5 E R I E 5 VICKERS VOLUME 11 • World's First Turboprop Airliner • Viscount Variants and Features • Earliest Origins to Final Survivors • Military and Private Viscounts • Rolls-Royce Dart Turboprop • Full Specifications ( MORE TITLES AVAILABLE FROM SPECIALTY PRESS AirlinerTech Series 1~li!Ell!~jj~1 LockheedConstellation &SuperConstellation- Volume1Item#SPOOO LOCKHEED IIOUJIIE51 L·188ELECTRA Boeing777- Volume2Item#SP001 AirbusIndustrieA340- Volume3Item#SP002 Ii··.z::&;ZS:.......~.,. DouglasDC-6andDC-7- Volume4 Item#SP017 Lockheed L-188Electra- Volume5Item#SP025 Boeing747-100/200/300/SP- Volume6Item#SP026 DeHavillandComet- Volume7Item#SP036 ~s;4. 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No part ofthisbookmaybe reproduced ortransmitted in any form orby any means, electronic ormechanicalincluding photocopying, recording, orby any informationstorage and retrieval system, without permissionfrom the Publisherinwriting. Material containedinthisbookis intendedfor historical and entertainmentvalue only, and is not tobe construed as usable for aircraftor componentrestoration, maintenance, or use. Printed inChina TitlePage: Thefirst Vl48Dfor Central African Airways, VP-YNA (eln 98), delivered on 1May 1956. The aircraftpossessed high activity de Havilland propellers to assist takeoffperformance at hot-and-high airports, and the stouter engine nacelles of the higher-powered Rolls-Royce Dart Mk. 510. This aircraft spent its entire working life with CAA and its successors until retirement byAirZimbabwe in 1986. (Author's Collection) FrontCover: BritishMidland's V814 G-AWXI(eln 339) is pictured in1969,duringengine-starting. Two BAC One-Elevens share the Gatwick ramp; developed mainly byformer Vickers teams, the twinjet was promoted as the "Jet Successor to the a. Viscount." RogerBentley Collection) Back Cover (Left Top): The world's first turbine-powered scheduled air service: on 29 July 1950, the earliest Viscount prototype prepares to leave Londonfor Paris and the history books. (ATPHTransportPhotos) Back Cover (Right Top): The Viscount lOOD externally-mounted "slipper tank" system, which augmentedfuel capacity by 290 Imp gal. (CentralAfricanAirways viaAuthor) Back Cover (RightLower): The drivingforce: the starboard Rolls-Royce Dart525s ofaViscount 816 ofMerpati Nusantara Airlines, PK-RVS (eln 433). More than any otherfactor, the world'sfirst turboprop aero-engine was vital to the Viscount's success, and powered many other types besides. The oil cooler intakes are conspicuous atop each nacelle immediately aftofthe propeller. (ChrisEnglish) AIRLINERTECH • ~ ~ TABLE OF CONTENTS VICKERS VISCOUNT Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 4 A Word from the Author Viscount Inspiration Chapter 1 7 A Turbine Revolution Chapter 2 Viscount Airborne 15 Development and Certification Chapter 3 Viscount Assembly 25 The Viscount 700 Described Building on Success Chapter 4 39 Developing The Viscount Chapter 5 Life With The Viscount 51 The Day by Day Story Color Section A Lively Career 65 50 Viscount Years Viscount at Work Chapter 6 73 Worldwide Service; Worldwide Success Viscount Variants Appendix A 98 The Vickers Type Numbering Scheme Appendix B Specifications 101 Principal Viscount and Rolls-Royce Dart Data Appendix C Model Kit Guide 102 By Richard Marmo Appendix D Significant Dates 104 Key Dates in the History of the Vickers Viscount VICKERS iSCO T INTRODUCTION A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR "... amachineso patently superior to remained a necessary element - but fellow passengers was a miracle. its rivals that it has set in its field the challenge was to create some Those giant windows were a beauti wholly new standardsofcomfort, per thing useful. The Viscount came into fully personal touch, adding spa formance and ... reliability." being to do a job, and Vickers never ciousness and making passengers - Flight, 14October1955 lost sight of that fact. A masterpiece actually eagerfor the journey. Glam of straightforward design, it was a orous but never flashy, the Viscount W henthefirstVickers Vis turbopropbecausebeinga turboprop was an airliner that looked good countlifted offfrom the made economic sense. When asked both in the air and on the balance grass runway at the to explain his airline's remarkable sheet- the perfectblend of function company's airfield at Wisley, near commitment to a large fleet of the andform. London on a damp July morning in novel, non-American airliners, J. H. Completing this volume would 1948, itclimbed awaynotonly onits Carmichael, president of CapitalAir have been impossible without the own maiden flight but into aviation