VP-TAT Vickers
657 Viking 1
(c/n 119)
In 1948 BWIA
purchased five Vickers Vikings from British European Airways (later
augmented
by three more). VP-TAT was the
first and is seen here in its original all metal with light blue
trim.
Both are Vickers publicity shots, the
one above from the Austin Brown collection and the lower
from my own.
The registration was also in light blue outlined in black (just forward
of the door)
and hence is difficult to discern
against the natural metal finish. This aircraft
was later named
"Trinidad"
although that appears not have been applied when these photos were taken
. VP-TAT returned to the
U.K. in 1957 and was
registered back to
its original G-AHOP. After
several
charter owners it was broken
up in 1962 at Hurn-Bournemouth.