The Vickers Viscount: The World's First Commercial Turboprop.
The Vickers Viscount was introduced into commercial service with British European Airways in 1955. This British medium-range production aircraft became the first commercial turboprop aircraft to conduct passenger operations.
The Vickers Viscount's considerable commercial success was underlined by the fact that it was one of the few types from Britain to sell well in North America.
The firm's chief designer, Rex Pierson, sparked the idea in December 1944. It was described as a short to medium-range transport backed by the then-breaking-through turboprop engine. Before this, propeller aircraft were generally driven by piston engines.
Rex Pierson eventually submitted his proposal to the United Kingdom's Ministry of Aircraft Production in 1945, which was accepted with the extra requirement of a pressurized fuselage.
Following its introduction, the type was an instant hit, as airlines and passengers appreciated the cabin conditions, including revolutionary pressurization and decreased vibration and noise.
Passengers also enjoyed the new panoramic windows, and overall, the plane became one of the most successful models in post-war commercial aviation.
The first production Vickers Viscount flew in August 1952, entering full passenger service on 18th April 1953. The last Vickers Viscount variant had a capacity for 75 passengers, a range of 2220km, a service ceiling of 7600 meters, and a max speed of 566km/h.
Even airlines emerging in later decades put the plane to good use. For instance, Virgin Atlantic deployed the type from Maastricht in the Netherlands to London Gatwick, with these services intended to act as feeder flights. The last block of six Vickers Viscounts built went to the Chinese CAAC Airlines, which arrived in 1964.
The final airworthy Viscount hit the skies in January 2009 for the Democratic Republic of the Congo-based Global Airways.
Despite the Vickers Viscount's impressive sales and advanced technology for the time, its safety record was far from perfect. 144 Viscounts were involved in hull loss incidents, representing almost a third of the total fleet.
The Viscount is remembered, on the whole, as a successful aircraft with a strong legacy. Turboprops still play an important role in aviation today, and the Vickers Viscount helped to spark the fire.