The

Vickers Viscount The Vickers Viscount is a retired British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs. A design requirement from the Brabazon Committee, it entered service in 1953 and was the first turboprop-powered airliner. T ...

was a medium-range airliner driven by four

turboprop A turboprop is a Gas turbine, gas turbine engine that drives an aircraft Propeller (aeronautics), propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction drive, reduction gearbox, gas compressor, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propellin ...

engines An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power gen ...

. The type was designed and manufactured in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

from 1948 to 1963.

Prototypes

;Type 630 :First prototype, with short fuselage (74 ft 6 in (22.71 m), accommodating 32 passengers and powered by four 1,380 ehp (1,032 kW) Rolls-Royce Dart R.Da Mk 501 engines.Andrews and Morgan 1988, p. 436. ;Type 663 :Second prototype, testbed for Rolls-Royce Tay turbojet. ;Type 640 :Planned third prototype, powered by four Napier Naiad turboprops. Not built, with parts incorporated in Type 700 prototype.

Viscount 700

;Type 700 :The first production version, 1,381 hp (1,030 kW) engines, 287 built, the "D" suffix was used for aircraft powered by the 1,576 hp (1,175 kW) Dart 510 engines. ;Type 701 :Production aircraft for

British European Airways British European Airways (BEA), formally British European Airways Corporation, was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. BEA operated to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East from airports around the United Kingdom. The ...

(BEA), the same as the prototype 700 but as in all production aircraft the engines were moved 18 inches outboard to reduce cabin noise level. Originally fitted with Dart 505 engines but later changed to Dart 506s. Originally had a either 40 or 47 seats but this was changed in the 1960s to seat either 60 or 63 passengers, 27 built, first delivered in January 1953. ;Type 702 :Production aircraft for British West Indian Airways (BWIA) with Dart 506 with 44 or 53 seats, four built, first delivered in June 1955. ;Type 703 :Proposed 53-seat variant, not built. ;Type 707 :Production aircraft for the first export customer

Aer Lingus Aer Lingus ( ; an anglicisation of the Irish language, Irish , meaning "air fleet") is an Irish airline company which is the flag carrier of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Founded by the Irish Government, it was privatised between 2006 and 201 ...

with Dart 505s (later Dart 506s) and 53 seats, four built, first delivered in March 1954. ;Type 708 :Production aircraft for

Air France Air France (; legally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France, and is headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. The airline is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and is one of the founding members ...

with Dart 505s (later Dart 506s) and 49 seats, 12 built, first delivered in May 1953. ;Type 720 :Production aircraft for Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) with Dart 505s (later Dart 506s) and 49 seats, 12 built, fitted with slipper tanks for an extra of fuel, seven built, first delivered in October 1955. ;Type 723 :Production aircraft for the

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...

with Dart 506s and a VIP interior, one built, delivered in December 1955. ;Type 724 :Production aircraft for

Trans-Canada Air Lines Trans-Canada Air Lines (also known as TCA in English, and Trans-Canada in French) was a Canadian airline that operated as the country's flag carrier, with corporate headquarters in Montreal, Quebec. Its first president was Gordon Roy McGregor. ...

(TCA) of Canada with Dart 506s, included increased electrical power, new fuel system, and cold-weather operation provisions (ice-guard panels of fuselage and anti-skid brakes). Fitted with 44 or 48 seats, 15 built, first delivered in December 1954. ;Type 728 :Production variant for

Cyprus Airways Cyprus Airways ( Greek: Κυπριακές Αερογραμμές) is the flag carrier of Cyprus, based at Larnaca International Airport. It commenced operations on 1 June 2017. It is the largest airline in Cyprus and it has flights for all ar ...

and Aden Airways with Dart 506s, not built. ;Type 730 :Production aircraft for Indian Air Force, same as the Type 723 but with a different VIP interior, one built, delivered in January 1956. ;Type 731 :Production variant for KLM with Dart 506 engines, not built. ;Type 732 :Production aircraft for Hunting Clan with Dart 506s, fitted with slipper tanks and 52-seat interior, three built, first delivered in May 1955. ;Type 734 :Production aircraft for

Pakistan Air Force The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) (; ) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tasked primarily with the aerial defence of Pakistan, with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy when re ...

