Viscount G-AMAV RMA Endeavour, race number 23, at Essendon during a refuelling stop-over on the way home after the October 1953 London to Christchurch Air Race.

This aircraft was the third prototype Viscount, a V.700 (c/n 739099, later changed to 3). Since the Viscount was a joint venture between Vickers and British European Airways (BEA), it was loaned to BEA for the air race. The aircraft was painted in full BEA livery with race number 23 on the fin and a banner on the nose proclaiming "London-New Zealand Air Race". The aircraft was given the name RMA Endeavour, after Captain Cook's ship.

G-AMAV was flown by a BEA crew under Captain W Baillie and managed by Peter (later Sir Peter) Masefield. During the race, the aircraft operated at weights of up to 65,000 lb, some 17,000 lb heavier than its design maximum. The 12,365 miles of the air race was completed in 40 hrs 41 mins flying time at an average speed of 290 mph. This included a non-stop 10 hr 16 minute flight from Cocos Is (in the Indian Ocean) to Melbourne/Essendon.

G-AMAV also set an FAI Class C1/1 speed record from London to Melbourne of 293.6 mph, covered in 35 hrs 47 mins and halving the 71 hr winning time set by De Havilland Comet racer G-ACSS in the 1934 MacRobertson air race.

No doubt this performane went a long way to confirm the wisdom of TAA's order for Viscounts, the first of which was delivered the following year.

(Photo: via Maurice Austin)

See the Tally Room at DCA HQ, Melbourne

Read Fifty Years Ago - 1953

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