Avro Lancaster NG465 with Rolls-Royce Dart No.5 fitted to the nose - prior to flight tests
Series 663 Tay Viscount is put through its paces at the 1950 SBAC display at Farnborough. It the background is the unique shape of a spectacularly unsuccessful Brabazon committee airliner - the awesome Bristol Brabazon.
Gloster Meteor I EE227 with Derwents converted by Rolls-Royce to drive airscrews (as Trents) - the first turboprop aircraft
Series 701 G-ALWF as preserved by the Duxford Aviation Society at Duxford, in the colours of Cambrian Airways. ‘Whisky Fox’ served with Cambrian from 1966 until retirement in 1971.
Series 744 XR801 of the Empire Test Pilots School, Farnborough. Previously with All Nippon Airways, XR801 served with ETPS 1962-1971.
Series 749 YV-C-AMX of Linea Aeropostal Venezolana, Venezuela. It served from 1956 until 1971.
Series 745D VH-TVO ‘David Lindsay ’ of Trans-Australia Airlines. The aircraft was leased 1959-1959, going on to join Philippine Airlines.
Well satisfied with the Series 700s, BEA became a major operator of the enlarged 800. Illustrated is Series 802 G-AOJA ‘RMA Sir Samuel White Baker’. Delivered in February 1957, G-AOJA had a short life, crashing at Belfast’s Nutts Corner airport the following October.
Aer Lingus was an early customer of the Viscount and showed further faith in the turboprop era by being the launch customer for the Fokker F.27 Friendship, taking its first example of that type in 1958. Their first Viscount, Series 707 EI-AFV ‘St Patrick/St Padraig’ was delivered in March 1954.
Through the Viscount, great inroads were made into export markets, with the US being the most notable. Capital Airlines Viscount 744 N7402, fleet number ‘321’ was delivered in June 1955.
Close-up of the superbly neat cowling and installation of the Darts and of the optional slipper fuel tank on the leading edge. The aircraft is VH-TVF for Trans-Australian Airlines, a Series 720 delivered in January 1955. It served all of its life in Australia, being retired in 1967.
Series 782D EP-AHA in United Iranian Airlines colours. One of three ordered, it was delivered in March 1958 and served the airline until 1966.
A view of the production line at Hurn, Bournemouth. In the foreground are two Series 749s for LAV of Venezuela, YV-C-AMV and ’X. Delivered in February and March 1956 respectively, they both served only LAV and both were written off, in January 1971 and August 1974 respectively.
The prototype Series 810, G-AOYV, in the colours of Continental Airlines for promotional purposes was used for Vanguard development work. It is seen here in a low level ‘beat-up’ with a mock-up of its bigger brother’s tailfin fabricated over its own leading edge. The spray rig in front of the fin was used to test the Napier-developed Spraymat de-icing system. Note also the mast-mounted probes above the cockpit.
Roll-out of the first Series 813 for South African Airways, ZS-CDT ‘Blesbok ’ at Hurn. Delivered in October 1958 it gave loyal service until 1972 when it (and the rest of the fleet) were acquired by British Midland Airways.
Viscount prototype G-AHRF on July 16 at Wisley just before the first flight. George Edwards is in the centre in front of No.3 engine, right hand to his ear!
Funded by the Ministry of Supply, the prototype Viscount 630 wore RAF roundels, and the military serial VX211 for some time beyond the first flight.
Летающая лаборатория для испытаний двигателей Роллс-Ройс «Дарт»
Wellington T.10 LN715 was fitted with two Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines for trials associated with the Viscount.
Dart-powered DC-3 G-AMDB ‘Claud Johnson ’ in later BEA livery.