with Dart 506s, fitted with slipper tanks and VIP interior, delivered in March 1956. ;Type 735 :Production aircraft for Iraqi Airways with Dart 506s and either 44 or 53 seats, three built, first delivered in October 1955. ;Type 736 :Production aircraft for Fred. Olsen & Co. with Dart 506s and 48 seats, two built, first delivered in November 1955. ;Type 737 :Production aircraft for the Canadian Department of Transport with Dart 506s and VIP interior, one built, delivered in March 1955. ;Type 738 :Design for a special duty variant with Dart 506s, not built. ;Type 739 :Production aircraft for Misrair with Dart 506s and 40 seats, six built, first delivered in December 1955. ;Type 740 :Design for a staff variant with Dart 506s, not built. ;Type 741 :Design for a VVIP variant with Dart 506s, not built. ;Type 742 :Production aircraft ordered by Braathens-SAFE but delivered to the Brazilian Air Force in November 1956 with Dart 510s, VIP interior and slipper tanks. ;Type 744 :Production variant for Capital Airlines with Dart 506s and 48 seats, three built, first delivered in June 1955. ;Type 745 :Production aircraft for US airline Capital Airlines. The first nine used Dart 506s; the remainder had Dart 510s. Aircraft had 48 seats and a forward integral airstair, 60 built, first delivered in November 1955. ;Type 747 :Production aircraft for Butler Air Transport with Dart 506s and 40 seats, two built, first delivered in September 1955. ;Type 748 :Production aircraft for

Central African Airways Central African Airways (CAA) was a supranational airline corporation serving as flag carrier for Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland (respectively the present day countries of Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi), which were organised as ...

with Dart 506 engines, 47 seats and slipper tanks, five built, first delivered in May 1956. ;Type 749 :Production variant for LAV with Dart 506s and 40 seats, three built, first delivered in February 1956. ;Type 754 :Production variant for

Middle East Airlines Middle East Airlines – Air Liban S.A.L. (), more commonly known as Middle East Airlines (MEA) (), is the flag carrier of Lebanon, with its head office in Beirut, near Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport. It operates scheduled internat ...

with Dart 510 engines and 44 or 48 seats, eight built, first delivered in July 1957. ;Type 755 :Production variant for

Airwork Services Airwork Limited, also referred to during its history as Airwork Services Limited, is a wholly owned subsidiary company of VT Group plc. It has a long and rich history in providing a variety of defence support services to the Royal Air Force (RA ...

with Dart 510 engines and 48 seats. The order was canceled and the units were sold to Cubana; three built, first delivered in May 1956. ;Type 756 :Production variant for Trans Australia Airlines with Dart 510 engines, 44 seats and slipper tanks, seven built, first delivered in June 1956. ;Type 757 :Production variant for

similar to the Type 724 but with upgraded 1,600 hp (1,120 kW) Dart 510 engines, 35 built, first delivered in March 1956. ;Type 759 :Production variant ordered by Hunting Clan with Dart 510 engines, 40 or 44 seats and slipper tanks, two built delivered to

Icelandair Icelandair is the flag carrier of Iceland. Linked from here It is part of the Icelandair Group and operates to destinations on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean from its main airline hub, hub at Keflavík International Airport. Its smaller dom ...

from November 1956. ;Type 760 :Production variant for

Hong Kong Airlines Hong Kong Airlines Limited (HKA), operating as Hong Kong Airlines (), is an airline based in Hong Kong, with its headquarters in the Tung Chung district and its main hub at Hong Kong International Airport. It was established in 2006 as a m ...

with Dart 510 engines, 40 or 44 seats and slipper tanks, two built, first delivered in January 1957. ;Type 761 :Production variant for Union of Burma Airlines with Dart 510 engines and 48 seats, three built, first delivered in July 1957. ;Type 762 :Design for an executive variant with Dart 510s, not built. ;Type 763 :Production variant for

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American Aerospace engineering, aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, and investor. He was The World's Billionaires, one of the richest and most influential peo ...

with Dart 510 engines and 48 seats, one built, delivered to TACA Airlines in October 1958. ;Type 764 :Production variant for the

United States Steel Corporation The United States Steel Corporation is an American steel company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It maintains production facilities at several additional locations in the U.S. and Central Europe. The company produces and sells steel products, ...

with Dart 510 engines, VIP interior and both slipper tanks and a 450 gallon belly tank, three built; first delivered in December 1956. ;Type 765 :Production variant for the

Standard Oil Standard Oil Company was a Trust (business), corporate trust in the petroleum industry that existed from 1882 to 1911. The origins of the trust lay in the operations of the Standard Oil of Ohio, Standard Oil Company (Ohio), which had been founde ...

