The remarkable Vickers VC10....

michduncg · Post by **michduncg** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 8:31 am

We've all seen publicity pics from the 60s. featuring Matt (and others) on the steps of aircraft, including those of the BOAC fleet. It was the start of the jet age and stars like Matt were the 1st members of the 'jet set', and the most prestigous aircraft in service from the mid 60s onwards was the Vickers VC10.

Designed for BOAC (Britains' long haul national airline from 1939-1974 when it became part of the BA group), the VC10 was streets ahead of the competition in terms of elegance and comfort, and quickly became known as 'the Queen of the skies'. Bolstered by BOAC's 'try a little VC-Tenderness' campaign, the VC10 (and its longer and even more elegant sister the Super VC10) remained a favourite with its crew and passengers well into the 1970s, when more spacious and capacious wide-bodied jets came into service. Whether on the African and Far Eastern routes for which she was designed, or on the trans- Atlantic routes on which she excelled, the VC10 was (and still is in ithe case of the the RAF fleet!) the fastest airliner in service pre and post Concorde.

What is all the more remarkable is that some of these aircraft still give sterling service as troop carriers and refuelling tankers for the RAF. Despite being phased out of airline service as long ago as 1981, the RAF fleet still soldiers on, awaiting replacement by an Airbus aircraft which may be another 3 or 4 years away. Many of these aircraft are approaching 40 years in age, and yet their lines are still the most elegant to be seen airborne. They are still utterly reliable, altough scrapping has had to start as they are starting to reach the end of their design life of 60,000 flying hours. Hopefully, several examples will be preserved to remind us of this timeless beauty

What's prompted me to write this post? Well, I was lucky enough to get a fleet on of these wonderful aircraft this weekend, and it took me back to my mid-70s childhood when we flew back and forth to Saudi Arabia on several VC10's. Thats what started my life long love of aviation and its rather strange that fate has brought me back in touch with these magnificent machines. (Marc, my partner, is posted to the VC10 Squadron here in Oxfordshire). The flight on Saturday was fantastic as we headed up to the Humber Estuary for some sunshine and a low pass over Humberside Airport. The noice and speed evoked many memories, as well as a tinge of sadness that the end of the VC10 era is approaching. But I do reflect that the VC10 has proven herself to be the best piece of engineering to come out of Great Britain since 1945.

Concorde may be the peoples favourite, but the fact the VC10 has given 45 years of service, doing jobs she was never totally designed for, without loss of life or need for major renovation is testament to the sound engineering of the men and women at Vickers in Weybridge. Sadly, the British airliner industry has been in decline since the VC10 was built, due to mismanagement by both the Government and the plane-builders themselves. Even BOAC 'stuck the knife in' to the VC10 and tried to cancel it, preferring Boeing instead. Fortunately the Governement forced BOAC to honour its order, but sales of 55, compared to over 1,000 of the contemporary Boeing 707 tell their own story. Fortuantely, Britain still keeps a hand with the Airbus group, including the building of all wings for Airbus aircraft - the most important parts of any plane. And Rolls Royce have clawed their way into a top 2 position for airliner engines in the world market, fighting off bankruptcy along the way.

Over the years, many leading Brits have fallen in love with the 'Shiny-10' as the RAF fondly call her. Margaret Thatcher said she loved flying in on foreign visits on VC10s, explaining that foreign governments 'know when I've arrived, and can be sure when I've gone' - a comment alluding to the relative noise of the VC10's Rolls Royce Conway engines. Freddie Laker used VC10s when running British United Airways and famously transported his Rolls Royce car on the passenger deck in front of first class when on sales tours to Africa and South America.

So, we'll have the VC10 for a few more years yet, and I have another flight booked for next month! One thing is for sure - they don't build them like that any more!

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:18 pm

Interesting report Michael. When he was young, Peter made parts for the VC 10. He later became an aircraft parts inspector.
Marian

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:01 pm

Yes Michael-I agree--a fascinating article---not sure that I would like to be up there , though.

What a coincidence , that Peter made parts for the VC10.

michduncg · Post by **michduncg** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:23 pm

Thanks for the comments Marians'

And what an enormous coincidence that Peter worked on the VC10! Mariana - do you not like flying or is it the age of the aircraft that would put you off?!

The VC10 was built like a tank, with many of the major components milled from solid metal, rather than using too much riveting, which had been De Havilland's experience with the Comet accidents in the early 50s.

My uncle Chris worked for BOAC and was taken to see the VC10s being built at Weybridge. Is that where Peter worked Marian? Or was working for one of the component suppliers?

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 5:50 pm

Peter didn't work at Weybridge Mike, his firm Metalair Limited, were based at Wokingham, Berks. and did sub-contract work for Vickers-Armstrong.
Peter started in 1953 working on the Vickers Viking, then they got a big contract for the Vickers Viscount, for which they built all the engine mountings. They then did detail work on the VC10s.
Before they were cancelled, Metalair also started to do some detail sub-contract work on the TSR 2.
They also worked on Hawker Hunter parts, and Martin Baker Ejector seats.
I remember seeing these seats at Farnborough Air show when I first started going out with Peter.
The aircraft work folded soon afterwards, and they went on to build road tankers.
Marian.

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 8:26 pm

I do like flying Mike, I have been to USA many times--but usually in a really large plane---although there was the time we went to Los Angeles and had to catch a flight to Las Vegas--the plane held about 20 people and had propellers---definately hair-raising!!

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:21 pm

There are similar flights from Los Angeles to Palm Springs, very scary!
One we went on the stewardess stayed strapped in her seat the entire flight there was so much turbulence, and another as were we sat in the seat by the escape hatch, we had to agree to help the other passengers out over the wing should we crash.

