Bob O’Brien tells the story of the Vickers Viscounts serving with KLM – the first airline in mainland Europe to operate the 800 series version.
The Vickers Viscount was an outstanding success, its groundbreaking turboprop engine afforded greater speed over piston engined aircraft while its smoothness in flight and large windows proved popular with passengers.
The prototype Viscount, G-AHRF, first flew on July 16, 1948 with Vickers-Armstrongs’ Chief Test Pilot Joseph ‘Mutt’ Summers at the controls. The type gained a restricted UK Certificate of Airworthiness in September 1949 and its full certificate in July 1950.
The first Viscount on sale was the 40 to 48-passenger 700 series, which attracted orders from BEA, Aer Lingus and Air France. Work soon commenced on the 800 series, which had a potential capacity of more than 70 passengers. These larger Viscounts were powered by four Rolls-Royce Dart 510 engines and had a fuel capacity of 1,940 imp gal (8,910 lit).
With sales and production rising, the ambitious Vickers-Armstrong sent a 700 series Viscount on a sales tour of major European cities – including Amsterdam, the home of KLM.
The Dutch company had already felt the impact of the aircraft on the London-…
