Did you know that registration to Fighter Control is completely free and brings you lots of added features? Find out more....

Military Viscounts

Warbirds, Replicas and Nostalgic photos in here please.
Post Reply
User avatar
xkekeith
Posts: 542
Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2014 9:38 am
Location: EGLK ish....

Military Viscounts

Post by xkekeith » Sun Jan 16, 2022 10:19 pm

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

ImageXT575 Viscount RAE Bedford by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

Sister ship XT661 at RAF Greenham Common in 1983:

ImageXT661 Viscount RAE Bedford by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

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

ImageXT661 Viscount RAE Bedford by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

50258 PLAAF example at Datangshan in 1998 pre restoration:

Image50258 Viscount PLAAF by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

And the same aircraft in 2015 post restoration:

Image50258 Viscount PLAAF by Keith Heywood, on Flickr
Canon EOS RP & 7D II

Keflavik69
Posts: 320
Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 11:39 am

Re: Military Viscounts

Post by Keflavik69 » Sun Jan 16, 2022 10:26 pm

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

Mustang531
Posts: 2370
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2020 5:47 pm

Re: Military Viscounts

Post by Mustang531 » Sun Jan 16, 2022 11:04 pm

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.

User avatar
paddyboy
Posts: 23688
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2011 7:32 pm
Location: Somewhere in Norfolk

Re: Military Viscounts

Post by paddyboy » Mon Jan 17, 2022 4:26 am

Hi Keith :P

Oh yes, the lovely whine of a Dart :lol:

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

Thanks for posting :thumbs:

Paddyboy :clap:
XH558, always the first lady in my life
Just remember, please don't tell the wife


Image
GRIM REAPERS SUPPORTER

dennis273
Posts: 194
Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2021 8:56 pm
Location: Norwich, Norfolk

Re: Military Viscounts

Post by dennis273 » Mon Jan 17, 2022 11:41 am

Nice to see the RAE birds :)

F3
Posts: 2966
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2015 9:06 am
Location: Rotherham

Re: Military Viscounts

Post by F3 » Mon Jan 17, 2022 11:48 am

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
Posts: 187
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2019 7:47 am

Re: Military Viscounts

Post by mancman » Mon Jan 17, 2022 12:28 pm

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.

User avatar
Yammer
Posts: 5464
Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2014 3:27 pm

Re: Military Viscounts

Post by Yammer » Mon Jan 17, 2022 12:55 pm

The Turkish Viscounts used to go in and out of Stansted for servicing.
Shobdon Blog - Residents photo list

https://shobdonegbsblog.blogspot.com/

Yorky
Posts: 149
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 12:00 pm

Re: Military Viscounts

Post by Yorky » Mon Jan 17, 2022 12:58 pm

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

Mustang531
Posts: 2370
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2020 5:47 pm

Re: Military Viscounts

Post by Mustang531 » Mon Jan 17, 2022 2:10 pm

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
Posts: 320
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2014 3:56 pm

Re: Military Viscounts

Post by capercaillie » Mon Jan 17, 2022 3:42 pm

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
Posts: 2966
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2015 9:06 am
Location: Rotherham

Re: Military Viscounts

Post by F3 » Mon Jan 17, 2022 4:05 pm

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
Posts: 3531
Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2009 10:56 am

Re: Military Viscounts

Post by Vulcanone » Tue Jan 18, 2022 3:58 am

:Oops: Double post...
Last edited by Vulcanone on Tue Jan 18, 2022 4:00 am, edited 1 time in total.

Vulcanone
Posts: 3531
Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2009 10:56 am

Re: Military Viscounts

Post by Vulcanone » Tue Jan 18, 2022 3:58 am

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

User avatar
eLaReF
Posts: 681
Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2009 6:41 pm

Re: Military Viscounts

Post by eLaReF » Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:46 am

Mustang531 wrote:
Sun Jan 16, 2022 11:04 pm
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

ImageXR801 Vickers V744 Viscount msn 89 by eLaReF, on Flickr

ImageXR802 Vickers V745D Viscount msn 198 by eLaReF, on Flickr
.
.
EDI Spotter since 1958 (When it was RAF Turnhouse)
.
If you are impatient, all of my photos are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/elaref/co ... 913377036/

Mustang531
Posts: 2370
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2020 5:47 pm

Re: Military Viscounts

Post by Mustang531 » Tue Jan 18, 2022 11:55 am

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.

User avatar
Stratocruiser
Posts: 2159
Joined: Thu Dec 03, 2020 10:53 am
Location: Torbados

Re: Military Viscounts

Post by Stratocruiser » Wed Jan 26, 2022 9:58 pm

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 :thumbs:
Be the reason someone smiles today👍

User avatar
SW Sky Blue
Posts: 1758
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2009 7:54 pm
Location: On a hill in Devon

Re: Military Viscounts

Post by SW Sky Blue » Thu Jan 27, 2022 2:06 am

Lovely :thumbs:

Post Reply

Return to “Warbirds, Replicas and Nostalgic Photography”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Gordsmith, James Cutting, Malcolm, Ridge Runner and 48 guests