.
Eland version was designated, was ordered by a high-capacity, economic operation, the Il- felt in terms of high peed and comfort, The prospect of jet aircraft operating on
number of airlines, most of which cancelled their 18 four-engine turboprop could carry cheaper economy- and touri t-class fares rival airline services on its longer-range
orders when Rolls-Royce acquired control of Napier
75-110 passengers. Several hundred were became available in the early 1950s, giving routes was one of the factors that led BEA to
and decided to discontinue the Eland programme. In
the end, only Allegheny Airlines in the USA and Que-
produc d for Russia's state airline, Aeroflot, air travel a tremendous boost when the post- have its later Vanguards built to the revi ed
becair in Canada operated the CV540 commercially. which operated them on both intercity and war travel boom was starting to slow down. T A standard, geared toward more ver a-
A large number of the military version, the CL-66B, transcontinental services throughout the The increa ed availability of the cheaper tility on shorter, high-capacity intercity
were produced for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Soviet Union for many years. However, fares and the early introduction of the tur- route. For its further-reaching services to
Even so, anumber of CV240, CV340 and CV440 air- although it was a very successful aircraft, boprop Viscount on many of the new econ- the eastern MeditetTanean and Middle East,
frames were successfully converted from piston- sales outside the communist bloc were very omy-class services showed that a combina- originally earmarked for the fir t Vanguard
engine to turboprop power, especially during the limited, apart from a number of exports to tion of jet speed and lower fares had the design options, BEA was finally forced to
1960s. These had either Rolls-Royce Darts or US- allied countries.
built Allison engines, which were produced by Con-
vair's associate, General Motors Corporation. The
Dart and Allison-powered turboprop Convair conver-
sions remained popular with regional airlines, espe- The Soviet Union's Ilyushin 11-18 turboprop was produced in large numbers. Similar in New Jet Threat
cially in the USA, and large numbers of these aircraft size and performance to the Vanguard and Electra, it was successfully operated by
served in both commercial and military roles around Aeroflot and several other carriers around the world. via author As early as the mid-1950s, de Havilland
the world for many years. was well on its way to bringing back the
omet in a much-enlarged and strength-
ened form. Even Vickers wa working on
Many of the potential U customer instead, replaced it Martin aircraft with three of the largest airliner producers, Boe- long-haul, pure-jet designs for BOAC. In
simply regarded the four-engined Vi count Lockheed Con tellation that had been ing, Convair and Douglas, were already the A, Boeing had been flying the pro-
as too ophisticated for their small r oper- displaced from international route by putting all their efforts into constructing totype of its Model 707 jet airliner since
ation . They preferred to consider either larger Super Constellation . the U A's fir t pure-jet commercial airlin- 1954, and Douglas was not far behind with
the new mailer twin turboprops, or even ers. All three had re olved that they would its own first commercial jet, the DC-8.
the large numbers of post-war pi ton- bypa the turboprop option altogether. These were all intended for long-range
engined de igns such as the Martins and otwithstanding this, their long-standing flights, though the initial versions were
Vanguard Rivals really only medium-range aircraft and
Convair then starting to come on to the co-rival, the Lockheed Aircraft Company,
secondhand market, as replacements for Given the uccess of the Viscount, it is went in a totally different direction and would u ually have to make refuelling
their D -3. At one point the major US perhap surprising that US airliner manu- decided to put all it eggs firmly in the tur- stops when operated on long-range fl ight .
operator Trans World Airlines (TWA) facturers showed little intere t in produc- boprop basket. Yet, by the time the first Vanguard was
considered ordering a fleet of V. 790s to ing a direct rival, particularly after the Still regarding the pure jet transport a taking shape on the Weybridge factory floor,
replace its Martin 202s and 404 , and the large Capital and ontinental orders. un uitable for operations over short inter- the jet-versus-turboprop picture was chang-
designation V. 795 was reserved. Unfortu- However, by the time the Vis ount was city stage lengths, Lockheed had also pro- ing. There were also new pure-jet designs
nately TWA decided not to pro eed and, making a name for itself with apital, posed it own design in response to the on the way, solely intended to operate BEA relied heavily on its Viscount fleet right through the mid-late 1950s. Global Air Image
70 77
Till. NI',W COMPETITION 1111. NEW COMPETITION
C;§~~)lpirfll'll(;rj(J fY!D~@@[//)Il!J1f
Ansett acquired a small shareholding in
Butler Air Transport (BAT), and set about WITM
II... it's all-new!
attempting to absorb the smaller carrier
into the larger enterprise. t:-.i H~H SPHOS, GRlATtI\
--_.-
RANGI ..
-_._ . . . ,. . .
HUSHED, SMOOTH fLIGHT..
...... _ ....._an ........... - looM . . _ _ ... _U7_,..- .. _ ............. _
Butler had continued to expand it ....... _
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regional operations throughout ew outh e--_ .......- • . . - . _ ~»l.'''.''-'
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Ambassador wa al 0 operated for a while. .. _ __ --_.-.
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These had been bought secondhand from .. "'".
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BEA and, although they offered much- ...
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needed extra capacity, they were not really ~
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suited to BAT' outback style of operation, 1lo0oi> ........ ---..01
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The pair of 'Super Viscounts' joined TAA's smaller Viscount 700s on busier inter-city in the airline he had founded, Arthur Butler ...-._lO'
_,_."__ - ..........".
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ROLU ROYCE DART R.Da. 7/1
routes in eastern Australia. Jenny Gradidge re isted the takeover by his contemporary PRop-Jn £NGINU.
72 73
TilE EW COM PETITIO TilE EW COM PETITIO
the original Viscount, the passenger cabin TPS 81se equipment. The Vanguard al 0 boasted a a blocked oil line had caused the double The Weybridge runway was only 3,600ft
windows, were of the same large elliptical much more paciou flight deck than the bearing failure in the rogue Tyne engine. (1,1 OOm) long, which was rather short for
panern that had proved so popular, rather claustrophobic one on Vis ount, oon G-AOYW was again fitted with four an aircraft as large as the Vanguard. Bryce
f; ':
LL._
embodying identical stress-free, neutral- and could be arranged to be operated by
hole capabilities. VICKERS WAjfjJJ(fJjlj)jfJj!JljtJJ
TYPE 950 two- or three-pilot crews. The flying con-
The wing tructure, however, wa a new By the time the final production design trol wer manually operated, with aerody-
FIG. I GENERAL ARRANGEMENT
concept. It was made up of skin panels emerged, the tail was modified to namic balancing.
machined from solid billet of light alloy, correct slight instability.
with spanwi e stiffener. This new method Vickers via author
of construction was not only faster and Getting the Vanguard
more cost-efficient, it also avoided concen- total wing area wa 1,527sq ft (l42sq m). correct a light rudd r instability. The
trated tress by maintaining the wing profile The tailplane had a marked dihedral angle, Vi count 810 prototype, G-AOYV, still
into the Air
with closely spaced ribs which acted as link inherited from the Vi count, to keep it clear flying in full Continental Airlines The prototype V950 Vanguard, G-AOYW,
members between the machined skin pan- of the jet residue efflux and aid directional livery, wa fitted with a scaled-down ver- was rolled out at Wisley on 4 December
els and spanwi e shear webs. In effect, the and longitudinal tability. sion of the redesigned Vanguard tail and 1958 and began a eries of engin run.
completed wing structure became a homo- The Vanguard' large fin was originally u ed for aerodynamic and de-icing trial. Unfortunately, in the course of one of th e
geneous torsion box. The entire box struc- faired into the fuselage with only a small For the de-icing trials the aircraft wa runs two bearings seized on one of the four
ture outboard of the centre section was aerodynamic fillet. This was later replaced also fitted with a large rig to spray water on Tynes, causing a rather dramatic catastroph- The first landing of the Vanguard prototype. G-AOYW. was made at Wisley after its
sealed to serve as an integral fuel tank. The by a larger dorsal fin that wa added to th tailplane to simulate icing conditions. ic failure. As a precaution, all four engines well-satisfied pilots had extended the initial maiden flight. Author's collection
74 75
TilE EW COMPETITION TilE EW COM PETITIO
and Trubshaw had to plan to take on the speed taxi w also undertaken, proceeding The original plan, imply to position the 1950s, its lower fuselage was painted gr y typ . Later tran atlantic crossings aw G- technical and ales personnel on board, 'EB
minimum fuel load for the brief fl ight to the directly on to the runway once clearance aircraft directly to Wisley, was quietly forgot- instead of bing the usual natural metal. In g tting as far south a the Caribbean, was initially flown to Khartoum, with a
Vickers test airfield at Wisley, just under wa given, so that take-off speed would be ten as Bryce oon gained a feel for the Van- contra t, 'EB was rolled out resplendent in with d m nstration flight to BWIA in technical stop at Rome. The Vanguard
3m in flying time away. With no other crew reached as n a po sible. At about guard in the air. A tendency for the throttles the airline's brand-new 'Red Square' image, Bermuda and Trinidad, although these were remained in the Sudan, completing a series
member, engineering or flight-te t staffcar- 16.00hr, befor a large crowd of Vickers to 'cr ep back' was noticed, but Trubshaw which wa being introduced at the tim. lightly marred by engine problems caused of trials, for ten days, then carried the team
ried, a comparatively light all-up weight of worker, G-AOYW became airborne for the was easily able to monitor thi . Bryce decid- The Vanguards were assigned individual by ontaminated fuel. south to Johannesburg for a 3 -day tay.
95,0001b (43,100kg) was achieved. A high- first time. ed to extend the 'ferry flight', with 'YW name, continuing the usual tradition of The trial were mainly focused on mea-
remaining airborne for about 20min. When BEA. The flagship, 'EA, wa named Van- uring take-off and landing distances and
the aircraft finally began irs descent into guard and the other aircraft were given Tropical Trials climb rate, and developing handling
Wi ley ome buffeting wa noticed when the names offamous British naval ship, uch as technique under the harsher condition.
flaps were deployed. Moreover, when rever e Betlerophon, Ajax, Leander, Valiant and From October to December G-APEB was in A number of demonstration flight were
pitch was applied on landing, the aileron Swiftsure. adly, the glossy new livery did Aftica, completing a serie of tropical trials al 0 made to prospective customers wher-
thrashed about fairly violently and Bryce had not make allowance for painting the names to xamine the Vanguard's characteristics at ever the aircraft stopped en route. Given
great difficulty in keeping them under con- on the out ide of the aircraft. In tead, they 'hot and high' airfields. Under the com- the hi tory of tropical trial mishap with
trol. These were regarded as minor problems were featured inside, in the passenger cabin. mand of Brian Trubshaw and fellow test the Vi counts, with the losse of both
that could easily be fixed during the flight- On 6 March G-APEA flew to Hamburg pilot Richard Rymer, with Vickers flight test G-AHRF and G-AOYF during th ir own
test programme and, to add a touch of first for BEA, then on 3 June it went to Brus el manager Joe Leach and a staff of Vicker trials in Africa, no doubt there was some
flight bravado, Bryce and Trubshaw taxied for demonstration to Sabena, the Belgian
the aircraft in reverse down the runway for a national carri r. The next day the aircraft
short distance after landing, to get back to a was similarly shown to Alitalia in Rome,
taxiway tum-off. and was also flown to Pari. On all these
demonstration service the aircraft set up
new speed/di tance records. In July, wearing
Building up the Hours Vickers Vanguard titles applied in place of
Following the historic first flight, G-AOYW embarked on a programme of test
and development flights. Author's collection BEA's, 'EA was despatched to anada,
The prototype soon started the daily round where TCA was finally able to see it new
of development and test flights required for
Specification - V.950
the Vanguard to be certificated for airline
Powerplant: 4 x R.Ty.l/506 Tyne use. By 28 January a grand total of lOhr
Weights: Empty basic equipment weight 86.8001b (39AOOkg); maximum zero fuel weight 122.5001b 45min had been accumulated on eight or- After gaining Vickers Vanguard titles, G-APEA
(55,600kg); maximum take-off weight 146,500lb (66,500kg); maximum landing weight was used for a number of demonstration flights
ties. Problems with the Vanguard' stalling
130,500lb (59.235kg); typical maximum payload 37.000lb (16,790kg). to potential customers. Author's collection
characteristics took up a lot of the devel-
Dimensions: Length 122ft 10Min (37.45m); span 118ft Oin (35.90ml; fin height 34ft llin (10.64ml; wing opment team's time. A variety of combina-
area 1.529sq ft (142.04sq m); wheelbase 40ft 6Xin (12.35m). BELOW: The visit of G-APEA to Canada aroused a
tions of spoiler strips, wing fences and vor- great deal of interest from TCA staff and crews
Performance: Economic cruising speed 420mph (675km/hl; maximum cruising speed 425mph (685km/h);
service ceiling 30,OOOft (9.150m); range with maximum payload 1.350 statute miles
tex generators were tried to overcome what anxious to examine the company's latest purchase
(2,170km) could be rather violent rolling, and even for its fleet. Author's collection
Average passenger inversion, at the stall. Over 2,000 stall
accommodation: 97-139 (all first class - high density) were induced on 'YW, mostly in the expert
hands of Brian Trubshaw, before the right
combination of modifications was found.
Engine noise and vibration level in th
passenger cabin proved to be a major prob-
lem, the powerful Tynes making their pres-
ence much more felt than the Darts on the
Vi count. Although teps were taken to
rectify this, the Vanguard never attained
the standards of the earlier Viscount in thi
respect. On the plus side, high-speed han-
dling proved to be excellent and, apart
from the initial stalling problem, the Van-
guard proved to be a stable and ea yaircraft
to handle for its size.
The first of the production V95 Is, G-
APEA, joined the sole V950 in the test
programme following it own maiden flight
on 22 April 1959. The second production
Vanguard, G-APEB, first flew on 23 July
and also joined the trials at Wisley.
The first production model Vanguard, G-APEA, made its first flights wearing the Although 'EA was finished in the tradi-
classic BEA colours, and also originally had the early tail configuration. via author tional red and white BEA livery of the
76 77
TilE EW COMPETITION TIlE EW COM PETITIO
trepidation among the Vickers teams on more demonstration flights before contin- The Vanguard's Return
the tour. Happily 'EB broke the jinx, the uing on to Beirut the same evening to end
Proving Flight Problems
only serious incident occurring at Johan- a busy day. Two more early production V.951s, G- By October 1960 modified Tynes were
nesburg, when all the tyres burst during a On 12 December the second of three APEC and 'ED, joined the Wisley flight- finally available to be installed in V950
heavy landing. This caused a certain planned demonstration flights from Beirut test programme after they completed their G-AOYW and V951 G-APED, and the
amount of damage to the hydraulic pipes brought more drama when the port under- own initial po t-production flights in flight-test programme resumed in earne t
in the undercarriage and the undercar- carriage refused to lower. For nearly an October and December 1959, respectively. at Wisley. New engines were also fitted to
riage doors. The aircraft was consequent- hour Trubshaw and Rymer tried several A transatlantic trip was made by G-APED G-APEE within the month and, more than
ly grounded for several days while the unconventional methods to free the leg, to give further demonstrations to BWIA, 200 flying hours later, on 2 December, the
necessary spares were flown out to South including pulling the aircraft up sharply to including a number of short inter-island Vanguard was finally awarded its full C of
Africa. try and dislodge it. In the end Trubshaw service to show the Vanguard's suitability A. Immediately, 'EE was positioned to
At the end of the South Africa-based tri- had to go into the cabin and lift floor- for the Caribbean airline's network. At Stansted Airport, where BEA's Vanguard
ai, G-APEB left Johannesburg on 6 boards, in view of the commercially impor- this time BEA senior training captains crews were given a refresher course. Both
December and headed north for Salisbury, tant clientele, and try to lower it by pulling were given instruction on the aircraft by BEA and TCA also made considerable use
Rhodesia. During the next day, two test on various cables and rods! He was eventu- Vickers at Weybridge and Wisley, and at of newly delivered simulators to speed con-
flights and a demonstration flight for Cen- ally successful, and 'EB landed safely. The Roll-Royce' factory in Derby. From Feb- version and refresher training. Soon, G-
tral African Airways were carried out. On cause was traced to a bolt that had worked ruary 1960 BEA began using some of the APEF joined 'EE at Stan ted to complete
8 December the aircraft was flown to loose and jammed the undercarriage door. available flying hours for crew training and the refresher training and, once enough
Nairobi to complete one more demonstra- Applying a smooth lining material to the a handful of route-proving flights. BEA Vanguard crews had been licensed,
tion and three test flights over the next two doors solved the problem, and the Van- The route-proving programme increased G-APEF inaugurated the long-awaited
days. The Vanguard flew to Cairo via Khar- guard's return trip to Wisley, via Nice and significantly in March, when G-APED Unexpected and potentially serious problems with the Tyne engines caused a temporary Vanguard service with a Heathrow-Paris
toum on 11 December, and made three Gatwick, was uneventful. was used by BEA for a more intensive halt in the certification and customer crew training programmes. Author's collection flight on 17 December.
78 79
TilE NEW COMPETITION TilE NEW COMPETITION
80 87
TIlE NEW COM PETITIO
Ell..
supply BEA's Vanguards at both airports.
finally begin scheduled service, the much-
~~
hyped arrival of widespread jet airline trav-
Fast flying tast t ••lUng el, on short- as well as long-haul services,
had already taken place. BEA's new Van-
guards were already facing direct competi-
Page' eigltt(!t!1l
tion from Air France's Caravelles on the
route to Paris, these having been intro-
duced into service in 1959. Thus the shiny
new Vanguards arrived on an internation-
al airline scene where many passengers
already regarded them as old-fashioned.
Consequently they would have a struggle
to prove them elves in a hostile environ-
ment, relying heavily on their much-
vaunted economic abilities to make money
where jets would struggle to survive.
82 83
SOLDIERING ON SOLDIERI GO
to Weybridge a letter of intent was lodged The K company's second Viscount Hunting- lan/Airwork African flights but operation. In contrast, the two Viscounts
with Vickers by CEA's management on 19 remained in the UK and was used for a net- operating, instead, over the Atlantic to embarked on a major expansion of the
November 1956, covering possible orders work of touri t- la s scheduled services to Bermuda and the Caribbean, and ultimate- Bermuda operation, new services opening
for up to eleven Viscounts. This was to Belgium, ermany and Scandinavia being ly to the USA, as well as eastwards to Sin- to Baltimore, Montreal and Nassau. The
include possible orders for an unspecified built up from the northern city of Man- gapore and Hong Kong. Eagle applied for Nassau service was soon extended to
number of the V840 version. In 1957 the chester. Although regulations still heavily licences for a number of such services, and Miami under the name of yet another new
letter of intent was converted to a contract favoured BEA and BOAC, the situation also campaigned vigorou Iy for the estab- Eagle company, Eagle Airways (Bahamas)
for confirmed orders for eight V823s for had greatly eased for independent airlines lishment of a 'VLF' (very low fare) class of Ltd, on whose behalf the Bermuda-based
1958 delivery. The licensing hearings developing their own networks of sched- low-frequency, long-range services in com- aircraft operated over the new route.
dragged on until early 1958, though it did uled services. Bamberg was very keen to petition with BOAC. The opposition to
look as though CEA would be succes fut. see the Eagle group expand into more the plans from BOAC was sufficient to see
However, on 7 April 1958 the recommen- scheduled markets, and sought every the concept blocked for the time being, but Far-Ranging Viscounts
dation surprisingly went against CEA and opportunity to do so. In Eagle's case these Eagle's busy DC-6As did operate a number
the routes were awarded to Continental were to be flown by the UK-based Vis- of charter flights to Bermuda and the The long-standing partnership arrange-
Airlines. Legal appeals were unsucces ful, count from both Blackbushe and Man- Caribbean, which helped further strength- ment between BEA and Cyprus Airways
and CEA was forced to write to Vickers on chester, alongside Eagle's already estab- en the company's presence and general was taken a step further from January 1958,
11 August, explaining it had no choice but lished fleet of Vikings. The Vikings were influence in the region. when the British carrier took over all of the
to cancel the order. also operated on a handful of scheduled Although Eagle's new Bermuda-based Cyprus airline's operations, two Viscounts
services from Heathrow. In addition, the services to New York were proving a great under charter replacing the increasingly
Viscount operated from the midlands to success, the passenger figures for the Euro- uncompetitive D -3s. Cyprus Airways had
Atlantic Adventures Spain on a weekly Birmingham-Palma pean schedules were much less encourag- con idered ordering its own small fleet of G-APDX became VR-BAY for the Eagle (Bermuda) operation and was a regular visitor
tourist service. ing. At the beginning of 1959 Viscount G- Viscounts from Vicker, but decided in to US and Canadian cities on the popular island routes. via author
Even as the airlines of the world were busy A fleet of DC-6As had been acquired for APDX was re-registered VR-BAY and ent favour of expanding the charter arrange-
throwing the glamorous new jets into ser- operation on worldwide charter services. out to join 'AX in Bermuda. The European ment on economic grounds. till in full
vice as quick as the manufacturers could Bamberg wanted to deploy them on low- services were drastically cut back and BEA livery, they were rotated regularly
deliver them, the Viscount was still find- fare schedules from the UK similar to the the surviving flights reverted to Viking with the BEA UK-ba ed fleet when they THY having operated mostly on domestic The use of the Viscount on the longer
ing useful niches. The two Eagle Airways returned for chedul d maintenance at and regional flights with a fleet of DC-3s services from Turkey to points such as Lon-
Viscount 805s were instrumental in pio- Heathrow. The Nicosia-based Viscounts until the Viscounts·arrived. As well as con- don and Frankfurt aw THY joining Iraqi
neering whole new markets on both sides took the BEA flag much further east than necting the larger Turkish cities on domes- Airways, MEA and Misrair in using the
of the Atlantic for their owner. before, being operated on Cyprus Airways tic flights and linking Istanbul and Ankara turboprops on important longer routes
Despite the disappointing loss of the services to Bahrain, Doha, Kuwait and Tel to regional points such as Adana, Beirut and where they were competing against much
V821 trooping contract, Eagle's first Dart Aviv from Nicosia, as well as on the estab- Nicosia, the Viscounts inaugurated new larger aircraft. Misrair actively expanded
510-powered V805, G-APDW Enterprise, lished routes in the region and the joint longer-ranging services into Western its Viscount fleet, purchasing two second-
was still delivered in late 1957, resplen- BEA/Cyprus route to London. Europe. The Magic Carpet Route, as it was hand V754Ds from HCAT in July 1959
dent in a stylish new maroon and grey liv- January 1958 also saw Turkish Airlines marketed, operated from Ankara via Istan- and taking delivery of a new V739B, SU-
ery. It was operated both on scheduled and (THY) place the first of its 48-passenger Vis- bul, Vienna and Frankfurt to London three AKW, the airline's eighth, in April 1960.
charter services for the fir t few months of count 700, one V754D and four V794Ds, times a week. The Viscounts also flew Later that year Misrair was merged with
1958, from Eagle's main base at Black- into service. The new aircraft greatly anoth r Frankfurt service, from Ankara via Syrian Arab Airlines and renamed United
bushe. The arrival of the second Viscount, expanded the airline's presence in the area, Istanbul, Athens and Rome. Arab Airlines.
G-APDX Good Fortune, heralded the
d parture of the first aircraft across the
Atlantic to Bermuda.
After only a few months of European operations, G-APDW became VR-BAX in
Now reregistered VR-BAX, this Vis- preparation for the inaugural Bermuda-based schedules. via author
count was to work for a newly established
Eagle subsidiary, Eagle Airways (Bermu-
da). Eagle's founder and chairman, Harold
Bamberg, had realized that there was an
opening for flights to Bermuda, where the
now jointly operated BOAC/BWIA er-
vice was evidently not properly exploiting
the potential market. On 2 June 1958 VR-
BAX opened the new daily Eagle Airways
(Bermuda) scheduled service from
Bermuda to New York. The Eagle Vi -
count flight was up against not only the
combined might of BOAC/BWIA but
also Eastern Airlines and Pan American.
Nonetheless, the new Eagle fl ight still
proved very popular, attracting nearly The airline's second Viscount 805, G-APDX, was used alongside Eagle's numerous THY Turkish Airlines used its Viscounts to expand its operation with far-ranging new routes, encompassing
10,000 passengers in 1958. Vikings during 1958. Jenny Gradidge both Europe and the Middle East. THY Turkish Airlines
84 85
SOLDIERING ON SOLDIERING ON
Within seven months of their introduction illand Herons, flown on local routes. As it turboprops, and Vickers VC10 jets. Deliv-
Under African Skies
a loss of£35,600 on the domestic routes had had previously done for WAAC, BOAC ered in the autumn of 1961, the Viscounts
A new long multi-stop Vi count service been tumed round to a £138,219 profit. supplied leased aircraft, originally Boeing were operated on important local services
between Africa and Europe was inaugurat- Ghana Airways began operations in late Stratocruisers and later Britannias, from from the capital, Accra, both within
ed in June 1959, when Airwork Ltd began 1958, shortly after the country gained its long-baul fleet for international flights Gbana and on routes througbout the West ~
G-APHD
operating one of its newly delivered V831s independence from the UK in 1957. The to Europe and the UK. African coastal region.
on behalf of Sudan Airways on the Blue airline was established in partnership with A major long-term expansion plan saw
Nile route from Khartoum to London via BOAC, replacing the Ghanaian portion of an order placed for tbree Viscount 838s in
Cairo, Athens and Rome. Registered in the West African Airways Corporation April 1960. The Viscount order was only Joining Forces and
the Sudan as ST-AAN, the Viscount was (WAAC), which had previously operated part of the 'master plan', later orders also Moving Home
flown by Airwork crews and the service airline services for Ghana and Nigeria. being placed for ambitiously large, not to
was Sudan Airways' first major interna- The new airline's own small fleet com- mention uneconomic, fleets of Russian- Airwork's busy Viscounts were rapidly
tional route. Airwork itself had been oper- prised a pair of DC-3s and a pair of de Hav- built Antonov An-12 and Ilyushin 11-18 becoming the company's only active airlin-
ating its first two V831s on the afari Ser- er fleet members. After their replacem nt
vice to Africa, alongside HCAT, since the by Viscounts on the Safari schedules, the
beginning of that year. Vikings were progressively withdrawn from
The end of 1958 and beginning of 1959 charter work owing to their advancing age
also saw the entry into service of South
African Airways' (SAA) fleet of seven
1
BLUr:
NILE
and increasing lack of commercial credibil-
ity. Airwork's fleet of equally ageing Hand-
While older members of the Airwork fleet were being retired and disposed of, the
new Viscounts were kept busy on the Safari services to Africa. Jenny Gradidge
V813s. Initially operated in a 52-passenger ley Page Hermes 4s was disposed of after
configuration, the aircraft were originally the company lost valuable trooping con-
placed into service on Johannesburg-Cape tracts to the Far East, which had been the
Town and Johannesburg-Salisbury routes. fleet's main source of income. A wortby Tbe HCAT Viscount fleet, now reduced vious refuelling stops now being dropped in
They replaced DC-4s and Constellations on attempt to develop a scheduled all-cargo to the three newer V831s following the favour of a quicker joumey. At the end of
first-class services, the older aircraft being network, including transatlantic routes, sale of the surviving pair of Viscount 732s this contract CAA replaced the HCAT air-
reconfigured in all-tourist-c1ass layouts and had proved an expensive failure, and the to Misrair, was engaged on trooping flights craft with aircraft leased from BOAC, ini-
reassigned to low-fare flights. As the turbo- increasingly beleaguered airline was hav- around Europe and to tbe Mediterranean, tially more Britannias and later Comet 4
prop fleet was delivered, the Viscounts were ing trouble finding a new direction. as well as on tbe East and West African jets, and the CAA Viscounts were confined
soon deployed on most of the major domes- Airwork had already become a major scbeduled services. The other V732, to regional services within Africa.
ABOVE:The Blue Nile scheduled service from Khartoum to BELOW:The use of Viscounts enabled
tic services within South Africa, as well as Europe was operated on behalf of Sudan Airways by an South African Airways to bring its domestic
shareholder in Transair, and the day-to-day G-ANRR, had been written-off in a tragic The successful rationalization of the
some of the more important regional routes Airwork V.831 , re-registered in the Sudan especially for the and regional operations back into profit. operation of the Airwork Viscount fleet fatal crash during a test flight on 2 Decem- Airwork group's Viscount operations even-
to neighbouring countries and territories. new venture. Jenny Gradidge via SAA was increasingly transferred to the sub- ber 1959, following scheduled mainte- tually led to moves being made to merge
sidiary. Transair finally completed its long- nance. All five occupants were killed when Transair and Airwork with H AT, with
awaited move to Gatwick Airport when the aircraft came down near Frimley in which Airwork had been so successfully co-
the rebuilt airport was opened in 1958. Surrey, the cause being traced to incorrect operating for some years. As well as Tran-
One of Transair's Viscounts, inbound on a assembly of the elevator spring tab mecha- sair, Airwork had also acquired control of
1S-COT
trooping flight from Gibraltar, was the first nism during the aircraft's recent major independent operators Air Charter, Mor-
commercial aircraft to land after the check. However, the inclusive-tour charter ton Air Services and Bristow Helicopters.
reopening. The airline had spent £250,000 was also starting to feature in HCAT's Vis- Air Charter operated worldwid trooping
on building a new administration and count programme, th V831s operating and ad hoc charter flights from tansted
maintenance centre at Gatwick. The new flights to many Mediterranean resorts from Airport with DC-4s and Britannias, and
complex included a hangar capable of tak- both Heathrow and Manchester. also flew scheduled cross-Channel car ferry
ing up to three aircraft and equipped with Hunting-Clan still operated a handful of services from Southend under the name
a special Viscount maintenance dock, with remaining Vikings on charter work, and was of Channel Air Bridge, using Bristol
retracting 'pits' that could lower the air- flying a pair of DC-6As on both passenger Freighters and Aviation Traders Carvairs.
craft to enable it to be worked on without and cargo work, the latter including a sched- Morton flew scheduled and charter ser-
the need for ladders, steps or platforms. uled Africargo all-freight service to East vices to Europe and the Channel Islands
The Tran air/Airwork Viscounts were Africa. On several occasions the OC-6As from Croydon, later moving to Gatwick,
soon returning average annual utilization were substituted for Viscounts on the Safari and Bristow was involved in a worldwide
figures in tbe region of 2,500hr per aircraft. Service. Although the big Douglas was quite operation of helicopter contract charters.
As well as operating the trooping flights capable of operating the route in longer Encouraged by the govemment, which
and the Safari Service, the aircraft were stage-lengths, all the scheduled Viscount en was becoming keen to see a stronger inde-
also increasingly used on inclusive-tour route stops were made on these flights. pendent airline indu try and establish a
charters to holiday resorts. In addition to Bristol Britannias were delivered to viable 'second force' UK competitor to BEA
its Viscounts, Transair continued to oper- HCAT in 1959 for trooping and other char- and BOAC, the three airlines finally came
ate a substantial fleet of DC-3s on sched- ter contracts, as well as for possible future together in July 1960 under the new name
uled services to tbe Channel Islands, a busy use on the Safari Service. They were also of British United Airways (BUA), with an
network of contract newspaper cbarters, operated briefly for CAA, replacing that operational headquarters to be established
and its own programme of inclusive-tour carrier's Viscounts on the Zambezi route at Gatwick. The aviation-based holdings of
and ad hoc charters. from London to Salisbury, many of the pre- the major shareholders were eventually
86 87
SOLDIERING ON SOLDIERING 0
88 89
SOLDIERING ON SOLDIERING 0
90 91
SOLDIERI G ON SOLDIERING ON
DC-S
from the UK, having begun operations FLYI:".O over 35.000 miles of world air
TOllle ,T A's modern fleet directly serves
with the introduction into service of U -
over sixty communities in North America,
built D -8s in April 1960. the British Isles, Europe and the Caribbean.
The magical glamour of the jets had even • Reservationsfortravel anywhere can be
replaced the turboprop in Vickers' affec- made through your Travel Agent or any
tions. In the mid-1950s the company had TCA licket office • Fly TCA ... one or SUR un reseau de pres de 35.000 milles
the world's great airlines. (56.000 kilom~tres), AIR CANADA dessert
tarted working on several designs for long- directement, avec ses appareils ultrJ.-
range jets for BOAC. A very promising moclernes, plus de 60 viBes au Canada, au'S:
design, for BOAC, eventually did take Etats-Unis, aux lies Brilanniq\lcs, en
shape as the V 10, and the first of thi n w Europe et aux CaraYbes. • Pour VOllS
rendre en n'importe quel point du monde,
generation were being built at Weybridge a vous pouvez retenir vos places chez vOtre
the last of the Vanguards were making their Agent de Voyages ou aux guichets de AIR
way down the production line. CANADA. • Voyagez par AIR CANADA ..
Pune des plus grandes lignes a~riennes!
from Vickers. Global Air Image delivered to T A until 3 April 1964. The
first TCA Vanguard built, CF-TKA, wa
also retained by Vickers for a while, taking
part in furth r tropical trial at airobi in
May 1960, eventually being delivered to
M nn'eal in November 1961.
Vickers Becomes BAC
The Tyne had continued to give con-
cern, th early Vanguard operation of As Vickers was battling to overcome the delays in getting the Vanguard into service, the company itself was under-
both airlines unfortunately being marked going major changes to its basic organization. The British aircraft industry had continued to fight a losing battle for
by frequent unscheduled engine changes. orders against the giant US manufacturers in the post-war years. Even the largest British companies had barely the
While the operating experience was built production capacity of some of the US aircraft-builders' bigger subcontractors and suppliers. The simple fact that
British manufacturers were having to put so much energy into competing against each other for the comparatively
up there wa already a short period, ini-
small orders for the tiny home market was a major factor in their comparative lack of success.
tiallya Iowa 400hr, between the manda-
As most of even the most innovative British designs eventually failed to live up to their promise (the Viscount being
tory ch duled maintenance overhaul one of the few exceptions!. it became clear that some sort of rationalization was needed, to create a more viable
engine changes. Further operational day- industry that was better equipped to compete on the world stage. Extensive consultations between the industry and
to-day familiarization did eventually see government bodies eventually resulted in an agreement to create two large companies by the merger of most of the
this increa ed to 1,00Ghr during 1962. then-current airframe builders.
