The prototype Viscount V.630 first flew in 1948 and was a short range 32 seat airliner powered by 2x 990shp (738kW) Rolls-Royces. Airlines expressed no interest in an aircraft with this capacity and Vickers redesigned the V.630 as the 60 seat V.700 which had a length of 81’9"(24.91m), and was first flown in 1950 powered by 2x 1400shp(1044kW) Rolls-Royces. BEA ordered 26 examples of the V.700 and when it entered revenue- earning service in 1953 on the BEA schedule from London to Nicosia, it became the first turboprop airliner in the world to enter service. The V.700D introduced the higher powered 1600shp engines. 289 examples of the V.700 series were eventually built. The V.800 was a stretched version. The final version of the Viscount was the V.810 (86 built) which was first flown in 1957 powered by 2x 1800shp(1342kW) Rolls-Royces and with a maximum take-off weight of 72,500lb(32,915kg). This had a strengthened fuselage and a cruising speed of 360mph(579kmh). A handful of Viscounts remain airworthy, with all of those operating in Africa.

G-AZLP              c/n 346               United Kingdom

70 seat airliner first flown in 1956