VISCOUNT Vanity

[aerofoto]

NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL AIRWAYS CORPORATION/NZNAC acquired acquired a fleet of 5 VISCOUNT 807's between January 1958 and February 1967.

4 of these aircraft were custom-built for NZNAC at the VICKERS production facility located at Wisely, Surrey, in the UK and as follows ....


ZK-BRD (C/N # 281) "City Of Wellington" .... delivered to the airline during January 1958.

ZK-BRE (C/N # 282) "City Of Auckland" .... delivered to the airline during February 1959.

ZK-BRF (C/N # 283) "City Of Christchurch" .... delivered to the airline during March 1959.

ZK-BWO (C/N # 428) "City Of Dunedin" .... delivered to the airline during May 1961.


During November 1966 a 5th aircraft was acquired by NZNAC .... from LOT POLISH AIRLINES (SP-LVC) .... and was delivered to the airline during February 1967 as ZK-NAI (C/N # 248) "City Of Palmerston North".

Throughout their 17 years of service to NZNAC these aircraft operated NZ trunk/domestic routes daily and around the clock .... and during this period supported 3 variations of the airlines red/white/natural metal livery ....


VISCOUNT 807 NZ NATIONAL AIRWAYS CORPORATION ZK-BRE " City Of Auckland" (1959)




VISCOUNT 807 NZ NATIONAL AIRWAYS CORPORATION ZK-BRE " City Of Auckland" (1965)




VISCOUNT 807 NZ NATIONAL AIRWAYS CORPORATION ZK-BRE " City Of Auckland" (1970)





During the late 1950's and early 1960's NZNAC service were also still being operated by DC-3 aircraft .... and supplemented by F27-100's which were acquired from 1960 .... followed by F27-500's from 1973 (a BN 2A-26 ISLANDER .... ZK-MCD .... was also leased from MOUNT COOK AIRLINES and operated with the airline from 1976 until 1977) .... whilst B737-200's also began entering service with NZNAC from 1968.

The last of the airlines VISCOUNT's remained in service until 1975. Only 1 of these aircraft remains in existence today .... ZK-BRF .... and which was presented to the Ferrymead Heritage Park Museum, in Christchurch, NZ, where it's been undergoing slow and donation restoration ever since.

Beyond this single donated aircraft .... almost 10 years were to pass before another VISCOUNT was to be seen active within NZ.

During the early 1980's SKYBUS was formed .... as a travel club .... under the banner of the AQUA AVIA SOCIETY and which intended to exploit a loop hole within NZ civil aviation law, which it believed, allowed it to operate under the license of an aero club and with the intention of providing cheap air services to its membership .... essentially challenging the might/monopoly of AIR NZ (and MOUNT COOK AIRLINES) on domestic routes within NZ .... along with international services that were also being contemplated at the time of the airlines formation. Initial plans focused on DC-8-50's (though the company probably couldn't have selected a worse aircraft for fuel economy) .... BUT .... ultimately evolved into a single VISCOUNT 802 (ZK-SKY) which was leased from BRITISH AIR FERRIES ....

The NZ government of the day did everything within it's power to damage, and/or otherwise frustrate, the establishment of this competition .... since AIR NZ was still a state owned enterprise at the time. In fact I personally, and very vividly, recall the NZ Civil Aviation & Transport Minister of the era publicly declaring, during a radio interview, that the VISCOUNT was "very old and people should think twice before flying on it" .... yet .... civil VISCOUNT operations were still common within the UK, at this time, and this particular aircraft had already passed its engineering survey and crew route training route familiarization to the satisfaction of the NZCAD prior to being accepted on the NZ civil air register.

As things came to pass .... SKYBUS existed for "a week only" during 1981 .... performing nothing more that what became a tour of NZ major cities (for the lucky ones among its growing national membership, but which, for legal reasons had to be operated as FOC services prior to the companies scheduled inaugural service date) .... until the company discovered that the NZ government had suddenly moved to close the legal loop hole which had allowed it to come into existence and effectively stopped it from operating at all.


SKYBUS/AQUA AVIA SOCIETY NZ VISCOUNT 80 ZK-SKY





A 2nd VISCOUNT 802 was also being prepared by BRITISH AIR FERRIES within the UK and for delivery to SKYBUS .... but .... despite supporting the airlines livery it ultimately never made the long delivery flight to NZ prior the airline/aero club being forced to cease operations.