Work al 0 continued in an ffort to By March 1960 Hawker Siddeley had been merged with de Havilland and Blackburn Aircraft under the Hawker
decreas the amount of annoying noise Siddeley name, still operating under private ownership. A new government-owned company, the British Aircraft Cor-
and vibration experienced in the passen- poration (BAC) was formed to take over the aircraft design and manufacturing divisions of Vickers-Armstrongs (Air-
ger cabin, especially in the forward areas. craftl, the Bristol Aeroplane Company and English Electric Aviation.
An early attempt at resolving the problem Under the leadership of Sir George Edwards, who was appointed managing director of BAC. the new corporation
soon set about developing a new family of jet airliners, among its many projects. The VCl 0, originally from Vickers,
aw a election of 5 degre s of flap, which
was being built for BOAC's worldwide long-range network. In May BAC also took over Hunting Aircraft Ltd, from
seemed to offer some relief. More in-depth whom it inherited a promising new design. the Hunting 107, which was being developed as a second-generation
After being leased to BEA as G-ARBW, Fred Olsen's V.779D IN-FOM was awarded a new leasing contract with SAS. research by Vickers, Rolls-Royce and short-haul jet airliner. This was eventually developed further and materialized as the BAC One-Eleven, being openly
The aircraft carries both registrations here, shortly before delivery from london to Scandinavia. via author de Havilland, which manufactured the marketed by the corporation as a jet replacement for the Viscount.
propellers, resulted in further trials and
92 93
SOLDIERING 0 SOLDIERING ON
airline's fleet and therefore mo t of the Until 22 April 1962 the Vanguard t V nice upplemented three other simi- Vanguards were temporarily grounded for
revenue earning capacity. Of the 796 shared the Paris-Le Bourget route with lar flight by Vi count. inspection of their undercarriages, all were
pilots employed by BEA in April 1962, Comets. The London-Paris flight was Malta was the furthe t point on BEA' back in ervice by 4 April. The airline suf-
213 ( 0 captain and 133 first/second flown in partner hip with Air France, Vanguard network, with flights operating fered another Vanguard landing mishap
officers) were a igned to the Vanguards which was operating piston-engined up r via aple, Palermo or Rome, as well as nearly a year later when the undercarriage
and 358 (In captains and 166 first/sec- onstellation and Caravelle jet to Pari - n n- top. The Palermo ervice wa actual- of CF-TKO collapsed on landing at
ond officer) were assigned to the Vis- Orly. However, the Comets were trans- ly th fir t direct cheduled air link Antigua on 30 March 1962. The aircraft
counts. ferred to other service for the summer and between the UK and icily. Once again, had truck a mound ju t before touchdown
The Vanguard were very conspicuous the Vanguards operated all eight daily the handful of daytime Vanguard services and, in the heavy landing which followed,
on the busier trunk domestic service from BEA flights. These included an 'off-p ak' wa outnumbered by the night tourist oper- the undercarriage collapsed. Fortunately,
London Heathrow. They operated all five service at the height of the summer season ations. Four of the e were 04.00hr depar- again, there were no serious injuries to
daily flight to Belfast, increa ing to seven that left Heathrow at 22.00hr. tures from Heathrow, three via Rome and tho e on board and the damaged aircraft
after 1 ] une, the eight flight daily to Gla - The economy of the Vanguard's opera- one via Palermo. Three of the six weekly wa r paired and returned to service.
gow and all five services to Edinburgh. tion came to the fore in BEA' promotion flight via Naples to Malta were 'off peak' The cargo-carrying capacity of the Van-
The busy Manchester route wa shared of the cheaper 'off-peak' fares. Being the 21.1 Ohr departures, the other three leaving guard was soon proving just as useful on
between the Vanguards and Viscounts, the biggest aircraft in BEA's fleet at th time, just after midday at a much more civilized TCA's routes as it had to BEA in Europe.
The flexible, economic Vanguard made a significant commercial contribution on a Vanguards flying five services a day in the the Vanguard's ability to carry sizeable hour, though for a mu h higher fare. Previou ly, the airline had employed ex-
variety of short- and medium-haul passenger routes with BEA. via author week and two at weekend. On Saturday loads of passengers at low cost was vital for pa nger-carrying Canadair North Stars,
in the summer a Vanguard was also used to the success of the night tourist services. Of converted for all-cargo work, on transcon-
replace a Viscount on the midday service the ten weekly Vanguard flights fr m Settling in with TeA tinental freight flights between Toronto
from Heathrow to the Isle of Man. Heathrow to Palma, only thr e were day- and Vancouver, via Winnipeg. The airline
flight-testing. Eventually, the addition of early 1961. Even when the Vanguards light services, the remainder being night The early TCA Vanguard experience was had found that the Vanguard was capable of
extra weight to the tailplane structure and b gan to be deliv red, on-going technical tourist-class 'off-peak' flights. imilarly, slightly marred on 2 April 1961, when CF- carrying the equivalent of a orth tar's
refinement to propeller synchronization difficulties saw the BOA D -7Cs being The Night Tourists four of the six Heathrow-Gibraltar Van- TKG was forced to make a night belly- cargo load, 16,0001b (7,260kg), in its hold,
and ynchrophasing were introduced in an seen again on BEA services between] une guard s rvices and three of the five landing at Montreal. An undercarriage in addition to a full complement of pa n-
effort to secure a longer-term olution. and August, this time operating four flight The Belfast, Edinburgh and Glasgow fre- Heathrow-Milan Vanguard flights were door had become entangled with one of the gers and their luggage, over the same routes.
Although thes measures all helped to a day between Heathrow and Paris. quencies includ d nightly 'off-peak' services 'off-peak' night operations. All of the Van- legs, preventing it proper deployment. Tran - anada had been disappointed
ome degree, the Vanguard never com- By the summer of 1962, though, BEA at with much-reduced fares. Departures from guard summer services to Barcelona were one of the occupants was hurt in the uc- with the Vanguard' early problems, espe-
pletely 10 t its reputation as a noisy aircraft last had its full complement of Vanguard Heathrow were scheduled for 23.30hr 'off-peak' night flights, and three weekly cessful emergency landing, and the aircraft cially when compared with the Viscount'
in which to fly. in service. The Tynes had started ettling (Belfa t), 23.40hr (Glasgow) and 23.50hr Vanguard night tourist flights from London wa oon repaired. Although the rest of the easy introduction. onetheless, the T A
down, the longer periods between mainte- (Edinburgh), with reciprocal flights leaving
nance allowing the aircraft to pend more the three citie at similar times. Traffic
time in the air, earning money, and less in growth on the domestic routes was vety Constellation Reprieve
SEA Vanguard Deployment impressive, passenger traffic to Belfa t
the engineering bays. Non theless, the
One outcome of the Vanguard's early Tyne engine problems was the delay in TCA retir- turbine airline, but it would become an all-Rolls-Royce-powered airline with the depar-
The first of the BEA Y.953s, G-APEG, Vanguard's initial probl ms meant that the increa ing by 16 p r cent, and to Glasgow by ing the last of its Super Constellations. The airline had initially planned to withdraw all ture of the Super Constellations. Darts and Tynes powered the Viscounts and Vanguards,
entered service on 18 May 1961 on the aircraft made a £2 mill ion los in the 21 per cent. The cargo-carrying capabilities its remaining Lockheeds as they fell due for major maintenance when enough of the Van- respectively, and the US-built DC-B-40s had Rolls-Royce Conway 509 turbofans.
Heathrow-Paris ervice. By the tim the 1961/1962 financial y ar. the aircraft were also put to good use, BEA guard fleet was in service to enable TCA to replace them. The new Douglas OC-B jets Unfortunately, the Tyne's early reliability problems meant that anumber of the Super
1961 summer season was in full swing, both Despite the arrival of the high-profile seeing a 20 per cent rise in freight carried on had already replaced the Super Constellations on the transatlantic and transcontinental Constellations, now regarded as obsolete by TCA, had to be given expensive overhauls
versions of the new BEA Vanguards were omet 4B jets, the turboprop Vanguards the cottish s rvices and a taggering 66 per networks, and their retirement would make TCA an all-turbine operator. with afleet com- to keep them in service on routes meant for the troubled Vanguards. By February 1962,
operating internationally from London and Viscounts still formed the bulk of the cent increase on the Belfast route. prising the Viscount and Vanguard turboprops and DC-B jets. Not only would it be an all- however, most of the Super Constellations were finally retired from full scheduled ser-
direct to Gibraltar, Madrid, Milan, Paris vices, their last domestic route being to St Johns and the last international services to
and Malta, with other Malta service oper- Barbados, Bermuda, Port of Spain and Trinidad. Four were still retained for a while,
Several of TCA's lockheed Super Constellations gained areprieve from retirement however, as back-ups, mostly for the benefit of the Vanguards. Their number was later
ating via Naples, Palermo or Rome. On the
thanks to the Vanguard's initial technical problems. Aviation Hobby Shop reduced to two and by 1963 the last pair were finally sold off.
UK domestic rvices the Vanguards were
operating no fewer than four flights a day
from Heathrow to both Belfast and Gla -
gow, as well as twice a day to Edinburgh,
alongside the e tablished Viscount. The
Vanguards were first scheduled on the
London-Manchester domestic route on 1
ovember, and this service was to become
the backbone of BEA' Vanguard operation
for many years to come.
As well as the Vanguard problem, BEA's
Comet 4B had also experienced some
delivery delays, and BOAC Britannia 312s
and D -7 s were chartered in to help to Once the early technical problems were solved, the Vanguard settled down into
cover the shortfall by operating from Lon- reliable day-to-day operations. For several years it was actually the largest aircraft
don to Copenhagen and Nice (Britannia) in the BEA fleet, its passenger capacity being higher than that of most of the early jets
and to Frankfurt and Zurich (DC-7 ) in operated by the corporation. Steve Williams' collection
94 95
OLDIERING ON
RIGHT:Viscount 702 G-APPX was used to much
sunnier climes before its return to the UK in 1969. It
As well as serving on much ofTCA's domestic
LEFr. had previously served with BWIA, MEA and Kuwait
network and on extremely busy routes to the USA, Airways during its years with BOAC Associated
the airline's Vanguards were also used for some Companies. Its final years were spent leased-out to
longer trips south to the Caribbean. via author BMA and Air International before it was withdrawn
from use in the mid-1970s. Steve Williams collection
New Horizons
By the time the Vanguard fleets of BEA and BELOW: Originally delivered to Central African
TCA were finally establishing themselves, Airways as VP-YNA, Viscount 7480 7Q-YOK
remained in Africa with Air Malawi and Air
the last of the Viscounts to roll off the pro-
Zimbabwe. It is now on display at the Zimbabwe
duction lines were also settling in with their Air Force Base at Thornhill. via author
owners. Nonetheless, many of the original
Vanguards had found themselves a useful and Bermuda, supplementing the DC-8s. Viscount operators were beginning to real- BOTTOM: Viscount 802 G-AOHH served both BEA and
niche between the established, smaller In practice it soon became apparent that ize that their once-ultra-modern aircraft BA from 1956, until it was scrapped at Leeds in
Viscounts and the new DC-8s, sharing the the seat-mile costs of the Vanguard were finally needed to be replaced by more mod- 1976. Bill Sheridan Collection
operation of different routes with both lower than those of both other types, even ern types. The patience of the airlines which
types. As well as the transcontinental over such a wide variety of services. had shunned the Vanguard, and even the
multi-stop services, frequent services over By 1963 the seating capacity on TCA's later Viscounts, in favour of the next pure-
the intercity network in the east, and Vanguards had been increased to 109 by jet generation was about to be rewarded.
flights out to the Maritime Provinces, the reducing the available first-class accom- Within a couple of years many new opera-
Vanguards also proved useful on the cross- modation and increasing the ratio of econ- tors would be taking advantage of the avail-
border services to the northern USA, omy-class seats, thereby making better use ability of secondhand Viscounts, and find-
alongside the Viscounts, and on the longer of the aircraft's load-carrying and econom- ing new markets and opportunities where
vacation routes to Florida, the Caribbean ic abilities. they could be put to good use.
TRANS-CANADA AIR LINES-FIRST IN THE UNITED STATES WITH NEW VICKERS VANGUARDS:
SERVICE FROM NEW YORK AND CHICAGO TO TORONTO BEGAN JUNE 15th. VANGUARD - World's only second generation turbo-prop airliner.
VANGUARD _ More than ten years engineering and over 3,000,000 Viscount hours built in.
From the home of thc Viscount comes-
VANGUARD _ "TeA introduced this aircraft on its transcontinental routes on February 1, VANGUARD _ Carries over one hundred passengers plus four and a half tons of freight.
1981, andis looking forward to its progressive use on all its more important VANGUARD _ Wider seats, inner-wall radiant heating, large picture windows.
services"- TCA President, Mr, Gordon McGregor.
VANGUARD - Built-in ramps and new rapid baggage handling.
VANGUARD -Now flying acrOSS Canada for TCA .. sef'Jing the United States from New For further dotails contact British Aircraft Corporation (U.S.A.) Inc.,
York and Chicago. 399 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Washington, O. C. VANGUARD
96
LEFr. Union of Burma Airways' trio of
Viscount 761 Os formed the national
carrier's front-line equipment from
late 1957. Operated by UBA and
Burma Airways until 1972, XY-AOG
was eventually broken up in Zaire
in 1991. Bill Sheridan Collection
TOP: Viscount 806 'Freightmaster' G-BLOA started its varied ABOVE: Iranian Viscount 7840 EP-AHB was operated BELOW: Channel Airways acquired the
life as G-AOYJ with BEA in 1957. It was later leased to from Tehran on both airline and private Royal and remaining Continental Airlines Viscount
Cyprus Airways, transferred to Cambrian and was then government transport missions between 1958 and 812 fleet in 1966, operating them on its
absorbed into the BA Regional fleet. After sale to BAF it 1966. It was later operated by Air Rhodesia, and extensive scheduled and inclusive-tour
spent time leased to Manx and Guernsey Airlines before was shot down by revolutionary terrorists in 1979. charter network. Bill Sheridan Collection
its conversion to all-cargo configuration. Aviation Hobby Shop via author
Air France V.708 F-BGNL, built in 1953, was only the second of hundreds of Viscounts to be exported during Continental introduced their 'Viscount Irs into scheduled service on their western US network in 1958. Their
the type's production run. The aircraft was later lost in a forced landing in Devon while with UK charter first V.812, N240V, was sold after only two years with the airline, becoming an executive transport for Tenneco.
operator, Alidair, in 1980.
G-APEA, the first production Vanguard, spent its entire commercial career with British European Airways.
Delivered in 1961, 'EA was finally withdrawn from service and broken up at Heathrow in early 1973.
The 'Americanized' Viscounts were equipped with larger, more powerful versions of the Rolls-Royce Dart
engine, as well as incorporating several other improvements over the original design. United acquired
1956-built N7417 in the Capital Airlines merger, keeping it in service until 1968.
Europe Aero Service repainted their last three passenger-carrying Vanguards in the airline's updated livery
The stretched Viscount 800s were developed to offer higher capacity for shorter sectors than original in 1979. F-BTOV, which had been the last Vanguard built, in 1962, went on to operate the world's last
models. ZK-BRE was operated by NZNAC from 1959 to 1974 and was eventually scrapped in the UK in 1982. Vanguard passenger services, while based in Indonesia with Merpati Nusantara, in 1987.
ABOVE: British United retained several
of its Viscount 800s long enough to
repaint them in the stylish sandstone
and blue livery in the late 1960s.
Viscount 833 G-APTC was lost in a
training accident just ten days after
delivery to its next owner, Arkia of
Israel, in 1969. Bill Sheridan Collection
New Adventures
Capital's Uncertain Future
Although the Viscount was undoubtedly a
commercial success in Capital Airline's
service, reflecting well for both carrier and
Merchantman G-APET was operated as a freighter for twenty years of its thirty-year commercial life. Bill Sheridan Collection
manufacturer, Capital's eventual fate
threatened to tarnish the aircraft's reputa-
tion. While the airline's network linked
many important cities and population
centres, it was mostly composed of uneco-
nomic short stages, averaging 300 miles
(480km). The airline was serving almost as
many small cities as large ones, and it was
virtually impossible to make money on
such a restrictive system, however popular
the Viscounts were. Capital was even
denied the option of dropping the loss-
making services, as it was required to serve
the less-populated cities in order to quali-
fy for valuable mail subsidies. Less-eco-
nomic aircraft, such as the Constellations,
DC-3s and DC-4s, were also still in ser-
vice, their high operating costs chipping
away at whatever profits the Viscounts
were making.
Attempts had been made to modernize
ABOVE: Air Traders' freighter Vanguards and single Merchantman BELOW: The careers of the Vanguards operated by Invicta International were marked by mixed
the fleet even more, by placing orders for fif-
operated from Northern Europe to Africa and the Middle and Far fortunes. Here. G-AXOY starts up on the Basle ramp, not far from the mountains where its
teen extra Viscounts, five Electas and ten
East on their wide-ranging cargo charters. Bill Sheridan Collection sister ship. G-AXOP came to grief. J.B. Urech via Bill Sheridan Collection
de Havilland Comet 4A jets, in 1956.
These plans were foiled by a lack of finan-
cial backing for the contracts, which led to
the orders being cancelled. Had they been
delivered, Capital's Comet 4As would have Although its large fleet of Viscounts was distributed between several bases throughout
been among the first jets on US domestic Capital Airlines' network. Washington D.C. was the company's headquarters and a
service, and would have given Capital major centre of operations. United Archive
another publicity coup. The extra Vis-
counts were in advanced states of manufac-
ture when the contract was cancelled. For-
tunately, Vickers soon found new customers administrative costs. The airline made a Merger Plans
for the aircraft, selling them on to the likes $3,210,355 loss in 1957, a small $213,262
of Northeast Airlines and Alitalia. profit in 1958 and a loss of $1,757,425, in In an effort to strengthen the network,
A five-week mechanics' strike grounded 1959. By May 1960 Vickers was owed $34 between 1958 and 1960 Capital managed to
Capital in 1958, causing further financial million in outstanding repayments, and gain more non-stop authority on its routes
pressure. To add to the airline's woes, felt obliged to file a foreclosure suit in the from the East Coast to the Great Lakes cities
between 1958 and 1960 it was unfortunate US courts to regain the money. Eventual- and expanded services from the Great Lakes
enough to lose five aircraft, four Viscounts ly, Vickers was persuaded to take back no area to Florida. In addition, the airline was
and a Constellation, in high-profile fatal fewer than fifteen of the remaining Vis- finally given permission to drop several
accidents. Financial losses continued to counts as an interim settlement while unprofitable cities from the network. Eleven
build up, despite operating profits, owing Capital attempted to come up with a sur- DC-6Bs were leased-in from Pan American
to heavy interest payments and other vival plan. to provide more capacity in place of the
97
EW ADVENTURES NEW ADVENTURES
cancelled Viscounts, and two Viscount 812s increasingly lear that these measures were one of the few airlines that was strong
The Vi count and Capital's Downfall
were al 0 leased in from Continental Air- a ca f t little, too late. enough to con ider taking on Capital's
lines. The V812s flew with Capital titles As a result of the Vickers threat of fore- considerable debts. The merger would give How much of a factor the Viscount was in
over their Continental livery from Decem- closure, whi h would certainly have result- UAL access to Florida and the southern the failure of Capital to survive indepen-
ber 1958 to March 1959, based at Washing- ed in th cl ing down of Capital, the USA, as well as giving it increased dently has been atopic of debate down the
decades since the United/Capital merger
ton. A new image was also revealed with the airlin b gan urgent merger talks with presence in the East Coa t and Great
was completed. There was a great deal of
arrival of the DC-6Bs, the traditional eagle United Air Lines (UAL) in May 1960. Lakes regions. An official announcement, speculation in the US media 'blaming' the
logo being replaced by a smarter, more mod- These followed approaches that had been proposing the merger, was made in July use of Viscounts for Capital's losses. A
,
ern design. Unfortunately it was becoming made by UAL' management. United was 1960, and both boards of directors closer examination of Capital's financial
···_b
;:0; ' ..
approved the proposal in August. Further history. however. totally refutes this theory.
approval was obtained from the airline's The simple fact was that the Viscounts
stockholders in October, and final govern- were the only fleet members that were
ment approval came from the US Civil actually making any sort of profit for Capi-
Aeronautics Board in April 1961. tal. The Viscount's high profile had enabled
In the meantime, UAL and Capital had Capital to grow. despite its problems, to be
the fifth-largest US scheduled airline in
already become clo er operationally, Unit-
terms of passengers carried and the sixth-
ed leasing two of its Boeing nos to Capital
largest in terms of passenger miles flown.
from 23 January 1961. The nos, recently By the end of the 1950s Capital's Vis-
introduced, medium-range versions of the counts faced strong competition from other
707, were operated on apital routes to US airlines in the form of the later turboprops. and even early jets on many of the impor- Financial problems prevented Capital from finalizing its many attempts at completing
Florida from Pittsburgh and Cleveland, tant longer sectors. Unable to introduce new aircraft of its own because of its restrict- modernization plans. and contributed to the retention of ageing. loss-making
and to Atlanta and New Orleans from New ed financial commitments, Capital attempted to fight back by reducing passenger capac- Constellations and DC-4s alongside the more profitable Viscounts. United Archive
York. On 1 June UAL assumed responsibil- ity on the Viscounts to forty-four to make the aircraft more comfortable and attractive to
ity for the assets and remaining liabilities of passengers. This also allowed the now lighter aircraft to operate at higher speeds over market requirements more closely. This would have allowed more-advanced aircraft,
Capital Airlines, and the fir t of the Vis- the longer sectors, such as the non-stop routes to Florida and Georgia. However. this either the more economic larger Viscounts or even the much-desired Comets and Elec-
reduced potential profitability by simply removing the opportunity to earn the revenue tras, to be acquired to allow the airline to maintain its competitive edge.
counts to be repainted in UAL colours was
from the lost seats. and Capital's passengers were still being lured away to the larger At its peak the Capital Airlines Viscount fleet was returning an average load fac-
rolled out at Capital's Washington mainte-
Electras and DC-8 and 707 jets of its rivals. The higher speeds also resulted in much high- tor of 80 per cent, compared with a system-wide average, taking other aircraft types
nance base the same month. For the next er maintenance costs as the aircraft were pushed closer to their performance limits.
few weeks the two airlines continued to fly into account, of only 58 per cent. The break-even load factor on the Viscount was 52
The Capital management's early decision to place such a large order for the V.745D per cent. This is hardly the record of an aircraft that many US newspapers and rival
their networks as separate organizations, was almost certainly a major source of later problems. The large monetary outlay badly aerospace industry giants had still tried to claim as the reason Capital had failed to
but on 1 July the two operations were overstretched the airline's ability to keep on top of ever-mounting interest charges. survive. The fact that UAL not only chose to retain the Viscounts. but also expanded
merged into one and the sale of Capital to A smaller initial fleet of Viscounts would have given Capital much more flexibility in the fleet and continued to operate them for several years. shows that Capital had
UAL was finally completed. planning its later orders. and it would have enabled the airline to match the emerging picked the right aircraft.
At the time of the merger Capital was
still flying the two Boeing nos (leased
Only a handful of the Viscounts carried the restyled Capital livery. United Archive from United), three DC-3s, ten DC-4s,
eleven DC-6Bs (leased from Pan Ameri- in 1960. Pre-merger, United was already delivered in sufficient quantities enjoyed delivered back across the Atlantic to TCA
BELOW: The ex-Capital Viscounts remained valued members of United's operational can) and forty-seven Viscount 745Ds. The operating a huge fleet of over 200 airliners, varied fortunes both before and after on 30 May 1957 and flew successfully for
fleet for a number of years after the merger. United Archive last of the Constellations had been retired including recently introduced French- returning to Vickers. its new Canadian owner for many years.
built Caravelles. Of the Capital fleet, only The third V744 d liver d, N7404, had The remaining two aircraft of the trio,
the Viscounts had a long-term future with been involved in a very serious heavy N7402 and N7403, were v ntually
the enlarged carrier, the DC-3s, DC-4s landing accident at Chicago's Midway returned to Vickers in February 1958.
and DC-6Bs oon being disposed of or Airport on 20 February 1956. During the They took up new UK registrations a
returned to their owners. The Viscount approach to Chicago at the end of a flight APKJ and 'KK, the latter being leased out
745Ds went on to be operated very suc- from Detroit, malfunctioning propeller to Continental Airline until the end of
cessfully on UAL's short-haul services, control switches caused the aircraft to sink March, purely for crew training duties
mostly over the old Capital network. In beyond the pilot's control and strike the pending the arrival of its own V812s.
fact the Viscounts were so successful that ground on a taxiway, 400ft (120m) short of After returning to Vickers at Weybridge,
United promptly started negotiating for the runway. The hapless Viscount finally both were initially earmarked for resale to
the recall of six of the returned Capital air- came to a halt after skidding along on its LAV of Venezuela, to expand its fleet of
craft from Vickers. The new, combined belly for over 1,600ft (490m)_ Fortunately, three V 749s. Th is con tract wa never
operation effectively made UAL the none of the five crew or thirty- even pas- finalized, and instead of going to LAV, the
largest commercial airline in the western engel'S on board was seriously hurt. pair of V744s were eventually leased to
world at that time. At the time of the accident N7404 had All Nippon Airways (ANA) of Tokyo and
accumulated 1,541 flying hours in the nine delivered to Japan inJuly 1960. Formed by
months since its first flight, in June 1955. the merger of several local carriers in the
New Lives for the V. 744s The remains of the Viscount were salvaged early 1950s, ANA soon grew with Japan's
by Vickers and returned to the UK. The mushrooming post-war economy, and
The three Viscount 744s supplied as stop- fuselage was used to build a 'new' V757 for ordered no fewer than nine V828s for
gaps to Capital until its V745Ds were TCA, registered F-THJ, which was 1961 delivery.
98 99
EW ADVENTURES
100 101
NEW ADVE TURES NEW ADVENTURES
102 103
EW ADVENTURES
Leaving SEA
Herald had been delayed. When 'ER lea e wa arranged for the aircraft with Sil- Silver Ciry also operated car ferry ser- aircraft by scheduled airlines, making ev- The company managed to survive the Notwith tanding the increased use of the
returned to BK it was replaced by Viscount ver City Airway Ltd. Owned by British vices across the English Channel, similar to eral appearances on the Heathrow-Man- winter and was able to operate inclusive- larger V 02 and V806 Viscounts, and the
754 OD-ACU, which was leased in by Jer- Aviation ervice, ilver City intended to BUA's Channel Air Bridge. In fact ilver che tel' route flying on behalf of BEA. tour flights with the Vikings for the 1962 imminent arrival of BEA's Comet and
sey Airlines from MEA. operate the V 708s from Man ton Airport, City had pioneered this sort of operation in The airline hoped to fly the two V 707s season. The Vikings also opened new sched- Vanguard, the pioneering V701s were
Vi count G-ARBY undertook very little Kent, on its cross-Channel ilver Arrow the late 1940 . The two car ferry y tem on new holiday charters from Southend uled all-cargo services to Malmo in weden, till well used by the corporation a it
c mmercial flying for Maitland Drew ry scheduled service to Le Touquet, which were merged as a new division, Briti h to Casablanca and evil Ie, as well and plans were made to build on this by entered the 1960s. The new decade got off
for th re t of 1961, mainly serving as a wa directly linked to French Railway ser- United Air Ferries. At about the same time a introducing them on the cheduled opening more scheduled freight flights to to a Ie -than-encouraging start for the
back-up when the Newcastle-based aircraft vices into the heart of Paris. The Viscounts Air Holdings also acquired Jersey Airlines, outhend-Maastricht route. France, Germany and Switzerland. One original Di covery Class fleet when G-
needed maintenance. For some of the time replaced Handley Page Hermes, which, as and the Jersey-based operation was merged Unfortunately the anticipated new busi- more contract was found for the Viscounts, AMNY wa damaged beyond repair at
'BY was based in Copenhagen for the train- well as operating the brief cross-Channel with the Silver City Airways northern er- ness for which the Viscount were original- though, G-APZC being brought out of tor- Malta on 5 January 1960. At the end of a
ing of AS Viscount crews, which wa hop to Le Touquet, were also used on vices to form British United (Channel ly bought was not forthcoming, and Tradair age in June to operate on BEA's German flight from London the aircraft suffered a
undertaken by Maitland Drewery pilot. longer charters to Europe. Plans were also Island) Airways. Configured in a high- was unable to find enough work to keep Internal Service, from West B r1in. From 1 total loss of hydraulic pressure. In an
Although the six-month Viscount oper- being made to extend the Le Touquet ser- capacity layout, the V 708s were used on both aircraft occupied. Consequently 'z July the aircraft operated several times a day unfortunate chain of events the effect of a
ation was a success, BKS found itself in vice to more UK citie , such as Birming- BUA's expanding European scheduled net- wa leased out to Kuwait Airways, laving on flights to Frankfurt, Hamburg and fractur d hydraulic pipeline wa c mbined
severe financial difficulties by the end of ham, Blackpool, Glasgow, Leeds and New- work. A w II as the thrice-daily Le Tou- Southend n route to the Middle East in Hanover. Three months later 'ZB replaced with an incorrectly fitted n n-return
th 1961 summer season. Many UK inde- castle, using the new Viscounts alongside quet ilver Arrow service, other route June. Although 'ZB was succe fullyoper- 'ZC in Berlin for a brief p riod at the end of valve, which should have prevented th
pendent operators shared these econ mic DC-3s already in use by the airline's North- from Gatwick, such as schedules to both ated on several inclusive-tour and sub- the contract. However, on its return to 10 of pressure but only compounded th
problems at the time, and a number of high- ern Division, which operated scheduled Genoa and Rotterdam, were served by the charter contracts, most of th airline's
profi Ie bankruptcies in the air-charter services throughout the north of England. new leased Viscounts, which were later operations for the summer of 1960 were
industry during the year had done little to Viscount crew training for Silver City bought by BUA. still undertaken by the fleet of Vikings.
boost confidence among th airline' credi- began in early 1962. However, before the The return of G-APZC saw both Vis-
tor. As a re ult, BKS Air Tran port wa aircraft could enter service British Avia- counts in use with Tradair, alongside the
placed under receivership on 30 ovember, tion Service sold ilver City Airways to Tradair Troubles Vikings, for the 1961 summ reason.
though the airline did manage to continue Air Holding, the owner of BUA. As a However, the airline was affect d by the
operating. The extra expen e of renewing re ult, the Maitland Drewery Viscounts Financial problems had al 0 plagued ame turndown in holiday and charter
the Viscount leases was out of the qu tion, were delivered to BUA, joining the Tradair's attempt to operate it new pair of traffic that had affected BK ' profitabili-
however, and botl. aircraft were returned to already established Gatwick-based Vis- Viscounts. Commercial operation with ty. In addition, Tradair' ambition to oper-
Maitland Drewery during ovember 1961. count fleet. Con equently, the UK termi- the aircraft began on 12 February 1960, ate more scheduled service w re proving
nal for the Le Touquet Silver Arrow ser- when G-APZB flew a outhend to Copen- difficult to realize. In ovember an official
vice was tran ~ rred from Man ton to hagen charter. G-APZC's first revenue receiver wa appointed in an attempt to
New Leases Gatwick. The Hermes were also moved to flight wa on 19 February, operating a stave off bankruptcy. Although the airline
Gatwick, from where they continued to charter from tansted to Nice. For the was permitted to continue limited opera-
Maitland Drewery did not undertake any operate their European charter work in next few month the aircraft operated ev- tions, one early deci ion of the receivers
more commercial operations in it own ilver City colours, being withdrawn at eral ad hoc charters around Europe, and was to withdraw the Vi counts and put 'Golden Viscount 701' G-APZC was the precursor of what would eventually grow into
name with its Viscounts. Instead, a new the end of the summer of 1962. were often also chartered as substitute them up for sale. Channel Airways' substantial fleet of turboprops. Aviation Hobby Shop
104 105
NEW ADVENTURES
situation. A are ult, there were no steer- 701 h d flown over six million of BEA's in early 1959, BEA leasing three of it Pio- had bought to expand its turboprop ser-
ing or braking control available and the pas n . Th y were finally replaced by nair DC-3s to ambrian. vi . The even were the la t of BEA's
crew were unable to prevent' Y colliding, the Vi unt 02 and 06, which, in their Steady expansion followed the fresh V 701 fleetto be sold. As well a joining G-
at speed, with the Malta control tower. turn, had n di placed on more impor- start, and in 1963 BEA agreed the tran fer APZ on the e tabli hed scheduled er-
Although the unlucky Viscount was badly tant r ut y Vanguards and Comet. of all its Liverpool-based Irish ea ervice vic during the ummer of 1964, the Vis-
damaged, none of the forty-six passengers to Cambrian. The routes had proved count also flew a greatly expanded
and five crew was seriou ly injured. increasingly unprofitable for BEA, but it inclu ive-tour charter programme from
Among the V 701 's busie t ervice in Disposal wa hoped that Cambrian's lower costs outhend and Manche ter that took the
1960 were the Berlin-based German ser- would turn them around and make them Vis ount to France, Italy, pain and
vice and the routes to the Channel Islands In Augu t, aft r a brief period of storage, ten more viable. The routes concern d were witz rland.
from the UK mainland. Viscounts had of BEA's V701 w r old to VA P. The from Liverpool to Belfast, both direct and One distingui hing feature of Channel's
served the larger island of Jersey for orne Brazilian airlin had nj y d gr at ucces via the Isle of Man, from Heathrow to the Vi count operation was the high-capacity
time, but the neighbouring island of with its new V827 , and was very interest- I Ie of Man, both direct and via Liverpool, configuration, up to seventy-one passenger
Guernsey refused to provide a hard runway ed in expanding its turboprop operations and from Manche ter to the I Ie f Man. seats being crammed into the Vi count
until 1960, 0 th mailer airport remained and replacing i r maining pi ton-engined Five BEA Viscount 701s were acquired to 700 . 111is was ju t about acceptable on the
the domain ofBEA's D -3s. Eventually the fleet. Originally VA P had ord red a new operate the new network. In addition to its short hops over the English Chann I from
government of Guernsey wa made to real- stretched version of the Dart Herald, but e tabli hed ardiff headquarters, Cambri- Southend, some sectors taking Ie s than half
ize that they ran a serious ri k of 10 ing problems and delays in the Herald pro- an open d new Viscount bases at an hour, but some rather stiff-legged passen-
BEA's overpainted livery formed the basis of Cambrian's first Viscount colours.
valuable holiday trade if BEA and other gramme had led the airline to cancel its Heathrow, Liverpool and Manchester, ini- via author
gers mu t have emerged from the Viscount
airlines were unable to upgrade their equip- order and acquire th ex-BEA Vi counts tially flying one aircraft from each once at the end of longer-ranging inclu ive-tour
ment. The first Viscount to use the new instead. Once refurbi hing and other main- the enlarged network was fully operating. charter flight. In addition, Channel Air-
hard runway at Guernsey, on 1 August tenance work was completed, the aircraft Although the handover of the Irish Sea ways also started to lease out it pare Vis-
1960, was V701 G-AOFX Sir Joseph Banks. were delivered to Brazil during 1963. route from BEA did not take place until 1 flying in 1963 was concentrated on the count capacity to other airline, providing a
However, the Viscount 70ls were initially The remainder of BEA's V701s eventu-
Channel Expansion Southend-Jersey scheduled service, along- new source of revenue for the company.
