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The Vickers Vikings of Trek Airways


ZS-DKH c/n 121
ZS-DKI c/n 124 "Louis Trichardt"
ZS-DNU c/n 118 "Piet Retief"


Trek Airways Vickers 498 Viking 1A
ZS-DNU c/n 118
At Entebbe Airport, Uganda
Circa 1959/60
Photograph: Daphne Posma-Seager


Vickers 498 Viking 1A
Trek Airways Coach Service
ZS-DKI c/n 124
Photograph: Barnd Dienel collection

 

History of Vickers 498 Viking 1A c/n 124

4 October 1946 first flight
11 October 1946 to British European Airways as G-AHOW and named Vanessa
2 February 1948 to Ministry of Civil Aviation
To James Stewart Travel
To G S Sale.
4 August 1950 sold to Trans World Charter
3 December 1951 sold to Crewsair and named African Trader
December 1952 sold to Eagle Aviation
11 January 1953 leased to Airwork
10 March 1953 registered with the military serial XD636 and used for trooping duties
5 November 1954 sold to Trek Airways, South Africa and registered ZS-DKI and named Louis Trichardt
2 April 1955 lost some fabric covering from a wing and made an emergency landing at an airfield near Messina
31 July 1958 sold to African Air Safaris and registered G-AHOW and named Skukuza
26 November 1959 African Air Safaris changed its named to Air Safaris Ltd.
4 May 1962 leased to Eros Airline (UK) Ltd.
6 April 1964 sold to Air Ferry Ltd.
28 October 1966 sold to Invicta
September 1967 withdrawn from service at Manston.
3 February 1969 officially withdrawn from use (wfu)
Scrapped in late 1969

 

 

   
 
 
Vickers Viking VC.1A

ZS-DKH
c/n 121



 
The Vickers VC.1 Viking was a twin-engined short-range airliner derived from the Vickers Wellington bomber. The initial nineteen production aircraft (Mark 1A) carried between 21 and 24 passengers. The fuselage was metal but the geodetic wings and tail planes were fabric covered.
 
The aircraft has two Bristol Hercules 630 engines. These are 14-cylinder two-row, sleeve valve, air-cooled radial engines developing 1,690 hp each.
 
The VC stands for Vickers Commercial, sometimes also called Vickers Civil.

Technical details Vickers VC1A Viking
 
Wingspan
89’ 3”
Length
62’ 10”
Height
19’ 6”
Weight loaded
34,000 lb
Weight empty
18,360 lb
Max speed
263 mph (cruise) at 10,000’
Cruise speed
210 mph recommended cruise
Ceiling
10000’
Range S.A.
1700 miles for 7180 lb* 1920 miles for 5120 lb*
Engines
Bristol Hercules 630
Crew
4
Passengers
21-24
Wing area (gross)
882 square feet
*Max fuel weight
1700 miles, 750 galls @ 210 mph, 1920 galls @ 171 mph.
 
 
Built at the Vickers-Armstrongs factory in Weybridge, England, c/n 121 first took to the air on 30 August 1946, registered as G-AHOT with British European Airways and was used in the 1948 Berlin Airlift. On 26 September 1954 she was sold to Trek Airways, registered ZS-DKH and operated in Protea Airways colours, a second airline of Trek, and for many years, transported hundreds of passengers on leisurely and scenic flights between South Africa and Europe.

One of the last people to fly on the Viking was the American singer Jim Reeves when he toured South Africa in late 1962.

Jim Reeves starred in the film "Kimberley Jim" (first called "Strike It Rich") filmed in South Africa in 1963. It was Jim's only full-length movie.

After 13.881 flying hours ZS-DKH was flown from Rand Airport to the old Baragwanath Airfield, original home of the Johannesburg Light Plane Club, on the 18th of December 1962 and was disassembled and transported by road to Armadale south of Johannesburg, where, in January 1963 she was placed atop the roof of the Caltex Garage owned by Victor Edward de Villiers and known as “Vic’s Viking Garage" where she became a famous, if forlorn, landmark. The garage was previously known as "Vic's Goggomobile Garage".
 
On 5 March 1987, the Viking was replaced by SAAF Avro Shackleton 1723 and donated to the South Africa Airways Museum Society . The Viking’s wings were removed and she was towed to the then Jan Smuts Airport.
 
Here she languished in the harsh African climate becoming a tatty hulk standing not too far from the engine run-up bay at OR Tambo International Airport.

Almost 30 years later she was to be given the attention she deserved.

 


ZS-DKH in Protea Airways livery in her heyday
Photograph: South African Airways Museum Society archives.


Entry in Victor Edward de Villiers's logbook showing the date of ZS-DKH ferry flight from Rand Airport to Baragwanath Airfield, 18 December 1962.


