This is an accepted version of this page The Vickers Viscount is a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs.

The Viscount was well received by the public for its cabin conditions, which included pressurisation, reductions in vibration and noise, and panoramic windows.

It became one of the most successful and profitable of the first postwar transport aircraft;[1] 445 Viscounts were built for a range of international customers, including in North America.

The Viscount was a response to the 1943 Brabazon Committee's proposed Type II design for a postwar, small, medium-range, pressurised aircraft to fly less-travelled routes, carrying 24 passengers up to 1,750 mi (2,816 km) at 200 mph (320 km/h).

[3] British European Airways (BEA) was involved in the design and asked that the aircraft carry 32 passengers, instead, but remained otherwise similar.

[N 1][4] The contract for the aircraft to Air Ministry specification C.16/46 was signed on 9 March 1946 and Vickers allocated the designation Type 609 and the name Viceroy.

[4] Although George Edwards had always favoured the 800 hp Rolls-Royce Dart[7] other engines were considered, including the Armstrong Siddeley Mamba, which the government specified for the two prototypes.

[12] The design was considered too small and slow at 275 mph (443 km/h), making the per-passenger operating costs too high for regular service, and BEA had placed an order for 20 piston-engined Airspeed Ambassadors in 1947.

Retrospectively commenting on Britain's aviation industry, Duncan Burn stated: "Had BEA committed itself to full support of the Viscount... it was quite likely that the smaller version would have gone into production...

"[13] Early flight trials, however, showed the qualities of a turboprop, resulting in a February 1949 order from the Ministry of Supply for a prototype of a stretched version with more powerful engines, the Type 700.

[17] The second prototype Viscount, the Type 663 testbed, had two Rolls-Royce Tay turbojet engines, and first flew in RAF markings as serial VX217 at Wisley on 15 March 1950.

[19][20] The designers then went back to the drawing board and the aircraft emerged as the larger Type 700 with up to 48 passengers (53 in some configurations), and a cruising speed of 308 mph (496 km/h).

The substitution of a lower constant-pitch noise and smoothness for the vibration, grunts, and groans of the piston engine gives the hesitant passenger a feeling of confidence.

[N 2][27] Viscount operational costs were lower than many rival aircraft;[28] Vickers projected a 700 could carry a 13,000-lb payload from Chicago to New York in 2 hours 45 minutes against a 10-mph headwind, burning 6395 lb of fuel.

[29] In the field of intercity transports employing the propeller turbine, the Vickers Viscount Model 700 appears to be considerably superior to anything else in its class.

[43] Following BEA's launch of the type, multiple independent charter operators, such as British Eagle, were quick to adopt the Viscount into their fleets.

The aircraft averaged 320 mph (520 km/h) in the event, crossing the finish line nine hours ahead of its closest rival, a Douglas DC-6A of KLM, with the latter winning on handicap.

En route, equipped with extra fuel tanks, it flew 3,530 mi (5,680 km) nonstop from the Cocos (Keeling) Islands to Melbourne's Essendon Airport in 10 hours 16 minutes (343.8 mph).

[21][47][48] Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) received its first Viscount in 1954, and the aircraft quickly proved profitable, leading to additional orders.

The policy took practical effect when Ansett purchased the failing Australian National Airways in 1957, resulting in it being the only competitor for the government-owned TAA.

The first North American airline to use turboprop aircraft was Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA), with a small fleet of Type 700 Viscounts.

[N 7] On 6 December 1954, the first Viscount was delivered to Canada in a large media event that included an improvised aerial display.

[58]Routine Flight (1955) featured the TCA introduction of the Viscount in this National Film Board of Canada documentary.

[62] During the 1958 Cuban elections, a Cubana Viscount was hijacked by gunmen aligned with the 26th of July Movement; the aircraft crash-landed in the sea, reportedly killing 17 of the 20 occupants.

[70] BEA, and its nationalised successor British Airways (BA), vigorously operated the Viscount on Britain's domestic routes.