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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 2096.PDF
897a Commercial Aircraft of the World... airscrews for European and other short-to- medium-range services." The V.630 Viscount prototype, seating up to 36 passengers, made its first flight on July 16, 1948, but for BEA it was stretched into the V.700 with 1,400 s.h.p RDa.3 Darts and seating up to 53 passengers; the prototype V.700 first flew on August 28, 1950. A month before, the V.630 prototype had been used by BEA on the world's first scheduled commercial passenger services with a turbine-powered aeroplane; the corporation introduced services with its production V.701s on April 19, 1953. The basic Viscount 700D differs from the V.700 in having the more powerful RDa.6 Darts, more fuel and in creased take-off weight. Flight references: July 15, 1955 (history and origins); January 31, 1958 (development of North American versions). Viscount 800, 810 Development of a stretched version of the Viscount had been started by BEA and Vickers before the V.701 had entered airline service, and in February 1953 BEA ordered 12 V.801 Viscounts. This version, powered by four 1,690 e.h.p. RDa.5 Darts, was to have had a fuselage 13ft 3in longer than the V.701s. But the V.801 was abandoned because it was too large for traffic requirements as then foreseen, and it was re placed by the V.802, with a fuselage only 4ft longer overall, but with a revised interior adding 12ft to the cabin length. Apart from more powerful Darts, the Viscount 810 differs from the 800 in having a structure strengthened to cater for a higher landing weight and a higher cruising speed. To date more than 70 V.810s have been sold to 14 operators. Production is now virtually complete. A grand total of 429 Viscounts of all ver sions has been sold to 54 operators—42 of whom are airlines—in 35 countries. A handful of executive Viscount 700s, some of which are operated in military markings, have been sup plied to various foreign governments as VIP and personnel transports. References: Flight, February 22, 1957 (Viscount 802 description). A list of Viscount operators appears on page 900. V.950 Vanguard The Vanguard was the culmination of two years' detailed discussion between BEA and Vickers and Rolls-Royce, in 1954 and 1955, for a Viscount replacement. The corporation drew up a specification early in 1955 and in October of that year placed an order for 20 aircraft at a price, with spares, of approximately £lm each. In January 1957, after "one of the most exhaust ive analyses ever undertaken," TCA placed an order for 20 aircraft and parts worth £23.9m. Later the airline ordered three more. The first Vanguard flew in January 1959. By the beginning of June 1960, when eight aircraft had flown nearly l,400hr, the BEA Vanguard V.951 was ready for ARB type- certification with delivery of six to BEA scheduled for June-August. A fault in the Tyne compressor discovered by Rolls-Royce on the test bed, and the subsequent modifica tions, led to a revision of the programme. The first revenue passengers were carried on the London - Paris route by BEA on December 17, 1960. Full BEA Vanguard schedules began on March 1, 1961, with a London- Paris ser vice. TCA introduced their Vanguards into service on February 1, 1961. BEA have six Type 951s with Rolls-Royce Tyne 506s, and with a maximum weight of 135,0001b. The remaining 14 are Type 953s with the same engines but with a higher maximum weight (141,0001b) and increased payload. TCA's 23 aircraft have Tyne 512s
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