Viscount.htm

FS2002® FS2004 acof® Aircraft Model built in FSDS 2 pro by Me as my Second Project.

Painted using Paint Shop Pro.

Vickers Viscount History

The Vickers Viscount was the first turboprop airliner to enter service anywhere in the world, the prototype flying on July 16, 1948. Certification was achieved on April 17, 1953, and it entered service with BEA the next day. Whilst Australian National Airlines intended to stick with piston engined aircraft such as the DC-6, TAA (Trans-Australia Airlines) ordered six Viscounts, the first arriving in October 1954 - registered as VH-TAA and named John Batman. Planned commencement of service on December 1 was deferred when the aircraft crashed on a training flight, killing three of the five people on board, on 30th October 1954.
TAA's next Viscount, VH-TVB Gregory Blaxland made a 3-hour demonstration flight between Melbourne, Vic. and Brisbane, Qld. on December 13th, and regular services began five days later. TAA also fitted a Viscount with slipper fuel tanks to equip it for the long flight Melbourne-Adelaide-Perth. Following this competitive move, TAA ordered more Viscounts, and ANA tentatively ordered more DC-6Bs. Ansett applied to purchase a further Convair 340.
By 1957, TAA's Viscount fleet numbered twelve, including three with the additional fuel tanks and two with the Mk. 506 Dart engines which added 30 kts. (56 km./hr.) to their speed.
Butler Air Transport also ordered Viscounts, and found the runways which had served their DC-3 fleet were too short for the new aircraft. They broke into the Melbourne-Sydney route with Viscount VH-BAT Warral on 12 December, 1955. The Department of Civil Aviation, meanwhile, declared several provincial airports unsuitable for Viscount operations. Butler acquired three Airspeed Ambassadors in 1957 to keep up services to these airports which their DC-3s could no longer handle.
As TAA Continued to expand its fleet during 1957-58, Ansett gained control of both ANA and Butler. As competition progressed, Ansett-ANA purchased L.188 Electras, Friendships and Viscounts. With the advent of the Boeing 727 and DC-9 jet airliners, the Viscount era ended, the remaining Viscounts being withdrawn from service during 1969-71. The V.810 series aircraft were generally sold overseas, except for a sole example, VH-TVR, at Moorabbin Air Museum. The surviving V.700 Viscounts were scrapped, except for one sold to an African buyer. By 1998, only about ten Viscounts were still flying, all in Africa.
The RAAF operated two Viscounts (A6-435 and A6-436) from late 1964 until March 1969. They served as VIP transports with 34 Sqn., alongside Convair 440s and Dakotas, and ended their service with less than 5000 hours on their airframes (including pre-RAAF time) when they were replaced by the BAC One Eleven.

Viscount 800

Vickers Viscount 800

In 1952 Vickers proposed an enlarged version of the Viscount, designed around the up-rated 1,690-ehp. Dart R.Da.5. The “stretch” in this version was primarily in payload. By lengthening the fuselage by 13 ft. 3 in. It was possible to provide for as many as eighty six passengers. At a gross weight of 65,000 lb. this version –called the V800 Series-had a cruising speed a little below 300 mph. , whereas the V700D Series cruised at 326 mph and the original V700 figure was 300 mph.

On February 11 1953, BEA placed an order for twelve o the enlarged Viscounts, which took the customer designation V801. Further consideration of the project, however, by both Vickers and BEA, led to the conclusion that the “stretch” was too great.

In the course of the next year, the V800 Series was redesigned, therefore, around the still more powerful 1,740-ehp Dart R.Da.6, which was already being used in the V700D. The fuselage length was reconsidered and a figure of 3 ft. 10 in. was eventually accepted, although the effective cabin length was increased by 9 ft. 3 in. by relocating the rear pressure bulkhead further aft.

Thus redesigned, the new Viscount seated sixty five passengers and with a gross weight of 63,000 lb. it cruised at 320 mph. BEA changed its order to the new variant on April 14^th 1954, taking up an option on ten more a year later. The designation for BEA changed to V802 and apart from the longer fuselage, a distinguishing feature was the use of rectangular rather than elliptical main cabin doors.

The V800 Series Viscount was further developed into the V810, which had a strengthened airframe for 2,100-ehp Dart R.Da.7. (mk 525) engines, gross weight increased to 69,000 lb and higher cruising speeds. After going into service, the V810 was cleared for operation at weights up to 72,000 lb., or more than double the weight of the of the original VC 2 project. FAA approval for operations in the USA was obtained on April 22^nd 1958.

from Turbine Engined Airliners of the World by F.G.Swanborough.

Model Updates.

08/12/02 Updated model

(FSDS 2.1). Viscount 700 654kb Viscount 800 327kb