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[sjimc2000]

Now that was a really interesting read Mark ,, brings back heaps of memories.

Aaaahh "the good old days" eh ??

Thanks Mark ,,, Jim

[aerofoto]

Thanks "SJIMC2000" :0

There's a few of us still around that remember those days .... and have somehow stumbled into FS too .... BUT .... we're few'n'far between (those of us whom were there and saw everything unfolding before or eyes) and "Die Hards" me thinks

I should have posted he following file information in support of my above presentation ....

Anyone interested in the CBFS released VISCOUNT packages (part of which form the foundation of my above presentation) should refer to the following FS.COM hosted information ....

FS2004 (ACOF) - FS2004 Turboprops

FS2004 Vickers Viscount 700

Name: vcv700_fs9.zip
Size: 59,897,110 Date: 10-04-2012

FS2004 Vickers Viscount 700 Panel v6.1. Completely revised and updated, the package contains two instrument panels representing the earlier and Americanised layouts. The panels now feature new high resolution gauges and panel bitmaps and additional IFR panel view, The panels and aircraft systems are fully authentic, with performance of Dart 6 510 engines replicated. This latest version is a complete aircraft package inclusive of Rick Piper's FSDS model, with new cockpit sounds, new engine sounds, revised flight dynamics and texture sets for BEA, BUA, BKS, British Midland, Cambrian, Eagle Airways, Guernsey Airlines, Intra, Starways, Capital Airlines and Trans Canada Airlines. Full documentation including operating manual checklists and onboard reference material included. Model by kind courtesy of Rick Piper, textures by Rick Piper and Garry Russell, panels, gauges and sounds by Fraser McKay.


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FSX - FSX Turboprops

FSX Vickers Viscount 700


Name: vcv700_fsx.zip
Size: 55,261,340 Date: 10-04-2012

FSX Vickers Viscount 700 Panel v6.1. This is an FS2004 project, modified for FSX with the usual portover caveats. Completely revised and updated, the package contains two instrument panels representing the earlier and Americanised layouts. The panels now feature new high resolution gauges and panel bitmaps and additional IFR panel view. The panels and aircraft systems are fully authentic, with performance of Dart 6 510 engines replicated. This latest version is a complete aircraft package inclusive of Rick Piper's FSDS model, with new cockpit sounds, new engine sounds, revised flight dynamics and texture sets for BEA, BUA, BKS, British Midland, Cambrian, Eagle Airways, Guernsey Airlines, Intra, Starways, Capital Airlines and Trans Canada Airlines. Full documentation including operating manual checklists and onboard reference material included. Model by kind courtesy of Rick Piper, textures by Rick Piper and Garry Russell, panels, gauges and sounds by Fraser McKay.


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FS2004 (ACOF) - FS2004 Turboprops

FS2004 Vickers Viscount 800

Name: vcv800_fs9.zip
Size: 83,054,785 Date: 10-04-2012

FS2004 Vickers Viscount 800 Panel v6.1. Completely revised and updated, the package contains five instrument panels representing the seven 800 series types built. The panels now feature new high resolution gauges and panel bitmaps and additional IFR panel view. The panels and aircraft systems are fully authentic, with performance of Dart 6 510 engines replicated. This latest version is a complete aircraft package inclusive of Rick Piper's FSDS model, with new cockpit sounds, new engine sounds, revised flight dynamics and texture sets for Aer Lingus, BEA, British Airways, British Air Ferries, BKS, Northeast, Cambrian, BUA, Eagle Airways, Gibair and Air Bridge Carriers. Full documentation including operating manual checklists and onboard reference material included. Model by kind courtesy of Rick Piper, textures by Rick Piper, Garry Russell and Fraser McKay, panels, gauges and sounds by Fraser McKay.