lines, simply replied, "We are cold kind assistance and support of history. That modest takeoff, blooded businessmen." It is little numerous people and concerns, to all watchedby a mustering ofcautious wonder that a mere decade from the of whom I am greatly indebted: Ron ly eager Vickers employees, took prototype's first flight, the Viscount Davies, John and Karen Dunn, Kev place with none of the extravagance had become not.only Britain's most Darling at BBA, Capt. Richard that one day would be de rigueur for successful airliner ever, but also the Edwards, Peggy Frank, David Gill, a new airliner debut. What the occa world's most widely-used turbine Megan Graff, Phyllis and Ray sion lacked in pretentiousness, how powered air transport. It would Grumbine, Christine Hardy, Bob Jen ever, it possessed a thousand-fold in remainsountilthepure-jet1960s. ner Hobbs and the Association of significance. Those fortunate specta Yet the Viscount's productivity Transport Photographers and Histo tors witnessed not only the first was also indivisible from its human rians, Antti Hyvarinen, Roger Jack flight of a brand new aircraft, but appeal: the air-travelling public son, Jeff Kohen, Stan Kolodzie, Peter also that ofthe world's first turbine loved it. A smooth journey in which Offerman of KLM Corporate Com powered airliner. Two years later, it was possible to chat normally to munications, Leith Paxton, Sveinn the same aircraft would carry the first-ever fare-paying passengers to travel on a scheduled, turbine-pow ered air service. The event would soon be outshone by the spectacular service entry ofthe pure jet de Hav illand Comet. However, it was the more humble Viscount, propelledby the less dramaticbutequally elegant turboprop, that inscribed turbine powerintotheworldairlinestory. ForVickers,beingfirstwas aglo rious and satisfying accomplishment. Bythe time the Viscount rooted itself in the imaginations of its authors, however, transport aircraft design had already ceased to be a romantic matter ofclimbingmountains simply First ofthe line: an early photograph ofthe sale Viscount 630, G-AHRF, wearing because they were there. Experiment Vickers-Armstrongs insignia. (BBACollection) .. AIRLINERTECH 4 • ~ The Viscount offered numerous smaller operators an opportunity to acquire modern, versatile equipment. Icelandair's two 53-seat Viscount 759Ds - the airline'sfirst pressurized aircraft- flew European and domestic schedules and, undercharter to the Danishauthorities, often visited Greenland. TF-ISN (c/n 140)was named "Gullfaxi." (Icelandair) SCEmundsson (Icelandair, 1957-90), Nicky Scherrer, Bob Turner, John VICKERS-ARMSTRONGS: engined biplane. The Vimy found Austin-Williams ofthe SouthAfrican THE VISCOUNT PEDIGREE fame in 1919, being flown by Airways Museum Society, Air Alcock and Brown from New Britain, and The Washington Airline The traditions that eventually foundland to Ireland on the first Society. Carl Ford, Paul J. Hooper, brought the world its first turbo non-stop, trans-Atlantic air cross and the personnel at the Brooklands prop airliner lie rooted far deeper ing. A few months later, Ross and Museum, particularly Mike Goodall than the aviation era. To feed the Keith Smithpiloted a Vimy onthe and the Curator of Aviation, Julian appetite of Victorian Britain's first-ever flight from the UK to Temple, were all especially generous. prodigious military machine, the Australia. The subsequent Vimy Dave Arnold and Steve Hendrickson firms of Armstrong and Vickers Commercialledto aseries oflarge supplied much guidance and faith, grew from inventive producers of designs, including the Vernon, the and I offer them and their colleagues engineering equipment and steel company's first true passenger at Specialty Press, especially Dennis castingsintovastweaponssuppli design, and the Virginia, Britain's R. Jenkins, my deep gratitude. Three ers, manufacturing everything principal front-line, heavy bomber people above all whose loyal help frombulletstobattleships. of the inter-war years. The hefty shifted the project from an impossi In1911,Vickers established an Victoriawascapableofcarryingas bility to a fact are Chris Sterling, aviation division, and by World many as 22 troops. With the Vias- Roger Bentley and my wife, Cathi War I was contributing aircraft MacRae, whose patience and practi such as the Gunbus. The Vimy cal advice made all the difference in bomber was a heavy, twin- (ContinuedonNextPage) theworld. VICKERS 'i~~@illIT 5 (ContinuedfromPreviousPage) corporate reorganization saw the medium bomber force in the first aircraft division re-assuming the halfofthewar. tra transport of 1929, Vickers