CU-T604  Vickers 755 Viscount               (c/n  92)

                                  

                                      This nice shot came from Cubana, and not, as one might have supposed, from the manufacturer.
                                      In 1955 Cubana took the rather unprecedented step of ordered three new Viscounts for their
                                      overseas routes.  These were an immediate success and, coupled with superb cabin service proved
                                      to be real money winners for the airline.  Unfortunately with the overthrow of Batista, the financing
                                      which had supported Cubana (some from rather nefarious sources, evidently) went also. This is not
                                      to infer that the government itself was supporting the airline.  Cubana was privately owned, even after
                                      Pan American pulled out.   However, the Castro government, following its declared socialist policies
                                      took steps to nationalize Cubana.  Naturally, fairly soon afterwards Cubana found itself in a deep
                                      financial crisis.  The airline was forced to sell its modern western equipment, and from 1961 onwards
                                      became an all Russian fleet, but that's outside the scope of this collection.   This Viscount was sold in
                                      1960 to Cunard Eagle Airways with Bermudan registry VR-BBL.  It wound up in 1969 with British
                                      M idland Airways and was scrapped in May of 1970.   It would be unheard of today to scrap a fifteen
                                      year old airliner.