(ESSO) Corporation similar to the Type 764. One built, delivered in 1957. ;Type 767 :Production variant for Aden Airways with Dart 510s, not built. ;Type 768 :Production variant for the Indian Airlines Corporation with Dart 510s and 44 seats, ten built, first delivered in August 1957. ;Type 769 :Production variant for PLUNA with Dart 510s, 48 seats and slipper tanks, three built, first delivered in May 1958. ;Type 770 :Basic design for the Type 700D for the United States, not built. ;Type 771 :Basic design standard based on the 745, not built. ;Type 772 :Production variant for British West Indian Airways (BWIA) with Dart 506 engines and 48 seats, four built, first delivered in October 1957. ;Type 773 : Viscount Vickers Baghdad Airport 1958

Production variant for Iraqi Airways with Dart 506 engines and 48 seats, one built, delivered in November 1957. ;Type 774 :Production variant for Saudi Arabia with Dart 510s, not built. ;Type 775 :Production variant for Yugoslavia with Dart 510s, not built. ;Type 776 :Production variant for Kuwait Airlines with Dart 510s, one converted from a Type 745 in 1958. ;Type 777 :Basic design with Dart 510s, not built. ;Type 778 :Production variant with Dart 510s for Chile, not built. ;Type 779 :Production variant for Fred Olsen with Dart 510 engines and 48-seats, four built, first delivered in April 1957. ;Type 780 :Basic design standard for with Dart 510s and VIP interior, not built. ;Type 781 :Production variant for

South African Air Force The South African Air Force (SAAF) is the air warfare branch of South African National Defence Force, with its headquarters in Pretoria. The South African Air Force was established on 1 February 1920. The Air Force saw service in World War II a ...

with Dart 510 engines, a VIP interior and slipper tanks, one built, delivered in June 1958. ;Type 782 :Production variant for Iranian Airways with Dart 510s and 48 seats, three built with the first delivery in March 1958. Were convertible to VIP interior for the Shah of Persia. ;Type 783 :Production variant for LAC with Dart 510s, not built. ;Type 784 :Production variant for Philippine Air Lines with Dart 510s, 48 seats and slipper tanks, three built, first delivered in May 1957. ;Type 785 :Production variant for LAI-Alitalia with Dart 510s and 48 seats, three built, first delivered in March 1957. ;Type 786 :Production variant for Lloyd Aereo Colombiano with Dart 510 engines, 48 seats and both slipper and belly tanks, three built, first delivered in August 1957. ;Type 787 :Production variant for Iraqi Airways with Dart 510 engines, not built. ;Type 788 :Production variant for Syrian Airways with Dart 510 engines, not built. ;Type 789 :Production variant for the Brazilian Air Force with Dart 510 engines, slipper and belly tanks, and VIP interior. One was built; delivered in December 1957. ;Type 790 :Basic design for local service variant with Dart 506 engines, not built. ;Type 791 :Production variant for

AVIANCA Avianca S.A. (acronym in Spanish for ''Aerovias de Colombia S.A.'', "Airways of Colombia", and stylized as avianca since October 2023) is the largest airline in Colombia. It has been the flag carrier of Colombia since December 5, 1919, when it ...

with Dart 506 engines, not built. ;Type 792 :Production variant for Pakistan with Dart 506 engines and VIP interior, not built. ;Type 793 :Production variant for the

Royal Bank of Canada Royal Bank of Canada (RBC; ) is a Canadian multinational Financial institution, financial services company and the Big Five (banks), largest bank in Canada by market capitalization. The bank serves over 20 million clients and has more than ...

with Dart 510 engines and a VIP interior, one built. ;Type 794 :Production variant for THY (Turkish Airlines) with Dart 510s and 48 seats, four built, first delivered in January 1958. ;Type 795 :Production variant for

Trans World Airlines Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1930 until it was acquired by American Airlines in 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles ...

