Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Commercial airliner

Power Plant:

Four 1,567 kw (2,030 ehp) Rolls Royce Dart R.Da.7/1 Mk 530 turboprops

Specifications:

History:

To meet further customer demand, and to improve the overall performance of the Viscount, the 800 series, fitted with Dart R Da 6 engines, was introduced with the fuselage of the 700 Series lengthened by 1.17 m (3 ft 10 in), so the effective extra cabin length was 2.82 m (9 ft 3 in), thus allowing the passenger capacity to be increased to 65.  The prototype of the 800 series was flown on 27 July 1956, and deliveries began in January 1957.

Further development was made to the 800 series. The 810 had up-rated engines and an increase in take-off weight to 32,885 kg (72,500 lb). Production ceased in 1964 after 444 Viscounts of all models had been completed.

The Viscount was very popular on the Australian market and 28 were registered over the years, operators including TAA (later Australian Airlines), Ansett/ANA, Butler Air Transport, and the RAAF.

Viscount 816 A6-435 (c/n 435 – John Murray) was first flown on 24 August 1959 as VH-TVR but was not delivered to TAA.  It was shown at Farnborough in Hampshire, UK in TAA markings but was sold in the US to Union Carbide as N40N, later becoming N140N, later again being delivered to the RAAF in August 1964, where it joined the RAAF VIP fleet. After RAAF service in the VIP role it was sold to Jet Airlines of Australia as VH-EQP and was stored at Bankstown, NSW before being delivered to the Sultan of Oman Air Force as serial 501.

A6-436 (c/n 436 – George Evans) of the RAAF was also a Series 816 and was first flown as VH-TVS in the United Kingdom but was not delivered to TAA.  It was sold initially to the Iranian Government and was converted to 839 Series, becoming EP-MRS, also serving with Iranair.  It was imported in September 1964 and operated in the VIP role until December 1969.  It was also sold to Jet Airlines of Australia as VH-EQQ and in 1971 was exported to the Sultan of Oman Air Force as serial 502.  The two RAAF Viscounts were eventually replaced by BAC 111s.

TAA also operated a number of Model 816s.  VH-TVP (c/n 433 – John Gould) was received in May 1959 and after Australian service was exported to Far East Air Transport as B2025.  VH-TVQ (c/n 434- McDouall Stuart) was also exported to FEAT (B2027) in April 1971.  VH-TVR (c/n 318 – John Murray – ex ZS-CVB, CU-T-622) previously operated with Cubana and after retirement was obtained and placed in a museum at Moorabbin, VIC.

Ansett/ANA also operated models 812 and 832.  VH-RMG (c/n 414) was received in February 1959 and served until exported to FEAT in April 1970 as B2015.  VH-RMH (c/n 415) was received in March 1959 and was sold to FEAT as B2023, later going to Pelandok Airways as 9M-AQE.  VH-RMI (c/n 416) was received in April 1959 but crashed at Winton, QLD on 22 September 1966.  VH-RMJ (c/n 417) operated from May 1959 to May 1970 when it was exported to FEAT as B2017.  VH-RMK (c/n 355) was obtained from Continental Airlines (N241V) in September 1960 and was exported to FEAT as B2021 in 1970.  VH-RML (c/n 319) was obtained from Cubana (CU-T-623) in March 1962 and operated until May 1970 when it was exported to FEAT as B2019.

The 800 Series aircraft were flown for a few more years, but were eventually replaced by the Douglas DC-9 and withdrawn.  A few were sold overseas, and others were scrapped.  One Viscount 816 VH-TVR survived in Wobby’s World Amusement Park at Nunawading, VIC for many years but was moved to the National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin where work commenced on its restoration in 1996.  This aircraft had an interesting history, at one time being the personal transport of the Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, in the 1970s.  Another VH-TVL (c/n 197) is stored on a property near Toowoomba airport in Queensland; and the Caloundra Air Museum in Queensland has the nose section of VH-TVQ (c/n 434).  There are only a few still flying in the world, and a number have been preserved in museums.

The Viscount was also flown extensively in New Zealand with the National Airlines Corporation, and subsequently with other operators.  One was imported in September 1981 on lease from British Air Ferries (ZK-SKY), being registered for a short time to Piakoo Aero Club.  A Series 802 (ex G-AOHT), it was imported by Aqua Avia Society and was to fly as a Skybus on trunk routes for its members on the basis that it was an aero club and thus covered by an air service licence.  Despite Government approval and the hopes of 30,000 members of the Society for cheap airfares, the operation failed and, after the Viscount had made a tour of the islands, the aircraft returned to the United Kingdom, where it was operated by Euroair and Virgin Atlantic.  A second aircraft was to be obtained from the United Kingdom but was not imported.

Viscounts which operated in New Zealand with the National Airlines Corporation have all been Series 807s and include: ZK-BRD (c/n 281 – City of Wellington), ZK-BRE (c/n 282 – Auckland), ZK-BRF (c/n 283 – Christchurch), and ZK-BWO (c/n 428 – Dunedin). The first aircraft (ZK-BRD) arrived in January 1958 and this fleet introduced the turboprop era to New Zealand’s main trunk routes, remaining in service until the last service was operated from Wellington to Christchurch on 28 September 1975. Four were exported but Viscount 807 ZK-BRF has survived and is in the collection of the Ferrymead Aeronautical Society in Christchurch, being restored by ex-NAC personnel.

A fifth Viscount, a Series 804 (c/n 248 – ex G-AOXU, SP-LVC) was obtained from Polish Airline, LOT, late in 1966 and entered service in June 1967 as ZK-NAI (Palmerston North), receiving an extensive refurbishment by NAC and being redesignated a Series 807B.  In 1975 it was sold to Pearl Air in Grenada.