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Vickers VC2 Viscount

The Vickers Viscount was the world's first successful passen­ger transport aircraft with turbo­prop engines, devel­oped just after the Second World War. It has a classi­cal configura­tion of that time with low mounted straight wings, a tricycle landing gear and engines in the wing's leading edge. The engine nacelles are slender, and have ring-shaped air intakes around the prop spinners, typical for the Rolls Royce Darts, with an exhaust at the back. The verti­cal stabiliser is curved from the dorsal fin all the way to the trailing edge. The horizontal stabi­lisers have significant dihedral. Typical for the Viscount is further­more the cockpit that pops a bit out of the forward fuselage; it seems "added" later. Large oval cabin windows complete the picture. 

The cockpit of the Vickers Viscount is not flush with the rest of the fuselage: it pops out a bit. Shown here are the later model cockpit windows, with the extra window at the back.

Like other designs of the era the vertical stabiliser curves nicely from the dorsal fin all the way over the top. The horizontal stabilisers have a significant dihedral.

The long, slender engine nacelles with ring shaped air intakes around the propeller spinners and exhausts at the back are characteristic for Rolls Royce Dart engines and thus also for the Viscount.

Different versions

The different versions of the Vickers Viscount can be distinguish by

  • the length of the fuselage
  • the number of cabin windows
  • the shape of the cabin doors
  • the shape of the cockpit side windows
  • the number and type of engines

Vickers Type 630

The prototype of the Viscount, Vickers Type 630, was already considered too small when it first flew in 1948. It has the familiar Viscount appearance with four Dart turboprop engines under the wings. The cockpit windows were kind of strange: next to the three front windows there three narrow side windows above each other. The Vickers 630 has seven large oval cabin windows. Also the cabin doors are oval, quite unique!

Here is the original Vickers Viscount prototype, Type 630, on the platform of Schiphol, showings its typical oval cabin doors and seven large oval cabin windows. (photo: Daan Noske / Anefo, from Dutch National Archives via Wikimedia)

The Viscount prototype and early production Viscount 700 series aircraft had these typical cockpit windows, with three horizontal, bar-like side windows on each side. (photo: Jim/WikiMedia)

Vickers Type 663

The second prototype is an odd one, as Vickers Type 663 is a twin jet version of the Viscount. Because of the large similarity with the turboprop Viscount we describe it on this page. It has two long nacelles under the wings in place of the four turboprops. The main gear consists of two pairs of single wheel legs, retracting in both sides of the nacelles. For the rest Type 663 is the same as Type 630.

Vickers Type 663 is not a regular Viscount, but a jet powered one. It has two long nacelles, in which pairs of main gear legs retract at the sides. (photo: RuthAS/WikiMedia)

Vickers Type 700 & 700D series Viscount

The version of the Viscount that eventually went into production is longer than the Type 630. It has ten large, oval cabin windows on each side. Early production versions of the series 700 still had the three bar-like cockpit side windows, but later these were replaced by two portrait oriented windows plus a sort of triangular one further aft (see photo above). Vickers gave all customers their own type number, starting with Type 701 for British European Airways (BEA). Externally, they do not differ however.

Type 700D is used for a variant with slightly different engines, but this is not visible on the outside.

This Viscount Type 724 was originally delivered to Trans-Canada Airlines. It has the revised cockpit windows.

Oval cabin doors are rarely found on airplanes, so this key feature of the Viscount 700 makes for an easy recognition point.

Vickers Type 800 & 810 series Viscount

A further stretch of the fuselage led to the Type 800 series of the Viscount. This variant has twelve large oval cabin windows. Additionally, the oval cabin doors have been replaced by more regular rectangular ones. The Type 810 series has more powerful Dart engines, but is externally not different than the 800 series. Vickers continued to use the customer numbers.

Count twelve oval cabin windows and note rectangular cabin doors are you now it is a Type 800 or 810 series Viscount.

A detail of the 'normal' rectangular cabin doors of the Type 800 series Viscount.

Confusion possible with

Lockheed L-188 Electra

l 188af

Like the Viscount the Lockheed Electra has a curved vertical stabiliser. For the rest it is diffe­rent with a larger diameter fuse­lage, round nose, rec­tangular cabin windows, eyebrow cockpit windows and nacelles above the wings with intakes at the top, and more. 

Lockheed P-3 Orion

l 285 p 3c

The Orion is a maritime patrol aircraft derived from the Electra, which is clearly visible in the curved vertical stabiliser, wings and nacelles above the wings with intakes at the top. So these are also the way to distin­guish it from the Viscount. 

Vickers Vanguard

vanguard 953c

The Vanguard was the successor of the Viscount. It retains the oval cabin win­dows and stabi­lisers with dihedral. The nacelles have ring shaped air intakes as well. Contra­ry to the Viscount it has a more streamlined nose with a heavily framed cockpit. The vertical stabiliser has straight edges. 

Ilyushin Il-18

il 18d

The Soviet counterpart of the Electra, Vis­count and Vanguard can best be recognised by the round cabin windows and four wheels on the main lan­ding gears, apart from other differences. It is also bigger than the Viscount.