April 1963, the first of the Vi count, G-
restricted to forty-four passengers, as one ally found new home a little closer to their AMOP, was delivered as early as 6 January Ex-Aer Lingus V707 G-APZC was han- side the airline' smaller Vikings and DC-
end of the runway was till unfinished. roots. In 1958 BEA had bought a third for crew training. The first commercial nel Airways' sole Golden Viscount for only 3s. In addition, the Viscount occasionally
The late arrival of the Vanguard en ured share in a Cardiff-based independent, Cam- flight by a Cambrian Viscount, a charter one ummer season. The only other four- appeared on other scheduled routes from Cunard Bows Out
that the Viscount 70 Is were kept bu y dur- brian Airways. The Welsh carrier had been carrying Wei h rugby upporters from engined aircraft in Channel's fleet at the Southend to Guernsey, 0 tend and Rotter-
ing 1961. By the beginning of 1962, operating a network of scheduled flights Cardiff to Edinburgh, was operated on 3 time was an 8-passenger DCA. In the dam, as well as some charters. unard Eagle Airway' services from
though, once th Vanguard had finally set- with DC-3s and Herons, unfortunately February. The Viscount' first scheduled summer of 1963 'ZC carried only 17,035 of In January 1964 hannel Airway took Bermuda had continued succes fully, 15 per
tled down in service, the lower-capacity incurring heavy financial losse in the service for Cambrian was operated on 20 Chann l's grand total of 258,739 passen- delivery of ex-BEA V701 G-AMOA, the c nt of the market from ew York going to
Vi count had become surplu to require- process. Even with the mu h-needed injec- February over the Cardiff-Bristol-Dublin ger , logging 711 flying hours. Most of'ZC's first of seven Viscount 70 Is that Channel the Viscount operation. The much larger
ments. The last of the BEA V 70 1 wer tion of capital from BEA the situation was rout . Th airline's maintenance facilitie
taken out of service on 31 March 1962, and dire, and the airline was all but closed down were expanded to accommodate the new
the whole fleet was put up for sale. By the during the winter of 1958-59 while restruc- aircraft, a £70,000 extension being built at
time they were withdrawn the Viscount turing took place. Operations began again the Cardiff ba e and the number of engi-
neering taff being doubled from seventy-
five to mor than 150 by 1964.
The remaining four aircraft had all b en
delivered by June, and were introduced on
Cambrian' busier established services to
the hann I Island and Paris, as well a
the new Irish Sea network. In early 1964
the Viscounts also introduced a n w
Heathrow- ork schedule, and frequen-
cie were increa ed between Heathrow
and Liverpool. A well a the scheduled
services, the arrival of the Vi count
allowed am brian to enter the inclu ive-
tour charter market. By 1963 the travel
indu try had tarted to recover from the
706 707
NEW ADVENTURES EW ADVENTURES
managing elire tor, the Cunard manage- with Starways Ltd, which effectively meant A A' frequencies were reaching up to
ment had r pidly become disillusioned with that Starways would be taken over by thirty a day from Tokyo to Osaka by 1963.
the idea f running an airline and began British Eagle on 1 January 1964. A new The last ZNAC Viscount S07 was
negotiatio with BOAC to sell off the subsidiary, British Eagle (Liverpool), was delivered in May 1961, the same time as
tran atlanti and Bermuda-based services. formed to operate the Starways network. th r maining VSI6, also built at Hum,
In Jun 19 2 a new company, BOAC- With the takeover, a number of impor- which had made its maiden flight in Janu-
Cunard, w formed to take over the tant routes were inherited, including the ary. This VS16 was completed as a VS39
Atlantic and aribbean operations of trunk route from Liverpool to London, VIP aircraft. Registered EP-MRS, it was
CV"'ARD BOA and unard Eagle, and the second direct and via hester, as well as from liv- originally delivered to the Iranian Govern-
Boeing 707 was delivered directly to
EAGLE BOAC. Although Cunard Eagle continued
erpool to Cork and Glasgow, both direct
and via Blackpool. Although the majority
ment, later being operated by Iranair. By a
curious coincidence both of these undeliv-
AIRWAYS to fly the transatlantic routes until the end
of Septemb r, the Bermuda-based Viscount
of the Starways employees were trans-
ferred to British Eagle (Liverpool), the air-
ered TAA VS16s were to meet up again in
their later careers. In 1964 both aircraft
services had cea ed on 9 September. The line's fleet, which consisted of the two Vis- were purchased separately for use by the
two V755Ds were ferri d to Heathrow, counts, three DC-3s and three DC-4s, was Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Used
Author's collection where they were re-registered G-AOCB and not included in the agreement. British for VIP flights in executive configuration,
G-AO C. Now an all-European-based air- Eagle supplied Britannias and Viscounts the RAAF Viscounts carried Australian
line again, the surviving portion of Cunard for the Liverpool operation from 1 January Government ministers and heads of state
DC-6As also operated some of the New Eagle started to rebuild under Bamberg's 1964. Aviation Overhauls, a company The last of the Viscount 700 series. Misrair/United Arab Airlines' SU-AKW was lost in until they were replaced by new BAC One-
York flights when traffic demand required it. guidance, flying scheduled and charter ser- owned by the Starways directors, retained an unexplained crash into the Mediterranean off the island of Elba. in September Elevens at the end of 1969.
The company had also finally been success- vices with the Viscounts, Britannias and all the ex-Starways aircraft. 1960. The V.739B had been delivered less than a month previously. Jenny Gradidge
ful in gaining authority to open a scheduled DC-6As. The V70S G-ARIR was withdrawn
London-New York service, and ordered a On 14 February 1963 Bamberg bought from use by Starways before the takeover
pair of Boeing 707s to operate the important
Last Viscounts off the Line
back Cunard's remaining holdings, and on and returned to France, being sold to Air
new route. Unfortunately BOAC objected 9 August the airline's name was changed to Inter in November 1963. tarways' other The last VS14 for Lufthansa and the last
strenuously to the award and was successful British Eagle International Airlines. Ironi- Viscount, V 707 G- APZB, was operated VS3S for Ghana Airways were completed at
in having the licence revoked on appeal. cally, a month before the name change, the until31 December and then remained out Hum in late 1961. The German aircraft, D-
This was just before the first of the Boe- two Viscount 707s were sold to BOAC of service until it was leased to British ANAF, was delivered in January 1962, fol-
ings was due for delivery and, rather than Associated Companies for operation back Eagle in the summer of 1964. At the end lowed by five of the remaining six ANA Vis-
have the aircraft idle, it was registered to in the Caribbean by Bahamas Airways, in of the lease 'ZB was sold to Channel Air- counts, which were delivered to Tokyo that
Cunard Eagle (Bermuda) and operated on which BOAC held a financial interest. ways in November and reunited with its year. A surprise last-ever Viscount order for
the sch dule from London to Bermuda and With Bahamas the V 707s joined the three old Aer Lingus/Tradair stable-mate, G- six VS43s from Machimpex, the govern-
Nassau in place of Britannias, as well as BOAC Associated Companies V702s that APZC. British Eagle also leased-in four of ment-operated import/export organization
being used on some of the Bermuda-New had been transferred to Nassau after their Channel's ex- BEA V 701s during 1964, at of the People's Republic of China, followed
York services. However, much to the annoy- Kuwait Airways service. In November least one of them carrying Starways titles the last ANA aircraft after it was delivered
ance of Harold Bamberg, who wa still Bamberg signed a co-operation agreement over the British Eagle livery for a while. in February 1963. The six aircraft ordered by
Machimpex were to be operated by the Peo-
ple's RepubliC'S governm nt-owned airline,
All Nippon Airways' fleet of busy Viscount 828s featured several unique innovations. Civil Aviation Admini tration f hin
including television for passengers' in-flight entertainment. Jenny Gradidge (CAA ). ince the mmunist Revolu-
tion in tl1e late 1940s, hina had operated a
fleet of mo tly Rus ian-built air raft, uch a
Ilyushin ll-14s, on a rath r limit d civil air-
Viscount Production was completed as a VS36 executive aircraft line service. The Viscount ord r wa th fir t
Slows Down for the Union Carbide Corporation of the order given by Communist hina to a West-
USA, becoming N40N. ern aircraft manufacturer.
By the early 1960s most of the production The first three aircraft of the ANA The USA, which had still not estab-
capacity at Weybridge was dedicated to order were delivered in 1961. The second lished diplomatic relations with the Peo-
Vanguards and the first of the VCWs, and of these, JAS202, was the last Weybridge- ple's Republic, objected vehemently to the
during 1962 Hum was gearing up to pro- built Viscount, all the remaining aircraft sale of the Viscounts to Communist China,
duce the new BAC One-Eleven short-haul being built at Hurn. The sixty-passenger and refused to allow any US-built equip-
passenger jet. However, both factories were ANA aircraft were certainly among the ment, such a radio and electrical systems,
involved in producing the last few Vis- most innovative as far as passenger facili- to be installed on these aircraft. Even non-
counts. Deliveries of new aircraft for 1960 ties were concerned, being fitted with tele- American subsidiaries of U companies
included the last Viscount 700, a V739B vision sets in the hat-racks! The aircraft were forbidden to supply anything for the
for Misrair, in April. Also delivered in 1960 were first introduced on services from order and, a a result, only Briti h equip-
were the six VS37s for Austrian Airlines Tokyo to Osaka and Sapporo, later being ment was installed on the VS43 . The air-
and a single VS16. This was one of a pair assigned to other important regional craft were finished in a neutral livery,
With the sale of the Atlantic network. the V.755Ds were moved to london and placed on the UK register. originally ordered by Trans Australia but routes such as Osaka-Kashi and Osaka- devoid of distinctive markings oth r than a
Jenny Gradidge later cancelled. The first aircraft of the two Miyazaki. Traffic growth was such that UK registration, to negate any diplomatic
108 109
NEW ADVENTURES
CHAPTER EIGHT
Fresh Tasks
770 777
FRESH TASKS FRESH TASKS
high-profile flagships of Venezuela' LAV single aircraft was leased to Transair of TCA to Air Canada n of the Viscount 757 , CF-THT, wa again with no eriou injuries to the thirty-
Rocky Mountain Drama
Aeropo tal and Uruguay's PL A in Winnipeg, Transair (which had no con- I t within Jay of the name change when, ight pa nger and crew.
outh America. The ex-British imperial The sturdiness of the Vanguard's basic construction nection with the previous British Vi count On 1 June 1964 Tran -Canada Air Lin n 1 Jun 1964, it landed short at Toron-
enclaves around Africa, the Far East and was shown to good effect on 6 May 1963, over the operator of the ame name) had purchased chang d it name to Air Canada. The new to, ~ rtunat Iy with no serious injuries
Australasia, while possibly having been Rocky Mountains. Trans-Canada Vanguard 952 CF- a numb r of 'prairie' routes that TCA had name was not only simpler and con- among the forty-four on board. Thi was
TKV was en route from Vancouver to Edmonton as Busy Canadian Turboprops
influenced by their government in their found uneconomical to operate. These tributed to a more up-to-date image, it al 0 the third 10 in the Canadian Vi count
flight 502, cruising at 21,OOOft (6.400ml, when it
initial choice of the Viscount, found plen- encountered sudden severe clear-air turbulence.
were operated from Winnipeg to Brandon had the advantage of being lingui tically fl t, On 10 ovemb r 1958 v.n4 CF- The Vi c unt that remained with Air
ty of reasons to keep the aircraft in service Unfortunately the two violent bursts of turbulence and Regina, and from Prince Albert to neutral, and was acceptable to both ana- TGL had b en written off while parked at anada were still kept busy working across
on their networks, not least the type' encountered did not give all the cabin crew or seven- a katoon and Regina. The routes, two da's English- and French-speaking com- the terminal at ew York when a the huge country, even though they were
intrinsic economical operation and pa - ty-one passengers time to return to their seats after D -3 and the Viscount lease were pur- munities, For some time the airline had eaboard & Western uper Con tellation incr a ingly confined to shorter, more
senger appeal. The Vanguards might never the 'Fasten Seat Belts' sign was illuminated. Caught chased from TCA for a single Canadian been referring to it elf as 'Tran -Canada cra h d into it after it becoming uncon- provincial routes after the Vanguards
be abl to gain such diversity in their use, in a severe downdraft. the Vanguard fell nearly dollar! The Viscount was CF-TGI, the fir t Air Lines - Air Canada' in adv rti ing trollable during tak -off on a cargo flight, replaced them on the longer-ranging ser-
not lea t because of the smaller numbers 1,OOOft (300ml before control was regained. TCA Viscount built, and it would serve material, in preparation for th change. Luckily the two TCA pilots were the only vi e . The T A/Air Canada Vi counts
sold, but they would still make their own Twenty-five of those on board, including the three Transair reliably for a number of years. Introduced at the same time was a modern persons on board, and they escaped were actually introduced on routes to a
mark on th hi tory of the airline industry. flight attendants, were injured in the incident, and one Two more of the early-model TCA Vi - red-and-white livery that was soon applied unharmed. Another V.757, CF-TGY, wa number of citie not previously served by
passenger regrettably died of aheart attack. However,
counts were eventually acquired by a US to the fleet of DC-8s, Vanguard and written off after it truck a water tower on the typ , and a repeat of the ri e in pas-
once the aircraft was landed safely at Edmonton itwas
found to have escaped any structural damage other
company, William C. Wold Asso iates, in remaining Viscounts. approach to Toronto on 3 October 1959, senger figures that had occurred nearly a
Sturdy, Stately Vanguards than afew loosened seats and damaged cabin fittings. partnership with Timmins Aviation Ltd of decade before was soon noted.
Engineers calculated that the stresses involved could Montreal. Wold had also handled the sale The Vanguard's use on the longer routes
Even though the lack of sales meant that easily have ripped the wings away from a less sturdi- of the four aircraft to Air Inter, and had to the aribbean was soon curtailed, the
the Vanguard programme brought Vickers ly built aircraft. In fact, a similar 'mountain wave' had plans to offer executive conver ion of Vis- airliner being confined to the low- ea on
a huge financial loss, the aircraft was still caused aTCA Canadair North Star to crash in Decem- counts for under $60,000, The conversion ervices, as the DC-8s operated th p ak-
able to make money for its operators. Once ber 1956, killing all the occupants, work would include complete overhauls of season flights. Closer to home, though, the
the early problems were solved, the forty- the airframes and engines, installation of a Vanguards were still to be seen on the high-
three production aircraft were doing new executive interior and exterior paint- density intercity ervices, offering round-
exactly what they were designed to do. 36sq ft (3.3sq m) of glazing providing a ing to the cu tomer' requirements, pilot the-clock schedules, along ide Vi counts,
They were kept busy carrying large, eco- panoramic view, Forward vision was such and maintenance training, as well as full between the main eastern Canadian cite
nomical, commercial payloads of pa en- that the horizon could still be een in the after-sale and spares support. of Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, as well
gers and cargo on high-density route, safe- steepest climb. To the rear, the outer lead- In the end, though, only two executive as linking numerous other points through-
ly and with minimal fuss. ing edge of the wing could be seen up to the Viscount conversion were completed. In out anada. On the cross-border service to
One unnamed pilot's affectionate com- outboard engine, Cabin crews were equal- 1965 Wold acquired CF-TGJ, which had the USA in the mid-1960s Vanguard till
ment on the Vanguard was soon to be ly impressed with their working area. The originally been sold by TCA to Maverick flew most of the schedules from Montreal
echoed among many of the aircraft's crew. two spacious galleys, forward and mid- Equipment Ltd in 1963. The other, CF- and Toronto to ew York, making four and
'This aircraft doe n't just go place, it pro- cabin, allowed them to provide a full ser- TGN, was sold by TCA to Canadian ABOVE: Air Canada's smart new modern livery BELOW: Despite selling a number of its Viscounts, seven flights a day each, respectively.
ceeds!' The very size of the Vanguard cer- vice efficiently, quickly and easily to the chenly, also in 1963, and sold on to Wold made its first appearance on the turboprop Air Canada continued to operate a sizeable fleet on Three daily Vanguard flights al 0 operated
tainly gave an impression of stateliness, large number of pa engers that could be in 1964. After being modified to V744 fleet of Vanguards and Viscounts in 1964, local services, including the 1958-vintage V.757 CF-THN. from Montreal, via Toronto, to Chicago,
and passengers felt that they were travel- accommodated, even on shorter flights, standard by Timmins and given interior Air Canada via Bill Mellberg Jenny Gradidge and there were daily Toronto-Detr it and
ling in an aircraft of considerable ub tance refit, the two aircraft were delivered to
and strength. This could be d c ptive, executive customers in the USA.
though, as the aircraft could still provide as TCA Viscount Disposals
sprightly a performance as any Viscount,
given the right conditions. Care had to be The arrival of the Vanguards led to some Trans-Canada's first Viscount, CF-TGI, was
taking in taxying, for instance, as the long of TCA's Viscounts being withdrawn and transferred on a long-term lease, to become the
fuselage wa prone to pitching when turn- disposed of from 1963, As well as the sale new flagship for Winnipeg-based Trans Air in 1963.
ing at speed on the ground, which could of four to Air Inter already mentioned, a via author
result in the passengers in the rearmost
seat having the rather uncomfortable feel-
ing that they were being swung sideway.
Pilots were very appreciative of th pa-
cious flight deck as a place of work, with the
control wheel adjustable to the individual'
needs and useful touche such a a
retractable ide-table and storage space to
hand for briefca e . Two seat were provid-
ed behind the two main pilots' seats, as well
as a small jump seat. Even when all five
•
were occupied, the space did not feel over-
crowded and all the occupants could get up
without getting in each other's way. Vi ibil- - ~-.,,-
ity from the flight deck was excellent, the
772 773
~RE H TASKS FRESH TASKS
a result, TAA was forced to hand over the form of Comets and, from 1964, Hawk- or from the German Internal Service at to Tempelhof. Strictly speaking, the four-
three of its Viscounts to Ansett-ANA, and er Siddeley Tridents, the Viscount wa till logne, Hanover or another German ngin , fir t-generation jet airliner were
reluctantly received two DC-6Bs, which it proving it worth on a variety of cheduled ity, or the aircraft would make an en route highly unsuitable, operationally and eco-
did not really want or need, in return. The ervices around the UK and European n 1'- top. Th Vi count operated the daily ser- nomi ally, for the West German network.
aircraft were swapped under a lease/charter work. In 1963 the type wa even used to vice in two-and-a-half hour, leaving Lon- For one thing, re triction impo ed in the
arrangement and operated in the receiving open a new trunk UK domestic route, a don at 11.25hr, and left We I' Berlin, to 'air corridor' to We I' Berlin called for the
airline's colours, though at lea I' one of the direct daily Aberdeen-Heathrow service return to Heathrow, at 15.45hr. aircraft to operate at a fuel-guzzling low alti-
Viscounts is reported to have appeared in a being inaugurated. This was the first dir ct hortly after this, BEA began facing eri- tude of 10,000ft (J,OOOm). Not until One-
joint TAA/An ett-A A livery. link from Aberdeen to the UK capital for ous jet competition on the West German Elevens were introduced in 1968 wa BEA
One of the ex-TAA V720s, VH-TVC, some years. In the 1950s a DC-3 service services in the shape of Boeing 72 7-100s able to provide an effective jet service from
was lost on 30 November 1960 while on had been flown between Aberdeen and introduced by Pan American on its own We I' B r1in.
lea e/charter to Ansett-ANA. After tak- London, stopping at Edinburgh, though Berlin-ba ed routes. Replacing Pan Ameri-
ing off from Sydney it encountered unex- this wa later dropped as uneconomic. The can' ageing DC-6B , the Boeing tri-jets
pected turbulence after entering a thun- Vi counts flew the new non- top s rvice in were an immediate hit with the West Ger- Changes Afoot in the Med
After only five years in passenger service, V.952 CF-TKK was converted by Air Canada der torm and crashed into Botany Bay. two hours, initially operating the north- man public and BEA's revenue loads from
to the unique 'Cargoliner' configuration. via author The turbulence was so violent that th bound sector from London in the evening, the city plummeted. The Briti h airline had The BEA contracts to provide capacity for
starboard wing failed, and the aircraft night-stopping and flying the southbound no immediate plans to introduce jets, suit- Malta Airlines, Gibraltar Airways and
broke up in flight before crashing into the service from Aberdeen in the morning. So able British-built aircraft bing some year Cyprus Airways continued to involve the
sea, killing all on board. successful was the new service that it was away. In an effort to win back some of the Viscount fleet. In 1963 Malta signed a new
Halifax-Boston Vanguard services. One of were undertaken by Air anada on any of Toward the end of the Viscount's com- later modified with the addition of an extra lost traffic, Berlin-based Viscount 800s were ten-year operating agreement with BEA,
th mo I' demanding of the Air Canada its remaining Vanguard . mercial days in Australia, Ansett-ANA London-Aberdeen service, operating in reconfigured in a more comfortable Silver which would conveniently come to an end
domestic flights to be operated by the Van- leased three of its V700s, one V720 and two the early afternoon, the return sector pro- Star seating layout. The new layout provid- shortly after Malta was due to achieve
guards was a daily service from Toronto to V747s to MacRobertson-Miller Airlines, a viding an evening departure to London. ed comparatively luxuriou accommoda- indep ndence. After that date it wa
I' Johns, Newfoundland, with no fewer
Aussie Swaps subsidiary company based at Perth in West- This wa modified once again in 1966, tion for fifty-three pa engel' on the Vi - exp cted that the new island nation would
than even top en route. ern Australia. The aircraft served on routes the earlier of the two London-Aberdeen counts, with much more space and comfort, finally establish its own carrier. In the
In December 1966 Vanguard CF-TKK On the other side of the world, the two up the west coast of the continent, uch as flights being rescheduled to operate in the even over the new Boeings. The standard of meantime, jets, in the form of BEA
wa withdrawn from passenger service and main dome tic Au tralian carriers also Perth-Port Headland-Darwin, with an aver- morning. The aircraft then operated sched- cabin service and style of refreshments pro- Comets and, later, the new Trid nt ,
converted to all-freighter configuration. continued to operate their Viscount fleets age journey time of more than three hours per uled services around BEA's Scottish inter- vided were also upgraded considerably. would operate mo I' of the longer and m re
All of the interior cabin fitting, including throughout the continent. Both had al 0 sector. Arriving in eptember 1968, the trio nal network during the day, before return- However, this expen ive exerci e was not a important routes to the UK and mainland
airstairs, were removed, and the passenger ordered fleets of Dart-powered Fokker suffered a tragic 10 on 31 December when ing to London in the evening. great success. Eventually, following the Italy, supplemented by Vanguards. How-
window were blanked off. Although not F.27s to operate thinner routes alongside the V 720, VH-TVB, crashed while flying Vi counts became even more common delivery of more new Tridents for use on its ever, BEA Viscounts continued to operate
fitted with a main deck cargo door, the air- the larger Vi count and Electras. from Perth to Port Headland, with the 10 of on the Scottish local services from ovem- routes from Heathrow, BEA was able to some of the local services to icily and
craft was still capable of carrying a very The Airlines Equipment Act had come all thirty-one on board. The aircraft had suf- bel' 1966, when BEA decided to replace its transfer a handful of Comets from London Libya from Malta for several years.
re pectable freight load of up to 42,0001b into effect hortly after Ansett's takeover of fered tructural failure in the wing, and the trio of Dart Heralds. These had originally
(19,000kg). Now dubbed the Cargoliner, Australian ational Airways, in an effort accident led to a temporary grounding of all be n bought especially for the Sottish
'KK was put into ervice on Air Canada's to bring more stability to the Australian the remaining V700s in Australia. The inci- n twork, which was based on Glasgow.
cargo and mail ervices across the length of airline market. It had be n decided that a dent undoubtedly quickened the disposal of The Heralds had replaced BEA's last oper-
anada, and performed very satisfactorily certain degree of standardization was called the Australian Viscount fleets as, although ational DC-3s in the region on scheduled
as a dedicated freighter for several years. for between Ansett-ANA and TAA, in the ban was eventually lifted, the release flights to the Highlands and Islands, but
However, no further cargo conversion both equipment and service regularity. As applied only to the V756Ds. The V720s and the Herald's much smaller capacity had
V747s remained grounded and were soon still pr vented much profit being made on
disposed of. the Scotti h network. The Dart Herald's
The leas /charter arrangement contin- better runway performance over the Vis-
ued until both airlines had introduced short- count, the main reason for obtaining the
haul jets, in the form of US-built Boeing three aircraft, had been greatly negated by
727s, and thi heralded the first disposals of recent airport improvement that allowed
the older Vi counts in both fleets. However, the introduction of the bigger, and hope-
until smaller McDonnell-Douglas DC-9 fully at least lightly Ie uneconomic, Vis-
jets, which had also been ordered, were counts. With the Viscounts now serving
delivered to replace them, the Vi count more remote points among the cottish
810s continued to op rate over a decreasing Highland and I lands, such a Benbecula
number of horter routes to smaller Au - in the Outer Hebrides, the aircraft were fit-
tralian citie for a few more years. ted with extra-powerful batteries 0 that
they could operate at airports lacking some
of the more advanced basics, such as a
Swinging Through the Sixties ground power unit for start-ups.
Vi count were al 0 u ed for the intro-
Even after its early V 701s were disposed of, duction of a new non- top flight from Lon- The first aircraft to carry full Cyprus Airways livery since the days when the carrier
Originally VH-BAT with Butler, Ansett-ANA's VH-RMO was operated by MacRobertson BEA continued to make heavy daily use of don to West Berlin, opened in 1964. Pre- had its own DC-3s, the pair of Viscount 806s leased from BEA were used on regional
Miller Airlines, an Ansett subsidiary, during 1968. Jenny Gradidge its Viscount 800s. When the jets arrived in viously, passengers either had to change to services around the eastern Mediterranean area. Cyprus Airways
114 115
FRESH TASKS FRESH TASKS
In 1963 a DC-3 replaced the Viscount Viscounts w re erving Eire, Northern Ire- 11 April 1962. Two engines failed imme- In the meantime, another BEA Van- pproa he ,on the third and last attempt to an overshoot. On approach, also in fog and
leased from BEA by Gibair. This apparent- land and uropean point from the UK diately, and the aircraft managed to limp guard, G-APED, arrived over Heathr w land it seems to have broken down owing to u ing the well-tried Monitored Approach
ly retrograde tep was economically sensi- regions, wh re the incumbent traffic was back to the airport for a safe landing, a and made a successful landing on 28R at v ral factors. According to data extracted y t m, the overshoot had been initiated
ble, a only a short sector was regularly not enough to upport newer jet aircraft. third engine failing shortly after the air- 00.46hr. Encouraged by this, though from the flight recorder, the overshoot at an altitude of 200ft (60m). The captain
flown from Gibraltar to Tangier. The use of Vi coun r opened BEA service from craft was down. On 29 March 1963 G- weather conditions had not improved at appeared to have been initiated rather vio- uddenly heard the third pilot calling for
the 0 -3, dry-leased from BEA, enabled Southampton in 1966, the first flight to the APEJ suffered a nosewheel collapse on all, G-APEE's crew turned back to lently, probably distracting the oth r him to climb because he had noticed that
Gibair to offer more flexibility and econo- Channel I land being operated by G- landing at Dublin, and G-APEE had a sim- Heathrow for another attempt at 00.52hr. crewmembers from their assigned tasks in the aircraft had inadvertently continued to
my in its operation. onetheless, it was not AOYO on 1 April. The airline had previ- ilar failure on landing at Glasgow on 6 During the flight back from the holding th manoeuvre. The distraction would have d cend and was only 100ft (JOm) above
a popular move among the local popula- ouslyserved outhampton until 1961, when October 1964. Fortunately, there were no point a third Vanguard, G-APEH, been enough to break their previou ly good the runway. Swiftly and instinctively
tion. The DC-3 had actually been pur- it withdrew its last DC-3s. At that time S rious injuries to any of the aircrafts' attempted to land on 28R but over hot and concentration and lead to a breakdown of pulling back on the control, the captain
chased by BEA from its as ociate, Cambri- outhampton had only a gra runway, and occupants in the e episode . diverted. Despite this news, Shackell con- the Monitored Approach System. During aw that they were now at a height of only
an Airways, ironically operating ex-BEA the DC-3s were the only BEA aircraft capa- Just over a year after its Glasgow nose- tinued his approach and, at 01.22hr wa the resulting climb-out, spatial disorienta- 40ft (12m). A slower reaction, as had
Viscounts it elf by then. The single DC-3 ble of operating economically from the air- wheel incident, G-APEE was involved in established on the centreline of 28R, three- tion and an error on the setting of one of the apparently been the case with G-APEE,
remained with Gibair for a number of years, port at Eastleigh. Operations were switched a much more serious occurrence. On 26 quarters of a mile (1.2km) from the runway. pressure-controlled instruments led the would almost certainly have resulted in an
and even managed to earn it elf a place in to nearby Bournemouth and the routes October 1965 it was operating a BEA Nonetheless, twenty-two seconds later crew to believe they were climbing when, in identical tragedy. As a result of the loss of
the local folklore, de pite th hostile reac- taken over by the Viscounts, but, neverthe- night-rate service from Edinburgh to Shackell advised that they were overshoot- fact, the nose had been lowered. Although 'EE, not only was the flap-selector
tion to its initial arrival. less, the services from Bournemouth failed Heathrow, having taken off at 23.17hr. ing again. The radar controllers aw the air- the crew were operating well within allowed r de ign d, but the Monitored Approach
Cyprus Airways, the joint operator of the to attract the commercial loads that The aircraft was crewed by Capt N. Shack- craft begin to climb as before, but then, hours, general tiredness and the stress of the ystem was closely examined and a number
first su tained Viscount scheduled ervice, Southampton had offered. For one thing, ell and two first officers, 1. Cochrane and inexplicably, it was seen to enter a steep previou missed approaches might well have of revisions made.
had continued to lease in capa ity from outhampton Airport had the benefit of its D. wanson, and a teward and two stew- dive. The Vanguard cra hed on to the run- also contributed to crew fatigue as yet
BEA and, by the early 1960s, was using own railway station, on the main line from ardesses were working in the cabin, way 2,600ft (790m) from the thre hold and another factor.
BEA Comets for most of its services from London and the southeast, with the ability attending to th light load of thirty pas- burst into flames. Despite a very quick An incorrect flap setting had also been African Movements
icosia to th UK and Europe. Like Malta, to bring in passengers quickly and easily senger. It had already been reported that response by the airport fire and rescue er- elected, which contributed to the descent.
on the verge of full independence, the air- from a much larger catchment area. Once a Heathrow was having problems with fog, vices, which were on the scene within two An inherent design fault in the flap-selec- The heavily utilized Viscount 700 fleet of
line wanted to expand it pre ence in the new concrete runway had been built at and hackell had taken on enough fuel for minutes, all thirty-six occupants died. tor mechanism \Va thought to have con- CAA had continued to provide a popular
region, and wa concerned that the Comets outhampton, BEA was quick to switch its up to six hour' flight, though the sched- tributed to this error. The instrument inac- and reliable service to the citizens of orth-
would be too large to be used in the planned flights back from Bournemouth and started uled flying time was only just over an hour. curacy would have been only a minor em and outhern Rhodesia and Nyasaland,
expan ion. A temporary solution was found operating Viscounts from Eastleigh. This allowed him plenty of choice in hi Cruel Combination problem had any of the crew looked at the not only within their borders but also to sur-
by leasing in a pair of BEA Viscount 806s, Even the much larger Vanguards began option for holding overhead or diverting artificial horizon, which would have alert- rounding African nations. The fleet operat-
G-AOYJ and 'YK. Unlike earlier lease and to become more regular visitors to Jer ey for to an alternative airport if the weather was In the full investigation that followed the ed them to the de cent. However, in the ed throughout central, eastern and southern
charter agreement with BEA, the two BEA during the mid-1960s, after they had still bad on his arrival. The preselected loss of G-APEE, everal factors were apparent confu ion thi went unnoticed Africa over a wide variety of routes and
'new' aircraft were operated in full Cypru made very limited schedul d appearances alternative had already been filed as Man- deemed to have contributed to the tragedy. until, according to the flight recorder infor- environments, connecting both major ci ties
Airways livery and permanently based at in 1963 and 1964. By 1966 there were no chester and Gatwick, and the large fuel For one thing, although the vi ibility had mation, the nose began to lift, presumably and more regional and local airport, often
ico ia. The first aircraft to display yprus fewer than nineteen weekly Vanguard load permitted a safe return all the way been reported as 350m (J80yd), exactly on as a result of the crew finally recognizing under difficult conditions.
