Trans-Canada Airlines was the first airline in North America to use turboprop aircraft. Not long after, many other American passenger airlines discontinued the use of piston-engined aircraft in favour of this new technology.
This British-built aircraft was operated by Trans-Canada Airlines (later Air Canada) and entered into service in April 1955, on scheduled flights between Montreal and Winnipeg.
The turboprop Viscounts were favoured for their speed, quietness and lack of vibration. The fleet of 51 Viscounts were used on all of TCA's short-haul routes. This Viscount is likely intimately familiar with its home, as it operated from TCA's Winnipeg hangar (now the Western Canada Aviation Museum) for many years.
The tail fin is higher than the hangar doors, so in order to move the aircraft in and out of the hangar, the nose wheel had to be jacked up. TCA had a special jack for this purpose. It is on display adjacent to the Viscount. The aircraft on display was delivered to TCA in February 1958 and was used until May 1971. It found its permanent home at the Aviation Museum in 1984.
Specifications
Wingspan: 28.55 m (93' 8")
Length: 24.94 m (81' 10")
Height: 8.46 m (27' 9")
Engines: Four 1,450 hp Rolls Royce Dart 506 Turboprops
Cruise Speed: 507 km/h (315 mph) at 4,267 m (14,000 ft.)
Max. Range: 2,414 km (1,500 miles)
Passengers: 48
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Tales from the sky
These aircraft were adapted to cold-weather operations and as Canada had similar operating regulations to the U.S. in the 1950s, it was seen as a step toward TCA entering a difficult U.S. market.