Vickers-Armstrongsname. Although the aviation arm of became one of the first British air World War II found Vickers Vickers-Armstrongs would pro craftfirms to explorethebenefitsof Armstrongs involved at almost vide the UK with further airborne all-metalconstruction. every level.Amazingly, the compa might in the form of the Valiant In 1927, the foundation of ny was responsible for building nuclear bomber, its strategy had Vickers (Aviation) Ltd. brought 225 warships, including aircraft already re-focused on commercial autonomy to the aeronautical carriers and submarines, thou flight, engendering one of the interests of the newly merged sands ofmachineguns, mostofthe mostpopular and influentialofall Vickers-Armstrongs conglomerate. UK's field artillery, and a huge airliners - the Viscount. Although Vickers soon acquired Superma range of tanks and other tracked the Vickers name would disap rine, renowned for its brilliant sea vehicles. They also built over pear in the 1960s in the amalga plane designs for the famous 33,000 aircraft, ofwhich, two outof mation that created the British SchneiderTrophycontests.In1929, every three were versions of the Aircraft Corporation, the compa a Vickers-Supermarine S.6B - the incomparableSpitfire.TheWelling ny's expertise and energy would first aircraft to exceed 400 mph tongave vitalservice as amainstay long remain embedded in the won the Trophy outright. In 1938, of the RAF's (Royal Air Force) UK's aviationindustry. Among the earliest true airliners, the Vickers Viastra of1930 reflected the collaboration between Vickers and Michel Wibault, theFrench pioneerofall-metalaircraftconstruction. Producedinsingle-, twin-orthree-enginedversions, itsaw commercial service in Australia. G-ACCC- builtas the personal transport ofthe Prince ofWales, and thus possibly the first executive airliner- is seen after conversionfor experimental radio trials. Note the earlyform ofleading-edge slats. (TheA. J. JacksonCollection) A.IRL;INERTEC.H 6 • • VISCOUNT SPIRATION A TURBINE REVOLUTION A t the close ofWorld WarII, set up a committee chaired by Lord summarized an airliner for Euro the British aero-engine Brabazonto define commercial avia pean services of moderate stage industry led the world in tion needs for a postwar Britain. lengths. Initially, this definition turbojet development, and stood This committee identified four cate generated the piston-engined Air alone in researching the turboprop. gories of necessary transport air speed Ambassador, but would find While the seminal work of Frank craft. Tasked with fleshing out these its lasting answer in the Vickers Vis Whittle treated the gas turbine as a requirements, a second Brabazon count. means of eliminating the propeller Committee added a fifth classifica Despite such planning, war's and focused on the pure jet, most tion and, between August 1943 and end found the UK with barely any thinking on the subject sprang from November 1945, progressively indigenous transport aircraft, yet the long-time search for an alterna issued detailed specifications. These facing an urgent need for civil air tive to the pistonengine as a method specifications called for a heavy, capability. Most large British trans of driving a conventional airscrew. trans-Atlantic transport (built as the ports were military aircraft convert As early as 1929,A. A. Griffithofthe gigantic, abortive Bristol Brabazon), ed merely by removing armament Royal Aircraft Establishment had a mediumllong-range airliner for and installing whatever seating advocated marrying the simplicity Britain's colonial routes (ultimately might be made to fit. Soon, special of the gas turbine to the effective answered by the Bristol Britannia), a ized civil variants arrived, incorpo ness and responsiveness of the jet-powered trans-Atlantic mail rating revisions such as cabin propeller. Rather than exiting exclu plane (which evolved into the de windows and re-fashioned interiors. sively as a propulsive stream, the jet Havilland Comet) and a piston Alonger-term answer, stimulatedby thrust would drive a turbine and poweredfeeder-liner (promptingthe a subsidiary recommendation of the thereby turn a propeller, resulting in highly successful de Havilland first Brabazon Committee, was to a powerplant that retained the Dove).Additionally, the committee's develop interim civil types by advantages ofthe piston engine, but second classification, or Type 2, designing from scratch what was wasfar lesscomplex. Rex Pierson, chief designer of Vickers-Armstrongs' Aircraft Divi sion, quickly appreciated the trans formative impact such a powerplant mighthave onair transporteconom