Airways colours in their own right since the flight scheduled between Heathrow and back to Edinburgh, even after a significant the BEA minimum, it was discovered that the aircraft's attitud . Unfortunately this In 1963 the Federation compri ing the
DC-3 days, they were placed into service in Jer ey in the summer sea on, with nine holding time over London. this was incorrect, and that the visibility in was in the very last econd of the flight, far three countries broke up and the new
November 1965 and were eventually to be weekly flights from Manche ter and even As predicted, Heathrow was still in the the fog was actually 50m (55yd) less, and too late to affect the outcome. British Commonwealth nations of Zambia,
seen on routes from Nicosia to Amman, two from Gatwick. The smaller island of grip of fog when 'EE arrived over the capi- the crew should not have even been con- By coincidence, thirteen days before the Rhode ia and Malawi, respectively, were
Athen , Beirut, Cairo, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Guernsey remained almost exclusively Vis- tal. However, the visibility was reported as sidering an approach in the fir t place. The loss ofG-APEE, another Vanguard, also on born in th wake of independence from the
Rhodes and Tel Aviv. The u e of the Vis- count territory for BEA, its still re trieted 350m (380yd), the minimum allowed by incorrect r ading was a result of the Run- an Edinburgh-Heathrow flight, had expe- UK. A new Central African Airway wa
counts under its own name allowed the air- runway allowing only very occasional visits BEA for an attempted landing. At 00.23hr way Visual Range lights not having been rienced a similar problem when attempting constituted to continue to operate in the
line to re-e tablish and increase its profile by the Vanguards. Some experimental ad 'EE was establi h d on the glide path for calibrated properly for some time.
throughout the eastern Mediterranean. hoc services were operated by way of 'prov- runway 28R, but Shackell advised the For many years BEA had operated a
Cypru Airways had ordered a fleet of new ing flights', but BEA was reluctant to sched- tower that he was overshooting as he had 'Monitored Approach Sy tern'. While one
Trident lEs from Hawker Siddeley for ule Vanguards regularly on Guern ey ser- failed to see the runway lights on the first pilot flew the aircraft on instruments, the
1969/70 delivery, and these would, in time, vice, owing to the restriction that would approach. A little under ten minutes later, other looked out of the aircraft, eyes fully
replace not only the BEA Comets but al 0 be imposed on traffic load when operating having received more favourable reports of adjusted to the outside conditions. If the
the pair of leased Viscounts. from the short runway. A a result, it would the visibility on another of Heathrow' runway was sighted, the latter pilot would
be some years before th Vanguards became runway, another approach was made, thi take over and land the aircraft; otherwise
regular visitors to Guernsey. time to runway 28L. oticing that this he was re ponsible for calling for the over-
Switch from Mainline approach wa lightly out of line, the radar hoot and retracting the flaps and under-
to Regional controller advi ed another overshoot, carriage if the attempt was unsuccessful. In
One Dark Night which wa initiated at 00.35hr. The cap- the event of a three-pilot crew being pre-
tain reported that they had not 'seen any-
(
A well as increasing their presence on the sent, as was standard on the BEA Van-
Scottish network, as more ofBEA's mainline Given the high utilization of it Vanguard thing that time', and that the fog had guards, the third pair of eyes would moni-
routes from London and other bases were fleet, BEA had few serious incid nts within seemed 'very patchy'. The crew decided tor all the remaining instruments as the
taken over by jets, the Viscounts were seen the day-to-day operation. Naturally, there not to make an immediate attempt at other pilot concentrated on the altitude
Several unfortunate factors came together in the loss of G-APEE at Heathrow, including
on more regional English services, especial- was the occasional incid nt. Among the another approach, and 'EE began circling and 0 on, during the approach. the apparent breakdown of established and well-proven flight-deck procedures.
ly from Birmingham. As well as the popular more significant, G-APEF flew into a large over the Gar ton holding point, awaiting Although thi system seems to have Nonetheless, following the tragic accident the remaining aircraft managed to
route to the Channel Islands and Scotland, flock of birds on take-off from Edinburgh on an improvement in the weather. worked well on G-APEE's previou regain the Vanguard's hard-won reputation for reliable service. SEA via author
176 177
FRESH TASKS FRESH TASKS
118 119
FRESH TASKS FRESH TASK
LEFr. Spain's Aviaco operated V.831 EC-AZK, leased Aer Lingus Goes Shopping qui iti n of the ex-KLM Vi count r ute uch a Dublin-Cardiff-Bristol and
from BUA, for one summer season on inclusive-tour 11 ~ d r Lingu to dispose of its much Dublin-Liv rpool, on which pas enger
EC-.\Zl:.
charters. Airwork and BUA had previously operated Although Aer Lingus had already intro- m 11 r kk r F. 27s and standard ize on load did not always justify the u e of an all-
the aircraft on behalf of Sudan Airways. duced hort-haul jet in 1965, in the form th I rg r Vi count as it turboprop of pa enger aircraft.
Jenny Gradidge of a quartet of One-Eleven, th Iri h car- h i at a very rea onabl co t.
rier seemed in no hurry to replace it tur- At ab ut the same time, three of Aer
BELOW LEFT: Three of BUA's Viscounts were sold to
Poland's national carrier, lOT, for use on its domestic
boprop fleet en masse. In fact, Aer Lingu Lingu' riginal V808 were given a unique Continental Goes Jet
and European network, based at Warsaw.
had soon realized that the original One- 'Q ',or 'Quick Change' conversion by
Bill Sheridan Collection Eleven wa too mall for many of it route, otti h Aviation at Pre twick. This The 1958 entry into service of Continental
and wa lobbying BAC to produce a larger entail d the fitting of a trengthened freight Airline' Vi count 812s had soon been fol-
version, as well as examining oth r pr - fl r, with roller guid and floor lock. Up low d by the delivery of the U carrier' first
jects around the world. While evaluating to nine fr ight pallet, with a total payload Being 707s, which were introduced into
of thi situation BEA, if its service are to be com- its next jetliner orders, in 1966 Aer Lingus of up to 7 tons (7.1 tonnes), could then be scheduled service in June 1959. A are ult,
petitive, have no alternative but to lead the way took the unusual step of purchasing all accommodated, moveable bulkheads per- the Viscount 812s had enjoyed only a brief
with jet aircraft to Glasgow from Heathrow. We nine Viscount 803 from KLM, effectively mitting seating to be fitted for mixed pas- period as the glamorous new additions to
do not make money with the present Vanguard doubling its Viscount fleet. enger/freight service. To allow the pallets, the fle t. Their luxurious first-class interior
flights to Glasgow and we will lose more money The Dutch carrier had been operating or any other bulky freight, to be loaded, a were gradually modified with five-abr a t
with introducing jets. It is a policy decision. We its Viscounts very successfully around large double-opening forward door was all-economy seating as the j ts replac d the
must safeguard our competitive position. Europe, without serious incident, since installed in place of the forward entry door. Viscounts on the longer sector. The air-
1957, but had recently started to rep lac These aircraft were put to good use on line's inventive advertising department was
However, it was certainly noted by regular the V803s, and its remaining Electra, night-time all-cargo ervice, a well as even inspired to promote what could easily
pas engers that BEA's standards of service with McDonnell Dougla DC-9 jet. The operating 'combi' pa nger/cargo flight on have been r garded a a backward move in a
improved considerably once the airlin decid dly positive vein, claiming it allowed
finally faced serious competition on the 'Even more of Continental cu tom r to
main dome tic services. Initially, the use of enjoy Viscount service!'
jet wa confined to the Glasgow route by A well a the previously mentioned
BEA on its domestic trunk routes, though temporary lea e of two of the V812s to
they were introduced on many of the Capital, Continental actually sold off two
remaining routes in due time. Manch ter of it Viscount fleet quite early, in Augu t
was already earmarked to become the main and eptember 1960. Having become sur-
been sold by BUA to LOT Polish Airline SEA Replies with Comets ba e of the newly delivered fleet of stretched plus to Continental's requirements owing
in 1962. LOT operated the Vi count on it One-Eleven eries 5OOs, in 1969. Establish- to the ucces of the Boeings, the first of
European route along ide a fleet of Russ- With the opening of Abbot inch a Glas- ment of the new Super One-Eleven Divi- the V812 , 240V, was sold to the Ten-
ian-built Antonov An-24 and llyu hin 11- gow's airport on 1 May 1966, with a longer sion saw the new twinjets introduced on the nes ee Gas Corporation for executive u e,
18 turboprops. Most of the remaining BUA runway and Ie s ob tructed surroundings, Heathrow rvice from Manchester, replac- and 241 V was sold to Ansett-A A,
V800s were retained in service on shorter BEA was able to consider introducing jets ing the Vanguards, and also displacing the becoming VH-RMK.
routes, especially to France, the Nether- on its busiest domestic trunk route from Viscounts at the West Berlin base. Two V812s were lost in accidents while
lands and th Chann 1I lands. London, to attempt to combat the new Nonetheless, the Vanguard's basic econo- with Continental, the fir t being N243V,
Once th One-Eleven wa e tabli hed in independent competition. From 1 May my did enable the fleet to score over the jets which cra h d at Amarill , 'Ii xa, n 8
service, BUA started making plans to open omets replaced Vanguards on the peak on some BEA routes, even as more of the July 1962. While taking off with thr
New aircraft. such as the DC-9 short-haul jet. finally displaced the popular KlM
new jet routes from Gatwick to Belfast, morning and evening flights, offering com- glamorou new Tridents came into service. Viscounts. A search for a new home for the fleet eventually led to their sale,
crew and thirteen passenger on board th
Edinburgh and Glasgow. Although BUA petition to the One-Elevens of British Eagle In 1967 a single Vanguard schedule was en masse, to Aer lingus. MAP aircraft sank back on to the runway and
claimed that the more southerly Gatwick and BUA. Other flights throughout the day operated at mid-day over the London-Ams- was destroyed in the resulting fire, though
offered service to a whole new catchment continued to be operated by Vanguards. t rdam route, supplementing jets, and the all the occupants e cap d without ri u
area, it was obvious that a percentage of the Less than enthu ia tic at finding itself following year three Vanguards a day were injury. As no defects could b found in the
revenue traffic on the new routes would also forced, by commercial pr ssure, to operate operating to the Dutch capital. Also in aircraft, investigators eventually blamed
be drawn from BEA's existing Heathrow- Comet on the Gla gow route, BEA issued 1967, the Vanguards actually replaced the accident on the captain, who had been
based traffic. Despite BEA's strong objec- a tatement in late 1965, confirming that: Comets on the London to Budapest route, distracted during the rotation by some
tions, which were overruled by the licen - in comp tition with the 11-18 turboprops of dripping water in the cockpit.
ing authorities, BUA began its 1nterjet Jets will be noisier than the present turboprops Hungarian airline Malev. Thi was one of The second accident involving a Conti-
flights to cotland and Ulster on 4 January and the increa e in noi e to people living in the the few occa ion when the Vanguard was nental Viscount was much more serious. On
1966. Initially, the Glasgow service used vicinity of the airports will not be welcome. We directly in oppo ition with its very similar 28 January 1963 242V was on approach to
the old airport at Renfrew, with restricted had hoped to avoid this situation, and some Russian lookalike. While the BEA Van- Kansas Municipal Airport with, unknown
traffic loads on the One-Elevens. Operated months ago publicly offered to ban jets on guard took three hours to fly to Budapest, to the crew, a 3in (7.5cm) accumulation of
twice daily, the new Interjet flights were domestic routes if others would do the same. The Malev' I1-18s were scheduled to take ten ice on it tail. When the flap were lowered
timed to provide connections with BUA's Minister of Aviation ha , however, authorised minutes less. A easonal London-Zuri h thi caused the nose of the aircraft to drop
other routes from Gatwick, as well as offer- jets from Gatwick and Heathrow on domestic Vanguard service wa operated in the winter suddenly. Although the landing was still
ing a high-speed link into London for busi- trunk routes. Jet ervice have already srarted and to cater for the ki-holiday trade, and a sum- Originally delivered to KlM as PH-VIF Leonardo da Vinci, Viscount 803 EI-AOE made on the runway, the aircraft was now
ness travellers, via Gatwick's useful direct British Eagle have now confirmed to BEA that mer-season Vanguard flight operated from St Damhait/Dympna found a new lease of life on the Irish airline's network. out of control and overran the runway,
rail link into Victoria Station. they will operate jets from Heathrow. In the face London to Salzburg, replacing Viscounts. Steve Williams Collection crashing into a dyke. All four crew and nine
120 121
FRESH TASKS
122 123
W ADMIRERS AND SHIFTI G ROLES NJ·W ADMIRERS AND SHIFTING ROLES
Aden Airways' two Viscount 760Ds were flown from the protectorate for five years before political upheaval
caused the demise of the airline following the destruction of one of the aircraft; VR-AAN eventually The sole luxair Viscount 815 was operated alongside Fokker F.27s and Caravelles on European services for
returned to the UK. Jenny Gradidge three years. Bill Sheridan Collection
124 125
W DMIRERS AND SHIFTING ROLES EW ADMIRERS AND SHIFTING ROLES
It was thought that a new home had been Th ypru Airways V806s, leased from CV340, D -6 and DC- 7. All of these were
found for all three aircraft with Luxair, the BEA, r main d on the Mediterranean expected to be replaced quickly by the
Glory Days at Channel
national carrier of Luxembourg, to replace island until 1970, when the carrier intro- 737s and the new, larger, versions of the Not surprisingly, the secondhand Viscount
its mailer Fokker E27s. In the end, though, duced it own new Trident IE . Once the 727, due for delivery in 1968-69. market was probably at its most buoyant
Luxair took delivery of only one of the trio, Trid nt w r e tablished in service the As the 737s were delivered and spread among the UK's independent operators.
the remainder staying with Hawker Sidde- Vi c unt were returned to BEA, which their influence throughout the United net- The Viscount was most numerous in its
ley. Nonetheless, the sole Luxair Viscount initially plac d them back into service, work, more and more of the Viscounts were home country, and continued to be a com-
enjoyed three years of successful solo opera- still in ba i yprus colours but with BEA removed from service. The last United Vis- mon sight at airports throughout the UK.
tions on European scheduled and charter stickers applied. The following year THY's count schedules were operated on 14 Janu- Channel Airways had continued to keep its
services until it was written off when its three surviving V 794Ds were transferred ary 1969. For the most part, the Viscounts Viscount 700 fleet busy. The extensive
nosewheel hit a snow bank during a landing to th Turki h Air Force. These aircraft had continued to be flown, or at least kept charter contracts and the high-frequency,
in 1969. enjoyed a long operational life with their available, until they became due for major shorthaul services across the English Chan-
Further west, MEA had gradually reduced new owner, as for nearly twenty years they maintenance checks. They were then nel were soon yielding record utilization fig-
its Viscount fleet as initially Comets and continued to be seen throughout Turkey stood down from the operational fleet and ures for its Viscounts. A steadily increasing
Caravelles, and later VClOs and 707 , had and the ea t rn Mediterranean region per- offered for sale 'as is', the potential buyer inclusive-tour charter programme took the
taken over the more important routes. The forming tran port and VIP flights. They being responsible for completing any work Viscounts further afield, and an outstation
carrier leased two of its Viscount 754Ds to a were not withdrawn from use until 1990. required to make them airworthy. was established at Manchester specifically
new operator in neighbouring Jordan from Six of the withdrawn aircraft required to cater for this market from the north of
1961 to 1964. This airline, Jordanian Air- only fairly minor work, such as a wing spar England. An ex-BOAC Associated Com-
ways, was later reorganized and replaced by Last Viscounts at United ch ck or block overhauls, and were offered LAV-Aeropostallost Viscount 749, YV-C-AMU, in a crash at Merida in 1971. panies and BWIA V703, G-APZA, joined
Alia Royal Jordanian Airlines, which, as as potentially flyable. Most of these were The aircraft had been delivered new to the airline in 1956. Jenny Gradidge Channel in 1965. It pent most of the win-
well as operating Caravelles and DC-6Bs, In the USA, United remained an enthu- sold to corporate customers for executive ter of 1965-66 back in the Caribbean, on
leased three Viscount 800s from BUA in the siastic operator of the V 745s inherited in use. Twenty-eight others required more lease to Bahamas Airways, joining its fleet
winter of 1966/67. the Capital merger. Although the air- extensive work and had their registration during their winter season peak period to
British United eventually withdrew its line's newly delivered Caravelles had plates removed, though they could be (LAV) came to a poignant end. The origi- was lost at Maracaibo, crashing shortly provide extra capacity on routes to Florida.
last Viscounts from ervice at the end of taken over many of the longer ex-Capital returned to the US register if all work was nal three V 749s, delivered in 1956, had after take-off. The last of the original three A typical summer Saturday flying pro-
1969. One of the first customers for the routes, the still large fleet of over forty completed on them. These Viscounts were been joined by an ex-BEA V701X in V 749s was lost in a crash on Margarita gramme for just one aircraft of the hannel
redundant aircraft was Arkia, Isra l's Viscounts was still used on much of the offered at a very reasonable price, though 1963. This aircraft was the one damaged Island on 14 August 1974, this time with fleet could involve a night-time inclusive-
domestic carrier, which operated a small East Coast and Great Lakes network. The much of the work needed was quite expen- while trying to take off on a blocked run- only one survivor of the forty-seven on tour charter from Southend to Barcelona
fleet of Dart Heralds. Three ex-HCAT Viscounts remained popular with Unit- sive. Companies such as Aero Hite and way in fog at Heathrow in 1955, and board. The two remaining aircraft, the and back, departing the UK late on the Fri-
V833s were sold by BUA to Arkia in 1969, ed's passengers, many being retained even Cavalier Aircraft acquired several of these rebuilt. An ex-BWIA V702 wa acquired V701X and the V702, remained in ser- day evening and returning to Southend at
but one was written-off in a night training after later jets, such as the Boeing 727, aircraft purely for their Dart engines, or in 1965, and a V772, also ex-BW1A, was vice, albeit at much reduced utilization. 06.25hr on the Saturday morning. A very
accident at 111 Aviv only ten days after arrived in 1964. stripped them for other spares and scrapped leased in from 1968 to 1969. The Viscount They were restricted to a handful of sched- quick turn-round would be followed by no
delivery. The Viscounts were introduced on As well as the Boeing 727 tri-jet, Unit- the airframes. Thirteen remaining aircraft fleet had proved extremely popular on uled flights, often only once or twice a fewer than four round trips acros the
the major domestic services from Tel Aviv ed had also ordered a large fleet of Boeing were sold to a new organization called the many of LAVs' routes, operating domesti- week, usually supporting the DC-9s that Channel to Ostend, carrying up to seventy
to Eilat and Sta Katarina, as well as operat- 737 twinjets. Some of United's Viscount Viscount International Corporation. cally, to neighbouring countries in South were by then being operated by LAV pas engers each way, and a Southend-
ing transport flights for the Israeli military fleet had already been sold off in small These aircraft were all ferried to America and around the Caribbean. Some charter work was also undertaken Jersey-Southend rotation, all being
and on the cheduled route to Nicosia from numbers, but mo t of the V745 remained Georgetown, Sussex County Airport in On 25 January 1971 one of the V749s with the Viscounts, mostly at weekends. completed by mid-afternoon. After a
Tel Aviv on behalf ofEI A!. A steady stream in regular ervice until the arrival of the Maryland and stored. Viscount Interna- was lost in a crash at Merida, killing thir- Eventually both aircraft were quietly Southend-Paris-South nd schedule had
of extra secondhand Viscount 800s and 737. In addition to the Viscounts, United tional also purchased United's remaining teen of the forty-seven on board. Later retired, the V701X in December 1975 and been fitted in later in the afternoon, anoth-
810s were to follow during the 1970s as continued to operate many other, piston- stocks of Vi count spares. Variou projects that year, on 1 November, another V749 the V702 in January 1976. er long night would follow, with th opera-
Arkia's services were expanded. engine, propeller-driven types, such as the to restore at least some of the Viscounts tion of an inclu ive-tour chart r from
and resell them to travel clubs or executive outhend to Gerona, in Spain. All of the
operators came and went. Eventually a Viscount fleet would be expected to op r-
number of their Dart engines were ate similar busy daily programmes in the
removed and sold, or used for proposed re- ummer month. This impressive level of
engining programmes for piston-powered intensive utilization was a feature of Chan-
aircraft. In 1974 a few of them were final- nel Airways' operation, not only with the
ly re tored to airworthy condition, sold to hard-working Viscounts, but also with its
new owners and went on to varied careers. single Douglas DC-4, two remaining DC-
For the most part, however, the remaining 3s, its de Havilland Doves and its new
Viscounts lingered in the open air at Su - Dart-powered H .748 twin turboprops,
sex ounty, slowly deteriorating. which had entered service early in 1966.
726 727
EW ADMIRERS AND SHIFTING ROLES NEW ADMIRERS AND SHIFTING ROLES
seating of the re t of Channel's fleet, being inclu iv -tour charter work, but during West Berlin. From there it was contracted control appeared to have been 10 t by the
fitted with eighty-two high-density pas- 1967 th till more numerou Viscounts by German tour operators for inclu ive- two pilots during the training exercise.
senger seats. This was thirty more than undertook a large proportion of the Chan- tour charters to the Mediterranean, and it
were fitted when the aircraft were origi- nel' in lu ive-tour programme. also operated charters to popular resorts on
nally deliver d to Continental in their Th r maining two Channel Viscount the shores of the Baltic. The End of Eagle
first-class layout. The first of the Channel 700s wer finally phased out by the end of However, the two Viscounts served with
V812s, G-ATUE, ex-N244V, entered ser- 1968. Th original Channel Golden Vis- Invicta for just the one summer sea on. After the disposal of G-AOCB and 'CC,
vice on a Southend-Ostend scheduled count, -APZ, which the airline had By early 1969 Invicta was owned by Min- the four remaining British Eagle Viscounts
flight on 12 May 1966. By the end of the inherited from Tradair, and V702 G- ster Assets, a holding company. Minster till found plenty of work in 1968, operat-
summer of 1966 Channel had three V812s APTA w r kept busy even in their last already owned British Midland Airways, ing daily service from London to Inn -
in use, with more on the way, operating a Channel Airway ummer sea on, being based at East Midlands Airport, and had bruck; twice-daily, Monday-Friday, Liver-
similar mixture of charter and scheduled seen on new longer-ranging charter routes plans to combine the operations of its two pool-Glasgow services; and a unday
services to the V 700s. to Alghero, Malta and Tunis, a well as on airlines. BMA had been operating Vis- service from London to Luxembourg. In
One of the Viscount 812s was destined more parochial services such as a new counts since early 1967, having purchased addition, from May to September, the Vi -
never to enter Channel service. Following weekly Liverpool-O tend charter. V736 G-AODG from BUA. The airline counts operated on the schedules to
delivery from the USA, N248V was con- had previously operated a fleet of DC-3 Early 1969 saw the loss of two of BMA's Viscount fleet. Both of the unfortunate Newquay from Liverpool, Birmingham
verted to UK certification standards and, and Canadair Argonauts. Initially a small aircraft. G-AVJA and G-AOOG. are seen here on the East Midlands airport ramp and Manchester. One Viscount was leased
on 3 May 1967, was prepared for a test Invicta and SMA fleet of Dart Heralds had been acquired shortly before their accidents. G.P. Jones via Steve Richards to Air France, to operate on thinner routes
flight in preparation for the issue of its UK from 1965 to take the place of the DC-3s, such as Lille-London, replacing a pair of
C of A as G-AVJZ. As it left the runway, British Eagle continued to operate its six but the airline had decided to replace Cambrian Viscounts previously leased.
number four engine was feathered and the Viscount 700s, supplem nting its much these, and eventually the Argonauts, with Another of the Viscounts, V739A G-
aircraft began an uncontrolled turn at low larger fleets of Britannias and One- Viscounts. Initially placed into service on the Viscount's back. Fortunately none of empty aircraft, the captain elected to use ATFN City of Truro, was tragically lost on
altitude. Its starboard wing struck the Elevens. At the end of 1967 a number of the East Midlands-Glasgow route, during the passengers or crew was seriously hurt the flight to undertake some training for 9 August 1968 while on a London-Inns-
ground and it careered into a fenced com- the cheduled routes were cut and, as a the summer 'DG was also operated from and all were safely evacuated from the crip- the first officer, en route. One of the stew- bruck scheduled service. After losing all
pound, killing two workmen and seriously result, the two ex-Cubana V755s were several UK airports to the Channel Islands. pled aircraft. To replace G-AODG, ex- ardesses had asked to sit on the jump seat electrical power while crui ing in cloud at
injuring a third. Although the crew sold at the beginning of 1968. The e air- The tragic loss of one of the BMA Arg- BWIA and Bahamas Airways V702 G- in the flight deck to observe the training 21,000ft (6,400m), the aircraft crashed on
escaped with only minor injuries, the Vi - craft went to Invicta Airways of Manston, onauts in a fatal accident in June 1967 led APPX was leased in from Field Aircraft session, and the other took a seat in the to an Autobahn near Pfaffenhofen, north
count was a total write-off. which had been operating DC-4s and to the early retirement of the remainder, Services for the summer of 1969. rear cabin. Shortly after take-off, at a of Munich, killing all forty-four passengers
Channel Airways put One-Elevens Viking on charters from the Kent airport and the carrier acquired more Viscounts to Exactly a month after G-AODG's acci- height of about 200ft (60m), the aircraft and four crew.
into service in 1967, and Tridents were since 1965. The la t of the Vikings were replace them. Two ex-BUA V831s and dent, one of BMA's ex-PIA V815s, G- was seen to roll and turn to the right. The British Eagle chairman Harold Bamberg
also on order for 1968 delivery. In 1966 retired shortly before the Vi counts the two remaining ex-PIA V815s from AVJA, was also destroyed in an accident. hapless Viscount continued to roll, and its continued to lobby for permission to expand
the airline had formed its own travel com- arrived, but the DC-4s continued in ser- Hawker Siddeley joined 'DG in 1967, and On 19 March the aircraft diverted into no e dropped until it struck the ground and his airline's scheduled network beyond
pany, Mediterranean Holidays, to sell vice on passenger and cargo charters. more aircraft went into service during Manchester owing to bad weather at East burst into flame. All the occupants of the Europe. A pair of secondhand Boeing 707s
inclusive-tour holidays, and it also flew for Once in service, one of the Viscounts was 1968. The extra Viscounts comprised a Midlands. The next day, it was to be posi- flight deck were killed instantly, but the were delivered in early 1968 to operate a
other leading tour companies such as based at Manston, operating from there V745 from Alitalia and a V760D from tioned back to East Midlands with only the other stewardess escaped unhurt. The new programme of inclusive-tour charters to
Clarksons and Riviera Holidays. The new and other UK airports on inclusive-tour BOAC Associated Companies. This grow- crew of two pilots and two stewarde e on cause of the loss of 'JA was to remain large- the Caribbean. Bamberg was successful in
jets were expected to take on mo t of the charters, while the other was based in ing fleet was joined by the two ex-Invicta board. Taking advantage of the otherwise ly undetermined, though it was stated that gaining approval for new scheduled routes
V755s that were moved to East Midlands from Bermuda to New York, and a brand-
in early 1969 following the merger of the new Boeing 707 was ordered in the hope of
two airlines. However, only one, G- gaining approval for a London-New York
AOCB, entered service with BMA, as G- route. Although approval for a transatlantic
AOCC was found to be suffering from cor- network was eventually granted, it was later
ro ion and was scrapped soon afterwards. withdrawn. To add to Eagle's troubles, two
The merger of BMA and Invicta was long-haul charter contracts, to ingapor
short-lived, Invicta's original founder, Wg and Australia, came to an end. The British
Cdr Hugh Kennard, buying back the inclusive-tour market was also in recession
Manston-based DC-4 cargo operation in 1968, following the imposition of foreign
from Minster Assets later in the year. exchange regulations, and British Eagle suf-
The original BMA Viscount, G-AODG, fered losses of over £1 million in cancella-
enjoyed only a brief career with the com- tions on its inclusive-tour ervices. In Octo-
pany, being written off after a heavy land- ber, British Eagle (Liverpool) was suddenly
ing in appalling weather at East Midlands closed down with the loss of 400 jobs, in an
Airport on 20 February 1969. After a diffi- effort to cut the parent company's costs.
cult approach at the end of a Glasgow-East All of this made the airline's financiers
Midland scheduled flight, 'DG struck the nervous, and two major banks suddenly
ground nosewheel first in a steep attitude, withdrew support for underwriting the fol-
while landing in snow. The nosewheel col- lowing year's flying programme. As a result,
Invicta Airways' pair of Manston-based V.755s saw only one summer season's lapsed and, when the main undercarriage on 6 November 1968, all British Eagle
service. operating charter programmes from West Berlin as well as from several made contact with the runway, the fuselage Viscount 739A G-ATOR was one of a quartet of Viscounts still in service with British International Airlines operation ceased at
UK points. Aviation Hobby Shop ruptured in the centre section, breaking Eagle in 1968. via author midnight. The three urviving British Eagle
128 129
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OPPOSITE PAGE: The success of the Cambrian Viscount r ut from Leed -Bradford saw similar traf- a result, BKS and Cambrian Airway
701 fleet was a major factor in the rapid expansion of fi in r e with the H 74 s. became much clo er operationally, though
the Welsh carrier in the mid-1960s. Author's cOllection
Thi v ry success was to be the HS 748's both airline retained their eparate com-
downfall with BK . By 1965 it was becom- m rcial identities. The success of BK 's
ing clear that the 4 -seat HS 748s were reintroduction of the Viscount encouraged
having tr uble coping with the demand, so BEA to provide it associate with ev n
poor weather on 20 July 1965. Both pil t, BEA Vi count 806s were chartered in for more support, in the hape of ix Vi count
the only occupants, were killed. The acci- many of the busiest flights to Heathrow 06 tran ~ rred from BEA between Apri 1
dent was attributed to an asymmetric flap from Leed -Bradford, and Channel's Vis- 1968 and December 1969. Offering much-
problem, similar to that which had cau ed count 701 were chartered on several occa- needed extra capacity on both the sched-
the loss ofG-ALWE back in 1957. A pre- sion in 1966 to help increase capacity. Ear- uled and charter networks, the larger Vi -
1 Holiday bound 10 Ihe sun. viou ly mentioned, two of the ambrian lier in 1966 BK began negotiations to counts initially operated along ide the four
2 Servicing in one of the Viscount bays. V701s were leased to Air France in 1967 lease three Viscounts from Channel Air- smaller V 700. However, the Vi count
3 & 4 Cambrian's all cargo services prior
to departure at Liverpool Airport. in full Air France livery. way, and crew training was even undertak- 700s w re soon relegated to a back-up role,
S Six Viscounts of the Cambrian fleet,
Also in 1967, Cambrian Airway became en at Southend. However, instead of the and were finally withdrawn in early 1970.
a ubsidiary of British Air S rvice (BAS), planned trio of harmel aircraft, a single By then BK was also a pure-jet operator, a
(,' I
a new company formed to administer BEA's V745 was acquired from United Airlines pair ofTrid nt 1Es having been introduced.
holdings in other airlines. In 1964 SEA had and placed in service on the Leeds-Bradford ambrian Airway also took d livery of
also bought a 30 per cent share in BK Air from Heathrow ervice on 9 June. ex-BEA Viscount 806s, transferred from
Tran port, which had experienc d a wel- The following year BK acquired a fur- late 1970 to replace its V701s. By then
come turn-round in its fortune aft r its ther three Viscounts, one V786 and one Cambrian was also a jet operator, having
near-bankruptcy in 1962. Having survived V798 from TACA of El Salvador and a introduced One-Elevens in the wint r of
the traumatic years of the early 1960s, BKS V 776D from BOAC Associated Compa- 1969-70. Th fir t V806 joined ambrian
had finally been in a position to reintroduce nies which had been operating for Kuwait in July 1970, followed by another that
turboprop into it operation, in the form of Airways. After ousting the HS 748s, October and a third in January 1971. F ur
ex-BOAC Britannias and new H 748s. which were disposed of, and also eventual- more followed in the autumn of 1971, lead-
The Britannias were used to upplement ly replacing the remaining Ambassadors, ing to the withdrawal and crapping of
the established Ambassadors on schedules the BKS Viscounts also operated to Ulster, most of the remaining V 701 fleet. Three of
and charters from ewcastle and Eire, the Channel Islands and Europe on the V701 did, however, earn reprieves.
