ADF-SERIALS
Australian, New
Zealand and Papua New
Guinea Military
Aircraft Serials & History
RAAF A82 Vickers Viking C.2
The Vickers VC.1 Viking was a British twin-engine short-range airliner derived from the Vickers Wellington bomber and built by Vickers-Armstrongs Limited at Brooklands near Weybridge in Surrey. Although the original contract referred to “Wellington Transport Aircraft”, on completion, the name Viking was chosen. Other military developments of the Viking were the Vickers Valetta and the Vickers Varsity.
The Ministry of Aircraft Production ordered three prototype Wellington Transport Aircraft to Air Ministry Specification 17/44 from Vickers-Armstrongs Limited. The specification was for a peacetime requirement for a short-medium haul passenger aircraft. To speed development the aircraft used the wing and undercarriage design from the Wellington, but the fuselage was new.
A single RAF Vickers Viking C.2 aircraft was loaned to the RAAF from November 1947 to October 1951and in RAAF service the aircraft was operated with both its RAF and RAAF serials displayed. This Viking made its first flight on 18 August 1947, was delivered to the RAF with serial VL231, allotted to 2 Communications Squadron on 21 October 1947 before being delivered to ARDU on 14 November 1947.
The aircraft was damaged at 11:05 hrs on 17 November 1947 whilst taxiing downwind to take off in gusty wind conditions resulting in the aircraft standing on its nose. Following repairs, the aircraft was issued to 2 Communications Squadron. It suffered another mishap on 27 October 1948 when a faulty oil pressure transmitter was causing large drops in oil pressure indications leading to an aborted landing at Mallala aerodrome.
On 25 February 1949 the port tailplane leading edge damaged and fuselage skin punctured by oil drip tray flung up by slipstream. Both engines were also damaged and repaired. In early 1950, and after a 500 hour overhaul at 1 AD the aircraft joined 34 squadron and an had a chequered year with numerous unserviceability’s including propeller blade damaged caused by a mobile refuelling tanker during refuelling operations on 7 August 1951.
Overall, the aircraft flew some 814 hours during its service operating from primarily from Woomera and Edinburgh in South Australia until returned to the RAF on 18 October 1951.
The aircraft continued to have an eventful carer and it was taken back on charge by the UK Ministry of Procurement on 8 April 1952 and operated by the Empire Test Pilots School at Farnborough. The aircraft crashed in Chilbolton on 15 August 1952, was repaired and operated until 13 May 1955. It was then sold to Field Aircraft Services Ltd and registered G-AOCH. It passed through many other owners and identities including Dragon Airways and Flugzeugeigner-Gesellschaft Seibert, at Sachsenberg Conle, Germany and operated by LTU (Luft Transport Union) as D-AMOR. In 1957 the registration D-BONA was assigned, however, this was mistakenly placed on Vickers Viking c/n 223 (D-ABIR) resulting in it being re-registered as D-BABY. In December 1960 Kurt Conle was registered as the new owner. During 1963 it was bought by Air Ferry and returned to the UK, and issued the temporary registration of G-14, before reverting to G-AOCH,and then passed to Invicta International Airways Ltd in 1966. On 3 July 1968 Certificate of Airworthiness expired and it was finally pulled from the market and broken up for scrap at Manston, UK in early 1969.
| RAAF Serial | RAF Serial | C/N | Airframe History |
| A82-1 | VL231 | 150 | 05/08/1947
Allotted serial VL231 19/08/1947 First Flight, Fitted with Hercules 634 engines H123008 & H123005, 05/09/1947 Delivered to RAF as VL231, 21/10/1947 Allotted to 2 Communications Squadron ex ARDU, 14/11/1947 Received ARDU ex UK, 17/11/1947 Damaged at 11:05 hrs whilst taxiing downwind to take off in gusty wind conditions, a/c stood on nose. Caught by gust of wind under tailplane, 18/12/1947 Issued to 2 Communications Squadron ex ARDU, 10/02/1948 Received by 2 Communications Squadron ex ARDU. 20/02/1948 Allotment cancelled. DAP to carry out repairs and reassembly of damaged components at Mallala. 27/10/1948 Aborted landing at Mallala aerodrome. A faulty oil pressure transmitter was causing large drops in oil pressure indications, 25/02/1949 Port tailplane leading edge damaged and fuselage skin punctured by oil drip tray flung up by slipstream. Damaged port and starboard engines (Repaired), 07/03/1950 Allotted 1AD ex 34 Sqn for modification and 500 hourly service, 16/03/1950 Issued to 1 AD ex 34 Sqn, 10/05/1950 Received 1 AD ex 34 Sqn, 25/05/1950 Allotted 1 AD ex 34 Sqn 01/08/1950 Issued to 34 Sqn ex 1 AD, 03/08/1950 Received 34 Sqn ex 1 AD 22/02/1951 Unserviceable 34 Sqn awaiting spares, 01/03/1951 In service 34 Sqn, 10/05/1951 Unserviceable 34 Sqn, repairs, 17/05/1951 In service 34 Sqn, 19/07/1951 Unserviceable, minor repairs, 24/07/1951 02/08/1951 In service 34 Sqn, 07/08/1951 Blade damaged by mobile refuelling tanker during refuelling operations. Aircraft repairable but beyond unit capacity. Remainder of aircraft undamaged. 09/08/1951 Unserviceable awaiting spares 34 Sqn, 18/10/1951 returned to UK ex 34 Sqn. 08/04/1952 Taken back on charge by the Ministry of Procurement as VL231 and operated by the Empire Test Pilots School at Farnborough. 15/08/1952 Crashed in Chilbolton and repaired. 13/05/1955 Sold to Field Aircraft Services Ltd and registered G-AOCH, 02/06/1956 Field Aircraft Services Ltd ownership cancelled 06/06/1956 Dragon Airways registered as the new owner, Overhauled by BKS Aviation, 11/01/1957 Re-registered D-AMOR, 01/02/1957 G-AOCH Registration cancelled, 13/02/1957 Shipped from Southend to Frankfurt and then on to the new owner Flugzeugeigner-Gesellschaft Seibert, Sachsenberg Conle and operated by LTU (Luft Transport Union), 16/07/1957 The registration marks D-BONA were assigned, however, this was mistakenly placed on Vickers Viking c/n 223 (D-ABIR), 15/03/1957 Re-registered as D-BABY and in December 1960 Kurt Conle was registered as the new owner. 15/08/1963 Bought by Air Ferry and returned to the UK, 30/08/1963 D-BABY cancelled from the German register, 07/10/1963 Issued temporary registration of G-14, before reverting to G-AOCH, ??/04/1966 Passed to Invicta International Airways Ltd., 03/07/1968 Certificate of Airworthiness expired, 03/02/1969 The aircraft was finally pulled from the market and broken up for scrap at Manston, UK.
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