Luckily we didn't!

Marian

michduncg · Post by **michduncg** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:27 am

You're making me go very misty eyed here Marian with some of those fantastic aircraft that Peter worked on

The 50s and 60s in UK aviation were an erA when we could have achieved so much had the right decisions been made. I saw some clips of the TSR2 on youtube recently, and its still a unique and amazing aircraft. I won't just blame governements, as sometimes the armed forces and the airlines in the UK have played their part in messing things up

EG the Royal Navy always insisted on having planes designed solely for its own needs rather than than having RAF aircraft adapted for use on carriers. So ineffecient and just because the Navy is the Senior Service!

And sometimes the aircraft manufacturers themselves were to blame - De Havillands invited Boeing to their head office to show them designs of their new Trident airliner at the suggestion of British European Airways. Imagine their surprise when Boeing produced a very similar (but better) aircraft than the Trident and outsold it 15-1!!

On the brighter side, we did produce some great aircraft like the Hunter and Lightning, we still have Rolls Royce and through international ventures like Airbus still have huge part to play in international aviation.

paul jh · Post by **paul jh** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:41 pm

I printed this out last week and read it over the weekend. Very fascinating!

In the 1960s I made a model of a BOAC jet. It may have been a Vickers VC 10. I wish I had brought it with me when I moved. I'm sure my parents threw it away sometime.

I always loved the font and colour used for BOAC. I never understood why BOAC disappeared and became the rather uninteresting BA. Just something about those letters BOAC together that represent power and the jet age.

Questions:

What does it mean for Marc to be posted to the squadron?

How can I get a ride in one of those planes?

Do the planes still have BOAC printed on them?

Is there a shop in London or another town that sells aircraft and airline memorabilia (commercial not military)? I'm familiar with the transport museum in London (but that's mostly busses and Underground), an ocean liner shop in Southampton, and the Railway Museum in York. But I can't recall an aircraft museum or shops.

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 12:41 pm

There are several aircraft museums Paul. There's a big one in Hendon North London, and the Shuttleworth Museum in Bedford which displays mostly really historic planes. They also have flying days where the old aircraft are flown.
Duxford in Cambridgeshire, is another where they have flying displays as well as static aircraft, and if you are interested in old cars as well as planes, there's the famous Brooklands, which is in Surrey.
At Brooklands, they have recently acquired a VC10, which belonged to an Arab Sheik. As you can imagine it's very swish inside and is open to the public.
They also have one of the Concorde fleet there, which you can also go on board.
Just arrived too is a Vickers Viking which is still done up in the old BEA colours.
We have one piece of old BOAC history. It's a piece of Copeland pottery with the BOAC stamp on the base, and we use it to stand our salt and pepper mills on, as the pepper leaks!

Marian

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 1:41 pm

Paul, apparently Hendon is an R.A.F Museum, so would be mostly, if not all, military aircraft I presume. Just noticed it was commercial aircraft you were interested in.
I believe there is also an aircraft museum in Swindon in Wiltshire, but I don't know much about that one.
Marian

michduncg · Post by **michduncg** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 10:14 pm

Hi Paul

In answer to your questions:

'To be posted' means to be attached to the squadron for a long period of time - in this case about 5 years

No, the VC10s in RAF colours are in a dull grey, with RAF 101 Sqaudron markings on it

No - I'm afraid you can't get a flight on a VC10 - its service family and civil servants only!

BOAC was the long haul counterpart of BEA, the UKs short haul carrier. While BOAC was the more glamourous, BEA carried far more passengers and was more enterprising - it had one of the 1st computerised reservation systems that became operational in 1965. BEAs Trident airliner fleet was the 1st in the in the world capable of landing automatically (autoland on passengers also started in 1965 and the system was certified for landing in total fog in 1972).

In the interest of economy, BEA and BOAC were merged in 1974. For the next 9 years, BA was made up of the European division and the Overseas Division so not too much change there! Intersting fact: Concorde was actually part of the short-haul fleet as its service were so short that the crew could make two return trips a day!

As far as air museums go, Duxford near Cambridge is the best for civil aircraft, featuring most major British Airliners. It also features a spectacular USAF museum

Brooklands Museun in Surrey close to London is on the site of the former Vickers aircraft plant, where several major british airliners were built including Concorde, the BAC 1-11, Vickers Viscount and VC10. All of these aircraft are presevered there and are on display including, as Marian said, the Sultan of Omans former private jet.

There are two RAF museums dedicated to military aircraft, one at Cosford near Birmingham and the other in NW London, at Hendon.

There are also some small collections dotted around

Hope that helps

Michael :-0

michduncg · Post by **michduncg** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 10:18 pm

PS Paul

For airline memorabilia I've used E-bay in the past very successfully. there is also a shop called the Transair Pilot Shop close to Victoria Railway station. It mainly sells flying kit for private pilots etc but also sells some repro memorabilia

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 6:52 am

I bought some Concorde items off ebay, including a piece of the plane!
Hoping they'll be valuable one day.
Marian

paul jh · Post by **paul jh** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:18 pm

Michael and Marian: Thanks so much for all the information. I will reprint this thread.

I have decided on my holiday for this year: Surrey. The Brooklands Museum sounds fantastic.

And I believe is a John Lewis there, so I can buy out their stock of shower caddies! And I know there are some fabulous hotels/inns in Surrey.

The Duxford museum also sounds great and perfect to combine with some Cambridge choral concerts.

I seem to recall an auto museum in the New Forest. Am I right about this? The New Forest is a bit challenging relying strictly on public transport, but I will visit it one day.