Heathrow. The HS 748 replaced DC-3 at scheduled flights, as well as on the impor- The oldest surviving Viscount, G-ALWF,
Leed -Bradford, where their effect on pa - tant London service from Leeds-Bradford. was initially pre erved as an exhibit at liv-
senger traffic was nothing short of dramat- A busy inclusive-tour charter programme, erpool, though it wa later moved to the
ic. The flying time from Leeds-Bradford to in addition to the schedule, kept them care of th Duxford Aviation ociety in
Heathrow was reduced from nearly ninety well occupied from the Yorkshire airport. Cambridge hire, following an unsuccessful
minute to an hour, in a modern, comfort- The Viscount 700s were also operated on attempt to build a museum around it at
able turboprop aircraft that offered a number of other BK services from New- peke Airport. In addition, G-AMOG and
consid rable improvement over the ageing castle and Heathrow. G-AMO actually managed to r main
D -3s. Within months of the H 748's Later, BEA's financial holding in BKS active, and w re operated by Cambrian on
introduction, passenger traffic had Air Transport was increased, this share- charter to BOA . From 1972 the two Vi -
improved by 49 per cent and load factor holding and that in Cambrian being used to counts operated feeder flights from Pr t-
were averaging 80 per cent. Other BKS help found British Air ervices in 1967. As wick to Aberdeen, Belfast and Edinburgh
132 133
EW ADMIRERS AND SHIFTING ROLES NEW ADMIRERS AND SHIFTING ROLES
East-Bound
As well as those joining the BAS compo-
nent airlines, BEA's other V806s were sold
off, single Viscount 06s being bought by
both Lao Air Lines and Winner Airways in
1969. Lao Air Line operated its single Vis-
count on daily flights from the capital, Vien-
tiane, to Pakse, Satavane and Savannakhet
on a domestic network, and internationally
to Phnom Penh and Singapore. The aircraft
was lost in an accident on take-off from
Phnom Penh in March 1973, and the carri- Winner Airways relied heavily on Vietnam War contracts to keep its Viscount 806 busy.
er itself soon ceased operations. Global Air Image
Winner wa a small charter airline based
at Taipei in Taiwan which held valuable
freight contracts, mostly in support of the
Vietnam War. When the conflict ended, of, all but one leaving the operational fleet remaining Vi counts, selling off four in
the war-based transport work for the air- by mid-1969. However, the Viscounts were 1969, two in 1970 and the last four in 1971.
line dried up almost overnight. Winner retained a little longer. These last four were removed from sched-
had nursed hopes of gaining licences for Three of the V814s were on lease to uled service on 5 February 1971, but were
scheduled domestic operations within Tai- Lufthansa's charter associate, Condor, and still used for back-up duties until 31 March.
wan, but these were not forthcoming. these were returned to the parent airline by For their last few years in Lufthansa service
Instead, all flying ceased and the Viscount September 1969. Condor had originally the V814s were mostly operated on domes-
was left to languish at Taipei for a consid- leased-in Lufthansa Viscounts for its char- tic schedules as well as 'thinner' interna-
erable time. A dispute between Winner, ter contracts as early as 1961. Even afterthe tional routes. One of them, D-ANAF, was
BEA and the broker that had arranged the arrival of its own jets, Condor continued to retained by Lufthansa as a ground instruc-
sale, delayed any chances of reselling the fly the Viscounts on inclusive-tour and ad tion training airframe at Frankfurt, where it
Viscount, and it was not until 1976 that hoc charters throughout Europe. Lufthansa still remains in use (at the time of writing),
the aircraft was sold and leased-on by its itself was in no hurry to dispose of its over thirty years later.
new owner on to an Indonesian carrier,
PT Mandala Airlines. Mandala had
already bought three V806s directly from
BEA in 1970, and operated them on
domestic services within Indonesia, later
in association with Seulawah Air Services,
on whose routes the aircraft were also
operated. Eventually six more Viscounts,
V810s of various marks, also joined Man-
dala in Indonesia.
TOP: Two of Cambrian's elderly V.701s were given in full BOAC livery, offering a connecting 'British Air Services' titles displayed
a new lease of life operating in full BOAC colours
More Jets in Europe
service to BOAC's transatlantic flights prominently. As th 1970s arrived, though,
on feeder flights for transatlantic services from from Prestwick. it was decided to update the images ofBKS The first customer for the Boeing's new 737
Prestwick. Steve Williams Collection
and Cambrian. From 1 November 1970 short-haul jet had been Lufthansa. The
ABOVE: As well as a new livery, BKS Air Transport
BKS Air Transport changed its name to carrier had already been the first European
was given a whole new image and renamed New Images Northeast Airlines, the better to reflect its airline to place a fleet of Boeing 72 7s into
Northeast Airlines in November 1970. The company association with the region of England on service, and had signed up for the first ver-
was given its own yellow-topped version of the The BAS airlines maintained a rather staid which its operations were mostly based. A sion of the Boeing twinjet, the shorter-bod-
new BAS styling. Bill Sheridan Collection image for their first few years of co-opera- bright new livery was also adopted, with a ied 737-100, specifically to replace its
tion. Liveries were standardized, a simpli- yellow cabin roof over a white cheat-line remaining Convair and Viscount prop lin-
fied version of the BKS red, white and blue and grey underside. Bold black titling in a ers. When the 737s began arriving in 1968, The smart and well-maintained Viscounts of Lufthansa remained in use on short-haul
design being adopted by both carriers, with more-modern font was applied. Cambrian the Convairs were the first to be disposed and regional scheduled services until early 1971. via author
134 135
EW ADMIRERS AND SHIFTI G ROLES NhW ADMIRERS AND SHIFTING ROLES
Lingus Leases
The remaining Aer Lingus Viscounts
began to be withdrawn during 1969, six
/
Swiss charter operator SATA flew HB-ILR, its second Viscount leased from Aer
being tood down from operational use Lingus, for two years. Jenny Gradidge
during the year. One, VS03 EI-AOE, was
leased to wiss charter operator SATA
from March, as HB-ILP. It was operated
alongside a single Dart-powered Convair returned to Dublin. In January 1970 Ulster 1970 to September 1971 and mostly oper-
640 and Caravelles on inclusive-tour and Air Transport/Air Ulster ceased all remain- ating from Southend to Ostend, Bruges
ad hoc charters from Swiss cities, most reg- ing operations. and Ghent. From November 1970 the Vi -
Aeropesca was one of several small Colombian carriers which acquired various ularly to Barcelona, Palma and Palermo. The original cross- hannel vehicle ferry count was joined by an HS 74S leased-in
marks of Viscount on the second-hand market. Bill Sheridan Collection In November it was returned to Dublin operation of BUA, British United Air Fer- from Autair/Court Line, and another 74S
and was replaced by another ex-Aer Lin- ries, was renamed British Air Ferrie in from the same source wa operated in the
gus Viscount, EI-AJK, which became HB- 1967 and became a totally separate airline summer of 1971.
ALR. This aircraft remained with SATA from BUA, though both airlines were still After the first retirements in 1969, th
Alitalia had maintained its sizeable fleet The sale was handled by UK aircraft broker HK-I061. This was the first-ever single- until December 1971. It was then leased owned by Air Holdings at the time. Over remaining Aer Lingus Viscounts left the
of Viscount 700s even after Caravelles had Shackleton Aviation. TAC Colombia wing change on a Viscount, and was out again a month later, still as HB-ILR, to the years the number of all-passenger er- operational fleet in 1970. Many were
taken over many of the denser European leased the aircraft out to another Colom- accomplished by TAO with the assistance another Swiss charter airline, Air vices, which operated alongside the vehi- scrapped after a period spent awaiting pos-
and domestic routes. It was only when DC- bian carrier, Lineas Aereas la Urraca Ltda, of BAC and Butler Aviation of the USA. Tourisme Alpine (ATA), which was based cle ferry flights, had steadily increased, sible sale, including most of those that
9-30s arrived from the USA that the airline in whose service one of the aircraft was Eventually it was decided to repair HK- at Basle and operated the convertible using the ferry aircraft, Bristol Freighters returned to Dublin after lease contracts
began to consider disposing of its Viscounts. destroyed in a mid-air explosion in January 1057 as well, and a full set of wings from VSOSC, on newspaper delivery contracts and Carvairs, with extra passenger seating. expired or were cancelled. The lucky
Two were sold to PLUNA in 1967, and one 1972. The surviving pair were returned to one of the scrapped 'spares' aircraft, 1- between Geneva, Munich, Paris and To develop the non-vehicle ferry service exceptions included the ex-SATA/ATA
each to British Midland and a regional TAC that September. An ex-ANA VS2S LOTI, was used. Yet another accident at Zurich, as well as on temporary charters. In on its scheduled routes from Southend, VSOSC, which was sold to a UK leasing
Colombian carrier, Aerolineas TAO, in was purchased from SAN in Ecuador in Neiva, in May 1972, to HK-I05S, led to early 1972 'LR was actually leased back to BAF leased-in a VS03 from Aer Lingus, EI- company, becoming G-BBDK. The oth r
1965. The latter also bought four more ex- 1975 by TAC, which was renamed the use of a wing from the other scrapped SATA for two months. Shortly after the AOI flying in full BAF livery from March two convertible VSOSCs, EI-AKL and
Alitalia Viscounts over the next few years, Aerovias del Cesar that year. Colombia was aircraft, I-LIRG, in a similar repair. end of this lease ATA ceased operations,
though two of them were scrapped to pro- also to be the new home for Aloha Airlines' and Aer Lingus repossessed the Viscount.
vide spares for the other aircraft. Ecuadori- surviving Viscounts, the carrier having sold Another short-lived operator of an Aer
an airline SAETA bought two of the Ali- its last two aircraft to another regional inde- Irish Disposals Lingus Viscount was Belfast-based Ulster
talia fleet in 1969 and 1970. pendent airline, Aeropesca, at th end of Air Tran port, which operated scheduled
The remaining three aircraft were deliv- 1971. Aeropesca operated the Viscounts, The much-enlarged Aer Lingus Viscount services as Air Ulster. Its DC-3s were oper-
ered to Altialia's associate, Somali Airlines still basically in Aloha's late-1960s 'flower SOO fleet continued to operate alongside ated from Belfast-Aldergrove to both the
in East Africa, in 1965, 1969 and 1970. The power' colour scheme, on domestic services the airline's quartet of One-Elevens from Glasgow Airports, Abbotsinch and Prest-
Somali aircraft suffered mixed fortunes from Bogota. 1966, supplementing the new jets on wick, as well as on short-term charters. A
while flying regional routes in East Africa, The difficult operating environment in routes to the UK and Europe. However, single VS03 was leased from Aer Lingu in
one being destroyed in a forced landing after Colombia led to a great deal of innovation the advent of the Boeing 737 in the Irish July 1969 to upgrade the Glasgow service
a cabin fire in May 1970. The remaining two in maintaining the Viscounts in flying carrier's fleet, early in 1969, brought a swift and offer scope for more charter work,
continued in service from the Somali capi- condition. One of the TAO aircraft, HK- end to this cosy arrangement. especially on the inclusive-tour market.
tal, Mogadishu, for several years until they 1061, was badly damaged in a cra h-land- Aer Lingus had lost three of its Viscount However, the lease of the Viscount, which
were broken up for spares in 1977 and 1979. ing at Neiva in October 1971. A little over SOOs in accid nts during 1967-6S. The ex- retained its Irish registration, EI-APD,
Three of Austrian Airlines' VS37s also a fortnight later another TAO Viscount, KLM VS03 EI-AOE St Finghin was only lasted until November. The aircraft
found their way to Colombia in 1971 and HK-I057, was damaged in a similar crash destroyed during a training sortie on 22 saw limited use on the route to Prestwick
1972, being sold to Transportes Aereos del at Bucaramanga. The undamaged star- June 1967. The VSOS EI-AKK St Aodhan and the hoped-for inclusive-tour charter Air Ulster's single Viscount saw only limited service for a few months.
Cesar, otherwise known as TAC Colombia. board wing of HK-1057 was u ed to repair crashed on approach to Bristol, from contracts failed to materialize, so it was Aviation Hobby Shop
136 137
.W ADMIRERS AND SHIFTI G ROLES
,-----------------------~---------------------.,
HAPTER TEN
The BAF lease of EI-AOI saw the aircraft operating passenger services that supplemented the established
car ferry operation. Aviation Hobby Shop
,AKO, were sold to West German charter Being highly valuable by virtue of their canvas seats for troop transport, and al 0
operator Air Commerz Flug in 1970. Oper- versatile convertible interior, the two flew in support of the ruler's executive air-
ating both pa senger and cargo charters VSOSCs soon found a new owner. They craft fleet. Another ex-Aer Lingus aircraft
throughout Europe from their new base at were purchased by the Sultanate of Oman was also bought for spares, being broken up
Hamburg, the Viscounts, regi tered 0- Air Force ( OAF), which had bought the after it was ferried to Hum in 1973. Thi
ADAM and D-ADAN, were eventually two RAAF VS16s in 1971. Two Lufthansa aircraft had been earmarked for sale to a
joined by two Boeing 707s. Air ommerz VS14s were also acquired in 1972, though orwich-based UK operator Progressive
su cumbed to bankruptcy on 1 September one of these was written-off in an accident Airways, and had been painted up in the
1972 and the aircraft were repossessed by at Hum before delivery to Oman. The airline's livery in early 1971. However,
Aer Lingus, which was owed a great deal of SOAF Viscounts were used for regional Progr ssive ceased operations before the
money for maintenance on the aircraft. transport work. They could be fitted with Viscount could be delivered, and plans for
new scheduled services from Norwich to
the Channel Islands and Scandinavia, for Viscount Farewells
which it wa intended, were scrapped.
By the early 1970s most of Air Canada'
Viscount 700 fleet had also been with-
drawn. One of the aircraft, V 757 CF-THI,
Longevity Sets In had already been pre ented to the National
A the 1970 progressed it seemed that both Mu eum of cience and Technology as
the Vis ount and Vanguard had become early as 1969, where it is still preserved in its
enduring features, worldwide, despite original TCA colours. At the end of 1973,
assumptions that they would have served though, five Viscounts remained in full-
their original purpose long since and been time rvice, with another five retained on
consigned to hi tory. Many airframes had standby. These were operated in the eastern
moved on to enjoy productive lives long regi ns, erving routes linking Halifax,
after their original purchasers had believed Montreal, orth Bay, Ottawa, Toronto and
they were no longer viable. A quarter of a Val D'or. The final scheduled Viscount
The Sultanate of Oman Air Force fleet of Viscounts, some of them equipped with century after the Viscount had been creat- flight were operated on 27 April 1974,
large cargo doors, were operated both on general transport duties and VIP services. ed, even more adventures still awaited both completing over twenty-nine years of tur-
Jenny Gradidge of the Vickers turboprop airliners. boprop service with TCA and Air Canada.
138 139
A BUSY MIDDLE AGE A BUSY MIDDLE AGE
.
different future to those of most of its col-
leagues. In 1972 it was sold to United Air- Although their numbers had been seriously depleted by
craft of Canada as a flying test-bed. The the Merchantman programme, there were still five
company later became Pratt & Whitney V951 s and six V953 BEA Vanguards in passenger ser·
Aircraft of Canada. One of the first tasks vice in 1971. As well as the domestic trunk routes to
Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester, they were
for the re-registered C-FTID-X was to
serve in the development of the Pratt &
also used on international services to Alghero, Gerona,
Gibraltar, Madrid, Malta, Palma, Salzburg and Shannon.
I\
Whitney PT-6 turboprop engine. After
\~=~=~~,.
In the winter of 1971-72 the Vanguards also operated
being tried in two different po itions on twice a day from Birmingham to Paris, and on a daily
the wing, in place of one of the Darts, a Birmingham-Dublin flight.
prototype PT-6 was finally fitted in the That summer season's Vanguard flying, which had
Viscount's nose and operated as a fifth been as uneventful and dependable as usual. came to a
engine. The nose engine's propeller rotat- A fifth, nose-mounted, engine was eventually fitted to C-FTID for research and sad end on 2 October 1971. On that day, V951 G-APEC
ed in the opposite direction to those on development work. Jenny Gradidge was scheduled to operate the London-Salzburg flight,
the wing, in an ffort to retain asymmetry and left Heathrow at 09.34hr with eight crew and fifty-
five passengers on board. At 10.04hr the aircraft had
and reduce stress on the airframe. The air-
already crossed the Channel and was over Belgium, en
craft continued to serve Pratt & Whitn y
route to its Austrian destination, and routinely reported
on similar projects until 1989. maintenance programmes, the company
New Lease of Life at BEA passing the Wulpen VOR (VHF omnidirectional radio
had modified a number of Britannias with range; a fixed signal-emitting beacon, the most common VIEW LOOKING FORWARD
Although Air Canada had decided to dis- retrofitted cargo doors and freight floors for radio navigation aidl at flight level 190. ('Flight levels' are
fuul'9' Siringer,
Canadian Trade-ins pose of its Vanguards, BEA had other ideas several British independent airlines. The altitudes in controlled airspace, where altimeters are set RH'''''l1t.
for its aircraft. As early as 1966, specula- Vanguard conversion entailed the fitting of to a standard pressure setting of 1013.3mB. FL190 is
Some of the redundant Vanguards were tive tenders had been invited for the con- a large, upward-opening freight door, 139in 19,OOOft (5,800ml at this setting, FL150 is 15,000ft
traded in as part of the purchase of a fleet version of a number of the Vanguards to an (3.53m) long and 80in (2m) high, in the 14,500m), and so on.l Five minutes later, however, at
of new widebody Lockheed L.l 0 11 TriS- all-freight configuration. The experimen- 10.09hr, radio messages from the crew reported that they
forward port fuselage. All passenger cabin
were 'going down', followed by two voices giving the
tars. The TriStars were being bought by tal cargo ervices operated by G-APEL had windows were to be blocked out, and a 'Mayday' distress call several times over. Other distorted
Air Canada via a third party, Air Holdings convinced the airline that the aircraft strengthened roller-floor was to be installed calls followed to the effect that they were 'going down
(Sales) Ltd of the UK, which had ordered might still have a profitable future in all- to facilitate the speedy loading of cargo. vertically' and 'out of control', all of which suddenly
no fewer than thirty of them from Lock- freight operations. The small fleet of The Vanguard's capacious fuselage would ceased 54 seconds after the first distress calls. At
heed for resale outside the USA. Initially Argosies was struggling to earn any money be able to accommodate up to 18% tons 10.1 OAO the stricken G-APEC smashed into a field close
only five Vanguards were included in the at all. Their break-even load factor was (l8.7 tonnes) in its 3,850cu ft (109cu m) to the village of Aarsele, its impact making a large crater.
Air Canada deal, but the number was later approximately 73 per cent, and the aver- and could accommodate standard cargo pal- All on board were killed instantly.
increased to twelve. age loads carried were barely in the region let. The airline adopted the name Mer- It soon became evident that the outer two-thirds of
Air Holdings took delivery of eight of of 55 per cent. It was calculated that an all- chantman for its all-freighter Vanguards. both tailplanes and left elevator, together with the entire
the Vanguards during 1969, and three right elevator, were not at the wreckage site, and must
cargo conversion of the Vanguard would The contract with Aviation Traders covered
have become detached. These were later found, in frag-
other stored Air Canada aircraft were sold offer break-even loads 25 per cent lower the Merchantman design and the conver- ments, scattered downwind from the track of the flight,
to another aircraft sales company, Aviaco than those of the Argosies, placing the sion of two of the five BEA Vanguards ini- northwest of the main wreckage. The ensuing investiga-
Traders (Lockheed). The e were also to be freight services on a more viable footing. tially selected modification. Aviation tion showed that the rear pressure bulkhead had appar-
handled by Air Holdings under a separate The conversion contract was eventual- Traders would supply the components in kit ently ruptured, having suffered corrosion caused by a
agreement with Lockheed. The first eight ly awarded to Aviation Traders Ltd of form for BEA to carry out the work itself on leaky toilet. The force of the cabin's pressurized air sud-
Air Holdings aircraft were all ferried to the South-end in Essex. With a well-estab- the remaining three aircraft, and for any denly expelling through the rupture blew off the eleva-
UK for storage at ambridge during 1969, lished reputation for aero-engineering and subsequent adaptions. tors and tailplane, forcing G-APEC into adive from which
where they were joined by the Aviaco there was no hope of recovery. As aresult of the findings,
Traders trio the same year. The remainder all Vanguards were restricted to a maximum cruising
of the Air Holdings aircraft arrived in height of 1O,OOOft (3,000m) until they had been examined
and a strengthening modification for the rear bulkhead,
1972, as they were withdrawn from sched-
recommended as a precaution by BAC, undertaken.
uled service in Canada. Four passenger
Vanguards and the sole Cargoliner were
sold directly by Air Canada to Europe Aero
Service (EAS), of Perpignan, France, in
1972-73. These were later joined at EAS
by two of the three Aviaco Traders aircraft.
The final three unsold Air Canada Van-
TOP: The unfortunate V.951 G-APEC had served BEA for
guards were sold to a Panamanian compa-
ten years when it was lost in t971. via author
ny, Cie Interamericana Export-Import SA _._._ - Tun. Impact dam~
in August 1973. They were all scrapped on The corrosion and tears in the bulkhead of
site at Montreal, for spares. While CF-
BOTTOM:
~i~fffr: F'.r!J "an r'co ....r.d
G-APEC became apparent when the wreckage was
TKM was being dismantled, a fire broke The newly installed main-deck cargo door gave the Vanguard a new future as a ~~~~~ Fold .nd crunchvd lonu
recovered and reassembled. via author
out and destroyed it on the ramp at Dorval. high-capacity dedicated freighter. Jenny Gradidge
740 747
A BUSY MIDDLE AGE A BUSY MIDDLE AGE
First to be earmarked for conversion was 1972, end wo others, G-APEA and G- A contract for the lease of one aircraft was
G-APEM, which was flown to Southend APE ,w r r tired and scrapped at the end signed with Air Holdings, and another
on 1 October 1968. The second aircraft, of the umm r season. The last of BEA's Vanguard, CF-TKJ, which had become G-
G-APEO, was ferried to outhend on 2 V951. -AP B, met a similar fate inJune AXOO, was delivered a PK-I C in Febru-
January 1969, and BEA began work on G- 1973. Two m re of the V953s were sold to ary 1970. Configured in a 146-seat layout,
APEK at Heathrow in May. In November Templewo d by 1974, leaving just three the Indonesian Vanguard seems to have
1969 G-APEG was withdrawn ftOm Vanguard in passenger service when BEA arrived too late to operate any of the Hadj
scheduled service and flown to Cranfield, was merged with BOAC on 1 April 1974 to flights, which were still operated by the Bri-
where it was to take part in trials of the creal' Briti h Airway . The passenger Van- tannias. The Vanguard was found alterna-
new onboard computer system being guards' employment for their last few tive work, operating cargo charters to
designed for the Merchantman. months with the airline was confined to Saigon four times a week, and twice-week-
In the meantime 'EM was rolled out at limited use on scheduled routes to Edin- ly to Sydney. Even this work appears to
Southend as a full Merchantman, making burgh, Gibraltar and Jersey from Heathrow. have b en short-lived, though, as 'ICC was
its first po t-conversion flight on 10 Octo- The day of the airline's last Vanguard pas- returned to Stansted on 26 April and
ber 1969. Following a number of test flights senger service inevitably came round, and Angkasa ceased all operations.
over the next month, 'EM became the first on 16 June 1974 V953 G-APEU operated A single-aircraft lease was arranged with
of the type to receive certification, being a round trip from Heathrow to Jersey. This Beirut-based Lebanese Air Transport, and
delivered back to BEA at Heathrow on 26 last revenue load from the Channel Islands G-AXNT was accordingly delivered on 29
November. The first commercial Mer- to London brought BEA/British Airway's May. Intended to be operated on tobacco
ABOVE: The first Invicta Vanguard, G-AXNT, offered a
chantman service, a Heathrow-Stuttgart- total number of Vanguard passengers car- charters between Beirut and the UK, the huge increase in capacity over the DC-4s. via author
Vienna-Heathrow round trip, was operat- ried in nearly fourteen years of service to an Vanguard was crewed by Air Holdings per-
ed by 'EM on 7 February. The second air- impressive total of21,874,nO. sonnel, but very little commercial flying LEFT: Two different Icelandic charter companies
craft returned to Heathrow from Southend The Merchantman fleet continued seems to have taken place. On 10 June G- operated V.952 TF-JEJ over two years. Air Viking
on 23 February 1970, just under a week operations after the departure of the last AXNT was returned to Air Holdings, and flew the Vanguard on passenger charters in 1970.
after the conversion and certification of passenger Vanguards. The longe I' sched- Lebanese Air Transport soon faded into and Thor Cargo operated it as a freighter in 1971.
'EK was completed by BEA at Heathrow uled freight service regularly operated was history. However, 'NT was idle for only a via author
on 17 February. A fourth Merchantman, to Nicosia, usually via Athens, flown once few months. The reconstituted Invicta Air
BonOM: The V.952F G-AYLD was the only
G-APES, was awarded its new C of A on 1 a week. In 1974 and 1975, however, a Cargo had continued to operate three DC-
Merchantman not to be converted specifically
April. Two more Vanguards, G-APEL and number of marathon transatlantic trips 4s on cargo flights from Manston after the
for BEA. Aviation Hobby Shop
'EP, were withdrawn from passenger service were made to the USA to collect passen- airline had extracted itself from the
in early 1970 to undergo conversion. ger seats and spares for Briti h Airways' abortive merger with British Midland.
With four of the fleet in service, BEA own new L.1011 TriStaI' fleet from Lock- Invicta was impressed by the V952 Van-
was finally able to dispose of its Argosies, heed's California factory. guard's maximum 18-ton capacity com-
which operated their last BEA services on pared with the DCA's mere 8 tons, and A New Merchantman
30 April. The new Merchantman quartet signed up to lease G-AXNT. The aircraft
was operated on the international cargo Short-Lived Leases was put into Invicta service in October Air Holdings soon noticed that the
flights from Heathrow to Amsterdam, 1970, flying cargo charters from Manston enquiries it was receiving regarding the
Athens, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dublin, The ex-Air Canada Vanguards, which had around Europe and to North Africa. Vanguards increasingly centred on their
Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Gothenburg, Malta, been gathered together by Air Holdings, Another of the Vanguards found a tem- possible use as freighters. Putting to u e the
Milan, Nicosia, Paris, Stuttgart, Turin, totalled eleven by November 1969. Most porary home, CF-TKD, now G-AXOY, experience gained by its associate, Aviation
Vienna and Zurich. This was in addition to were delivered, via Stansted, straight into being despatched north to Air Viking in Traders, in designing and producing the
domestic cargo schedules from Heathrow storage at Cambridge. The first to arrive, Iceland on 2 June 1970 as TF-AVA. Based Merchantman conversions for BEA, the
to Belfast, Guernsey, Glasgow, Jersey and CF-TKN, was ferried to Heathrow for at Keflavik, the aircraft began operating company decided to convert one of the ex-
Manchester. Encouraged by the success of overhaul shortly after its delivery flight in passenger inclusive-tour charters to Air Canada aircraft as a demon trator for
the first services, BEA had adapted nine of March. This work, undertaken by BEA for Europe. The most popular of these was to potential clients. Having selected CF-
its V953s by 1973, 'EG and 'EJ following Air Holdings was completed on 22 Palma, which could take up to five hours TKG, ATEL began work on turning the air-
'EP and 'ES in the programme. The V951s December, and the aircraft was given the to reach from Iceland. A refuelling stop craft into a Merchantman in May 1970, at
were deemed unsuitable for Merchantman new UK registration G-AXNT. On its was usually made at Stansted on the Southend, and the 'new' Merchantman was
conversion owing to their lower operating return to Air Holdings at Stansted, the air- return flight. The Air Viking Vanguard rolled out as G-AYLD on 8 July 1971. As
weights, which would restrict their useful- craft began a series of crew training flights also operated a round-trip passenger char- had been stripped of its passenger fittings June 1971, and both aircraft were returned well as the new registration, the aircraft was
ness in all-cargo mode. in preparation for the first lease contract ter on 2 July on behalf of Channel Air- and wore the title of Thor Cargo. It had to Air Holdings at Stansted. given a fresh livery with Air Holdings
the company had been able to arrange for ways from Stansted to Palma, as well as also been reregi tered yet again, as TF-JEJ. A A part of the investigation into the loss (Sales) Ltd titles. This was the first of the
its new Vanguard fleer. several ad hoc charters from Keflavik to month later a second Vanguard joined the of BEA's G-APEC over Belgium in 1971, ex-Canadian fleet to wear anything but the
BEA's Last Days Indonesian Angkasa Civil Air Transport Denmark, Germany and the UK. By Thor fleet, ex-CF-TKB and G-AYFN, re- one of the ex-Air Canada Vanguards in most rudimentary adaptation of the basic
of Djakarta had been operating a pair ofBri- December, however, much of the charter registered as TF-JE The two were storage with Air Holdings at Cambridge, Air Canada livery, its new two-tone blue
The remaining pas enger-equipped Van- tannia 102s on charter work in th Far East. work had dried up for the winter, and the employed on cargo contracts that took them CF-TKI, was used for a series of bulkhead scheme being ba ed on that of British Air
guards continued in BEA service through In particular, the company wa involved in Vanguard was returned to Stansted at the mostly between Iceland and Germany, pressure tests by the UK accident investi- Ferries, which was also owned by Air Hold-
1972 and 1973, gradually reducing in num- the transport of Muslim pilgrim from end of the lease. though they also ventured as far south as gation authorities. Following the tests the ings at the time.
bers. One V951, G-APEF, was sold to a Indonesia to Saudi Arabia to visit the holy Only two months later, in February 1971, Italy and North Africa. Unfortunately, Thor aircraft wa scrapped and reduced to spares A series of demonstration flights followed
leasing broker, Templewood Aviation, in shrines at Mecca during the annual 'Hadj'. TF-AVA I' turned to Iceland. This time it Cargo was forced to cease operations on 13 by Air Holdings. the first post-conversion flight on 21 July,
742 743
A BUSY MIDDLE AGE A BUSY MIDDLE AGE
including a Southend-Ostend outhend ent r cl rvi in April, with charters to passenger work, Invicta's Vanguards still returned to France, where one was scrapped
service operated for BAF on 24 August. Ba I and usseldorf. The passenger Van- attracted a number of smaller holiday for spares and the other was placed into
Other demonstration flights were operated guard p r tions were based at Luton in companies and travel organizations who European charter service.
to Dusseldorf, and Lubeck was also visited Bed~ rd hire, with the cargo aircraft till till appreciated the economics of the tur-
in August. This was the home base ofGer- flying fr m Manston, though occasional boprop and the aircraft's very useful capac-
man operator Elbeflug, which Air Hold- passeng r h rters were operated from the ity of up to 146 passengers. Typical of these Return to Indonesia
ings hoped it could interest in a Mer- Kent ba as well. Gatwick was also a regu- important sources of regular revenue was a
chantman order to replace its fleet of lar departur point for the Vanguards, ser- contract signed with Tyrolean Travel for Even though Air Hold ing's 1970 lease of the
DC-6As and Nord Nortalases. No order vices being p rated to Le Bourget, Rotter- frequent inclusive-tour charter flights to single Vanguard to Indonesian Angkasa
followed this flurry of activity, however, so dam and Tarbes in the first few months of Munich from Edinburgh, Luton and Man- could hardly be regarded as a commercial
G-AYLD was stored at Southend to await operation. tansted was the starting point chester, from 13 May 1972. triumph, within two year the type was once
new opportunities. for one of the Invicta International Van- again to be found in the skies above the Far
guard fleet's more spectacular charters of Eastern island nation. At the time, govern-
1971, 'OP operating a direct passenger Swedish Interlude ment-owned PN Merpati Nusantara Air-
Invicta Returns to charter flight to Tel Aviv on 5 October. lines was experiencing a boom in traffic on
Passenger Service Both passenger Vanguards soon settled The Air Holdings (Sales) Merchantman it domestic routes. Having already operat-
into a healthily varied charter programme, G-AYLD remained idle at Southend for Following Air Trader's financial collapse, its fleet was returned to Air Holdings. ed a fleet of secondhand Viscounts, Met-pati
The use of G-AXNT on freight services with a mixture of inclusive-tour contract everal month before it was finally found via author was very inclined to regard the Vanguard as
impressed Invieta's founder and managing flights to th Mediterranean, Ministry of a new home. An w Swedish cargo charter a viable alternative to pure jets.
director, Wg Cdr Hugh Kennard, to the Defence charters carrying servicemen and airline, Air Trader, acquired a lease on the Initially Merpati leased-in three Van-
extent that overtures were soon being made their families to Dusseldorf, student char- aircraft to operate a series of freight flights guards from Templewood Aviation, two ex-
to Air Holdings with a view to acquiring ters to Milan and Rome, and catholic pil- from Stockholm to Bangladesh on behalf from Aviation Traders' stock, CF-TKO, was flights from various European points to Air Canada V952s from the Air Holdings
more aircraft. Instead of cargo Vanguards, grim services to Tarbes. The pilgrim flights of the Red Cros . Following repainting in delivered from storage in Canada, via Tarbes, and were also very popular on stock and a single ex-BEA V951. The first
though, Kennard was now interested in to Tarbes, serving nearby Lourdes, were a dramatic blue and orange livery, the Southend, and ferried immediately to Brom- inclusiv tours and student exchange char- two aircraft arrived in March and May 1972,
restarting his passenger charter operations, also operated from other UK points such as Merchantman was delivered to Stock- ma, where it was cannibalized for spares. The ters. The Vanguards were also occasionally and the third, the ex-BEA aircraft, arrived
previously operated by Viscounts and DC- Blackpool and Gatwick. So succes ful was holm's Bromma Airport on 22 January colourful trio were kept busy on flights that operated on EAS' small scheduled route that November. The Vanguards were intro-
4s before the BMA merger. Invicta's fir t season with the Vanguard 1972. Crew training followed, and the first often ventured to North Africa and the Mid- network, which was usually served by a pair duced on the airline's busier passenger
Consequently, G-AXOO, the ex- that the passenger fleet was doubled. Th commercial service to Bangladesh left dle East. On 31 July the Merchantman even of Dart Heralds. These operated from Per- schedules from Djakarta to point uch as
Angkasa aircraft, was made ready for Invic- ex-Air Viking Vanguard, G-AXOY, and Bromma on 12 February, bound for Dacca. reached as far south as Johannesburg. pignan to Nimes, Paris and Palma, and the Medan, Surabaya and Ujung Pandang.
ta and delivered to Manston on 1 March another ex-Air Canada aircraft, CF-TKF, In-between runs to Bangladesh the com- However, this early success did not con- Vanguards replaced the Heralds when They were soon proving themselves useful
1971. The new passenger division was to which arrived directly from Canada to pany found short-term cargo work around tinue, Air Trader finding itself in serious loads warranted it. Two more passenger on routes serving both business and touri t
operate as Invicta International Airlines. become G-AZRE, were both ready in ser- Europe and to die Middle East. Another of financial difficulties by October. A tempo- Vanguards and the ex-Cargoliner had all traffic and, when one of the V952s was
On 8 May '00 was followed by G-AXOP, vice by May to operate a much-expanded Aviation Traders' fleet was prepared for lease rary grounding of the fleet wa lifted in joined the operational fleet by the end of returned to the UK and the V951 was
previously CF-TKV, which had been in charter programme for 1972. to Air Trader and delivered to Bromma on November, wh n a new investor was the year, to be followed by a further pair of crapped at Djakarta in July 1973, the
storage since its arrival from Canada in At a time when most of the larger char- 13 April. A third Vanguard, on of the ex- found. The Merchantman and one of the pa seng r aircraft, from Aviaco Traders, in remaining aircraft was soon joined by one of
June 1969. In the meantime, '00 had ter airlines had converted to pure jet for TIlor Cargo fleet, followed in July. A fourth Vanguards were returned to service and mid-I973. These last two Vanguards were the ex-Air Trader V953s. These two were
were seen on a number of cargo charters given French 'overseas' registrations and returned to the UK in April 1974, but were
from Scandinavia to the UK in late 1972. put into passenger service on a year-long immediately replaced by British Airways'
Unfortunately the revival proved to be contract for the French government, based last three passenger Vanguards, G-APEH,
short-lived, and Air Trader had returned in Tchad and the Sahara regions. At the G-APEI and G-APEN, which b came PK-
all three aircraft to Aviation Traders by end of this contract the aircraft were MVF, 'MVD and 'MVE respectively.
early 1973.
