Vickers Viscount
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Vickers Viscount
Can anyone help,myself and a friend are thinking about restoring and/or purchasing a Vickers Viscount to bring it back to the uk shores.
Does anyone know if they are still flying anywhere or if anywhere would be selling one......
THANKS FOLKS......
Does anyone know if they are still flying anywhere or if anywhere would be selling one......
THANKS FOLKS......
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I was once offered 17 Viscounts for a tax writeoff by an outfit in Tucson AZ They were all in various stages of disrepair and a few had had well known owners from the"Hollywood Set"
Prob all still there ... somewhere
Prob all still there ... somewhere
Last edited by gooneydog; 11th Nov 2005 at 21:08.
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The Tucson Viscount operator was the Go Group. The Viscounts were fitted out executive-style and used mainly by bands etc. A count of 17 sounds excessive unless they were including the "christmas trees" which used to litter TUS.
Anyway as of my visit last month, all the Viscounts are gone - including the bits and pieces thereof. Scrapped I assume, there being no other practical use for them
Anyway as of my visit last month, all the Viscounts are gone - including the bits and pieces thereof. Scrapped I assume, there being no other practical use for them
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There it was...
Right in the LA Times classified section, circa 1972, between piano tuners and pizza makers...
Pilot wanted, Vickers Viscount, apply 2500 W. Washington Blvd, Los Angeles.
Odd I thought, who would have a Viscount in LA?
It was Ray Charles Enterprises, of course, and I was too late.
They had hired one already.
Darn.
His was all black inside, with a piano installed.
A classy operation, that traveled afar.
Pilot wanted, Vickers Viscount, apply 2500 W. Washington Blvd, Los Angeles.
Odd I thought, who would have a Viscount in LA?
It was Ray Charles Enterprises, of course, and I was too late.
They had hired one already.
Darn.
His was all black inside, with a piano installed.
A classy operation, that traveled afar.
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Hi There,
I am a big fan of the Viscount - my Dad used to work for BMA and Alidair/Guernsey Airlines at East Midlands, and I really miss the sound of 4 Rolls-Royce Darts!
One way to find Viscounts is to perform a search on aircraft photography websites, such as Airliners.Net, JetPhotos.Net, and MyAviation.Net.
Here are links:
http://www.airliners.net/search/
http://www.jetphotos.net/
http://www.myaviation.net/
You can also check current location/fate on aircraft production list websites such as Airlinerlist.com. The Viscount list on there is within the following zipped Excel file:
http://www.planemad.net/airlinerlist/rare-props.zip
Search the above list for any Viscount on the list that has status listed as "C" or "STD". The list includes hotlinks to Airliners.Net photos of the aircraft.
I believe that there is only one Viscount still flying (as at January 2005) based in Congo, Africa - a V.802 registration 3D-PFI , formerly G-AOHV:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/758812/L/
There are preserved and stored examples at various locations in the UK and overseas. Some examples:
- An ex-BMA Viscount on a pole outside a nightclub in Belgium (G-AZNA):
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/282828/L/
- A Lufthansa Viscount in good condition at Frankfurt (D-ANAF)
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/940891/L/
- An ex Capital Viscount 798D N7471:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/595995/L/
Hope this helps. I would love to see and hear a Viscount flying again!
regards,
David
I am a big fan of the Viscount - my Dad used to work for BMA and Alidair/Guernsey Airlines at East Midlands, and I really miss the sound of 4 Rolls-Royce Darts!
One way to find Viscounts is to perform a search on aircraft photography websites, such as Airliners.Net, JetPhotos.Net, and MyAviation.Net.
Here are links:
http://www.airliners.net/search/
http://www.jetphotos.net/
http://www.myaviation.net/
You can also check current location/fate on aircraft production list websites such as Airlinerlist.com. The Viscount list on there is within the following zipped Excel file:
http://www.planemad.net/airlinerlist/rare-props.zip
Search the above list for any Viscount on the list that has status listed as "C" or "STD". The list includes hotlinks to Airliners.Net photos of the aircraft.
I believe that there is only one Viscount still flying (as at January 2005) based in Congo, Africa - a V.802 registration 3D-PFI , formerly G-AOHV:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/758812/L/
There are preserved and stored examples at various locations in the UK and overseas. Some examples:
- An ex-BMA Viscount on a pole outside a nightclub in Belgium (G-AZNA):
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/282828/L/
- A Lufthansa Viscount in good condition at Frankfurt (D-ANAF)
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/940891/L/
- An ex Capital Viscount 798D N7471:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/595995/L/
Hope this helps. I would love to see and hear a Viscount flying again!
regards,
David
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Worked with 800 and 810 series during 20- 25 years ago - as Occasional Flight Test Observer. Fond memories . Beautiful sound and wonderful windows for the passengers. Wish you luck with the purchase and restoratation. I bet there are a few bods out there willing to share / give advise and provide data if you ask nicely.
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This isn't super helpful but I often fly over a Viscount which is semi-stored on a strip just North of Old Warden near Sandy. I forget the name of the operation, which has done some first-class vintage restorations, but his Viscount was on long-term rebuild. He would doubtless have a handle on where the likely sources of airframes and spares would be. Could it be Skycraft Services or somesuch?
