operating ten series V.768s in 1957 for
internal ights and Central African Airways
(CAA) took delivery of its rst Viscount, a
series V.748, towards the latter half of 1956
for services within Africa and also for the
long haul to London. The airline speci ed
the Dart 510 engine for its new eet as well
as weather radar and slipper tanks. Its
Viscounts were used on the London service
until the routes were taken over by British
Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC)
and South African Airways (SAA) in 1960.
Further sales saw the aircraft in service with
Iran Air, PLUNA of Uruguay and Türk Hava
Yolları (THY).SERIES 800
Towards the end of 1952, the Rolls-Royce
design team’s efforts to upgrade the Dart
powerplant resulted in the uprated RDa.5engine. The corresponding team at Vickers
were also working to improve its 700
series; the outcome being the stretched
800 series. The fuselage was lengthened
by 13ft 3in (4.05m) and an increase in
the gross weight of the aircraft was set at
65,000lb (29,484kg). The manufacturer
envisaged a high-density layout for as
many as 86 passengers and with these
gures it approached BEA hopeful of an
order. Although larger and more powerful
than the 700, the new version lacked the
range and speed of its predecessor, but on
February 11, 1953 BEA committed to 12 of
the 801 series.
Further consideration by both Vickers
and BEA however led to revised options.
The airline realised that the 800 series
would be too large for its anticipated traffic
growth and so the following year Vickersre-designed the aircraft around the newer
RDa.6 powerplant. Passenger capacity
in an all rst class layout was set at 52,
while the high-density con guration came
down from 86 to 71. New rectangular
cabin doors that lay at to the aircraft’s
fuselage when opened were designed
to replace the oval ones found on the
700 series. The cabin oor was also
strengthened so that freight instead of
passengers could be transported – the
ability to carry cargo to maximise pro ts
being a tempting option. As a result of
these modi cations, BEA changed its
order from 12 series 801s to the same
number of the upgraded 802s.
The rst 802, registered G-AOJA, was
named RMA Sir Samuel White Baker by
Lady Douglas of Kirtleside in a ceremony
at the company’s factory at Wisley on
November 27, 1956. It ew its rst revenue
service to Glasgow from Heathrow on
February 13, 1957.
The airline invested further in the
Viscount when it placed an order for another
16 soon after, this time it was to be the faster
series 806 powered by the RD.520s, ideal
for the company’s medium- to short- haul
network. The rst aircraft, G-AOYG Charles
Darwin, was delivered to the carrier’s
Heathrow base on March 29, 1958 and
entered service shortly after.46 Aviation News incorporating Jets September 2018
Left: British United Airways Viscount 833
G-APTC at Paris Le Bourget in August 1968.
Below left: Former Continental Airlines
Viscount 812 G-ATVR was operated by
Southend-based Channel Airways in the late
1960s and was retired in September 1971.
Bob O’Brien Collection
Below: Viscount 782D EP-AHC in the
colours of United Iranian Airlines at Karachi
in 1959. This aircraft was purchased by the
Iranian government for use by the Shah
but was also operated on domestic ights
within Iran and the Middle East. It was
damaged beyond repair in February 1965
after a heavy landing at Isfahan, Iran. Bob
O’Brien Collection