Vanguards with
a French Flavour
B twe n May and June 1972 the first three
Europe Aero Service (EAS) Vanguards
entered service. Replacing a small fleet of
D -6Bs, they were mostly operated from
EAS's Paris base at Le Bourget, which was
later moved to Orly, as well as from the
company's head office and maintenance
base at Perpignan in the south of France.
The first two aircraft were flown on pas-
senger charters, while the third was con-
figured as a freighter.
As with Invicta's Vanguard fleet, the Europe Aero Service's first Vanguards operated a variety of inclusive-tour
Invicta returned to passenger operations with its pair of Vanguard 952s in 1971. Steve Williams Collection EAS aircraft were often used on pilgrim and short-term charters from Paris and Perpignan. Jenny Gradidge
144 145
A BUSY MIDDLE AGE AB Y MIDDLE AGE
a h p rating as a separate 'profit centre' the original independent airlines that had the Gibraltar-Tangiers route, reviving a with. H c..I that come about, it was proposed from Birmingham to Dublin and Paris and
BEA Viscount Changes been taken over by BEA on its formation similar arrangement previou ly u d with that hannel Island Airways would have Du eldorf, as well as operating some inclu-
in i own right within BEA. The remain-
Even when BEA had finally dispersed its ing Vi ount 02 were split between two in the late 1940 . BEA' V 701 . Gibair also sub-leased the air- adopted a green version of the BA livery, ive-tour charters. Secondhand One-Eleven
V 06s, either passing them on to it BA new divi in, BEA cotti h Airways and even V802 were allocated to BEA craft to Royal Air Maroc for a number of and cotti h Airway a blue one. 400s were eventually acquired by BA for u e
ubsidiaries or selling them to new owners, BEA hann I Islands Airways, responsible Scotti h Airways and based at Glasgow. domestic service from Tangier and by cotti h Airways and Channel Islands
a considerable fleet of V802 wa still for the heduled services from their appro- Taking over the previous cottish Divi- Casablanca in 1971/1972. The u e of BEA Airway, and the Trident 1E followed its old
available. In 1971 the airline was restruc- priate K r gion. The two 'new' operators ion, it operated all the internal Scotti h Viscount by Gibair ended in January 1974, The British Airways Influence Channel Airways stablemate to Northeast.
tured into a number of mailer divisions, were giv n th re urrected name of two of services with the Viscounts and two when an ex-NZ AC V807 was delivered ew H 748s were ordered for some of the
Heron, as well as schedules to Heathrow to Gibraltar. Although osten ibly owned by On the transformation of BEA into British cotti h regional services previously operat-
from Aberdeen and Inverness, and the BEA, G-BBVH wa lea ed to Gibair for its Airways European Division, in 1974, the ed by the Viscounts. When the secondhand
Glasgow-Belfa t route. The Inverne - exclu ive use, being sold to the airline seven Viscount operating units of BEA began One-Elevens and new 748s were delivered,
Heathrow flight, the longest non-stop r- year later. The solitary Viscount was oper- taking on the new red, white and blue some thirteen of the higher-hour V802
vice within the UK, was operated in 2hr ated by Gibair, later renamed GB Airways, colours, but initially kept their own oper- were withdrawn and scrapped.
10min by the Viscounts. Although BEA until it wa damaged beyond repair in a ating identity. While 'British Airways' wa The operations of Cambrian Airways,
Channel Island Airways was, as indicated heavy landing as late as 1988. now the predominant titling on the air- Channel Islands Airways, Northeast Air-
by its title, re ponsible for many of the A the new divisions became established, craft, small titles on the lower forward lines and Scottish Airways were eventual-
scheduled ervices to the two main han- the Viscounts were painted with additional fuselage identified the division concerned. ly 'rationalized' into a new British Airways
nel Islands, Jersey and Guernsey, it was 'Scottish Airways' or 'Channel Island' Cambrian and Northeast lost their colour- Regional Division, with effect from I
actually based at Birmingham. Allocated titling over the BEA livery, though fulliveries in the changeover, but contin- April 1976. From that date the original
the remaining twelve V802s, Channel exchanges of fleet members between the ued to exist in their own right, with their constituent airlines ceased to exist and the
Islands also flew the scheduled servic s two divi ions were common. It was by no own administration and op rational con- new division operated the fleets of Trident
from Birmingham within the UK to Eire means unusual for the cottish Airways trol. Even the ageing pair of Cambrian Vis- I Es, One-Eleven 400s and Viscount. Thi
and Europe, as well as the Channel Island internal network to be operated by a Vis- count 70 I operated on the Prestwick ser- brought the surviving V802 and V806s
Viscount flights from point such as count bearing 'Channel Islands' marking, vices took up the bright new BA livery and back togeth r in th am fleet once again,
ABOVE: Vintage Viscount 802 G-AOJE was assigned to the 'new' BEA Scottish Airways
Division. Steve Williams Collection
Heathrow, Gatwick and Southampton. nor for an apparently 'Scottish' aircraft to were operated in those colours until and British Airways Regional now operat-
The Birmingham-based division wa also be een operating the daily Guernsey- March 1976. ed both versions. Although it wa now
BelOW: Based at Birmingham's Elmdon Airport, BEA's Channel Island Airways Division responsibl for one of its Viscount 802s Gatwick flight. Tentative plans to rebrand In late 1971 BEA had bought Channel over twenty years since the fir t cheduled
was responsible for Viscount operations from several UK and Channel Island airports. leased out to Gibair in Gibraltar. This air- the two divisions in the style of ortheast Airway' pair of Trident I Es. One was trans- BEA Viscount ervice, the tru ty Vi count
Steve Richards craft had finally replaced Gibair's DC-J on and Cambrian and hand their operation ferred to Northeast Airlines, and BEA was still making its presence felt through-
over to BA were overtaken by events Channel Islands Airway had taken delivery out the UK, and continued to make its
when BEA and BOAC merged to become of the other by early 1972. TI1e aircraft own significant contribution to th new
Briti h Airways, and were not proceeded replaced Viscount on scheduled services British Airways operation.
The absorption of the Cambrian and Northeast Viscount 806s by the new British Airways Regional Division
saw the reunification of the survivors from the original BEA Viscount 800 fleet. SA via author
146 147
A BUSY MIDDLE AGE A BUSY MIDDLE AGE
Still Under African Skies form f an ex-TAA V756D, from 1969, Hills, 10 miles (l6km) from Lake Kariba, had been written-off following a fire on
before d laring bankruptcy in 1972. while en route to Salisbury with four crew take-off at Heathrow on 22 January 1970.
The trio of V838 Viscounts supplied to and fifty-two passengers on board. In a par- The variety of Viscount models in ser-
Ghana Airways had been reduced to a pair ticularly harrowing sequel to the episode, vice was a major source of operational and
in 1965 when one was sold off to the Royal New R gime, New Name half-an-hour after the crash, the revolu- engineering problems for BMA. Different-
Aircraft Establishment in the UK. The tionari who had shot the aircraft down ly-rated engines and other variations in
remaining two continued to lead a busy life The ex- AA Viscount 700s continued to arrived on the scene and cold-bloodedly equipment fitted in the aircraft required
operating the carrier's regional internation- operate with their Rhodesian successor shot dead one man, seven women and two large expensive stores of different spares to
al and busier domestic routes from Accra for despite the difficu lties experienced in children who had survived the initial be on hand to cover all eventualities. There
another ten years, until small regional jets, operating under strict international sanc- impact. Eight other survivors were lucky to were even differences in the cabin configu-
such as the Fokker F28 Fellowship, arrived tions. Air Rhodesia showed a great deal of escape with their lives. Five months later, rations, which could make fleet scheduling
in the mid-1970s to replace them. As well ingenuity in gathering spares for the air- VP-YND Umniati was similarly brought and passenger reservations management a
as operating Ghana's own services, a num- craft, and managed to keep its fleet viable down, close to the same spot, with the los nightmare. In an attempt to introduce more
ber of joint operations were und rtaken in throughout the 1970s, until Boeing 720 of all fifty-nine passengers and crew. standardization, BMA bought the seven-
association with Nigeria Airways. Nigeria were acquired to take over the more pres- Following these incidents, some of the strong AA fleet. By late 1973 all three
also leased-in a V815 from British Midland tigious routes and expand services to Air Rhodesia Viscounts were given low-vis- V831s had been sold off, and four more ex-
for the winter of 1968-69. Europe once more. Even then, the Vis- ibility all-grey, colour schemes and carried Lufthansa V814s were acquired.
One of the ex-Burma Airways V761Ds counts still maintained services on many devices to divert heat-seeking missiles. In Lufthansa had originally sold th
was leased out to Air Botswana briefly in important regional international routes, 1980, after the fall of the old apartheid- V814s to Nora Air Service GMBH
1979-80, joining an ex-MEA V754D that such a Salisbury to Blantyre, Johannes- based regime, the airline became Air Zim- (NAS), a new charter company that
had been in ervice since 1976. Unfortunate- burg and Lorenco Marques. babwe, after a short period operating as Air planned to fly the aircraft on inclusive-
ly, services were short-lived on cheduled ser- The end of the 1970s saw the Air Zimbabwe-Rhodesia. The network was Viscount 7820 VP-WAS became a victim of the Rhodesian Civil War when it was tour charters from northern Germany. In
vices from the capital, Gaborone, to outh Rhodesia Viscount fleet caught up in expanded, following the lifting of sanctions, callously shot down in an act of terrorism. via author addition, NAS had hoped to use the Vis-
Africa and Zambia, and the aircraft were appalling events. A vicious civil war was with the Boeing 720s replaced by 707s and counts to transport foreign workers from
eventually returned to their South African raging in the troubled country, and on two operating on new routes as far as Australia, West Germany to their homeland, and
broker owner. The aircraft were both eventu- separate occasions, in September 1978 and as well as expanding the European network. no fewer than six ex-Lufthansa V814
ally operated, although at separate periods, by February 1979, revolutionary forces shot Nonetheless, the Viscounts remained in ser- SAA Viscounts Trek North Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The were purchased, though not all were
South African independent United Air for down civilian Air Rhodesia Viscounts, vice on most of the domestic routes while airline had also been awarded the delivered. However, despite the Viscounts
several years on charter work. Botswana's pre- using ground-to-air missiles. modern replacements were evaluated and The SAA fleet of V813s enjoyed a long Southend-Channel Island routes after the being painted up in the rather garish yel-
vious national canier, Botswana National On 3 September 1978 VP-WAS Hun- sought. Extra secondhand aircraft were even and productive career with the airline until demise of Channel Airways. The Viscounts low-and-pink NAS colour schem , the
Airways, had also operated a Viscount, in the yani was brought down in the Whamira acquired as late as 1981. they were replaced by Boeing 72 7s, and opened most of the new ervices, though the company was unable to begin commercial
later 737s, by the early 1970s. An ex- One-Elevens later took over the Teeside- operations and four of the fleet were
Cubana V818 had been acquired in 1962, London route. Before the ex-South African acquired by BMA.
though this aircraft was lost in a crash into Airways fleet arrived, BMA was still operat- With the growth of BMA's Viscount
the sea 22 miles (35km) off East London on ing one V815 and three V831s. Previously, fleet, more scheduled services were opened
13 March 1967. The seven SAA V813s a V833 had been leased in 1969-70 to from East Midlands to Paris, Frankfurt, via
found a new home en masse, in 1972, when replace the V815 lost in the Manchester Birmingham and Brussels, Birmingham
the entire fleet was sold, together with a accident, and an ex-Lufthansa V814 which to Heathrow, in partnership with British
izeable spares package, to BMA. The first
began to arrive at BMA's engineering base
at East Midlands in early 1972.
The Viscount had proved to be ideal for
BMA's mixed network of seasonal holiday
and business travel-based routes. By mid-
1970 all the Viscount 700s had all been
replaced by an assortment of Viscount 800
and 810 models, and the type wa firmly
established as the backbone of the airline'
fleet. Although BMA's first pure jets had
arrived in 1970, in the form of new One-
Eleven 500s and secondhand Boeing 707
for use on charters, the turboprop was till
viewed as the ideal aircraft for all but a
handful of the scheduled services.
As well as the established East Midlands-
based routes, in 1969 BMA took over a
number of scheduled routes from Teeside, in
the northeast of England , including a poten-
Ghana Airways often operated its Viscount 838s on joint services with neighbouring Nigeria Airways. tially lucrative trunk route to London- British Midland Airways was operating several different models of Viscount by the
Jenny Gradidge Heathrow, and seasonal services to the early 1970s. including ex-Airwork and BUA V.831 G-ASED. Steve Richards
148 149
A B SY MIDDLE AGE A BUSY MIDDLE AGE
Airways, from Gatwick to Belfast and from Brief Kestrel Summer and operated that airline's scheduled ser-
Heathrow to Newquay and Strasbourg. In vices to the Isle of Man from Bristol,
contrast, the inclusive-tour market had With the arrival of the ex- AA Viscount Cardiff, Carlisle, Newcastle and Pre twick
become so cut-throat that by 1974 the fleet, BMA proceeded further with its stan- every weekend, while operating ad hoc and
entire inclusive-tour charter programme dardization policy by attempting to dispose inclusive-tour charters for Kestrel during
was scrapped by th airline, rather than of the last V,81S in the fleet, G-AVJB. The the week. The DC,3 was sold in August,
lose money trying to compete. As a result aircraft was leased out to yet another new leaving the Viscount as Kestrel's sole fleet
the One-Eleven fleet was disposed of and neighbour at East Midlands, Kestrel Inter- member. The Dan-Air contract ended
the Boeing 707s leased out. One of the national Airways. Originally based at Lydd with the close of the summer season and,
One-Elevens wa sold to Brazilian airline Airport, Kent, Kestrel had started opera- unable to find sufficient work for the win-
Sadia, which traded-in three of its Dart tions in late 1970 with a single DC-3. Busi- ter months, Kestrel International was
Heralds in part exchange for the jet. From ne s wa fairly slow initially, and in early forced to close down and the Viscount was
then on BMA concentrated most of its 1971 the company's base was moved to East repos essed by BMA in November.
efforts into expanding the scheduled net- Midlands, from where it was hoped more
work, based around the economic Dart- charter work might be forthcoming. Dur-
powered Viscount and Herald turboprops. ing th following year the DC,3 operated a Alidair Joins the
number of charter services carrying both EMA Viscount Club
passengers and cargo around Europ , and
was especially busy with popular twenty- Another new venture also began charter
Air International and Air Bridge minute pleasure flights from East Midlands services from East Midlands with Viscounts
The V702 G-APPX was owned by Field Aircraft Ser- on summer weekends. in 1972. Alidair was originally formed in
vices, an aircraft engineering, leasing and brokering Expansion plans for 1972 included 1971 to provide executive flight services
company based at East Midlands Airport which had applying for a number of scheduled service for its parent company, a midlands-based
leased the aircraft to BMA for the summer of 1969. licences for routes from East Midlands and packaging organization. Initially based
After being returned from this lease, G-APPX was Liverpool to Newquay and from Teeside to at Hucknall, it flew two Piper Twin
eventually leased out again in 1971, this time to an the Isle of Man. The licence applications Comanches and a Beagle Pup. With a view
ambitious new charter operator, Air International,
specified the use of both DC,3s and Vis- to expanding the flying operation, Alidair
based at Stansted. Air International held several inclu-
counts. Although the sch duled services Cargo was registered in January 1972, to
sive-tour charter contracts with London-based travel
agencies for flights from the UK to central Europe and were not proceeded with, the Viscount was carry out freight charter work from Huck-
Scandinavia. Unfortunately all of its operations ceased still acquired from BMA, and entered ser- nail. As part of the expansion plan, Alidair
in November 1972, following the impounding of the vice in March 1972. Tristar Travel had had already relocated its head office to East
The ex-Lufthansa Viscount 814s originally intended for Nora Air Service arrived at East Midlands for BMA
still in their bright yellow-and-pink colours. Steve Richards Viscount at Gatwick for non-payment of landing fees. contracted Kestrel for a regular weekly Midlands in preparation for the propo ed
The aircraft was returned to Field at East Midlands, East Midlands-Palma inclusive-tour char- cargo services, as custom facilities were not
limping home on three engines. The airline's manage- ter, which operated via lermont Ferrand, available at Hucknall.
ment also attempted to register anew carrier, Nor-Air, and the Viscount was acquired to serve However, the demise ofChannel Airways
to operate another leased Viscount. but no commercial this charterer. In addition, a number of ser- in early 1972 offered a unique opportunity
operations were undertaken.
vices were flown on behalf of 'JB's previous for Alidair to transform its proposed opera-
Field Aircraft Services also became the reluctant
operator on BMA's scheduled network. tion, and the Alidair Cargo plans were mod-
owner of afleet of three Argosy freighters that it had
maintained on behalf of their operator, Saggitair, also For the rest of the summer the Viscount ified to include passenger charter opera-
based at East Midlands. Saggitair had operated the was chartered out to Dan-Air Services, tions. In April the last three rvic able
Argosies on cargo charter work since 1971, particu-
larly on charter flights carrying fresh produce from
the Channel Islands to the UK mainland. Unfortu-
nately Saggitair ceased operations in the autumn of
1972. and the Argosies passed to Field in lieu of out-
standing debts.
A new airline, Air Bridge Carriers IABCI was set up
by Field Aircraft Services to operate the Argosies on
the profitable Channel Islands flights, as well as on
general ad hoc charters throughout Europe. The
Argosy services became asuccess under Field's own-
ership, and ABC soon established itself as a cargo
specialist. One of the Argosies was sold in 1974, but
was replaced by ex-Air Tourisme Alpine VBOBC G-
BBOK. This aircraft had originally been earmarked for
lease to Air International's proposed successor, Nor-
Air. Entering ABC service in September 1974, the Vis-
count was operated on short-term leases to other
carriers, its flexible passenger/cargo qualities bene- Viscount 815 G-AVJB was Kestrel's sole fleet member following the airline's sale of
The arrival of the ex-SAA V.813s, and subsequent disposal of the dissimilar earlier models, meant that fiting several airlines, as well as flying on the estab- its original DC-3. As well as flying a handful of inclusive-tour contracts for Kestrel,
BMA was finally able to enjoy the financial and operational benefits of a standardized Viscount fleet. lished ABC cargo-charter network. the aircraft operated a great many scheduled services for BMA and Dan-Air under
Steve Richards charter. Bill Sheridan Collection
150 151
A BUSY MIDDLE AGE A BUSY MIDDLE AGE
and from Goth nburg. A number of pas- for its Aberdeen-based servic s was now so N w Lasing Revenue leased-in Viscount capacity to cover the
enger flights were also operated for Volvo, high, and the V708s were placed into ser- shortfall. The ABC V808C G-BBDK was
ferrying UK sales agents to th Gothenburg vice so speedily, that they were initially All fiv f the ex-Air Inter fleet had been leased-in between March and October
factory on educational and promotional operated by Alidair still carrying their delivered to Alidair by June 1975, and the 1975, mostly operating on the 'Coach-Air'
visits. In addition to the usual short-term, French registrations. When they did take two remaining ex-Channel V812s had been ervice between Lydd and Beauvais in
inclusive-tour and day-trip contracts, other up UK markings, three of the V 708s were sold to FEAT in Taiwan by May. Noneth - Northern France. When 'DK was returned
charter work for 1974 included several revealed as old hands of the UK airline Ie , another V812, N501TL, wa acquired to ABC an Alidair V708, G-ARBY,
new paper-carrying contracts and the oper- scene, including two of the ex-Maitland from Tenneco in the USA, which had oper- replaced it for two month, and was then
ation of scheduled services for other air- Drewery/BKS/BUA aircraft, G-ARBY and ated it as an executive aircraft since buying in turn replaced by another of Alidair's
lines, such as for Dan-Air over the Newcas- G-ARGR, and ex-Starways G-ARIR. it from Continental in 1960. V708s, G-ARIR. This aircraft remained
tl -Gatwick route. Work wa soon so The Vi count 700s were able to offer Also operating on the oil industry char- with Dan-Air for eighteen months, and
buoyant that an ex-Lufthansa and NAS more-economic payload and range options ters from Aberdeen was Dan-Air ervices, was painted in full Dan-Air livery.
V814 wa acquired from the Oman Air than the larger V810s when operating from headquartered at Gatwick. Dan-Air even- Another lease saw Alidair V724 G-
Force. On 29 July 1975 the V814, G- the Scottish airports. They were easily able tually transferred most of its sizeable fleet BDRC and one of the V,708s, G-BDIK,
AZNH, was used for a very significant Vis- to operate a Sumburgh-Heathrow charter, of H 748 turboprops to Aberdeen to contracted to Intra Airways of Jersey from
count charter. On this day it operated from a regular ad hoc service, with an economic exploit the available contracts. This, how- March 1976. Intra had been operating
Alidair's original Viscount B12s were among the last airworthy members of the Northolt to Le Bourget, carrying an invited payload despite runway restriction at Sum- ever, left Dan-Air short of aircraft to oper- scheduled services with a large fleet of DC-
defunct Channel Airways fleet. Steve Richards party of VIPs to celebrate the twenty-fifth burgh. With the increased dependence on ate its scheduled network. More 748s were 3s from J r y to the UK and Northern
anniversary of the first revenue flights for the oil-related work, Alidair also applied being acquired from various sources, but France since 1969. The Viscount leases
BEA over the same route, made by the pro- 'Alidair Scotland' titles to the V 700s. pending their entry into ervice Dan-Air enabled an upgrade of equipment on many
totype V630 Viscount, G-AHRF. of the airline's longer and busier routes,
Viscount 812s of the Channel Airways fleet was eventually dropped in late 1973. The and the aircraft were frequently used on
were ferried to East Midlands Airport. One charter operation was much more uccess- th schedules to Cambridge and Ostend
was crapped for spares, while the two other ful, however, and 1973 saw inclusive-tour Alidair, Aberdeen from the Channel Islands, as well a on
entered service with Alidair in June, BMA's flights operated from Southend to Alicante and the Oil Boom numerous charter services around the UK
V831, G-A ED, al 0 being acquired in that and Palma, and numerous day-trip excur- and Europe. Although 'IK was returned to
month. The three aircraft spent a busy sum- sion flights operated from Coventry and The discovery of North Sea oil brought Alidair at the end of the 1976 summer sea-
mer operating passenger charters to the Southend, as well as from East Midlands. major benefits to a number of UK carriers in son, 'R was retained by Intra through the
Channel Islands and mainland Europe. One of the V812s was leased out to BAF in the early 1970s, with many contracts next year, not returning to Alidair until
A scheduled service from East Midland the su mmer of 1973 for cross-Channel pas- becoming available for the transport of oil- October 1977. On its return 'RC was
to Malmo, via Birmingham and Copen- senger schedules from Southend. industry workers and technicians from the leased out again, this time to Dan-Air on
hagen, was opened in 1973, using one of The worldwide oil crisis led to one of the UK mainland to i olated terminals and a year-long contract from March 1978.
the Viscounts configured in a forty-seat, Viscounts being sold in early 1974, though facilities. Almost overnight, traffic soared at
first-class, configuration. The thrice-week- the remaining two aircraft managed to keep Aberdeen's Dyce Airport, the site of most
ly route was opened on 30 April, but the busy. An important contract was held with of the oil-industry-related activity, with Cyprus Viscount Revival
loads were disappointing and the service the Volvo Car Company, carrying spares to numerous aircraft huttling between the city
and the offshore Scotti h islands such as the In 1974 Cyprus Airways had been forced
Shetlands, canying oil-company personnel to suspend operations following the Turk-
and supplies. British Midland briefly based a ish invasion and eventual partition of the
Viscount at Aberdeen to operate on behalf island. It fleet of Tridents had been dev-
of a new operator, Site Aviation, specifical- astated, the aircraft being de troyed or
Tenneco's N501TL, the first production V.B12, remained on the VS register everely damaged in the fi rce fighting,
ly created to take advantage of the new busi-
throughout its 13 months with Alidair. via author
ness. Unfortunately, despite leasing-in the and the main base at Nico ia Airport was
Viscount capacity and acquiring everal split by the ceasefire line. Once the hostil-
DC-3s for the work, Site Aviation soon ities ended, the airline was finally abl to
ceased operations. consider restarting operations, and a new
Alidair based one of its Viscounts at base was established at Larnaca Airport on
Aberdeen from February 1975, mainly the southern side of Cyprus in 1975. To
operating for Burmah Oil and Total Oil. open the new service , Cyprus Airways
As well as flying frequent services between turned to BMA, which was building a rep-
Aberdeen and Sumburgh, on Shetland, utation as a flexible leasing operator. For
the aircraft also visited Amsterdam, the most part, BMA used its Boeing 707
B rgen, Norwich and Stavanger on oil- fleet for the leasing services, but any of its
charter work. From May, most of the oil fleet could be made available if a customer
industry work wa taken over by a 'new' required it.
fleet of four Viscount 708 and a single The 'new' Cyprus Airway took delivery
V 724, which had been bought from Air of BMA V813s G-ALZR and 'ZS in Janu-
Viscount 700s were obtained by Alidair to expand its oil-industry-related operations Inter. By the early 1970s the French ary and February 1975. Limited services
from Aberdeen, as well as the established East Midlands-based charter work. domestic airline had finally replaced the Dan-Air Services operated Viscount BOBC G-BBDK on a number of scheduled services were opened to Athen , with other routes
via author last of its Viscount fleet with jets. Demand while it was on lease from Air Bridge Carriers. Aviation Hobby Shop in the region being opened as the airline
752 753
A BUSY MIDDLE AGE
Za'ire Haven
The surviving Air aravane Viscount
actually returned to Za'ire, where the
Africa nation's airlines had seemingly The Viscount 797D flew VIP services lor the Canadian government lor many years,
developed a fondness for Viscounts, A vast Jenny Gradidge
country with extremely primitive ground-
transporr service, Za'ire was able to sup-
porr a number of independent airlines.
Za'ire Aero Service (ZAS) had started the in 19 1. Air Charter Services and Filair operations seem to have returned a
trend by buying-in six ex-Air Canada also operated Viscounts from Za'ire's capi- remarkable record for safety and reliabili-
V757s in 1978. One of these was repos- tal, Kinshasa, in the 1980 . ty. Only one of the ZAS Viscounts was
sessed in 1980 and began to operate for Although flown under difficult condi- involved in an incident, crashing on take-
The Viscount was still to be lound in signilicant numbers around the world in the mid-late 1970s. especially another Za'ire-based airline, Scibe Airlift, tions, with reliable air traffic services off from Kinshasa on 28 August 1984 with-
with UK operators such as SMA, Steve Richards and another was sold to Za'irean Airlines almost non-existent, the Za'ire Viscount out serious injuries to the occupants, The
754 755
II ECTIC TWILIGHT YEARS IIEfTI TWILIGHT YEARS
756 757
liE TIC TWILIGHT YEARS HE TI TWILIGHT YEARS
away from it. Th 'spurious', or even possi- was replaced in the cargo role by G-AZRE, fr ight r , G-AXNT and G-AZRE, later French Retirement
bly misinterpreted, instrument readings which was transferred from passenger ser- in the year. By October only G-AXOY
had led the crew to believe they were on vices. A pair of Boeing 720Bs had been and -BAFK remained in service, flying a The acqui ition of the Invicta fleet by EAS
course for the runway when they were actu- delivered in late 1973, though only one handful f charters from Luton, as the assur d the French carrier of a ready supply
ally flying away from it and into extreme entered lnvicta service, the other immedi- summer season ran down. of both serviceable aircraft and spares for
danger. Ironically, G-AXOP had originally ately being leased out. On 21 October 'FK departed for France, its active Vanguards. Although the first of
been T A:s CF-TKV, which had held By 1975 the European Ferries Group leaving G-AXOY to operate the last char- a number of secondhand Caravelle were
together and protected its passengers and had decided that the Invicta operation ter contracts. Finally, on 26 October, 'OY oon to join EA ,the turboprops were still
crew so well in the clear-air turbulence was not yielding enough profit to justify flew one more service for Invicta Interna- kept busy on its now established varied pas-
incident over the Rocky Mountains in May its continued support. The group tional, a one-hour enthusiast pleasure senger and freight charter programme.
1963, a little short of ten years earlier. announced that the airline would be put flight from Luton. This was the last rev- Two ex-British Airways Merchantmen
The accident was officially blamed on up for sale, and that if a buyer were not enue passenger carrying flight by a UK reg- joined the ex-Silver City Merchantman in
'loss of orientation during the two ILS found by the end of that ummer's flying istered Vanguard. In November G-AXOY 1976. Their arrival saw the retirement of
Invicta International operated the ill-fated G-AXOP for two years before it crashed [instrument landing system] approaches programme, lnvicta International would was also delivered to the EAS maintenance the original Cargoliner, which had lacked
near Basle with great loss of life. via author carried out under instrument flight condi- be closed down. The dismantling oflnvic- centre at Perpignan. Only two of the Invic- the u eful large freight door and other all-
tions'. It was also noted that this would ta soon began, as no interested parties ta Vanguards, G-AYFN and G-BAFK, cargo refinements. The three Merchant-
have been made worse by technical defects came forward. Europe Aero Service would fly again commercially with EAS. men were contracted to operate on behalf
in a localizer receiver and a glide-slope (EAS) took delivery of passenger-config- After varying periods of storage and canni- of Air France on nightly newspaper charters
Ian Terry acting as first officer. Overshoot- the crew' estimation of their position. receiver on board, which would have con- ured G-AYFN in August, and its depar- balization for spares, the remainder were from Paris to Marseilles and Toulouse, as
ing during the first approach, the crew Shortly afterwards, the crew reported that fused the situation for the crew. ture was followed by that of the two eventually scrapped on site at Perpignan. well as flying many of the national carrier'
appear to have become disorientated, and they had 'spurious readings', and that the all-cargo services throughout Europe. In
a meandering figure-of-eight course was automatic direction finder readings seemed addition, EAS found a great deal of ad hoc
flown by the Vanguard, doubling back 'all over the place'. In fact, by this time, the Soldiering On work on its own behalf for the freighters to
over the airport and finally continuing to aircraft had left the Basle radar cover and Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
the south of where it should have been, was flying dangerously low in a hilly area. Shortly after the loss of 'OP, Invicta took The inevitable replacement on EAS pas-
flying towards Hochwald, to th southwest oon after its altitude had been reported delivery of G-AYFN, which was diverted senger service by jets was soon under way,
of Basle. The crew, however, appeared to by the crew as 1,400ft (42501), '0 P brushed from its planned delivery to Silver City. though, all but five of the Vanguards being
be under the impression they were back the side of a wooded ridge near Herren- Invicta International operated a similar withdrawn by 1975, and two retiring in
further north, on course to a second matt. The aircraft somersaulted into the programme to previous years, with the 1979. However, during 1979 th remaining
approach. hillside and caught fire, killing 104 of the same mixture of varied charter flights. A three Vanguards were overhauled and
The Vanguard was glimpsed though the passengers, both pilots and two of the cabin V952, G-BAFK, which had been leased by repainted in a new livery. They remained
overcast by witnesses on the ground, who crew. Most of the thirty-five passengers and Air Holdings to Merpati Nusantara, was in regular passenger service until 16 Janu-
judged it to be flying at a height of only two cabin crew who did survive were locat- delivered in June 1974. The Cargo Divi- ary 19S1, when the last survivor, F-BTOV,
150ft (4501) and heading away from the ed in the rear cabin, which remained fairly sion's G-AXNT continued to operate was retired following a Paris-Orly to Per-
airport. The crew reported that they were intact. At the time of the crash the aircraft freight and livestock charters from Man- pignan flight.
