Vickers Vanguard
G-AXOP taxiing
out for departure at
Munich on September
2 , 1972.
Invicta Airways Ltd Fleet List
Ty p e Reg’n c/n Aquired Fate Date Notes
Boeing 720B-023 G-BCBBG-BCBA^18014 18 013 ls d 10.05.74ls d 0 6 .03.74 rtndrtnd 30.10.7430.10.74 to American Airlinesto American Airlines
Bristol 308F Britannia
5Y-AZP 1292 2 lsd 14.0 6.76 sold 0 7. 01. 7 7 to Invicta
G-ANCF 1292 2 b t 0 7. 01. 7 7 wfu 30 -10. 8 0 Preserved at LiverpoolBristol 312F Britannia
G-AOVF 13237 lsd 22.04.76 rtnd 19.09.77 to IAS Cargo Airlines
G-AOVF 13237 b t 0 2 .11. 7 8 wfu 30.10.80 Preserved at Cosford
G-AOVS 13 430 lsd 01.01.76 rtnd 13. 0 6 .76 to IAS Cargo Airlines
G-AOV T 13 427 ls d 13.12 .74 rtnd 10.03.75 to Monarch Airlines
Douglas C-54A
Skymaster
G-APID 10408 bt 06.04.66 sold 14.08.67 to Spantax S.A.
G-ASEN 10 412 bt 17.02.66 sold 04.02.71 to the USA
Douglas C-54D
Skymaster G-ASZT^10640 lsd 01.04.66 rtnd 29.09.67
to Autair
International
Douglas C-54E
Skymaster
G-ASPM 10543 bt 15.02.65 sold 05.09.72 to South Africa
G-ASPN 10337 bt 20.02.65 wfu 26.01.71 sold to South Africa
Douglas C-54G
Skymaster G-ARWK^35936 lsd 29.06.66 rtnd 31.08.66 to IPEC Air Ltd
Piper PA-23 Aztec 250 G - AY T D 27-2850 bt 05.02.82 sold 28.03.82 to private owner
Vickers 952 Vanguard
G-AXNT 737 lsd 10.10.70 repro15.01.73 by Air Holdings Ltd
bt 01.03.73 sold 28 .10.75 to Europe Air Service
G-AXOO 733 lsd 01.03.71 wfu 28.02.73 broken for spares
lsd 08.05.71 repro15.01.73 by Air Holdings Ltd
G-AXOP 745 bt 05.03.73 w/o 10.04.73 at Hochwald Switzerland
G-AXOY 727 lsd 16.04.73 rtnd 16.10.73 to Air Holdings Ltd
bt 16.10.73 sold 29.08.75 to Europe Air Service
G - AY FN 725 lsd 02.05.72 repro16.01.73 by Air Holdings Ltd
bt 16.10.73 sold 29.08.75 to Europe Air Service
G-AZRE 729 l s d 2 7. 0 3. 7 2 rtnd 16.10.73 to Air Holdings Ltd
bt 01.03.73 sold 11. 0 9. 7 5 to Europe Air Service
G-BAFK 739 b t 0 5. 0 7. 74 sold 21.10.75 to Europe Air Service
Vickers 498 Viking 3 G-AHOW 124 bt 28 .10. 6 6 wfu 09.67 scrapped
Vickers 610 Viking 1 G-AHPL 149 bt 12.02.65 wfu 02.08.65 scrapped 1967/68
Vickers 610 Viking 3B G-AIVF 219 bt 23.03.66 wfu 05.68 scrapped 1969
Vickers 621 Viking 2 G-AOCH 150 bt 23.03.66 wfu 0 7. 0 7. 6 8 scrapped 1969
Vickers 639 Viking 1 G-AHOY 128 bt 12.02.65 wfu 15. 03. 6 8 scrapped 1969
Vickers 755D Viscount G-AOCCG-AOCB^092093 bt 01.11.67bt 01.11.67 tsfdtsfd 13. 01. 6913. 01. 69 to BMAto BMA
Vanguard G-AXOY bought all commercial operations to an end.
With the exception of G-AXOY, which was retained for the
continuity of the Air Operators Certificate (AOC) – essential
if the company was to be sold as a going concern, the remaining
Vanguards were sold to Europe Air Services in Perpignan.Final Fling
In December 1975 the goodwill and assets of Invicta were
purchased by UATS, the company set up in 1964 by Kennard
and Harridine and two Bristol Britannias (G-AOVS and
G-AOVF) were leased from IAS Cargo Airlines on an ACMI
(aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance).
The lease on G-AOVS ended in June but it was replaced by
another (5Y-AZP) on a wet lease from Monarch. This aircraft
was purchased by Invicta in 1977 and became G-ANCF.
Over the next couple of years work was sporadic, including a
mixture of livestock and general cargo charters around Europe.
For a short spell in the summer of 1980 the aircraft operated a
Ministry contract for Redcoat Air Cargo from Brize Norton to
Belize but with soaring fuel costs, dwindling profits and ad-hoc
charters becoming less frequent Kennard sold the business to
Kenyan businessman, Horatio De Gama Rose and left aviation
to set up a classic car restoration business in Canterbury.
The new Kenyan owner was unable to stop the airline’s
decline and although talks were initiated to sell out to Redcoat,
this came to nothing when Redcoat itself collapsed in early- Invicta followed suit in April and was declared insolvent.
The fate of the two remaining Britannias was uncertain.
G-ANCF had been grounded in October 1981 pending a
major overhaul and G-AOVF was undergoing a maintenance
check at the time of the collapse.
However, both were destined to be saved and in 1984
G-AOVF became part of the Aerospace Museum at RAF
Cosford while G-ANCF was purchased by the late Roger
Hargreaves, dismantled and moved to Kemble. It is now under
restoration at Liverpool Airport.
Alongside the likes of Freddie Laker and Harold Bamberg,
Hugh Kennard DFC remains one of those post-war airline
entrepreneurs whose contribution to the British Independent
Airline Industry cannot go un-recorded.
Further in-depth history of Air Ferry and Invicta can be found
in two excellent books written by Malcolm Finnis, Twilight of
Pistons and Take-Off to Touchdown. The author thanks AJ
Aviation, Bob O’Brien, Tony Eastwood, Malcolm Finnis, Dick
Gilbert and David Whitworth (Tony Clarke Collection) for
their help with information and data and allowing access to their
extensive photographic collections.http://www.airlinerworld.com 77