Vickers Viscount (Airliner Tech Vol. 11)

108 Pages·2004·76.24 MB·English

by  Robin MacRae Dunn

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
(
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AIHLINEHTECH
5 E R I E 5
11
VOLUME
VICKERS
By
ROBIN MACRAE DUNN
COPYRIGHT © 2003 ROBINMACRAE DUNN
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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)
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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)
..
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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
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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-
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