'established on glide-path and localizer', was on a southerly course, flying along the ston throughout Europe and to North
though the radar controller had questioned extended centreline of the runway, but Africa and the Middle East. In 1975 'NT
ABC's Merchantman Upgrade
British Airways' decision to dispose of
Air Bridge Carriers' first Merchantman entered service on cargo charters from East
some of its Merchantmen wa made after
Midlands Airport in late 1976. Steve Richards
the airline found that it d dicat d all-
cargo fleet was much Ie s in demand. The
arrival of more wide-bodied aircraft on
European services saw the normal under-
floor hold capacity of it fleet incr a e to
the extent that much of the freight traffic
could now be accommodated on passenger
flights. As well as the pair sold to EAS in
the summer of 1976, another Merchant-
man, G-APES, was solei by BA to ABC.
Since 1974 ABC had operated a single
Viscount SOSC, G- BBDK, alongside its
established fleet of Argosies. Although the
Viscount had spent much of its time leased
out to Dan-Air, it had also proved very
useful on ABC's general cargo charter ser-
vices. The opportunity to offer the larger
The Vanguards took on a revised Invicta livery following the introduction into service of a leased Boeing British Airways continued to operate a reduced fleet of Merchantman freighters until capacity of the Merchantman to its cus-
720B. Shortly afterwards. the company was put up for sale. Malcolm L. Hill 1979. Sieve Williams Collection tomers was soon recognized by ABC, and
758 759
HECTIC TWILIGHT YEARS HECTIC TWILIGHT YEARS
760 767
IIICTIC TWILIGHT YEARS liE TIC TWILIGHT YEARS
of the situation, and then waming the cabin taken vel' by a pair of new thirty-passen- variety of general cargo and passenger tailor-made executive jets such as the Gulf- A handful of executive Viscounts pa sed had b en written-off in fatal accidents by
crew and passengers over the public add res ger h rt 30 which Inter ity shared charter, mo tly from Southampton and stream and Citation range, and even the on to airline operators, such as a pair of the end of 1977. Previously, from 1959 to
system, the captain began looking for a suit- with u m ey Airlines. Gatwick. The other V807, G-C ZA, use of converted jet airliner uch as the V764 originally delivered to the US Steel 1967, SAN's ex-LA ICA V786D had
able place for a safe forced landing, as there entered service the following March, and One-Eleven and OC-9, had seen the u e f orporation, which eventually found their b en operated as a private aircraft by a Mrs
was no hope of reaching Exeter Airport. sp nt much of its time operating for Dan- larger propeller-engine executive aircraft way to ervicios Aereos Nacionales (SAN) M. Margorie Post and named Merriweather.
wane rapidly. of Ecuador to operate alongside its ex-ANA Wh ile with Mrs Post, Merriweather was u ed
Now reduced to the status of a rather large South rn International AiI' on its scheduled services at weekends.
glider, G-ARBY was guided skilfully along a and Dan-Air By June 1979 'ZA had been r painted in More up-to-date aircraft 0 n replaced V828s and a V786D. Unfortunately, both to transport the family between estates near
full Dan-Air livery, though it also operat- large Viscount fleets operated by corpora-
small grassy valley to the south of the village
of Ouery t Mary. As the aircraft crossed a In 1978 a mall charter company, outhem ed charter for outhem Intemational tions uch a Standard Oil, Tenneco, U
field boundary, its underside struck a tree Int mational, which had operated a OC-3 alongside 'ZB. teel and others. However, U Steel had
A third Viscount, V80 C G-BBDK, was operated its Viscount fleet for over thirre n
and it then touched down nose-up, the port on cargo charters, acquired two of
Z AC's redundant V807s. Both had orig- delivered to outhem Intemational in years. Some of the aircraft were passed on to
wing striking another tree that caused the
Viscount to veer to one ide as it slid along inally been sold by Z AC to two hort- early 1980 and took over the operation of a other executive operations, often eventual-
the field. Fortunately all of the occupants lived aribb an carriers, Pearl Air and Air regular newspap r service between Gatwick ly being broken up for spares. Other execu-
aribbean, neither of which was uccessful, and Belfast, which wa operated everal tive Viscounts were lucky enough to remain
were evacuated safely, only one passenger
time a week. Two ex-Intra V814s were also with more-loyal operators, su h as the Ray
requiring hospital treatment. The aircraft and the aircraft were passed to a broker
acquired with a view to replacing the harles Organization, which had found the
was declared beyond economic repair. The which sold them to outhem Intemational.
ensuing public enquiry called into question The aircraft were delivered to the new air- V807s, but all passenger operations ceased aircraft popular with its touring groups of
a number of Alidair's maintenance and crew line at outhampton early in the year, but shortly afterwards and both the Y.807s and mu icians, who appreciated comfortable,
only one of them, V807 G-CSZB, initially the V814s were put in torage. The opera- reliable Viscount transport throughout the
training practices.
On 1 March 1981 the airline was ntered service, in August 197 . tion base was eventually witched to USA. The Viscount also proved popular
renamed Int r City Airline, and the Vis- This aircraft was operated on relief tansted and, after an uncertain ummel', with evangelical groups uch a Cathedral
counts were used to open an Ea t Mid- flights for the Red Cro s in Ethiopia and even the operations of the freighter came to of Tomorrow and John Wesley College,
lands-Edinburgh-Aberdeen chedule on 5 Eritrea for two months. On its retum to an end in eptember and Southem Inter- which u ed their aircraft to fly their follow- The exclusive Merriweather served as a personal transport for the wealthy Post family.
national ceased trading. ers and staff to rallies on nationwide tour. MAP
May. Eventually, though, the route was the UK in October 'ZB was operated on a
In addition to chartering-in extra Vis-
count capacity when required, to operate
its scheduled n twork from the UK regions Go Viscounts!
and the Lydd-Beauvais Coach-Air service
An operator that was to become anoted haven for ex-executive Viscounts in the USA ex-Intra pair of V814s that had been delivered to Southern International. The ailing
between London and Paris, Dan-Air had was Go Transportation. Ron Clark Enterprises of Burbank, California, originally found- UK airline had originally tried to sell its stored V807s to Go for use by Royal Ameri-
also placed two Viscount 810s into service ed the operation in 1971, to offer high-quality and discreet VIP flight services for can, but these aircraft failed to gain US certification and the deal fell through.
in 1979. These were required to replace H show business personalities and other high-profile individuals. A further attempt at operating scheduled Viscount services in the USA was made
748s, which w re still needed for profitable A single 21-seat V789D was acquired in 1974, and early customers included Dean in 1983, when an ex-Royal American V765was leased to Atlantic Gulf Airlines, based
oil industry work at Aberdeen. The two Martin, the Beach Boys, Elton John and even Elvis Presley. A second aircraft, an ex- at St Petersburg, Florida. Intra-state services were operated within Florida, but once
aircraft were ex-Ghana Airways V 38 G- Royal Bank of Canada V.745D, followed in the same year to increase the available again the Viscount was unable to attract sufficient traffic from the established carri-
BCZR, leased from Field Aircraft ervices, capacity, and another six from various sources soon swelled the fleet further. The Go ers in the region, and Atlantic Gulf was forced to cease operation of these services
and ex-Iran Air and Oman Air Force V816 Viscounts featured sumptuously comfortable interiors equipped with high-technolo- after only a short time.
G-BGLC, which was leased from ABC. gy entertainment systems and other executive features. Eventually more than thirty Viscounts of different variants were acquired by Go
In 1980 three of the Viscounts were sold to Royal American Airlines, which oper- Transportation. Arkia's and PLUNA's remaining Viscounts were among many ferried
Flown on scheduled servic s from out-
ated a Fayetteville-Little Rock scheduled service. Unfortunately this was a commer- to Go's maintenance base at Tucson, Arizona. Whil9 several aircraft were used by Go,
station bases at Bristol and Teeside, the cial failure, and The Go Group, Go Transportation's parent company, bought out the albeit often only sporadically as short-term contracts came and went, several others
Viscounts were crewed by ABC pilots ailing airline. The Viscount operation was relocated and new twice-daily scheduled were refurbished and leased·out or sold to operators such as Aerolineas Republica
The attractively-styled Viscounts of Southern International had previously been operated
under contract, with Dan-Air's own local- flights from Las Vegas and Tucson to Long Beach and San Diego were inaugurated, in Mexico. The Mexican airline operated the ex-executive and SAN of EcuadorV786D
in New Zealand for many years by NZNAC. Aviation Hobby Shop
ly ba ed cabin staff. Previously, 'ZR had as well as charter services. The Royal American Viscounts were competing against on lease for two years before returning it to The Go Group in 1984. By the mid-1980s
been leased by Field Aircraft ervices to several major US airlines in the area, as well as low-fare-operator Pacific Southwest the Go operation had become fairly static and, despite several attempts to revive the
BMA and 'L had been operated briefly Airlines. Perhaps not surprisingly the Viscounts were unable to tempt enough of the business right up into the 1990s, the few remaining airworthy aircraft were sold off.
by Royal Swazi National Airways on local incumbent airlines' passengers from their rival jets, and all scheduled operations The remnants of the fleet languished in various states of disrepair and dereliction at
route to South Africa during 1978. At the were eventually halted as uneconomic. The Royal American fleet included one of the Tucson, in some cases for several years, finally being scrapped.
end of 1980 'L wa sold to Air Zimbabwe
by ABC, being followed to Harare by 'ZR
in May 1981, where they replaced the last
of the African carrier's vintage V 700s.
Ex-executive Viscount 765D N140RA was used
by Go Transportation's short-lived scheduled
subsidiary, Royal American Airways, on routes
Executive Decay from Tucson and las Vegas to the US west coast.
162 163
HECTIC TWILIGHT YEARS HECTIC TWILIGHT YEARS
Pittsburgh and Washington. The Viscount route was eventually awarded to Guems y
was also used to tran port privileged guests Airlines, and BMA's Viscounts took over th
to the Post's mountain retreat at Topridge, direct route from the Isle of Man and
near Saranac Lake. Leeds/Bradford to Headlrow. Having operat-
Another handful of Vi count also ed the Birmingham-Headlrow service in 0-
found their way into semi-private hands, operation with BA, BMA flew that route on
being operated by that particularly U its own at an increased frequency after BA
in titution, the travel club. Licensing reg- withdrew its daily Viscount flight. By now,
ulations in the U A made it very difficult BMA had disposed of its Dart Heralds, and
for the e tablishm nt of inclusive-tour the turboprop operations were firmly in the
charter operators in the European tyle. A hands of the Vi count 81Os, with a growing
a result, several travel clubs were estab- fleet of DC-9 operating on more important
Ii hed, with the membership operating air- routes. Originally, BMA had open d the Liv-
craft on holiday and tour ervi e for the erpool-London service, after taking it over
group. With the availability of large num- from BA, with its DC-9s, but it later substi-
bers of surplus pi ton-engine aircraft at the tuted Viscounts when the revenue loads
beginning of the jet era, a number of these failed to come up to expectation.
organizations flourished, at lea t for a short In November 1982 BMA was involved
while, though mo t eventually succumbed in setting up Manx Airlines, to take over its
to financial difficulties. The concept sur- own and Air UK' ervices to the Isle of
vived, albeit precariou Iy, into the 1960s Man. For the first time ince the absorption
and 1970s, and at lea t two of these club, Viscount 806 G-AOYJ operated the last London-Guernsey service for BA in 1980 and, of the original Manx Airline by ilver ity
Air World Travel lub and Holiday Air of after a further year based in Scotland, was sold the following year. via author in the late 1950s, the Isle of Man was able
America, operated Viscounts. to boast its own horne-based, scheduled air- The introduction of the first of BAFs 'new' Viscounts was an occasion that called for
line operation. For the important twice- formal presentation of the aircraft and crews to the travel-trade press. BAF via author
daily connection from the i land to London
thirty-five passengers, was delayed by predecessor, BEA. In that time a total of Heathrow, BMA transferred V813 G-
SA Viscount Retirement fog until 1 April. The last ten V806s s venty-eight Viscounts of various ver- AZNA to the new carrier. Manx also oper-
At the end of the 1970s BA was still no remained in service on th Scottish ions had been used. ated a mixed fleet of Fokker E27s, hort cargo work. In 1979 BAF reached an The airline had already been operating its
nearer finding a practical replacement for route, their numbers reducing over the 330s and some smaller twins on its regional agreement with British Island Airways Herald on North African oil-industry
its own remaining Viscounts. everal following months until May 1982, when network. In addition, the Vi count was (BIA) to hand over its scheduled service work. Several of th Viscounts were quickly
options were studied, but none of them even these survivors were retired. The Route Redistribution later used on some services to Liverpool or from Southend to the latter company, despatched to Libya to be operated on con-
wa able to offer a financially viable olu- la t Viscounts were replaced in cotland Dublin, as required, in between the morn- allowing BAF to concentrate on poten- tract to companies such as Occidental Oil
tion. The airline was already in the midst by leased HS 74 s. This brought to an Other UK carriers, orne u ing their own Vis- ing and evening runs to Heathrow. tially more lucrative charter and leasing and Esso, as well as Oasis, alongside the Her-
of a financial crisis, and de perately need- end twenty-eight years of continuous counts, soon snapped up the Viscount route Although only one Viscount wa usually in contracts. In the first weeks of 19 1 BAF alds. The Algerian demonstration had also
ed to shed any routes that were incapable Vi count operations by the airline and it dropped by BA. The Guernsey-London service at anyone time, further aircraft purchased six of the BA Viscounts, two proved succe ful, and Air Algerie leased
of making a reasonable profit. Therefore, replaced the original aircraft for various V802 and four V806s. The first, V802 G- two Viscounts to operate dome tic service
BA decided that, with the exception of periods, until new BAe 146s replaced the AOHV, wa flown to BAF's outhend base from Ghardaia, from March. Back in the
everal of the V806s, which would be type a the airline's flagship in 19 7. on 16 January. In addition, another V802, UK, in addition to undertaking a number of
retained for Scottish routes in the interim, G-AOHL, was purchased and immediate- ad. hoc contract , the Vi count w r oon
all of its r maining Viscounts would be ly dismantled on its arrival at outhend in busy operating alongside th Heralds on
r tired on 31 March 1980. Any routes ANew Home February, its fu elage being adapted as a summer charters to the hartnel Islands
exclusively flown by the Viscounts would cabin service trainer. from several UK regional airports. In addi-
also be closed down. As a re ult, all BA Although the Vi counts withdrawn by BA In short order, G-AOHV was over- tion, holiday services were operated to Jer-
operations ceased at Bristol, Cardiff, in 1975 had mostly been quickly crapped hauled, refurbished and pre ented to press sey from Billund and Cop nhagen, in Den-
Guernsey, Leed -Bradford, outhampton or donated to airport fire ervices, the fleet and travel trade representatives on 4 Feb- mark, and to Beauvais from Southend.
and Isle of Man. In addition, ewcastle m mbers that followed them in 1980-82 ruary, wearing bright yellow and blue BAF The V815 G-AVJB joined the BAF Vis-
operations were greatly reduced, only the w re more fortunate. A proposed deal for livery detail over it basic BA paintwork. count fleet in eptember 1981, offering
Heathrow route, already operated by jets, the sale of at lea t ix to Merpati Nusantara The 71-77- eat Viscounts were offered as greater range and payload and permitting
remaining. Liverpool-ba ed services had was not completed, but a new buyer soon a more economic vehicle for inclusive- the operation of direct charters to the
already been handed over to BMA in a tepped forward with a view to offering the tour charter, a well as offering greater Mediterranean from the UK. In eptember
previou cost-cutting exercise. vintage Viscounts a profitable future. range and capacity for general charter 19 2 the much-travelled V808 G- BBDK
Consequently, the last six operational Mark t changes had seen BAF, no work than the 48/50-pa enger Heralds. al 0 arrived, offering the flexibility of its
BA V802s and four V806 were with- longer a part f Air Holdings and now Soon after the press pre entation, 'HV double-size cargo door for freight work. In
drawn and flown to Cardiff for storage owned by the Keegan Group, finally end departed outhend on 8 February for a contrast, Viscount 806 G-AOYH was fit-
either before, or shortly after, most of the it cross-Channel vehicle ferry operation series of dem n tration flights with Air ted with a VIP interior, with only thirty-six
Viscount routes were closed on 31 March. and replace it with more passenger-orien- Algerie. Following thi it wa positioned to seats in two cabins, with single and double
In fact, bad weather conspired to delay the tated service. Dart Heralds had initially Tripoli, where it began it fir t revenue fly- seats either side of the aisle instead of the
clo ure, as the la t Heathrow-Guernsey British Midland took over several of BA's ex-Viscount routes. The airline expanded its been acquired to operate most of the BAF ing for BAF, operating upply and ferry more usual, high-density, five-abreast
service, operated by V806 G-AOYJ with services from a number of local UK points. such as Birmingham. Steve Richards services, a few arvairs being retained for flight for the asi Oil Company. arrangement. After being operated by BAF
164 165
III (Tit TWILIGHT YEAR liE Tit TWILIGHT YEARS
On its eventual return to the UK, di creetly operated, with no airline titling nam d had been neglected since the demise BA's H 74 on Scottish services, and its
restored to the K register once again as and only the Euroair logo on its tail. of uthern International in 1980, lan- aircraft were also seen on London-Jersey
G-AOHT, the Vi count eventually found a Commercial operations tarted in ep- guishing in torage at various UK airport schedules replacing One-Elevens. In April
new lease customer in the shape of Teeside- tember 1983, the 76-passenger Vi COunt and eventually ending up at Southend. 1985 G-AOHT was given the Virgin
based Polar Airways. It was ferried to Tee- visiting Denmark, France, Sweden, Jad point Engineering, BAF's maintenance Atlantic Airlines logo and titling and was
side in August 1982, and operat d a eries of Switzerland and the Neth rlands on privat organization, gave the aircraft a major over- used to operate the London-Maastricht
charters to Dus eldorf, as well as making ev- and corporate charters in the first month. haul between August 1984 and its delivery route for Virgin.
eral appearance on BMA's scheduled Euroair wa oon attracting new customers, to Euroair at Gatwick in 0 cember.
cargo service between East Midlands and and by 1985 wa operating three more Vis- A well as the temporary work original-
Maastricht. A second BAF Vi count, V 06 counts, also acquired from BAF. Leasing ly undertaken, Euroair had expanded into BAF Channel Island
G-AOYI, entered ervice in eptember, and also featured in Euroair's programme, with limited tour and holiday work, operating
both aircraft wer soon visiting orway, 'HV operating for mall Coventry-ba ed
Expansion
regular inclusive-tour charters from and to
Spain and the etherlands on both passen- carrier Air ommuter on short-lived sched- Beauvais and Rotterdam from several UK British Air Ferries strengthened it link
ger and cargo work, even venturing a far as uled services to Paris. Re-registered G- airports. Viscount G-BLNB was leased to with the Channel I lands, which had
orth Africa. Although 'YI was returned to BLNB, 'HV was joined by V802 G-AOHT Tunisavia for use on servic from fax and become a major source of charter business
BAF in March 1983, it was replaced by and V806 G-BNAA (the former G- Tunis to Malta. British Airways also regu- for the airline, in April 1983, when it
V802 G-AOHV, which continued operat- AOYH, which had returned fr m Canada larly chartered Euroair's Viscounts when tablished a Jer ey-based subsidiary, Jer-
ing the varied charter programme. in February), and also by ex-Southern the national carrier was short of capacity. sey Air Ferries and repainted V806 G-
A busy summer ea on was planned, with International V807 G-C ZB. The last- On several occasions Euroair replaced AOYP in the new airline's colours. How-
v ral inclusive-tour contracts obtained. ever, after only one summer season Jersey
However, all Polar operations ceased on 21 Air Ferrie was reabsorbed into BAF, all
April when 'HV was impounded by credi- ubsequent operations being undertaken
tors. Both aircraft were taken back by BAF, in the parent company's name. hortly
which also took over the operation of G- afterwards the Keegan Group old BAF to
AOHT on the Maastricht cargo flight from new owner Jadepoint, a holding c mpany.
Viscount 806 G-AOYH was fined-out with a unique 36-VIP passenger, all-first-class East Midlands, with its Polar Airways titles Jadepoint also acquired the as t of
interior. BAF via author removed and replaced by 'Aerolink', the Gu msey Airlines from the Official
marketing name of the service that was Receiver of Inter City Airline, which was
flown for the cargo agent, Pandair. suffering increa ed financial difficulties.
All the Int r City operation eventually
on several short-term VIP services around among the Skybus management, that cea ed in July, a BAF Herald immediately
the UK and Europe, 'YH was sold to Cana- would probably justify a book of their own. Euroair's Arrival replacing the Guernsey Airline Viscount
dian operator orth Cariboo Air of t A handful of demonstration flights did take 724, which was till owned by Inter City.
Johns, ewfoundland, inJuly 1983. place in Octob r, and the aircraft was even- In July 19 3, following Polar's collap e, G- A V806 was later tran ferred to the
tually re-registered as ZK-SKY. However, it AOHV was ferried by BAF from Tee ide to Guernsey Airlines operation, which
was becoming increasingly clear that the Southend, where it was prepared for ale to retained its separate identity within BAF.
New Zealand Lease dreams of Aqua-Avia Skybu would never a new client, executive charter operator The airline also immediately took over the
come to fruition and, after reviewing the Euroair, which was a sociated with anoth- Aberdeen-based oil industry shuttle con-
From the delivery of its fir t aircraft, the situation in Nov mber, BAF's management er xecutive carrier, Business Air Centre. The BAF fleet was increasingly used for new scheduled services to Europe and the tracts to Sum burgh, positioning two of its
BAF Viscount fleet attracted the attention felt obliged to cancel the initial five-year Intended for charter by individual and Channel Islands. Steve Williams Collection Viscounts to Scotland to take ver from
of other carri rs interested in leasing-in lea e, as well a preparations to provide at companies, a oppo ed to travel agents and the grounded Inter City aircraft.
the aircraft either hort- or long-term. One lea tone mor Vi count. Subsequently, ZK- holiday companies, the aircraft was to Busines was so brisk that BAF had taken
of the first was a n wand ambitiou ew SKY left Aukland on 1 December. be ba ed at Gatwick. It would be very more of the ex-BA fleet as they became
Zealand carrier, Aqua-Avia kybus, which available, and by the beginning of 1984 no
planned to operate Viscount on low-fare fewer than eight en ex-BA Viscounts had
domestic route a a rival to Air ew been acquired. A new scheduled network
Zealand. Early in September 1981 V 02 wa inaugurated from Gatwick in 1985, with
G-AOHT was painted in the Skybus liv- a Viscount operating the Gatwick-Rotter-
ery, and on the 14th it set off on the long dam route in a ociation with British Cale-
delivery flight, routeing via Graz, Athen , donian (BCal), which also conne ted with
Luxor, Bahrein, Mu cat, Bombay, Calcut- the Guerns y Airlines Gatwick-Guemsey
ta, Bangkok, ingapore, Denpasar, Dar- service. Another BAF Viscount, G-AOYR,
win, Noumea and Aukland. was repainted in full BCal Commuter livery
This would have been an epic journey for and took over the route from Gatwick to
any aircraft, let alone a 25-year-old vintage Brussels and also upplemcntcd One-
airliner. evertheless, 'HT arrived safely in Elevens on the B al Gatwick-Jersey ser-
Aukland on 23 eptember. There followed vice. In August 19 5 the owner of Euroair
a series of political wranglings with the New decided to reorganize its airline operations
Zealand licensing authorities, as well as Initially, the Euroair Viscounts wore a very discrete livery, with no company titles visible. Viscount G-AOYR flew in BCal colours for jointly operated BAF{BCal services based and sold its four Viscount and their out-
arguments and even internal disputes MAP at London. Gatwick. Aviation Hobby Shop standing contracts to BAF for £2.5 million.
166 167
II CTIC TWILIGHT YEARS IIECTIC TWILIGHT YEARS
Janus Airways obtained one more busy summer season's operations out of the surviving vintage ex-Inter City Viscount 708s. Bill Sheridan Collection
BAF's lea ing activities with the Vis- Viscounts to be registered in Spain since BMA Re-equips
counts continued through the 1980s, a sin- the lease of a single example to Aviaco in
gle aircraft going briefly to Luton-based the early 1960, they were operated on In February 1988 the last of BMA' once
London European Airways in 19 5. The scheduled inter-island rvice between omnipresent Vi count fleet wa retired
V806, G-AOYI, was re-registered G- the Canaries, fitted out in a very-high- from ervice. A the airline began to con-
LaND before delivery and was used for a density 81-passenger configuration. Oper- centrate more on services from the UK to
scheduled Luton-Amsterdam service from ations continued until 19 9, when LAC Europe, the Viscounts were displaced by
25 February, with charters to the Channel opted to concentrate on inclusive-tour DC-9s and Boeing 737. In addition,
Islands keeping it busy at weekends. All charters with it jet fleet and the Viscounts Fokker F.27s had replaced them on some of
Vi count ervice cea ed at the end of the were withdrawn from use and left to decay the regi nal and domestic routes, new BAe
summer, though, and the aircraft returned in open storage at Tenerife. Although BAF ATP turboprops also being introduced
to BAF. did eventually con ider buying back the later. Although some were sold on, a num-
A Iso in 1985, two of the V 06s were aircraft for spare, they were found upon ber of the Viscounts were con igned to
sold to Spanish carrier Lineas Aereas inspection to have deteriorated too much scrap following their withdrawal by SMA. Baltic also operated as Hot Air. One aircraft. the ex-G-BMAT. was suitably reregistered G-OHOT.
Canaria (LAC) of Tenerife. The first in the salty island atmosphere. The V813 G-AZNA was the only one to Bill Sheridan Collection
768 769
IIECTIC TWILIGHT YEARS
Last Gallop
With the rapid approach of the 1990 , the
endurance of the remaining operational
Viscounts and Vanguards was becoming
increasingly remarkable. Although their
numbers were certainly dwindling, the
urvivor were still earning their keep.
Whether on busy domestic passenger
schedules around Africa and Indonesia,
carrying excited holidaymakers to their
leisure destination, or ferrying oil worker
to the hetlands, the remaining Viscounts
still provided reliable service to their own-
ers. The handful of Vanguards were nearly
all freight-carriers, but the load-hauling
capability of the trusty old 'Guardsvan' was
proving difficult to replace.
The last decades were finally on the hori-
Originally Transair's V.804 G-AOXU in 1957, V.807 G-CSZB was still in daily revenue zon for both type, but they would go doing
service with BAF over thirty years later. Aviation Hobby Shop what they did be t; working.
770 777
FINAL FURLO G
On its way back to BAF from New Zealand, the Aqua-Avia Viscount 802 paused for a noted the excellent condition of the low-hour, well-maintained aircrah. Bouraq had
few weeks in the Far East in the hope of attracting a new leasing contract. The most acquired the Viscounts via Hong Kong's HAECO organization, which had been involved
likely prospect was yet another Indonesian carrier interested in Viscounts, Bouraq with the aircraft continually since their initial delivery from Vickers.
Indonesia Airlines. Although Bouraq did not contract the BAF aircrah, the first V.812 Ironically, both Mandala and MNA had also acquired extra Viscounts from China, but
built, once Tenneco and Alidair's N501TL. had been leased from FEAT in 1980, but had from nationalist Taiwan. Both carriers took delivery of a number of FEAT's Viscount
been lost in acrash near Djakarta in 1980. fleet, among other sources. All three airlines were to continue to operate their Vis-
Nonetheless, Bouraq had still maintained an interest in joining the local ranks of counts well into the 1980s, and some even into the 1990s. Despite the inevitable acci-
Mandala and MNA as a Viscount operator, to supplement its large fleet of smaller HS dent write-offs, withdrawals and cannibalization for spares, by the mid-1980s MNA
748s on wide-ranging scheduled and charter services throughout Indonesia and neigh- was still operating two Viscounts, Mandala was flying four and Bouraq continued to
bouring regions. In 1983 Bouraq bought the four remaining V.843s from China's CAAC, operate its hard-working quartet. The busy Indonesian Viscounts supplemented numer-
which had finally been replaced in mainland China by jets and smaller, more modern ous fleets of not only HS 748s but also the similarly sized F.27, both also Dart-powered,
turboprops. Two of the CAAC Viscounts had been transferred to the Chinese Air Force, and were a useful link between the smaller turboprop twins and growing numbers of
but the other four aircrah were all delivered to Indonesia, where Bouraq's engineers higher-capacity jet fleet members.
172 173
FINAL FURLONGS
BAF Recovery Viscount fleet, with the declining numbers The lease of a Viscount to Virgin
of Dart Herald playing a much more minor Atlantic for the Maastricht route contin-
The reorganization of BAF in 1989, after its role. As well a th home base at outhend, ued, and the contract was even expanded
clo e bru h with bankruptcy and emergence BAF was operating it Vi counts ftom out- with the upply of an additional aircraft to
from Administration under new ownership, stations at Aberdeen and Manchester. operate Virgin's new Luton-Dublin sched-
saw the company's management announc- Manchester was generally assigned one air- ule. The UK terminal for the Maastricht
ing its confidence in the established charter craft, while Aberde n frequently had up to service was also eventually moved from
activities. At the time these were very three. The remainder were u ually sta- Gatwick to Luton. The Luton-Dublin
much based on the combined BAF/Baltic tioned at outhend. schedule wa so successful that Virgin
174 175
FINAL FURLONGS FINAL FURLONGS
began in Agades, in Niger, on 8 January, Many of the passenger contracts were aircraft, and 'OT was returned to full-time G-BBDK from Stansted to Seville on 6 July
and saw the elderly aircraft operating to taken over by a fleet of rather elderly service as a freighter in February 1992. 1991, though a BAF One-Eleven transport-
exotically named West African points such secondhand One-Eleven Series 200s ed the musicians themselves. The large
as Tahoua, Niamey, Gao, Tombouctou, acquired by BAF in 1990. The jets were cargo and small package forwarding compa-
Mopti, Nema, Tidjidka, Kiffa, Kayes, St operated from a new base at Stansted, to Shift to Cargo ny TNT also frequently chartered BAF Vis-
Louis and Dakar, finally arriving in Senegal overcome operational restrictions in flying count capacity to carry its consignments
on 16 January. them from Southend. This duplicated an As jets displaced the remaining Viscounts around the UK and Europe. Of particular
Other passenger work for the Viscounts almost identical move by another Viscount as the airline's front-line passenger equip- importance to the BAF Viscount fleet was
included the well-established Aberdeen- operator converting to jets, Channel Air- ment, members of the fleet increasingly the award of a contract in November 1992
Shetland oil industry shuttles, as well as ways, over fifteen years earlier. Eventually, joined the two Freightmaster conversions from Parcelforce, the small-package division
numerous ad hoc services and travel indus- though Southend would remain BAF's main on all-cargo flights. of the UK Post Office.
try contracts. The Viscounts continued to engineering base, most operations were Fokker F27s were supplied by Federal On 8 October G-BBDK made a demon-
prove especially popular with coach-air gradually moved to Stansted. More jets, in Express for a new cargo contract, and oper- stration flight from Coventry to Edinburgh,
inclusive-tour companies and other travel the form of new BAe 146s, were also ated on its behalf by BAF on small package ably illustrating its ability to carry the very
agencies offering coach-air connections. acquired, taking over more of the passenger contracts. In due course, however, BAF's respectable load of 17,640Ib (8,020kg) of
Their passengers were transported by coach work from the Viscounts. own turboprops took over the FedEx ser- Parcelforce consignments provided for the
After inheriting the initial contracts during the takeover of Euroair's Viscount from several points in Europe to airports As market forces waxed and waned, a vices and the F27s were returned to their occasion. The route was part of a nation-
operations, BAF regularly continued to lease Viscount capacity to Virgin Atlantic such as Maastricht, Ostend or Rotterdam, handful of BAF Viscounts were withdrawn owner. The Viscounts and Heralds flew wide 'hub and spoke' operation flown on
Airways. via author from where BAF would ferry them over to and scrapped, usually as they came due for over a nightly Heathrow-Brussels-Stanst- behalf of Parcelforce and the Royal Mail,
Southend. The Channel Islands also an expensive major service. Others were ed-Brussels-Heathrow routeing, and also the hub being at Coventry. Aircraft would
remained popular destinations for travel eventually placed in short-term storage, to Brussels from Manchester and Prestwick. fly in from all over the UK, exchange the
industry charters in the summer months, awaiting new contracts. Several times over In addition, BAF Viscounts operated for re-sorted loads at Coventry, and return to
replaced the BAF Viscount with Boeing returning to its old Isle of Man home for sev- though on much-reduced frequencies com- the next few years individual aircraft were Securicor Air on all-cargo routes from East their original points with the parcel or first-
727s, this time leased in from Dublin- eral weeks when BAF leased the aircraft to its pared with earlier years. seemingly withdrawn, and even started to Midlands to Brussels and Dublin. class letter post destined for the cities they
based Club Air. Unfortunately Club Air previous owner for operation on several Irish The V806 G-APIM had been damaged lose parts to keep their more active The growing list of regular cargo con- served. Hitherto, Parcelforce had chartered
ceased all operations a few months later, Sea routes and to the Channel Islands. Other beyond repair when it was struck by anoth- brethren flying, only to be restored to full tracts for the BAF Viscounts also included an HS 748 of another airline for the Edin-
and a BAF Viscount was again leased-in to BAF Viscounts appeared on Manx service r aircraft at outhend on 11 January operating status when required for new newspaper flights, carrying day-old-chicks burgh route, but the bulky nature of the
operate the ervice. on and off through the next few years, usual- 1988, but, instead of scrapping it, BAF pre- contracts. For example, V813 G-OHOT around Europe, car component charters for cargo meant that the smaller turboprop was
However, Virgin eventually decided to ly replacing un erviceable BAe ATPs. sented the repaired but non-airworthy air- wa placed in storage soon after the Ford and General Motors, and the trans- sometimes forced to leave some of the load
drop the Maastricht and Dublin services The Viscounts were still capable of craft to the Brooklands Museum, for dis- BAF/Hot Air merger, at one point being porting of fresh eels from Belfast to the because the cabin was full, though the air-
from its network, and Leeds-based operator undertaking the occasional adventure off play at the Viscount's birthplace. On 29 left engineless for some months. However, Netherlands. The Royal Philharmonic craft was still well below its weight limits.