(TWA) with Dart 510 engines, not built. ;Type 796 :Production variant for Turkish Air Force with Dart 510 engines and VIP interior, not built. ;Type 797 :Production variant for Canadian Department of Transportation with Dart 510 engines, one built, delivered in March 1958. ;Type 798 :Production variant for Northeast Airlines with Dart 510s, eight built.

Viscount 800

Improved variant with the fuselage extended by 3 ft 10 in (1.2 m), 67 built ;Type 800 :Basic design, not built. ;Type 801 :Production variant for

with Dart 510s, changed to Dart 520s as Type 802. ;Type 802 :First production variant of the 800 series for British European Airways with Dart 510 engines and either 53 or 57 seats, 24 built, first delivered in February 1957. ;Type 803 :Production variant for KLM with Dart 510 engine and 53 seats, nine built, first delivered in June 1957. ;Type 804 :Production variant for

Transair (Canada) Transair was an airline based in Canada. It was purchased by Pacific Western Airlines in 1979. Transair's operational headquarters was located at the Winnipeg International Airport in Manitoba. History Transair had its origins as Central No ...

with Dart 510 engines and 65 seats, three built, first delivered in September 1957. ;Type 805 :Production variant for Eagle Airways with Dart 510 engines and 70 seats, two built, first delivered in December 1957. ;Type 806 :Production variant for British European Airways with Dart 520 engines and 58 seats, 19 built, first delivered in March 1958. Nine aircraft were later converted to Type 802 when the Dart 520s were changed for Dart 510s so the 520s could be used in the airline's Argosy freighters. ;Type 807 :Production variant for the New Zealand National Airways Corporation with Dart 510 engines and 60 seats, four built, first delivered in December 1957. ;Type 808 :Production variant for

with Dart 510 engines and 70 seats, six built, first delivered in May 1957. ;Type 809 :Production variant for Greece, not built.

Viscount 810

Improved longer-range variant with 1,991 hp (1,485 kW) Dart 525 engines, 84 built ;Type 810 :Prototype for the improved 810 series with Dart 525 engines and a 52-seat interior with an additional four-seat rear lounge, one built and first flown on 23 December 1957. ;Type 811 :Production variant for Capital Airlines with Dart 525 engines, not built. ;Type 812 :Production variant for

Continental Airlines Continental Airlines (simply known as Continental) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1934 until it merged with United Airlines in 2012. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers. Continen ...

with Dart 525 engines, 52 seats with an additional four-seat rear lounge and integral

airstair An airstair is a set of steps built into an aircraft so that passengers may board and alight the aircraft. The stairs are often built into a clamshell-style door on the aircraft. Airstairs eliminate the need for passengers to use a Ground s ...

, 15 built, first delivered in May 1958. ;Type 813 :Production variant for

South African Airways South African Airways (SAA) is the flag carrier of South Africa. Founded in 1929 as Union Airways it later rebranded to South African Airways in 1934, the airline is headquartered in Airways Park at O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannes ...

with Dart 525 engines (later changed to Dart 530s), 56 seats and four-seat rear lounge, seven built, first delivered in October 1958. ;Type 814 :Production variant for

Lufthansa Deutsche Lufthansa AG (), trading as the Lufthansa Group, is a German aviation group. Its major and founding subsidiary airline Lufthansa German Airlines, branded as Lufthansa, is the flag carrier of Germany. It ranks List of largest airlin ...

with Dart 525 engines and 64 seats, eleven built, first delivered in October 1958. ;Type 815 :Production variant for

Pakistan International Airlines Pakistan International Airlines, commonly known as PIA, is the flag carrier of Pakistan. With its primary hub at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, the airline also operates from its secondary hubs at Allama Iqbal International Airport ...

with Dart 525 engines and 51 seats, five built, first delivered in January 1959. ;Type 816 :Production variant for Trans Australia Airlines with Dart 525 engines and 56 seats, two built, first delivered in March 1959. ;Type 817 :Production variant for AVENSA with Dart 525 engines, not built. ;Type 818 :Production variant for Cubana with Dart 525 engines and 52 seats, four built, first delivered in October 1958. ;Type 819 :Production variant for Aviacon with Dart 525 engines, not built. ;Type 820 :Production variant for

