By some margin the most successful British medium-range airliner ever produced, the world-beating Viscount was a sublime combination of Vickers state-of-the-art postwar design and Rolls-Royces cutting-edge power-plant technology, both companies being at the very peak of their powers during the types genesis and evolution.Tracing its origins back to the wartime Brabazon Committee, the Viscount was one of several designs from various British aircraft manufacturers produced to fulfill the committees specifications for a fast, economical short- to medium-range airliner to satisfy the demands of the burgeoning postwar civil aviation market, which was predicted to grow at a healthy rate over the following decades. Vickers chief designer and Managing Director George Edwards was quick to respond, the result being the Dart turboprop-powered Vickers V.630, which made its first flight in July 1948, despite its future looking uncertain after British European Airways having twenty examples of ordered its chief rival, Airspeeds Ambassador, six months before. The Viscount nevertheless entered full service with BEA in 1953, much to the relief of its manufacturer, orders flooding in thereafter from numerous airlines and air forces all over the world. Ultimately, some 200 individual airlines, companies and organizations in more than eighty countries operated the dependable and, crucially, development-friendly Viscount over its long and distinguished career.This book tells the full story of the worlds first turboprop airliner, from its Brabazon Committee beginnings, through its early flight trials program and entry into service, to its almost unassailable position as the worlds number one medium-haul turboprop, including its astonishing breakthrough in the USA, where it single-handedly broke the big American manufacturers stranglehold on the airliner market. The types military career is also covered, as is its construction; also included in this volume are details of the numerous variants produced and those of the 444 built still surviving as exhibits today, along with twenty-four superb artworks by world-renowned aviation illustrator Juanita Franzi.

By some margin the most successful British medium-range airliner ever produced, the world-beating Viscount was a sublime combination of Vickers' state-of-the-art postwar design and Rolls-Royce's cutting-edge power-plant technology, both companies being at the very peak of their powers during the type's genesis and evolution. Tracing its origins back to the wartime Brabazon Committee, the Viscount was one of several designs from various British aircraft manufacturers produced to fulfill the committee's specifications for a fast, economical short- to medium-range airliner to satisfy the demands of the burgeoning postwar civil aviation market, which was predicted to grow at a healthy rate over the following decades. Vickers' chief designer and Managing Director George Edwards was quick to respond, the result being the Dart turboprop-powered Vickers V.630, which made its first flight in July 1948, despite its future looking uncertain after British European Airways having twenty examples of ordered its chief rival, Airspeed's Ambassador, six months before. The Viscount nevertheless entered full service with BEA in 1953, much to the relief of its manufacturer, orders flooding in thereafter from numerous airlines -- and air forces -- all over the world. Ultimately, some 200 individual airlines, companies and organizations in more than eighty countries operated the dependable and, crucially, development-friendly Viscount over its long and distinguished career. This book tells the full story of the world's first turboprop airliner, from its Brabazon Committee beginnings, through its early flight trials program and entry into service, to its almost unassailable position as the world's number one medium-haul turboprop, including its astonishing breakthrough in the USA, where it single-handedly broke the big American manufacturers' stranglehold on the airliner market. The type's military career is also covered, as is its construction; also included in this volume are details of the numerous variants produced and those of the 444 built still surviving as exhibits today, along with twenty-four superb artworks by world-renowned aviation illustrator Juanita Franzi.

Built in response to the famous Brabazon Committee's requirements for an aircraft to replace the Douglas DC-3 on European and Empire routes, the Viscount became the world's first turboprop-powered airliner, and the most successful British airliner of all. Operated initially by BEA, the Viscount soon became a favorite of passengers, pilots and aircraft enthusiasts alike. Its heyday was brief, as the advent of the jet airliner soon relegated it to second-line service, in which it remains - just- to this day. This book presents the complete design, development and operational history of the Viscount and its bigger sibling, the Vanguard.

This gem of a gift book focuses on the first in the British Airways fleet to fly commerically, and is told through quotes from staff and passengers.

Silver City Airways rose from obscure beginnings to pioneer and become world famous for its cross-Channel car ferry service. When the only alternative was a slow sea crossing, Silver City became the carrier of choice for business people and the celebrities of their day who wanted to take their vehicles across the Channel. Everyone who was anyone, from the Prime Minister to royalty, flew Silver City. Based in Kent on the Dungeness Peninsular, and eventually expanding to Southampton, in its hey-day the airline ran 240 flights a day. Silver City Airways achieved far more than the car ferry service, however, and the extraordinary airline has a fascinating history. From playing a part in the Berlin Airlift to freighting racehorses, and from running scheduled passenger flights around the country to breaking speed records across the Atlantic and flying Dakotas in the Libyan desert, this book follows its story.

Beskriver detaljeret og med mange illustrationer udviklingen og anvendelsen af det britiske turboprop-passagerfly fra 1948, Vickers Viscount.

'The Flight of The Arctic Fox' tells the riveting story of the lives of thirty-one passengers and crew on board a BEA Vickers Viscount flying from London to Naples in October 1958. Following a mid-air collision with a jet fighter over Nettuno in Italy, everyone on board died, including the author's brother, who was a member of the crew.

Viscount, Comet and ConcordeSubtitled: The Story of Three Pioneer Airliners of the Postwar Era. The Vickers Viscount was the worlds first turboprop airliner and remains Britains most successful commercial airliner. The de Havilland Comet, appearing in 1949, was the worlds first jet airliner. And the BAC-Aerospatiale Concorde is the only supersonic transport to have achieved the status of regular airline service, cruising over long distances at twice the speed of sound. Detailed highlights of each aircrafts development and operational history. Legends of the Air 3. Sftbd., 8 1/2x 11, 196 pgs., 32 color pgs.

BEA was formed in 1946 and took over most UK domestic and European routes under the British government's nationalisation policy. It began operations with a fleet of outdated and hopelessly uneconomic passenger aircraft that were derivatives of wartime types such as the DC-3, Avro Viking and Rapide. By the end of 1955 the airline had re-equipped with more modern types such as the jet-prop Viscount and moved into a profit for the first time. From 1960 onwards the airline introduced larger jets such as the Comet, Trident and BAC 1-11. BEA merged with the British Overseas Airways Corporation in 1974 to form British Airways. This book looks at BEA's predecessors, its formation and early operation from Croydon and Northolt and the move to the newly-opened London Heathrow. The evolving structure is explained with chapters covering engineering bases, terminals, European and domestic services, cargo services and helicopter operations. The aircraft flown are all described in detail and the book includes anecdotes from former crew and ground-staff, a full fleet list and is highly illustrated throughout.