ics. More efficient than the pure jet at lower altitudes and modest veloc ity, andathomeonshorterrunways, the propeller-turbine would beneat ly suited to European air services. From 1943 onward, Pierson's team explored turboprop derivations of the four-engined Vickers Windsor, a planned long-range bomber that, although cancelled, still offered pos sibilitiesasa transport. Pierson was not alone in think ing ahead. In a striking gesture of By the time ofthis 1950 photograph, the Viscount had survived many setbacks to faith in a favourable outcome to the emergeas ahighlypromisingnewair transport. A half-centuryofservicelayahead. war, inlate 1942the UKgovernment (BBACollection) VICKERS 'I~~@illNT 7 Vickers also built well over 400 mili tary derivatives. Withthe Viking, the companygainedessentialexperience in modern airliner manufacturing and established a crucial customer base. Inparticular, Vickersfounded a relationship with BEA that would prove indispensable as its designers strove to create the world's first pro peller-turbineairliner. The Beginnings of the Viscount: The Vickers VC2 TheViscountoriginated lessin a Large aircraft design constantly exercised the inventiveness ofRex Pierson, Vickers' specificBrabazonCommitteerecom chiefdesigner. HisWindsorbomber, poweredbyfour Rolls-RoyceMerlins, arrivedtoo mendation than in a happy conflu late to see World War II service, and only threeflew. However, studiesfor transport ence of the committee's visionary derivatives- includingsomewithturboprops- setVickerson theroadtotheViscount. sponsorship of the gas turbine Note the main undercarriageunits- onepernacelle. (BrooklandsMuseum) both the pure jet and its inspired derivative, the turboprop - and the necessary and combining it with Airways (BEA) on1September1946. insights and energy of Vickers-Arm major elements of a proven military This initial model accommodated 21 strongs' own design department. In type. Thus, Avro produced the utili passengers, and soon gave way to December 1944, Rex Pierson attend tarianYork by attaching a new fuse an upgraded version of similar ed ameeting ofthe secondBrabazon lage to the wings, engines and capacity but with stressed-skin Committee. There, discussion on empennage of the Lancaster. Vick mainplanes replacing the fabric-cov how the forthcoming Viking might ers, knowing any wholly new type ered geodetic outer wing panels. A match the short-haul Type 2 specifi could notbe ready for several years, third variant featured a slightly cation extended to Pierson's ideas filled the gap with an expedited air lengthened fuselage seating 27, later for a Viking successor, including a linerofitsown. increased by BEA to 36. The Valetta pure jet adaptation. Subsequently, was a militarized edition, while a boththe committee and Piersoncon The Vickers Viking nose-wheeled development named cluded that a propeller-turbine air the Varsity served the Royal Air linerheldsuperiorpromise. The resulting twin-engined, tail Force (RAP) as an advanced aircrew Soon, the "new Viking" studies wheeled Vickers VC1 (Vickers Com trainer. Presaging similar trials with merged with those for a turboprop mercial 1) was conceived to the Viscount, one Viking even Windsor. Under the general Vickers supplement, and partly to replace, became the world'sfirstjettransport type number 453, the latterhad pro the hard-working Douglas DC-3. - albeit purely as an experiment duced many variations, notably the Soon named Viking, the VC1 mated re-engined with two Rolls-Royce Y.601 driven by four Rolls-Royce the wings and undercarriage of the Nene turbojets. Clyde turboprops producing 3,040 Vickers Wellington bomber, plus the Despite being an extemporized hp each. (Remarkably, this Windsor tail surfaces of the related Warwick, design lacking a pressurized cabin, model would have been capable of to a new, all-metal, stressed-skin in most respects the Viking was up over400mphat 28,000 ft.) ByMarch fuselage. It also employed a civilian to date and became a great success. 1945, all V453 plans had coalesced ized version of Wellington's Bristol Infront-line operationfor only a few into a fresh creation called the VC2, Hercules sleeve-valve piston years, Vickers' rugged airlinernever distinguished by a new, Viking engines. theless worked unremittingly for influenced wing of shorter span. The Viking first flew in June second-tier carriers until as late as Outlines submitted to the Ministry 1945 and entered service with the the 1970s. Production totalled 163, of Aircraft Production (MAP) newly organized British European with nearly one third for export; described pressurized and non-pres- AIRLINERTECH 8 • ~ ;,..