Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Commercial airliner

Power Plant:

Four 1,298 kw (1,740 ehp) Rolls Royce R.Da6 Mk 510 turboprops

Specifications:

History:

In March 1945 Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd projected a pressurised transport to seat up to 27 passengers under the designation VC-2, and development of this design led to the Type IIB fitted with Rolls Royce Dart turboprops.  A contract was received in March 1946 for two prototypes to be built, one with the Dart engine, and the other with the Armstrong Siddeley Mamba.  The name Viceroy was adopted but it was soon changed to Viscount.

At the time of the first flight of the prototype (known as the V.630 Viceroy) on 16 July 1948 (G-AHRF – c/n 1), the aircraft’s size had been increased to accommodate 32 seats, but it was not until 3 August 1950 that the first orders were received from British European Airways (BEA). The first production aircraft, which was flown on 20 August 1952, had its fuselage length increased by 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) and the wingspan by 1.52 m (5 ft), this giving the aircraft an all-up weight of 14,040 kg (53,000 lb), and a maximum capacity of 47 passengers.  Once the Viscount entered service with BEA, orders commenced to be received from overseas operators.  The most notable was that from Capital Airlines in the USA, this company eventually obtaining 60 aircraft.

As well as each model having a distinguishing number, it was also common practice for each airline’s variant to have a further number; thus Viscounts in the 700 series ranged from 701 (for BEA) to 798.  For example, the type 701 was delivered to British European Airways, type 702 to British West Indian Airways, type 707 to Aer Lingus, type 708 to Air France, type 720 to Trans Australia Airlines, type 723 to the Indian Air Force and so on.  As the airlines obtained the type, further demands for better performance and higher take-off weights were made on the manufacturer. This was achieved partly by introducing up-rated engines.  For example, the TCA variant, the 724, had an increase in weight to 27,215 kg (60,000 lb); and the 745 for Capital Airlines was eventually certificated for a take-off weight of 29,256 kg (64,500 lb).

The Series 700 was operated in Australia by Ansett/ANA, TAA and McRobertson Miller Airlines. These included: Model 720 registered VH-TVA (c/n 44 – John Batman) which crashed at Mangalore, VIC on 31 October 1954; VH-TVB (c/n 45 – Gregory Blackland), later Quininup with McRobertson Miller Airlines but which crashed near Port Hedland, WA on 31 December 1968; VH-TVC (c/n 46 – John Oxley) which crashed at Botany Bay, NSW on 30 November 1961; VH-TVD (c/n 47 – Hamilton Hume) exported and scrapped at Southend, UK in February 1970; VH-TVE (c/n 48 – Charles Sturt, later John Ross) scrapped at Essendon, VIC in December 1969; VH-TVF (c/n 49 – Ernest Giles with TAA, later Peter Warburton) which was leased to Ansett-ANA in 1960, and which was exported and scrapped in the UK in February 1970; and VH-TVG (c/n 84 – William Hovell) scrapped at Essendon, VIC in December 1969.

Model 756: VH-TVH (c/n 146 – George Bass, later John Fawkner) scrapped at Essendon in May 1970; VH-TVI (c/n 147 – Matthew Flinders) scrapped at Mascot in May 1970; VH-TVJ (c/n 148 – John Forrest, later Ernest Giles) scrapped at Eagle Farm, QLD in May 1970; VH-TVK (c/n 181 – Thomas Mitchell) scrapped at Essendon in May 1970; VH-TVL (c/n 197 – James Cook, later George Evans) scrapped at Eagle Farm, the fuselage later being preserved at Toowoomba, QLD.

Model 756D: VH-TVM (c/n 373 – John Fawkner) scrapped at Essendon in May 1970; VH-TVN (c/n 374 – William Dampier) exported to Botswana as A2-ZEL in April 1969, later becoming VP-YNI with Air Rhodesia; and VH-TVO (c/n 227 – McDouall Stuart, later David Lindsay) which was exported to Philippine Air Lines in December 1959 as PI-C772, later seeing service with Falconair as SE-CNK and with Malmo Aero in Sweden.

Model 747: VH-BAT (c/n 97 – Warrel, also Warrawee 1) with Butler Air Transport, ownership being transferred to Ansett ANA in September 1958 when it became VH-RMO, it later seing service with McRobertson Miller Airlines as VH-RMO and being named Oakover;  VH-BUT (c/n 145 – Warrawee II) of Butler Air Transport.  After the merger of Butler with the Ansett Group this aircraft was taken into the Ansett fleet and re-registered, becoming VH-RMP.  These two were withdrawn from service in late 1968 and early 1969 and broken up at Essendon.

The Viscount was well regarded in Australia but, following the loss of Viscount 720 VH-TVC (c/n 46) in Botany Bay, NSW on 30 November 1961 in a storm, VH-TVA (c/n 44 – John Batman) at Mangalore, VIC during crew training, and VH-RMQ near Port Hedland on 31 December 1968, the 700 series was grounded in Australia and scrapped.

In the early 1990s the Queensland Australian Flying Museum was set up to try to obtain one of three ex-Australian Viscounts, which had been exported and at the time were operating with Mandala Airlines in Indonesia, but one (PK-RVU, ex VH-TVQ) was lost in an accident, the other two (ex VH-TVO and VH-RMG) were grounded, and funds could not be raised to restore one to airworthiness to fly to Australia.