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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 3428.PDF
68* CIVIL AVIATION . . . FLIGHT VISCOUNT 724s FOR CANADA AS we closed for press last week we were able briefly to forecast an important Canadian order for Vickers Vis->- counts. The full story was subsequently told by Mr. George Edwards, the designer, and Mr. Roberts, European manager for Trans-Canada Air Lines, at a meeting in London. This T.C.A. order is for 15 Vickers Viscount 724s (Rolls-Royce Dart RDa3 turboprops) to the value of 11.5 million dollars (£4.1 million). About 10 per cent of this sum represents spares, and thus the present price of the Viscount—a little under £250,000 —is very competitive and shows up other machines in the same- size class. Deliveries are to begin less than two years from now, in September 1954, and are to be completed by April 1955. T.C.A.'s Viscounts will be the first turboprop airliners to operate in North America, and Comets in the hands of C.P.A. the first turbojet types. This Viscount order is the largest single dollar contract to be signed for a British product since the war. Canada's internal air traffic has increased, during the last three years, at the healthy rate of 20 per cent per annum. The 48-seat Viscounts will be used to supplement—not to replace—the North Stars and DC-3S at present in use, and they are expected to enter T.C.A. service on the Toronto-New York - Montreal triangle. Later they will operate on all main routes, including those serving other major American cities. Although the seating arrangements foreseen for T.C.A. Viscounts will allow for 48 passengers, the now general practice of mounting the seats on rails will permit considerable flexibility—opening or closing pitch, and fining four or five seats abreast. The maximum capacity of the cabin is 54 seats. The Series 700 Viscounts are larger than the prototype 630, and the Rolls-Royce Darts are more powerful—giving a maximum of 1,400 b.h.p. plus 365 lb thrust (as compared with the 1,000 s.h.p. of earlier units). At present Viscounts are being manufactured at Weybridge, but Vickers-Armstrongs' factory at Hum, which at present employs a total of 800 workers, mainly concerned with production of the Varsity, is being built up so as to augment Viscount production. The ultimate output envisaged is 100 aircraft per annum by 1955. It is estimated that another 600 or 700 pro duction staff will be recruited at Hum, which, together with the administrative side, will mean a total increase of some 1,000. For a while two separate production lines will be running with the first aircraft appearing from the Hum line in eighteen months' time. After this the Weybridge line will probably be,slowly tailed off. Two figures for top American production-rates were quoted by Mr. Edwards as a reminder that British manufacturers could, in fact, produce as well as design and build their aircraft. They were Convair 240, 109 per annum; and DC-6, 93 per annum. To have secured the T.C.A. order in the face of very keen American competition reflects great credit upon Vickers, their aircraft and, we believe, on Mr. George Edwards personally. T.C.A.'s statement that the order follows exhaustive analysis Mutual satisfaction : Key men involved in the C4.1m T.C.A. order. Mr. George Edwards (left), chief designer of Vickers-Armstrongs, Ltd., played a material part in selling the Viscounts to Trans-Canada Air Lines, whose chairman is Mr. Gordon McGregor (right). Interested Canadian visitors to the Vickers assembly-line at Weybridge on November 22nd—three days after the T.C.A. order had been announced— were the Hon. T. C. Douglas, Prime Minister of Saskatchewan, and his daughter Shirley. They are pictured inspecting one of the Dart RDa3 turboprops of a B.E.A. Viscount. we can well believe; moreover, it depended upon the incorporation of a pretty formidable list of modifications to suit T.C.A.'s special requirements, and more particularly to cope with the extremes of cold likely to be experienced by all North American operators. It seems that while the order hung in the balance the list of essential modifications was analyzed in the shortest possible time; Mr. Edwards then personally flew to Montreal with the answers. It should be made clear that such is the state of development of the Viscount that it has sold on its operating economics as worked out by the customer, regardless of the passenger appeal and other advantages which accrue from turbine power. A Viscount is to fly to Canada early in February next year for what are described as technical exercises. It is probable that this opportunity will also be taken to visit and make a demonstration tour in the United States. The C.A.A. have not yet been approached regarding the certification of the Viscount. Mr. Edwards pointed out that the Viscount is becoming suitable for work traditionally done by DC-4S, of which there are 600-odd in use today and which will need to be replaced. There is, he estimated, a potential world aircraft-market conservatively esti mated at £1,000 million over the next ten years, with as much again to be spent on spares and equipment. This takes into account scheduled airlines alone, and is based on current civil values. The British industry collectively is fortunate in having certain aircraft types which America and other countries have not. Mr. Edwards said that his personal estimate of the British lead in turbine transport was five years. Those who started five years ahead would know a great deal, but it was important that in addition to having the best aircraft we demonstrated that we could give American-style service as well. "Wearing neutral- tinted glasses," observed Mr. Edwards, "one could see a potential for 200 Viscounts—and with fairly rosy glasses the figure might well be 350." There seems to be a definite world-wide move towards abandon ing large twin-engined aircraft, and this must favour Viscount CONGRATULATIONS THE following are among the congratulatory messages received by the makers of the Vickers Viscount following the signing of the T.C.A. order for fifteen of these aircraft:— From Mr. R. A. Butler, Chancellor of the Exchequer, to Sir Ronald Weeks, chairman of Vickers, Ltd.—"Congratulations on your T.C.A. order. Your drive and initiative point the way." From C. D. Howe, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Commerce, Ottawa, to Sir Hew Kilner, deputy chairman and managing director (aviation), Vickers-Armstrongs, Ltd.—"It gives me great satisfaction to approve the contract between Vickers and T.C.A. for fifteen Vickers Viscount aircraft built to Canadian standards. This order will provide T.C.A. with modern aircraft of latest British design, and will also help to correct balance of payment between our two countries." Mr. McGregor, president of T.C.A., to Sir Hew Kilner.—"It is with satisfaction that Trans-Canada Air Lines is now able to announce the successful completion of the contract for the purchase of fifteen Viscounts. This aircraft has been selected on its merit in open competition, and we are confident that it will prove a most valuable addition to our North American fleet." sales. Moreover, it is hard to see where real competition is to be found for the Viscount, if only because there are no suitably developed turboproD engines in the 1,500-2,000 s.h.p. class in production to provide the power. (.Continued at foot of opposite page)
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