Vickers VC10 final flights

[Jet Morgan]

Apologies if there's another thread already started for this story:

Final day in service for RAF Vickers VC10s

At least they're having a good final day. Sad though.

[Hihonyr8811]

I was going to put it in the heads up thread but this is far more appropriate!

RAF Coningsby ‏@RAFCGY 21h

The VC10 will shortly be retired from RAF service. To mark this there is due to be a flypast here tomorrow, Friday 20th at 1305 local.

(And straight after, a typhoon currency display).

[Mayfly]

Lovely view of her in front of our house. She was early at Coningsby

[Hazzer111]

Such a shame, i never actually saw one fly.

[Sooty655]

Flew on a civilian one (BOAC) from HKG to LHR in 1972.

Wonderful aircraft. Shame to see it go.

[Yorkie]

Such a shame, i never actually saw one fly.

you will get another chance, if the BBC are to be believed. there is one final flight planned to leicestershire, wonder where its going?

I'm sure if you ask on here the will tell you a great mushrooming location around aforesaid location.

[Mayfly]

I flew to and from Cyprus on an RAF one in '80 but I don't recall flying on one any other time.

[Dan4th]

I for one will Never Forget my one,
totally-by-chance Funbus ride from
LHR to BOS way back in January of
1971

(...or was it early February???)

I have also seen them here in Dear Old
Bangor multiple times in their flying
petrol station role

Danf.

[Hihonyr8811]

Taken from my back up location because there was no room anywhere else.
I don't think I have EVER seen the mound so busy, including when the Vulcan was there.

[RLN]

I travelled on one in '69 to Teheran and return, stopping off at Beirut. This newsreel fron'64 shows her in her proper BOAC livery. Look at the in-flight food. The prettiest commercial 'plane ever built.

[Garryashdown]

I flew back from Akrotiri to Marham in one back in 1969. Much better flight than going out - in an argosy !!!!

[Jet Morgan]

Hi Helen, thanks for sharing your video of the flypast and the Typhoon at play!

[34053]

I remember the VC10's very well. I understand (please correct me if I am wrong) that, until the arrival of Concorde, they were the fastest of the Commercial aeroplanes. Very sad to see the end of yet another era in Aviation History. What a fantastic noise they made. Fabulous!

PW

[Dan4th]

I think that for sub-sonic jetliners that
VC-10 holds the trans-Atlantic record in
one direction while the Convair 990 has
got it for the other....

Danf.

[34053]

I think that for sub-sonic jetliners that
VC-10 holds the trans-Atlantic record in
one direction while the Convair 990 has
got it for the other....Danf.

Tail wind?

PW

[Dan4th]

Due to the prevailing winds, I
think sheer power got one way
for the Convair and aerodynamics
got the other for the Funbus

One change from 880 was the large anti-shock bodies on the upper wings to increase their critical Mach and reduce transonic drag. This allowed the heavier 990 to go slightly faster than the 880, cruising at about Mach 0.91, making it the fastest subsonic passenger jet ever built. Only the supersonic Concorde and Tu-144 have ever carried commercial passengers at a faster speed. Originally, there were plans to use the bulges as fuel tanks, but during test flights the extra weight caused the tanks to vibrate excessively. Instead, the inner set of bumps also served a secondary role as fuel dump for the fuel tanks in the fuselage.

That Convair was a BEAST

Headwind or tailwind aside, the
Convair 990 Coronado was the
faster aircraft, but it did not
have the beauty or sophistication
of the VC-10....

Danf.