Looking for British West Indies Airways Vikings

[Tony Whittingham]

Hello All,

I’m collecting info on BWIA Vikings, with a Valom kit in hand. Photos of these aircraft show registration in the VP-TA range, with BWIA Aqua cheat lines. I also noticed they don’t have spinners on the propellers.Anyone have information on the model of Viking operated by this airline? 
Any info would be gratefully appreciated.

 

TW

[Scott Garard]

Tony,

 

I found some fleet info:

 

VP-TAT    Vickers 657 Viking 1     c/n 119    1948-1957   "Trinidad"
VP-TAU    Vickers 657 Viking 1    c/n 122    1948-1957   "Antigua"
VP-TAV    Vickers 657 Viking 1    c/n 110    1949-1957   "Jamaica"
VP-TAW    Vickers 657 Viking 1    c/n 111    1948-1957   "Grenada"
VP-TAX    Vickers 657 Viking 1    c/n 112    1948-1954   "Barbados"
VP-TAZ    Vickers 657 Viking 1    c/n 129    1950-1951   "British Honduras"
VP-TBB    Vickers 657 Viking 1    c/n 137    1950-1958   "RMA Bahamas"
VP-TBC    Vickers 657 Viking 1    c/n 138    1950-1951   un-named

 

Sources:

https://rzjets.net/aircraft/?typeid=316

http://aerobernie.bplaced.net/BWIA.html

 

Scott.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 20, 2022 by Scott Garard

[Tony Whittingham]

Thank you, @Scott Garard!

 

[TheyJammedKenny!]

According to a source I have on British civil aviation, VP-TAU, VP-TBB, and VP-TBC were all Viking 1As drawn directly from BEA.  This means they were short-fuselage, with fabric-covered wings.  I have read that the spinners often disintegrated, which is why many airlines chose to remove them in service.

[AMB]

In Scott Henderson's book " The Pictorial History of BOAC and its Associated Airlines, there are two photos on P.74 of BWIA Vikings, VP-TAT, in the early light blue cheatline scheme, which does have propeller spinners. Also  VP-TAX in the later BOAC-type dark blue cheatline that is without spinners.   

Edited May 29, 2022 by AMB