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FSX - FSX Turboprops

FSX Vickers Viscount 800

Name: vcv800_fsx.zip
Size: 76,969,638 Date: 10-04-2012

FSX Vickers Viscount 800 Panel v6.1. This is an FS2004 project, modified for FSX with the usual portover caveats. Completely revised and updated, the package contains five instrument panels representing the seven 800 series types built. The panels now feature new high resolution gauges and panel bitmaps and additional IFR panel view. The panels and aircraft systems are fully authentic, with performance of Dart 6 510 engines replicated. This latest version is a complete aircraft package inclusive of Rick Piper's FSDS model, with new cockpit sounds, new engine sounds, revised flight dynamics and texture sets for Aer Lingus, BEA, British Airways, British Air Ferries, BKS, Northeast, Cambrian, BUA, Eagle Airways, Gibair and Air Bridge Carriers. Full documentation including operating manual checklists and onboard reference material included. Model by kind courtesy of Rick Piper, textures by Rick Piper, Garry Russell and Fraser McKay, panels, gauges and sounds by Fraser McKay.


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FS2004 (ACOF) - FS2004 Turboprops

FS2004 Vickers Viscount 810


Name: vcv810_fs9.zip
Size: 96,227,237 Date: 10-04-2012


FS2004 Vickers Viscount 810 Panel v6.1. Completely revised and updated, the package contains seven instrument panels representing the Viscount 810 series, types 812 through 843. The panels now feature new high resolution gauges and panel bitmaps and additional IFR panel view. The panels and aircraft systems are fully authentic, with performance of Dart 7 525/530 engines replicated. This latest version is a complete aircraft package inclusive of Rick Piper's FSDS model, with new cockpit sounds, new engine sounds, revised flight dynamics and texture sets for Alidair, Airwork, Ansett, British Midland, British Air Ferries, Baltic Airlines, Hot Air, British World, BUA, Channel Airways, Hunting-Clan, Manx Airlines, Dan-Air, Lufthansa SAA, Continental Airlines, Cubana, TAA, Sudan Airways, PLUNA and Bouraq. Full documentation including operating manual checklists and onboard reference material included. Model by kind courtesy of Rick Piper, textures by Rick Piper Garry Russell and Fraser McKay, panels, gauges and sounds by Fraser McKay.


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FSX - FSX Turboprops

FSX Vickers Viscount 810


Name: vcv810_fsx.zip
Size: 89,694,005 Date: 10-04-2012

FSX Vickers Viscount 810 Panel v6.1. This is an FS2004 project, modified for FSX with the usual portover caveats. Completely revised and updated, the package contains seven instrument panels representing the Viscount 810 series, types 812 through 843. The panels now feature new high resolution gauges and panel bitmaps and additional IFR panel view. The panels and aircraft systems are fully authentic, with performance of Dart 7 525/530 engines replicated. This latest version is a complete aircraft package inclusive of Rick Piper's FSDS model, with new cockpit sounds, new engine sounds, revised flight dynamics and texture sets for Alidair, Airwork, Ansett, British Midland, British Air Ferries, Baltic Airlines, Hot Air, British World, BUA, Channel Airways, Hunting-Clan, Manx Airlines, Dan-Air, Lufthansa SAA, Continental Airlines, Cubana, TAA, Sudan Airways, PLUNA and Bouraq. Full documentation including operating manual checklists and onboard reference material included. Model by kind courtesy of Rick Piper, textures by Rick Piper Garry Russell and Fraser McKay, panels, gauges and sounds by Fraser McKay.

PLEASE NOTE .... Separate FS2004 and FSX specific VISCOUNT 700, -800, and 810 packages are provided as indicate above.

Each package contains .... Model/s (multiple variations), Panels/Gauges (multiple variations, a RR DART sound pack (not my recently edited version which I can't distribute without authorization anyway), a selection of Textures, and the FDE.

An extensive assortment of other VISCOUNT textures/liveries from around the world are also available from FS.COM .... it's recommended that searches for these be undertaken as follows ....


VISCOUNT GARRY RUSSELL

or

VISCOUNT RUSSELL


PLEASE NOTE ALSO .... Each of the many panel versions which support these packages are "different" (VISCOUNT flight decks were customized in accordance with many of the operators with whom it flew .... resulting in significant variation in terms of layout and instrument standard) .... getting to learn each different layout is half the fun/challenge of learning to fly these well featured panels/simulations.


PLEASE NOTE ADDITIONALLY .... Whilst these 3D model don't represent the test in FS technology they're still a pleasure to fly .... and as such are well worth taking the time to becoming acquainted with

Mark C
AKL/NZ