Vickers Viking ZS-DKH just after being hoisted onto the support pillars.
January 1963
The garage was known as "Vic's Goggomobile Garage"
Photograph: Vic de Villiers collection.


Vickers Viking ZS-DKH just after being hoisted onto the support pillars.
January 1963
The garage was known as "Vic's Goggomobile Garage"
Photograph: Vic de Villiers collection.


Vickers Viking ZS-DKH just after being hoisted onto the support pillars.
January 1963
The Caltex garage was known as "Vic's Goggomobile Garage"
Photograph: Vic de Villiers collection.


Vickers Viking ZS-DKH
The garage now named "Vic's Viking Garage"
Photograph: Vic de Villiers collection.


Vickers Viking ZS-DKH
The garage now named "Vic's Viking Garage"
Photograph: Vic de Villiers collection.


Vickers Viking ZS-DKH
The garage now named "Vic's Viking Garage"
Photograph: Vic de Villiers collection.


Vickers Viking ZS-DKH
Note "The Magic Wand" roadside cafe
Photograph: Vic de Villiers collection.


"The Magic Wand" roadside cafe at the Vic's Viking Garage
Photograph: Vic de Villiers collection.


"The Magic Wand" roadside cafe at the Vic's Viking Garage
Photograph: Vic de Villiers collection.


ZS-DKH atop Vic’s Viking garage
Photograph: South African Airways Museum Society archives.


ZS-DKH was swapped for AVRO Shackleton 1723 on 5 March 1987
Photograph: South African Airways Museum Society archives.


SAAF Shackleton 1723 replaces Vickers Viking ZS-DKH
Photograph: South African Airways Museum Society archives.

GPS co-ordinates for SAAF Shackleton 1723 at Vic's Viking Garage
-26.277447, 27.944654
-26° 16' 38.81", +27° 56' 40.75" 


ZS DKH restoration began in earnest.
Photograph: Omer Mees.


Restoration of ZS-DKH got no further than depicted in this photograph taken on 8 January 1994.
Photograph: Omer Mees.

In early 2015, 28 years after her arrival at the then Jan Smuts Airport, there was renewed interest in the forlorn and derelict hulk, standing not too far from the engine run-up bay at OR Tambo International Airport, and preparations began in earnest to relocate her to the museum at Rand Airport. Matt Harvey from SAA Technical took on the project and after almost a year of preparation the aircraft was ready to be relocated by December 2015, although she would have to wait until January 2016 to be finally moved.

During January of 2015 John "Jaws" Austin-Williams met up with John Illsley of Pretoria Boys High School. John expressed an interest in our museum and the preservation tasks we tackle and kindly offered the assistance of the boys from the Aeronautical Society of Pretoria Boys High. The first Viking workday was held on Saturday 14 March with Matt plus John and his boys in attendance.

John reports…

“I had fifteen boys at ORT on Saturday and we managed to remove the two props. However, I don’t think Matt was given the right info about the wing attachment points as I’m convinced there are two huge pins that we didn’t count on and which could not be extracted. It is a nice project and the boys were very excited and useful up to a point. We will probably help again in mid-April at which point I hope we can pull off the wings and stabilizers.”

The Viking’s outer wings were removed on Saturday 18 April 2015. Matt Harvey along with John Illsley and some lads from the Pretoria Boys High Aeronautical Society got the job done. John Illsley sent in the following report:
The Aeronautical Society of Pretoria Boys High returned to the SAA Technical Area on Saturday 18th April to resume battle with the wings of the Vickers Viking. The work force was greatly diminished by the onset of the winter sports season at the school, but the small team just worked twice as hard! While waiting for our crane to be returned from working on a current SAA airliner, we unpacked many of the items that have been stored inside the Viking fuselage, including seats that were from a more recent aircraft as well as the engine cowlings.

When our SAA technical man, Matt Harvey, returned with the crane we then set about removing the wing attachment pins that are located within the engine and undercarriage nacelle and which consist of a threaded and tapered pin that has its own cranking handle. These took a bit of persuading thanks to corrosion, but once removed the wings were suspended briefly on the nylon straps before being gently lowered onto old tyres.

By now well practised, the second wing came off even more quickly. Unfortunately the tool we needed for removing the tail planes was not yet available and so we couldn’t remove these components.

The boys were taken for a walk through hangar eight and seeing the SAA maintenance activity was a big treat. We were again kindly hosted in the SAA Technical social area before heading home. The boys are keen to be part of the actual moving of the aircraft to Rand Airport, but we will have to see if we are invited back!

John and the Boys are most certainly invited back!

On Saturday the 15th of August 2015 the vertical stabiliser, rudder, horizontal stabiliser and elevators were removed. Thanks to Leonie van Schalkwyk and Wynand Myburgh who assisted Matt Harvey.

