Vickers Viscount
Ahh yes..the Viscount...I remember March3rd 1967,it was my last flight in one. Had spent 3 plus years in the RHS and had reached the point where I considered a transfer back to the DC3 would be ok. By any measure it was an ergonomic disaster.Every model had a different cockpit layout and our Company finally managed to settle on three layouts...V720c/V747/V832...One of the 700's had switches with UP for ON while the other the switches were DN for ON!,and it was not uncommon to fly all 3 types in one tour of duty...The airconditioning system might have worked ok in Nothern Europe but was inadequate in tropical areas..would sometimes take an hour or more before the Duct Pressure Switch would let you get the Temp Controller into the Refridge Range. I got plenty of practice at manual control of the pressurisation system thanks to poor door seals and an outflow valve that did not like all the nicotine from the SLF. I always maintained that a cockpit should have been preserved for students of ergonomics as an example of what not to do!. Yes, it was a commercial success and yes, the 700 series was nice to handle and easy to land but from where I sat it was a heap of c**p to work in.