Vickers Viscount 800
Vickers-Armstrongs · United Kingdom · first flew 1956 · airliner
The Vickers Viscount Type 800 is the stretched, higher-capacity development of the 700, seating up to 65 passengers through a 1.37 m forward fuselage plug, powered by uprated Dart turboprops.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × turboprop, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Fuselage stretched 1.37 m ahead of the wing versus the 700, seating up to 65 passengers |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Fuselage stretched 1.37 m ahead of the wing versus the 700, seating up to 65 passengers
- Four Rolls-Royce Dart 520/525 turboprops — more powerful marks than on the 700-series
- Twelve large oval windows per side betray the longer cabin; same low tapered wing and conventional tail as the 700
Longer fuselage than the 700 is the key — count twelve oval windows per side versus nine on the 700. The wing, tail and engine layout are identical, so window count and overall fuselage proportion are the only reliable field marks.
Specifications
- The Vickers Viscount 800 has a length of 26.11 m (86 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 28.56 m (94 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 566 km/h (352 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
BEA required higher capacity as passenger numbers grew through the late 1950s, prompting Vickers to develop the Type 800 with a longer fuselage and more powerful Darts. The first 802 flew on 27 July 1956 and entered BEA service in 1957. Further stretched studies were dropped, making the 800 the definitive and most numerous Viscount variant.
Variants
Types 802 through 838 covered various customer specifications and Dart marks, with the Type 810 offering the most powerful Dart 525 engines. BEA's fleet was predominantly 802/806/812 aircraft.
Where you'll see it
BEA operated the 806/812 as its principal Viscount, and British Airways inherited the fleet, flying 800-series Viscounts until 1982. The preserved Viscount 806 at Brooklands and 701 at Duxford both represent the family in UK museum collections.
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- Vickers Valiant
- Vickers VC10
- Vickers Viscount 700
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- Boeing 707
- Boeing 707-120
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