Sadly Victor Edward de Villiers of “Vic’s Viking Garage” fame passed away on Thursday the 8th of October 2015. Vic purchased ZS-DKH from Trek Airways. After 13.881 flying hours ZS-DKH was flown from Rand Airport to the old Baragwanath Airfield, original home of the Johannesburg Light Plane Club on the 18th of December 1962.

She was disassembled and transported by road to Armadale south of Johannesburg, where, in January 1963 she was placed atop the roof of the Caltex Garage owned by Victor Edward de Villiers and known as “Vic’s Viking Garage" where she became a famous, if forlorn, landmark.

The garage was previously known as "Vic's Goggomobile Garage". On the 5th of March 1987, the Viking was replaced by SAAF Avro Shackleton 1723 and donated to the South Africa Airways Museum Society. The Viking’s wings were removed and she was towed to the then Jan Smuts Airport.


Vic de Villiers with his photo album, 3rd January 2015. Photograph: John Austin-Williams.


Vickers-Armstrongs Limited VC.1A Viking on top of Vic's Garage, October 1970. Photograph: Hans Pearson.


ZS-DKH atop Vic's Viking Garage, 4 May 1974. Photograph:
Ger Buskermolen.


 The forlorn Viking, Saturday 14 March 2015. Photograph: Flippie van Emmenis.


The cockpit of ZS-DKH. Photograph: John James.


Matt Harvey, centre back, John Illsley, right, and the boys of Pretoria High Aeronautical Society.
Saturday 14 March 2015.


Propeller being removed Saturday 14 March 2015. Photograph: John James.


Propeller being removed Saturday 14 March 2015. Photograph: Flippie van Emmenis.


Pretoria Boys High Aeronautical Society at work removing the propellers. Saturday 14 March 2015.
Photograph: John Illsley.


Proud young lads of the Pretoria Boys High Aeronautical Society. Saturday 14 March 2015.


Bristol Hercules 14-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engine. Photograph John James.


Wing removal Saturday 18 April 2015. Photograph: John James.


Pretoria Boys High Aeronautical Society at work removing the wings. Saturday 18 April 2015. Photograph: John Illsley.


Pretoria Boys High Aeronautical Society at work removing the wings. Saturday 18 April 2015. Photograph: John Illsley.


Elevator removal with Matt Harvey and a young aircraft enthusiast from Pretoria Boys High Aeronautical Society. Saturday 15 August 2015. Photograph: Flippie van Emmenis.


Plenty of effort was required to remove the right elevator! Saturday 15 August 2015.


No tail feathers! Saturday 15 August 2015. Photograph: Matt Harvey.


The Viking ready to be moved to Rand Airport. Saturday 15 August 2015. Photograph: Matt Harvey.


Surprisingly the tyres remained inflated after being pumped with nitrogen, on 2 Dcember 2015, after many years of standing deflated! Photograph: Matt Harvey.


On Saturday, 23 January 2016, the Viking was moved from the grass down to the SAA technical hard stand.

Photograph: Matt Harvey.


Bad news! Unfortunately the right hand tyre disintegrated. Tyres of the size 45x16.00-18 are unobtainable so... first problem to be solved.
As at March 2016 we were looking for Douglas DC-8 main landing gear tyres, 44.5x16.5-18.

Photograph: Matt Harvey.


On 9 March 2016, a wet and dreary morning, the Viking’s wings were transported to the museum.
Thanks to
Transcor.
Photograph: Matt Harvey.


Offloading the Viking’s wings at the museum, 9 March 2016. In the background is the SAA Museum Society's B747SP-44 ZS-SPC "Maluti"
Thanks to Marlboro Crane Hire.
Photograph: Matt Harvey.


Offloading the Viking’s wings at the museum. 9 March 2016.
Photograph: Matt Harvey.

The next step was to find a suitable position to lift the Viking over the SAA Technical boundary wall. Once identified a Geometric Route Clearance Report was prepared by ARC (Africa Route Clearance Consultants) and submitted to Gauteng Province, Department of Roads and Transport for approval in November 2016.

In May 2016 a pair of 41x15.0-18 tyres (as used on DC-9) was donated to the Museum by Brian Rothman of Square Air in Cape Town. Original Viking tyres were 45x16.00-18 and no longer obtainable.

Although we had located suitable tyres for the Viking it was not possible to fit them at SAA Technical. A horizontal bar was fitted to the Viking undercarriage and the Viking placed on top of a suitable dolly for ease of moving within SAA Technical.


Viking strapped to a dolly, and parked next to the radio aerial masts next to Jones Road. GPS -26.140890, 28.222734 .
22 November 2016. Photograph: André Vivier (ARC).

Read the Geometric Route Clearance Report prepared by Africa Route Clearance Consultants (ARC) here

The Viking was moved to Rand Airport on Sunday 22nd of January 2017.