Military Viscounts

[xkekeith]

RAE Bedford operated a couple of Raspberry Ripple examples, XT575 arriving at IAT, RAF Fairford in 1985:

XT575 Viscount RAE Bedford by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

Sister ship XT661 at RAF Greenham Common in 1983:

XT661 Viscount RAE Bedford by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

XT661 at Greenham Common in 1981 in the old colour scheme:

XT661 Viscount RAE Bedford by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

50258 PLAAF example at Datangshan in 1998 pre restoration:

50258 Viscount PLAAF by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

And the same aircraft in 2015 post restoration:

50258 Viscount PLAAF by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

[Keflavik69]

A very nice set you posted here. Thanks a lot Keith for sharing them.
Arnold

[Mustang531]

Thanks for these, one of my favourite types. I recall seeing the two British ones a few times, but does anyone have pics of XR801/802 which operated from Boscombe Down in the 1960s? On another matter, my first ever flight was in a Viscount, a day trip from Gatwick to Amsterdam many, many years ago.

[paddyboy]

Hi Keith

Oh yes, the lovely whine of a Dart

Got to see quite a few ‘civvies’ over the years, but the BD ‘frame was the only military one I ever saw

Thanks for posting

Paddyboy

[dennis273]

Nice to see the RAE birds

[F3]

Rare birds these. One of the most successful British airliners produced in terms of sales. Revolutionised the short haul market.
By coincidence was only scanning a slide of XT661 on static display @ Abingdon '80 the other day. It was there with a comet that had an interesting looking pannier type construction beneath the forward fuselage. Anyone know what this was? Could it have been used as a test bed for the Concorde Olympus engine?

[mancman]

Thanks for posting. The RAE examples were the only military Viscounts I saw.

I've just looked at a photo of the Comet with the appendage under the front fuselage(at Greenham Common) and it looks like a casing for some form of electronics. I believe the Concorde Olympus was mounted on a Vulcan, XA603.

[Yammer]

The Turkish Viscounts used to go in and out of Stansted for servicing.

[Yorky]

I have got a poor shot of a Turkish one on the ground under tow which you have just reminded me of.

[Mustang531]

Referring to the Comet at Abingdon in 1980, this was XV814. The Olympus test bed Vulcan was XA903 and by 1980, had been sat on the dump area at Farnborough for a while, before being broken up. The cockpit/forward fuselages of both these aircraft still survive somewhere with private owners.
I'd forgotten about the Turkish Air Force Viscounts, never saw one, but they were regular visitors to Stansted.

[capercaillie]

Beautiful shots of the two ripple Viscounts Keith, very envious, never managed to see either fly but I have sat in both at Bedford, when they were ready for disposal along with Canberra XH568 and Buccaneer XX897.

The Comet did do a lot of work into magnetic fields in the Arctic regions, so the box may have had something to do with that.

[F3]

According to Chris England (xv814 photos on Flickr) it was used as a flying test bed for Nimrod which makes sense and proves that capercaillie was on the right track (Submarine one).

[Vulcanone]

Double post...

[Vulcanone]

Last time I saw both of the RAE Viscounts, they were piled up in sections at Hanningfields Metals scrapyard at Stock.....

[eLaReF]

Thanks for these, one of my favourite types. I recall seeing the two British ones a few times, but does anyone have pics of XR801/802 which operated from Boscombe Down in the 1960s? On another matter, my first ever flight was in a Viscount, a day trip from Gatwick to Amsterdam many, many years ago.

From prints bought in the 70's so no idea of copyright - If yours or you know who, please let me know

XR801 Vickers V744 Viscount msn 89 by eLaReF, on Flickr

XR802 Vickers V745D Viscount msn 198 by eLaReF, on Flickr

[Mustang531]

Thanks for putting up these prints of the earlier Viscounts. As they were withdrawn and scrapped nearly fifty years ago, not sure where you stand with Copyright. Nice to see though.

[Stratocruiser]

Ah yes, I remember the whine of the four RR Darts and XR801 and XR802 were regular at Bournemouth Hurn in the 70's performing ILS approaches..
What great memories your fabulous post has produced so thanks for sharing them

[SW Sky Blue]

Lovely