I had ther pleasure of flying the Viscount for the last four years of the 60s for BKS. Now in the last months of a (nearly) 40 year career it is still the aircraft which I remember with the most affection - it was a real pleasure to fly and loved by all passengers for it's vibrationless comfort and huge windows.
We had a dozen or so aircraft in that time and apart from the V806x the only things in the same place were the throttles and HP cocks. In fact the US spec. V700D were a lot better performers and had enhanced systems than the ex - BEA machines, they had such items as automatic engine deicers that changed cycle speeds at a given temperature instead of watching the IOAT like a hawk to perform said manoeuvre. Unfortunately though the "comfort " factors like the freon air conditioning and janitrol cabin heaters were disabled as the CAA wouldn't approve them.
They had the same Dart 510 engines as the V806x that BEA had downgraded their aircraft with so being smaller and lighter climbed better and went further. Interestingly enough BKS pioneered a mod that stuck a faired lump of lead at the underside of the outboard wings which increased the ZFW, in one case it was put into the slipper tanks (also a non-approved mod by the CAA). This was later extended to the 800s by a fuel management regime that left a greater weight of fuel in the ouboard tanks.
It also has a somewhat dubious claim to having great sex appeal, there was a BEA sewardess in the 60s who swore that she had an orgasm from the vibration every time the props went into ground fine pitch on landing, if only we could all be so lucky.
Also of note was the variation of flight systems installed from "none" to the Collins FD101 ( I still have a certificate somewhere saying I had attended a training course for that one) to the Smiths Flight system as installed in it's bigger cousin the Vanguard. I even got to fly a leased early "slitty windowed" 700 - ex Aer Lingus I believe, that had a zero reader, I was supposed to do a differences course for that but one Sunday afternoon I was the only F/O around so the chief pilot sat me in the aircraft and supposedly explained the intricacies of the contraption, I never did get the hang of it in the subsequent 4 sectors"
The biggest trap was that the American aircraft had switches that were up for on and the UK ones down for on, confusion was inevitable.
Interestingly a good friend of mine, now in his mid 70s flew the last airworthy example in the US from Chino Ca. to a museum in the eastern States somewhere where it was to be repainted into it's original Capitol colours and possibly kept airworthy, I have no clue what happened to that one, I guess it is still on display somewhere. He was asked as he was the last check-airman qualified in the US having been employed by Go Air to do Rock and Roll tours around the States and Canada with such notables as Billy Joel, Barry Manilow and suchlike, His experiences there would make a good story as his "clients" included the likes of the Beasty Boys!
Very fond memories of a great aircraft, I would enjoy seeing one airborne again however I fear it is rather unlikely.
P.S. The reason that the BEA machines, including "Yogi Bear" the Gibair aircraft had no cockpit jump seat was that it was removed to put in a cockpit air conditioner. The seat was originally rearward facing for the Radio Officer who was supposed to do his W/T in the early days and in BEA service it was religiously removed on a fixed date for the summer months to be replaced come winter - of course that took no account of flying to the eastern med in the winter! When sold on to subsequent airlines the airconditioner was left permenantly in position - at least until it went u/s.