Capital Airlines took over the Luton- the well-beaten tracks of European air- July 1990 BAF V806 G-AOYN made a in late 1991 work started on restoring the Orchestra's instruments were carried by The use of the Viscount eliminated this
Dublin route. At the time Capital operat- space. InJanuary 1990 V802 G-AOHM, by commemorative passenger flight from problem.
ed a fleet of Shorts 360s, which would have then the oldest operational Viscount in the Northolt to Le Bourget, this time celebrat- The first revenue flight of the contract
been far too small for the expected traffic. BAF fleet, was despatched at short notice to ing no less than forty years of Viscount was operated by V806 G-AOYP from
The airline had BAe 146 jets on order to Africa to replace a Libyan Arab Fokker F28 commercial service. The passengers par- Glasgow to Coventry on the night of 9
serve the Luton-Dublin route, and until jet originally chartered as a support aircraft ticipating in the historic event enjoyed a November. Later in the winter the Scot-
they arrived a BAF Viscount was once for the Paris-Dakar car rally. The operation low-level fly-past of Brooklands en route. tish terminal was switched to Edinburgh.
again brought in to fly the service, thi time In June 1993 an additional Parcelforce
on Capital's b half, V806 G-AOYN being contract saw the Viscounts flying five
delivered to Luton in March 1989. While times a week from Belfast to Coventry. By
Virgin had operated a twice-daily service, this time G-BBDK had been repainted in
the Capital schedule called for the Vis- a bright red Parcelforce colour scheme to
count to operate between Luton and promote the service.
Dublin up to four times a day. As each sec-
tor took Ihr 20min by Viscount, this gave
a very respectable utilization for the air- New Name
craft. Capital's BAe 146 duly took over
the Dublin flight, but for a few months a In April 1993, shortly before the award of
Viscount could be seen once again wearing the second Parcelforce contract, BAF had
'Capital' titles, over twenty-five years after officially changed its operating name to
the demise of the original US carrier. British World Airlines (BWA). In fact the
More leasing and ad fwe charter work for name had already been in use commercial-
other airlines saw the BAF passenger Vis- ly since 1 January. Although the company
counts often flying schedules for Aer Lingu , had not operated its original cross-Channel
Air Europe Express, Air UK, Birmingham car ferry services since the mid-1970s, there
European Airways, BA, Jersey European Air- was still a steady stream of enquires from the
ways and Loganair. In 1990 V836 G-BFlL, public every year about the availability of
which had been acquired from Manx Air- Vintage Viscount 802 G-AOHM showed that it was still capable of marathon treks in Stripped of passenger furnishings. and with cargo-handling equipment installed. the the service. It was obvious that the BAF
lines via BMA by Baltic/Hot Air, found itself its thirty-third operational year. MAP Viscount became a very capacious freight carrier. BAF via author name was still very much associated with
176 177
fiNAL FURLONGS FI Al FURLONGS
the previous operation, and it was decided Signs of the Times cantankerous behaviour by the elderly air- of the founding of BWA's predece sor, ilver
that a new, updated image was badly need- liner n ued hortly after the arrival of the City Airways, a special VIP flight wa
ed. A number of larger One-Eleven Series By the end of 1994 three more of the sur- fir t ATR-72. On 22 March 1996 V936 G- planned to operate from Heathrow on IS
500s had been acquired to replace the older viving Vi counts were resplendent in the BFZl damaged its number 3 and 4 engine April. That date also corresponded to the
Series 200s, and more BAe 146s had also distinctive red Parcelforce livery. From and propellers after running off the taxi- day in 1953 when BEA had opened the fir t
joined the fleet. Having worked hard to October the contract had been expand d, way at Edinburgh and sinking into soft passenger Viscount 700 schedules from lon-
establi h a hard-won reputation as an effi- frequencies on the flights from Coventry ground. It had ju t arrived at Edinburgh on don to Cyprus. The vintage V 02 G-
cient, high-quality, charter and lea ing to Belfa t and Edinburgh being doubled. a Parcelforce service from Coventry. The AOHM was appropriately chosen for the
operator, the company wanted to shake off As a further move to promote the con- usually dormant G-OPA was rushed back flight and was positioned from Aberdeen to
the old identity. A new burgundy-and- tract, the VSOSC freighter G-BBDK wa into ervice to replace 'Zl while repairs tansted the day before, where it was d co-
white colour cherne, replacing the previ- reregistered G-OPFE, VS02 G-B lB were undertaken, G-BFZl finally being rated with stickers of sponsors of the event.
ous red, white and blue livery, was quickly became G-OPFI and VS06 G-AOYP was returned to servic on 17 April. Unfortunately, while being towed at tanst-
applied to the high-profile jet fleet. converted to a freighter and became G- Two days later, in-between Parcelforce ed on the morning of the 1Sth, 'HM's wing
Unfortunately, BWA's Dart-powered PFBT. Another of the VS06s, G-AOYN, flights, VSOSC G-OPFE was assigned a struck a fence post and was badly damaged.
aircraft were less fortunate, only one of the was re-registered G-OPAS on donning brief training sortie before operating that Although it was repairable, the damage wa
Viscounts, VS36 G-BFZL, being repainted Parcelforce colours in October. Although evening's flight to oventry from Belfast. sufficiently serious to cause the Viscount's
to reflect the new image. Th remaining converted for full-time freight services, This normally routine task was marred withdrawal from the event. Instead, VS06
Viscounts were mostly just given 'British with the Parcelforce contract particularly when the crew neglected to lower the G-APEY was rushed down from Aberdeen,
World' titles over the old BAF livery, and in mind, the e aircraft still did not boast undercarriage before land ing, and 'FE sank direct to Heathrow, to make the flight.
the last of the Dart Heralds were removed the double-sized door of the sole VSOS , on to the runway on its belly, its propellers Among the VIPs gathered at Heathrow
The only Viscount to carry full British World colours was V.839 G-BFZL. from service altogether shortly after the G-OPFE. The other originally dedicated being irreparably mangled against the were Sir George Edwards, 'father' of the
Aviation Hobby Shop name change. Freightmaster, V 06 G-BLOA, had been ground. After blocking the runway for Viscount design and by then SS years old,
retired from service in May 1993. several hours, the unfortunate Viscount Sir Peter Masefield and ex-Vickers test
For the 1994 eason eight airworthy Vis- was finally hoisted up by a crane and it pilot Jock Bryce, all major player in the
Drama Over the Midlands counts were still available for BWA's char- undercarriage was lowered so that it could type's history. After a press pre entation
ter programmes. The active fleet consisted be moved. Although the damage to the and appropriate speeches, the distin-
On the night of 25 February 1994, V.813 G-OHOT was working on the Edinburgh-Coven- The diversion point was changed from Birmingham to East Midlands, which was clos-
of two VS02s, three VS06s, VS07 G- fuselage and wings wa minimal, G-OPFE guished gue ts were taken on a 45min
try Parcel force contract. Extremely bad weather en route was forecast and, in an effort er, though the stricken airliner was having trouble maintaining even the 2.500ft (760m)
altitude for which it had now been given clearance.
CSZB, the V OSC and a single Viscount was deemed beyond economic repair and champagne flight over london, which also
to avoid it. the crew were instructed to leave earlier than the 19.30hr scheduled depar-
A great deal of ice was now building up on the airframe and, finally, with the crew 10 eri ,VS36 G-BFZL. As well as the scrapped for spares. Its total flying time included a fly-pa tat Brooklands. A buffet
ture time. The crew paid particular attention to the Viscount's control surfaces during
pre-flight checks, as it was already sleeting, but no significant residual ice or slush was unable to maintain control. G-OHOT struck adescending forested, slope near Uttoxeter, continuing Aberdeen-based contract to was 37,591hr, with 32,696 landings for lunch and reception, hosted by BA, fol-
found on the aircraft. Loaded with its cargo of packages, 'OT departed Edinburgh at Staffordshire. The impact occurred at 19.47hr, just fifteen minutes after the first engine Shetland, a handful of European ad hoc eight different operators in it thirty- lowed, before a party of press repre enta-
18.43hr, initially climbing to Flight Level 190 (19,000ft/5,800m). failure. The captain was killed in the impact, but two passers-by who witnessed the pas enger charters were still undertaken by eight-year career. tives were carried to tan ted by G-APEY.
As the Viscount passed Manchester on its way to Coventry, it began its descent. At crash were able to rescue the severely injured first officer from the wreckage. An intense the Vi count, though the majority of this The aircraft then positioned back to
19.32hr, while still in cloud at Flight Level 150, the number 2 engine failed owing to fire broke out and consumed the main fuselage between the flight deck and empennage. work wa now undertaken by the One- Aberdeen to return to its more mundane
ingestion of ice. In less than a minute, as the crew completed their shut-down drills on Following an enquiry, the main cause of the accident was attributed to the multiple Elevens and BAe 146s which had deposed task of ferrying oil workers to hetland.
number 2, number 3 engine also started to run down and failed. A diversion and emer- engine failures, caused by ice ingestion in the extreme flying conditions. However, Retirement Celebrations
the Viscounts as BWA's flagships. Another BWA Viscount made a celebra-
gency descent was approved by air traffic control and, while still attempting to restart there was also some criticism of the crew's performance of the emergency drills, which,
With their available airframe hours It was obvious that the withdrawal of the tory appearance at Heathrow two months
number 2, the crew of 'OT set course for Birmingham. By now at only 7,000ft (2,1 OOm), it was alleged, might have contributed to the failure to restart the failed engines.
before major maintenance becoming very Viscounts from Aberdeen would almost cer- later. On 2 June, the fiftieth anniversary of
further attempts to restart both dead engines finally met some success, number 2being
limited, the Viscounts' use was soon being tainly mark the end of passenger Viscount th opening of Heathrow, a massive flypa t
restarted. However, in an especially cruel twist of fate, engine number 4 then failed
owing to ice ingestion, and all attempts to restart the two starboard engines failed. Viscount 813 G-OHOT came to afiery end in Staffordshire in 1994. via author chiefly restricted to their Parcelforce and operations, at least in Europe, To mark the of types associated with the airport over
Oil Industry contracts. By the end of 1995 occasion, a well as the fiftieth anniversary the years was planned. The VS36 G-BFZl
VS06 G-APAS was so quickly running out
of hours that it was relegated to back-up
duties to pre erve it for use for as long as
possible. It was also announced that,
although the Aberdeen contracts had
recently been renewed by Shell Oil and
Production Ltd, for whom they were oper-
ated, the Vi counts currently flying the
service would be replaced by more-modern
turboprops. With the contract being
worth £55 million to the company, enti-
m ntality had to give way to business sense
and BWA 10 t no time in confirming an
order for two new ATR-72s, due for deliv-
ery in April and June 1996.
The u ually reliable Viscounts did not
eem to take kindly to the impending
arrival of th ir European-consortium-built The arrival of BWA's ATR-72s heralded lhe end of the airline's use of lhe faithful
replac ment, and a few weeks of mildly Viscounts. Aviation Hobby Shop
778 779
1'1 AL FURLONGS FINAL FURLO GS
Merchantman Retirement
took part in the airborne jamboree over
London, which included types ranging
In addition to the much-publicized cessation of passenger services by BWfJls Viscounts, though, 'EP was to be flown into the museum, and for the next few weeks Hunting's from vintage D -3s, a DCA and de Hav-
the Vanguard/Merchantman was also approaching its final withdrawal from commer- Capts Peter Moore and Gary West practised short landings at East Midlands to ensure illand Rapide to modern-day Boeing 747s
cial use by HCA. The airline had built up a fleet of Electra freighters that were to dis- the Merchantman's safe arrival on the rarely used and rather restricted Brooklands run- and Concorde.
place the last of the big Vickers turboprops. The company's original Merchantman, G- way. Only 2,5DDft (76Dml of the old runway remained available at the factory airfield,
The approaching retirement of the last
APES, was retired on 4 February 1995, after a Belfast-Coventry charter. Along with the and a row of trees had to be removed before even this could be used. After some frus-
redundant 'EJ and 'EM, 'ES eventually suffered the ignominy of being broken up at East trating postponements, waiting for the required perfect weather conditions, G-APEP UK-operated passenger Viscounts saw G-
Midlands towards the end of 1995. The nose section of 'EJ was saved and presented finally roared down the East Midlands runway for the last time at 10.1 Dhr on the morn- APEY making further farewell appearances,
to the Brooklands Museum. ing of 17 October 1996. After performing a spirited fly-past by way of a farewell, the often giving both those who had worked
The sole surviving HCA Merchantman, and world's last surviving intact Vanguard vari- Vanguard headed southwards for its new home. with the aircraft and devotees the chance
ant, G-APEP, continued in service for more than a year. It was not until 30 September En route, the aircraft received an unprecedented invitation by air traHic control at for one last experience of the aircraft. After
1996 that the aircraft, under the command of Capt Gary West, operated the world's very Heathrow to perform one last fly-past at its original commercial home base. Slipped in making its last flight on the Aberdeen con-
last revenue Vanguard/Merchantman flight, a Belfast-Coventry DHL service. With its between the regular Heathrow traHic, 'EP crossed the threshold and flew along Run- tract on 30 May, G-APEY positioned to
reputation for reliability still intact, the type had managed to serve ABC and HCA for over way 27R before climbing away. On arrival at Brooklands yet another fly-past was per- Southend on 1 June and operated a special
twenty of the Vickers Vanguard's grand total of thirty-five years of service. formed before 'EP finally landed at 1D.52hr and taxied to its new position on the muse-
day-trip pleasure flight to Jer ey.
um ramp. Among those present to welcome the aircraft home were the ex-BEA
Another commemorative day trip, from
Retirement in Style chairman Sir Peter Masefield and Jock Bryce. The meeting of Bryce, the very first Van-
Unlike its predecessors, however, G-APEP did not succumb to the scrappers. Instead, it guard pilot. with the very last Vanguard crew at the end of the big Vickers turboprop's Southend to Reims in France, wa operated
followed the remains of 'EJ, being donated to the Brooklands Museum. Unlike 'EJ, active, airborne life, must have been especially poignant. four days later, on 12 June. A brief couple of
busy weeks for the aircraft then followed, On June 21996 G-BFZL took part in a spectacular fly-past of dozens of airliners
with 'EY operating on the Parcelforce net- to commemorate Heathrow Airport's fiftieth anniversary. Steve Williams Collection
work. In the meantime, V. 07 G-CSZB
remained at Aberdeen as a back-up for the
new ATR-72 . It completed its last rotation
on the Aberdeen umburgh-Aberdeen After more Parcelforce work, G-APEY one last pleasure flight from outhend.
route on 29 June, and operated a return had its pas enger interior restored and was Commanded by apt Mac iec, it carried
flight charter for hell on the 30th, carrying prepared for another commemorative flight, a full load of seventy-four VIP passengers for
passengers both ways between Aberdeen celebrating the forty-eighth anniversary of BWA on an hour-long pleasure flight that
and Newca tie. Also on 30 June, 'EY made the Viscount 630's first flight, on 16 July. included flypasts at Northolt and Brook-
an appearance at the Lydd lassie Airliner Once again Jock Bryce was among the VIPs lands, as well a a final pas enger-carrying
Fly In, and made three brief pleasure flight assembled for the celebrations. In addition, fly-past at Southend before landing.
from the Kent airport. It had brought in a a further five pleasure flights were made
full load of enthusiasts from outhend to from outhend on 2 July, carrying 368 pas-
visit the show, and during the busy event engers in total. Finally, on 29 July, the forty-
the Viscount, commanded by Capt Colin
The Last Contract
ixth anniver ary of G-AHRF's historic
Towle, eventually carried a further 214 peo- inauguration of the world's fir t turbine- The unexpected tock of extra Viscount
ple on pleasure flights before returning to powered passenger services for BEA on the spares supplied by the unfortunate G-OPFE
Southend. ortholt-Le Bourget route, G-APEY made was immediately exploited, providing a
British World's last Viscounts were mostly employed on the lucrative Parcel Force contract. Aviation Hobby Shop
780 787
FINAL FURLONGS .. INAL FURLONGS
wing-tip to fix the unserviceable G- G-APEY finally departed the UK for South
New African Haven
AOHM. The inauguration of full ATR- n Africa on 9 January 1995.
operations from Aberdeen meant that the A new owner for the Viscount fleet had The Parcelforce contract between
VS02 was no longer required for the oil already b n found by BWA. Based at Belfast and oven try finally ended in Jan-
industry contracts by the time it had been Lanseria Airport, northwest of Johannes- uary 1995. It fell to the lot of the two most
repaired. Instead, 'HM's passenger interior burg, outh African charter operator elderly of BWA's Viscounts, VS02s G-
was removed and the aircraft repainted in Hell-Jet Aviation had already acquired AOHM and G-OPFI, to fly the last UK
Parcelforce colours. Once the final BWA the withdrawn VS36 G-BFZL and VS06 commercial services, on the night of 7/S
passenger services were completed, G- G-PFBT during 1997. Before departure, 'ZL January. Both aircraft had been among the
APEY and G-CSZB were also transferred to was refitted with a pa senger layout and, first batch of Viscounts acquired from BA "Jl 'f) \ . . . ' '-! ·f . . . "'( ,
~ ' . •, \ • •\ " .... ) • •,"""" J
the Parcelforce operation, allowing the after a marathon delivery flight via Bari, by BAF nearly seventeen years earlier, in
high-houred G-OPAS finally to be retired. Cairo, Addi Ababa, Nairobi and Harare, I9S1. The last load of 11,1751b (5,OSOkg) () ( r_~('Itt"~~=='==~~.
The VS07 G-CSZB was retired on 15 finally arrived at Lanseria on 30 April 1997. of Parcelforce cargo was safely delivered to
October, having completed 46,200hr in its A month later 'BT followed, still in all- Belfa t by G-OPFI at 03.12hr, a little over
long and varied career. The five remaining cargo configuration, and both aircraft half an hour after G-AOHM had operated
Viscounts continued to service the became available for both passenger and its last Coventry-Belfa t sector with its
Parcelforce venture, with two nightly rota- freight charter work throughout Africa. own load of 15,6401b (7,110kg). Charac-
tions each between Coventry and Belfast Heli-Jet also acquired VS06 G-APEY, teristically, both aircraft had operated
or Edinburgh. However, the operation was and during November 1997 it was flown on their last BWA revenue flights with no
effectively halved from the end of Decem- a number of enthusiast flights from variou problems and with minimal fuss.
ber, when the contract for the Edin- UK airports in co-operation with BWA. Originally, both of the remaining
burgh-Coventry service was awarded to Several day trips to Jersey were also operat- VS02s had been meant to follow the pre-
another operator and VS36 was also with- ed, the last of these being on 15 November vious three ex-BWA fleet members to
drawn. Only three aircraft were required from East Midlands. The Channel Island's Heli-Jet, but their departure was repeat-
for the Coventry-Belfast contract, even lucrative tourist industry had benefited a edly delayed by administrative and finan-
with one only on standby, and VS06 G- gr at deal from the loads of holidaymakers cial hold-ups. The Viscounts that had
PFBT was also withdrawn and parked up at carried to Jersey by Viscounts operated been delivered to Heli-Jet were spending Fitted with a 'combi' passenger/cargo interior, 9Q-CGL flew briefly in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Southend in March 1997. by the UK's airlines for over forty-five most of their time either in maintenance before being lost in an accident. Afavia
years, and it was appropriate that it should or storage. Eventually G-PFBT became a
be included in the itinerary. The last spares source, and was soon in no condi-
enthusiast flight, a 35min sector from tion for use. It was not until January 1999
Bournemouth to Southend on 30 Novem- that the last two BWA Viscounts left the delivered to Lanseria, the VS02s also Epilogue of the Vickers turboprops in developing
Once delivered to South Africa, the ex-BWA ber, can'ied fifty-one passengers, the last of UK for Africa, and then it was for anoth- spent long periods in storage. Eventually their airline networks over the decades.
Viscounts were prepared for their planned 1,402 carried in the course of the tour. After er cu tomer, an agency called Airwing G-AOHM departed to Chad and became Just how long the sporadic operations by The Viscount was presented to a trav-
charter and leasing work. Afavia undergoing maintenance at Southend, 2000, on behalf of a Gert de Klerc. Once 5V-TTJ. Sadly it was written off in an obscure carriers will keep these last few elling public used to having its ears
accident in July 2001. Viscount G-OPFI Viscounts in the air is a question that can- assaulted by the pounding vibration of
also found its way to Chad, and was last not be answered until long after the piston engines. In the 1950s it was still
heard of flying from Nd'jamena for a local appearance of this publication. Already quite common for the world's airliners to
operator, Transtel, as TU-VAB. there are rumours of at least one of the be unpressurized and subject to the
The surviving Heli-Jet aircraft eventu- originally 'written-off' ex-BWA aircraft vagaries the weather and the usually
ally found new operators as well. Although being returned to service in Africa! rough air found at lower altitudes. Com-
they never took up South African registra- With only one, irreplaceable, complete pared with more modern airliners, the
tion, they were acquired by a local South airframe left in existence, at Brooklands, noise and vibration in the cabin of a Vis-
African leasing and charter specialist, the possibility of a Vanguard ever gracing count might still be considered intrusive,
Planes 'R Us. Having been given a 'combi' the skies again is almost nil. However, as but it was positively silent and totally
passenger/cargo interior, VS36 G-BFZL well as the handful of Viscounts apparent- smooth compared with a piston-engine
was finally despatched to the Democratic ly still in daily use, more potentially flyable airliner. Although it was overshadowed
Republic of Congo, previously Za'ire, for aircraft lie in various states of 'storage' in by the almost simultaneous arrival of the
use by local airline Trans IntAir as 9Q- Indonesia, Taiwan, the Democratic Repub- first pure jets, the Viscount's reliability
CGL. Unfortunately the much-travelled lic of Congo and other more obscure parts and economy managed to impress com-
VS36 was written off in an accident in if the word. Happily there are also several mercial operators, as well as its passengers
May 2003. The VS06 G-APEY was oper- airframes, or at least major parts of air- and crews. That the original Viscount
ated in Angola and also by Air Zimbabwe frames, preserved by museums, not only in model could be developed into even
in late 1999, as 3C-PBH. The use by Air the UK, but also in Australia, Brazil, Cana- faster and larger versions was a definite
Zimbabwe echoed the long utilization of da, China, Colombia, Eire, France, Ger- sign of its success.
the Viscount by CAA/Air Rhodesia and many, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, Turkey, The Vanguard was a victim of the same
Air Zimbabwe from 1956 until their last USA, Uruguay and Zimbabwe. The fact bad timing that beset other large turbo-
VSIOs had been retired and stored in that these countries are concerned enough props, such as the Britannia and Electra.
1990. The vintage VS06 was last reported to preserve examples of the Viscount serves On paper, these bigger turboprops were
at Lanseria with Air Ogooue in 2004. to emphasize the important part played both logical and financial sensible choices
182 183
FINAL FURLO GS
APPENDIX
VISCOUNT
784 185
VI au T AND VANGUARD VARIANTS
V740 Queen's Flight 4xR.DaJ MkS06 Dart Project only - staff aircraft
V741 Queen's Flight 4xR.DaJ MkS06 Dart Project only - VIP aircraft
V742D Forca Aerea Brasileira 4xR.Da.6 MkSlO Dart
V744 Capital Airline 4xR.Da.3 MkS06 Dart
V74S Capital Airlines 4xR.Da.3 MkS06 Dart
V74SD Capital Airlines 4xR.Da.6 MkSlO Dart Fully 'Americanized' aircraft
V746 East African Airways 4xR.Da.6 MkSlO Dart Project only
V747 Butler Air Transport 4xR.Da.6 MkSlO Dart
V748D Central African Airways 4xR.Da.6 MkSlO Dart
V749 Lineas Aeropostal Venezolana 4xR.Da.3 MkS06 Dart
V7S4D Middle East Airlines 4xR.Da.6 MkSlO Dart
V7SSD Airwork Ltd 4xR.Da.6 MkSlO Dart Sold to ubana before delivery
V7S6D Trans Australia Airlines 4xR.Da.6 MkSlO Dart
V7S7 Trans-Canada Air Lines 4xR.Da.3 MkS06 Dart
V7S9D Hunting-Clan Air Transport 4xR.Da.6 MkSlO Dart
V760D Hong Kong Airways 4xR.Da.6 MkSl0 Dart
V761D Union of Burma Airways 4xR.Da.6 MkSlO Dart
V763D Hughes Tool Corporation 4xR.Da.6 MkSlO Dart old to TACA before delivery
V764D U Steel Corporation 4xR.Da.6 MkSlO Dart
V76SD tandard Oil Corporation 4xR.Da.6 MkSlO Dart
V766 Fred Olsen Air Transport Project only
V767 BOAC Associated ompanie Project only
V768D Indian Airlines orporation 4xR.Da.6 MkSlO Dart
V769D PLU A 4xR.Da.6 MkSlO Dart
V770D 'Americanized' Vi count project
The Viscount's heyday in the 1950s and 1960s may be long gone, but despite half a century having
V771D Executive 'Americanized' Viscount project passed since their design debut. a handful of survivors still occasionally take to the skies,
continuing to represent the world's first successful turboprop airliners. Global Air Image
186 187
Before being sold to Poland, SP-LVC
of LOT Polish Airlines had been
supplied to Transair and was later
operated by BUA. After being bought
by NZNA the V.804 was converted to
V.807 standard to match the other
Viscounts already operated by the
New Zealand carrier. Global Air Image
188 189
INDEX
China Air Lines 125 Falfchaid F-27 68 Iraqi Airways 44,49,79,83,85, 160--1
Chinese Air Force 172 Fairclllid F71 41 Irving Trust Company 59
Cie Interamericana Export-Import SA 140 Fairchild F -2 41 Isle of Man Air Services 12
Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) 98 Fairchild FIl-227 68
Civil Aviation Administration of China 109-10, 172 Falconair weden 124, 156 Jadepoint 167,170
Clansman, The 32 Far Eastern Air Transport (FEAT) 124-5, 172 Janus Airways 168
Clarksons 128 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)) 48, 58 Jersey Air Ferries 167
790 797
INDEX
Middle East Airlines (MEA) 43-4,49,51,63-4,85,104, Rolls Royce Tync 75-6,79,93-4 Thorn/EMI Searchwater Radar 175
118,126,148 Rome, Pamela 31 Timmins Aviation 112
Miles Marathon 14 Ron larke EnrerprlSes 163 TNT 174,177
Ministry of Aircraft Production 9 Royal Aero lub 35-6 TotalOil 152
Ministry of Aviation 120 Royal Air Force (RAF) 10--11,22,35,49 Touraine Air Transport (TAT) 171
Ministry of Civil Aviation 9 Royal Air Force Transport Command 10 Towle, Capt Colin 181
Ministry of Defence 144 Royal Air Lao 125 Tradair 100,104-5,108,110,128
Ministry of Supply 9,14-16,35 Royal Air Maroc 147 Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) 24,39-40,72-3,109,114,
Ministry of Technology 175 Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) 148, 175 125,148
Minster Assets 128 Royal American Airlines 163 Trans IntAir 183
Misrair 44,49,85,87,109 Royal Australian Air Force 35-7,109 Trans World Airlines (TWA) 70
MMM Aero Services 168 Royal Bank of Canada 163 Transair 53,57,63,87-8,118,123
Moore, Capt Peter 180 Royal Canadian Air Force 70 Transair (Canada) 112,155
Monon Air Services 87 Royal Mail 177 Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) 24-6,40--1,45-6,52,
Mostjet 170 Royal ew Zealand Air Force 35-7 2-3,71-2,75,77-83,91,93,95-6,99,103,112-14,
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra 177 139, 174
Napier Eland 70 Royal Radar and Signals Establishment 175 Transtel 183
apier Naiad 9, II, Royal Swazi ational Airways 162 Treffield International Airlines 130
National Airlines 41, 44 Rymer, Capt Richard 17,77-8,81 Tristar Travel lSI
National Museum of Science & Technology 139 Trubshaw, Brian 75-8
New Zealand National Airways Coroporation ( ZNAC) Sabena 7, 14, 77 Tunisavia 167
53,56-7,63, 109, 123, 147, 162 Sadia 151 Tupolev TU-I 04 71
Nigeria Airways 148 SAETA 136 Turkish Air Force 126
Nippon Cargo Airlines 173 Safari Service 51, 64, 87-8, 119 Turkish Airlines THY 85
Nixon, Pat 47 Saggitair 151 Tyrolean Travel 144
Nixon, Richard 47 SATA 137
Nora A ir Service GmbH 149 Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) 91-2,104 Ulster Air Transport 137
ord ortalas 144 Scibe Airlift ISS Ulster Flyer 32
orth Cariboo Air 165 Scottish Airways 12, Un ion Carbide Corporation 109
North Eastern Airways 12, Scottish Aviation 121 Union of Burma Airways UBA 63,65, 125
Northeast Airlines Inc 59,90,97,100,124 Scottish Flyer 130--1 United Air 148
Northeast Airlines Ltd 134-5, 147 Seaboard & Western Airlines 113 United Air Lines 98-100, III, 126
Northwest Territorial Airways 174 Securicor Air 177 United Aircraft of Canada 140
Nato, Joseph. P 47-8 Servicios Aereos Nacionales (SAN) 124, 136, 163 United Arab Airlines 85,109, 118
Seulawah Air Services 135 UPS 174
Oasis Oil Company 165 Shackell, Capt N. 116-17 US Steel Corportation 59, 163
Occidental Oil 165 Shackelton Aviation 136, 175
Shaw, R. 35 Viaco Aerea Sao Paulo (VASP) 81, 106, 123
Pacific Southwest Airlines 163 Shell Mex 35,46 Vickers Aircraft Servicing School 29
Pakistan International Airways (PIA) 53, 125-6, 128-9 Shell Oil & Production Ltd 179 Vickers R I00 8
Pan American World Airways 44,49,84,97, 115 Short Bros & Harland 38 Vickers Supermarine 8
Panavia Tornado 175 Shorts330 161, 165, 170 Vickers Varsity 34
Parcel force 177-9,181-2 Shorts 360 170, 176 Vickers Vellox 8
Pearl Air 162 Silver Arrow Service 104 Vickers Viastra 8
Pennsylvania Airlines 41-2 SilverCityAirways 104,157-9,165,171-2,179 Vickers Victoria 8
Pennsylvania Central Airlines (PCA) 42 Silver Star Service liS Vickers Viking 8,9, 11-14, 22-4, 26, 28,30,32,43-4,49,
Philippine Airlines 63,66,83, 124 Silver Wing, The 29,32,56 51,64,74,84,87-8,100--3, lOS, 128, 130
Pierson, Rex 9 Site Aviation 152 Vickers Vimy Commercial 8
Pima Air Museum ISS Skycoach Service 88 Vickers Warwick 8
Planes 'R Us 183 Skyline A ir Charter 156 Vickers Wellington 8, 10
PLU A 111-12, 123, 136, 163 Society of British Aircraft Constructors (SBAC) 12, 18 VickerslBACVCIO 87,109,126
Polar Airways 165 Somali Airlines 136 Vickers-Supermarine 16
Post Office 177 South African Airways (SAA) 53-4,86,118,149-51 Victor Campto meter Corporation 60
Posr, M. Marjorie 163-4 Southern International 162-3, 167 Virgin Atlantic Airways 167,175-6
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft of Canada 140 Standard Oil Corporation 60, 163 Viscount International Corporation 126
Pratt & Whitney PT-6 140 Starways 102, lOS, 107, 118-19, 153 Volvo Car Company 152
Presley, Elvis 163 Stephenson, Bill 16
Profumo MP, John 36 Stinson A Tri-Motor 42 Wabush Mines ISS
Progressive Airways 138 Sud Aviation SE-210Caravelle 71-2,82,99,101,126, Waco941
136--7,159 Wakelin, Capt W. J. 17
QANTAS 91 Sud Ouest Languedoc 23,44,49 Walker, E. W. 35
Quebecair 70 Sudan Airways 86,88, 119 West African Airways Corporation (WAAC) 86
Sultanate of Oman Air Force SOAF 138, 152, 162 West Coast Air Services 12,23
Railway Air Services (RAS) 9, 12 Sumtners, J. 'Mutt' 12, West Coast Airlines 68
Ray Charles Organizarion 163 Supermarine Spitfire 8 West, Capt Gary. 180
Riviera Holidays 128 Swanson. D. FlO 116 Western Isles Airways 12
Rolls Royce Avon 7 Swissair 7, 14, 28, 160, 172-3 Whittaker, RIO J. 31
Rolls Royce Conway 95 Syrian Arab Airlines 85 Whittle, Sir Frank 17
Rolls Royce Dart 9-10,12,14-17,20--2,25-7,32,37-8, William C. Wold Associates 112
41,46-8,52-3,58,61-2,67-70,83-4,122,126--7, TAC Colombia 136 Wilson, Capt A. 30
137,140,172,184 TACA International Airlines 60,63,66, 133 Winner Airways 135
Rolls Royce Derwenr 7 TAl 103
Rolls Royce Merlin 24 TAP 88 ZaIre Aero Service (ZAS) 155-6
Rolls Royce Nene 7, II Templewood Aviation 142, 145 ZaIrean Airlines 155-6
Rolls Royce RB.109 62,75 Tennessee Gas Corporation Tenneco 121, 153, 163, 172 Zambezi Route 51, 87
Rolls Royce Tay I5 Terry, Capt Ian 157 Zambia Airways 118
Rolls Royce Trent 7 Thor Cargo 143-4
792