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It's at Skysport Engineering and the guv'nor is Tim Moore.
Don't know whether that one would fly again or if it's actually all on site.
Lovely aeroplane!
Don't know whether that one would fly again or if it's actually all on site.
Lovely aeroplane!
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Well it's an awful long way from home (= many $$$), but there is an intact Viscount languishing at Brownsville, Texas. Belongs to the CAF Wing there but no attempt has been made at restoration, even cosmetic, in the many years it's been there.
Just sits baking in the sun, paint gone, tyres flat, exits open etc. :-(
Just sits baking in the sun, paint gone, tyres flat, exits open etc. :-(
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I believe there used to be two Viscounts at Tenerife Los Rodeos airport a few years ago, will try and check it out.
Check out Google earth, 28*29\'07.48\" and 16*20\'36.11\" and you will see one Viscount waiting for you?
Check out Google earth, 28*29\'07.48\" and 16*20\'36.11\" and you will see one Viscount waiting for you?
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Here are some current Viscounts for you to ponder over:
3D-PFI still working, Pegasus,
9Q-CTU Stored Kinshasa, Bazair,
50258 China United Airlines,
I-LIRG Alitalia, Rome,
SE-CNL Falconair,
CF-THG Vancouver,
CF-THI Ontario.
3D-PFI still working, Pegasus,
9Q-CTU Stored Kinshasa, Bazair,
50258 China United Airlines,
I-LIRG Alitalia, Rome,
SE-CNL Falconair,
CF-THG Vancouver,
CF-THI Ontario.
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Sadly, unless it is current service, I don't think it is pos to restore one to flying status, as corrosion sets in so quickly when a Viscount is grounded. I wouldn't even walk under the wings of the 7oo at Cosford. I love the Viscount with over 4000 command hours on it, but have seen the insides of them too many times in deep maintanance, ie spar changes and tailplane spar corrosion to give any hope of a future flying example.
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AH the sound of those Dart engines flying over the house.......................
I miss seeing them at GLA.
i would love to have one last flight. I used to stand behind my fathers pilot seat in the 70's before is tragic death flying one.
Good Luck and please let me know if you succeed.
Mike Durward
I miss seeing them at GLA.
i would love to have one last flight. I used to stand behind my fathers pilot seat in the 70's before is tragic death flying one.
Good Luck and please let me know if you succeed.
Mike Durward
I had to stand on one (behind the Captains seat) from Glasgow to Sumburgh once. Via Inverness, Wick and Kirkwall. Best bit was going across Scapa Flow at 500ft, then having to climb over the hills to land at Kirkwall.
Then we landed on the short runway at Sumburgh, using the whole length of the runway; as we turned at the end to backtrack, I was able to look straight down into the sea from the left flight deck window! It was either a straight in on the short or a curving 'Spitfire' type approach to the main in those days ('72).
After several fam flights in Tridents/BAC 111's and '737's, I had one to Rotterdam in a Viscount (BAF I think). As a previous correspondent said; those huge windows gave a fantastic view compared with the jets.
Then we landed on the short runway at Sumburgh, using the whole length of the runway; as we turned at the end to backtrack, I was able to look straight down into the sea from the left flight deck window! It was either a straight in on the short or a curving 'Spitfire' type approach to the main in those days ('72).
After several fam flights in Tridents/BAC 111's and '737's, I had one to Rotterdam in a Viscount (BAF I think). As a previous correspondent said; those huge windows gave a fantastic view compared with the jets.
Must've been the same captain. He flew Chipmunks at 6 AEF in his spare time, and my 3822 revealed I'd actuallly flown with him in a chippy (from White Waltham) some 2 years previous to the Viscount ride!
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I managed a Vicount flight back in the mid 80s Manch to Jersey. I proffered my PPL and asked for the jump seat for the take off. "We don't have one", said the captain, "but you can stand up behind the P2 seat if you like". So I did! For the take off and all the way to Jersey.
Amazing view, but though the passenegr cabin was pristine, the flight deck really showed that this was an aeroplane almost at the end of its operational life.
Came home on the flight deck of an F27. How can an aeroplane with half as many Darts be twice as noisy to fly in?
SSD
Amazing view, but though the passenegr cabin was pristine, the flight deck really showed that this was an aeroplane almost at the end of its operational life.
Came home on the flight deck of an F27. How can an aeroplane with half as many Darts be twice as noisy to fly in?
SSD
for taxying, they had a system of shutting down the two outers, and just using the inners on a restricted power setting (a blocking device on the throttles if I remember)
When we arrived at Wick, the captain pointed out to the F/O (a new boy) that with the slope of the runway, it wasn't a good idea to use this taxy mode too early, as with the restricted power settings on the two remaining engines, there might not be enough thrust to get you up the hill, and embarassingly, you might have to re-start the two outers!
When we arrived at Wick, the captain pointed out to the F/O (a new boy) that with the slope of the runway, it wasn't a good idea to use this taxy mode too early, as with the restricted power settings on the two remaining engines, there might not be enough thrust to get you up the hill, and embarassingly, you might have to re-start the two outers!