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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 0962.PDF
FLIGHT \ VISCOUNT ON THE CONTINENT IOOKING as resplendent as it did before departure and not even a little travel-worn, the Vickers Viscount returned, to Northolt on April 28th from its extended demonstration tour of western Europe. On the first part of thetour, which began on March 20th, the aircraft, piloted by Captain Wakelin of B.E.A. (the world's second turboprop-licensed pilot) had visited Amsterdam, Brussels, Zurich, Rome and Paris. Among the passengers were Sir Hew Kilner (aviation managing director of Vickers-Armstrongs) and Captain " Mutt " Summers, chief test pilot. The Viscount returned to Northolt for the Easter holiday, and then took off again for visits to four capitals —Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo and (again) Amsterdam. During both stages of the trip, the total time spent in the air was 61 hours, involving some 70 flights and an overall distance, in transit, of 4,400 statute miles. The\ • company subsequently announced that the total amount of kerosene lifted for the four Rolls-Royce Darts was |V 17,423 gallons, and that the remarkably low oil consump- tion of only 7.9 gallons was recorded. The average in transit fuel consumption, excluding demonstration flights, was in the region of 215 gal/hr. On some of the point-to-point trips the Viscount was flown at 24,000ft and the pilot tried out certain new techniques ; for example, a two-engine descent from altitude in order to conserve fuel was found to be quite practicable. At two destinations, the aircraft had to stand off because of bad weather and, again, seemed very happy when doing so on only two engines. The manufacturers have subsequently expressed extreme satisfaction at the high degree of serviceability and the negligible amount of daily maintenance required. The only replacements needed throughout the trip, it is stated, was one compass amplifier and one torch igniter. It was also necessary to refill an oleo leg.
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