American Airlines American Airlines, Inc. is a major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the ...

with Dart 525 engines, not built. ;Type 821 :Production variant for Eagle with Dart 525 engines, not built. ;Type 822 :Production variant for LAV with Dart 525 engines, not built. ;Type 823 :Production variant for California Eastern with Dart 525 engines, not built. ;Type 824 :Production variant for LAI Dart 525 engines, not built. ;Type 825 :Production variant for Black Lion Aviation with Dart 525 engines, not built. ;Type 826 :Production variant for Agile Azur with Dart 525 engines, not built. ;Type 827 :Production variant for VASP with Dart 525 engines and 56 seats including four-seat rear lounge, six built, first delivered in October 1958. ;Type 828 :Production variant for

All Nippon Airways (ANA) is a Japanese airline headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. ANA operates services to both domestic and international destinations and is Japan's largest airline, ahead of its main rival flag carrier Japan Airlines. the airline has approximate ...

(ANA) with Dart 525 engines and 60 seats, nine built, first delivered in July 1961. Unusual for the time they had television sets mounted on hat-racks for in-flight viewing. ;Type 829 :Production variant for TAP with Dart 525 engines, not built. ;Type 830 :Proposed large-fuselage variant for American Airlines with Dart 525 engines, not built. ;Type 831 :Production variant for Airwork and Sudan Airways with Dart 525 engines and 60 seats, three built, first delivered in July 1961. ;Type 832 :Production variant for Ansett-ANA with Dart 525 engines and 56 seats including a four-seat rear lounge, four built, first delivered in March 1959. ;Type 833 :Production variant for Hunting Clan with Dart 530 engines, three built, first delivered in June 1959. ;Type 834 :Production variant for

LOT Polish Airlines LOT Polish Airlines, legally Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A. (, ''flight''), is the flag carrier of Poland. A founding member of IATA, it is one of the world's oldest airlines. With a fleet of 87 aircraft as of June 2025, LOT is Europe's 16th ...

with Dart 525 engines, not built. ;Type 835 :Conversion of a not-delivered Type 818 originally for Cubana, delivered in September 1959 for the Tennessee Gas Transmission Corporation. ;Type 836 :Conversion of a not-delivered Type 816 originally for Trans Australia Airlines, delivered in May 1960 to Union Carbide. ;Type 837 :Production variant for

Austrian Airlines Austrian Airlines AG, often shortened to Austrian or AUA, is the flag carrier of Austria and a subsidiary of Lufthansa, the flag carrier of Germany. The airline is headquartered on the grounds of Vienna International Airport in Schwechat where i ...

with Dart 525 engines and either 56 seats (mixed-class) or 66 seats (tourist-class) and a four-seat rear lounge, six built, first delivered in August 1960. ;Type 838 :Production variant for Ghana Airways with Dart 525 engines and 60 seats, three built, first delivered in June 1961. ;Type 839 :Production variant for the Iranian Government with VIP interior, one delivered in February 1960. ;Type 840 :Basic design with Dart 541s, not built. ;Type 841 :Production variant for British European Airways with Dart 541s, not built. ;Type 842 :Production variant for Iraqi Airways with Dart 541s, not built. ;Type 843 :Production variant for CAAC with Dart 525 engines and 52 seats, six built, first delivered in October 1963. The last delivery and the last Viscount to be delivered in April 1964. ;Type 845 :Production variant for Pakistan International with Dart 525s, not built.

Proposals

;Type 850 :Viscount Major project, not built. ;Type 870 :Improved second-generation variant, developed as the Vickers Vanguard.

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. ''Vickers Aircraft since 1908''. London: Putnam, Second Edition, 1988. * Eastwood, Tony. and Roach, John ''Turbo Prop Airliner Production List''. West Drayton, UK: Aviation Hobby Shop, 1990. * Jackson, A.J. ''British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972, Volume III''. London: Putnam, Third Edition, 1974. * Turner, P. St.John. ''Handbook of the Vickers Viscount''. London: Ian Allan, 1968. {{ISBN, 978-0-7110-0052-0 Lists of aircraft variants Vickers aircraft