101 Sqn Anniversary VC-10

[Thatch]

Spent part of friday with 101 Squadron photographing the anniversary marked VC-10 in ARA12. Many thanks to the ground and air crews for taking the time to help us get these.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/ndunridge/ND-69copy.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/ndunridge/ND-70copy.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/ndunridge/ND-68copy.jpg

[cliver029]

..What a beautiful aircraft! who would imagined watching them come into service all those years ago that they would still be giving sterling service in the next century!:D

[High_lander]

Its a beautiful thing.


I think I read somewhere that some US pilots prefer tanking from VC10s because of the high-mounted engines. Does that sound correct?

[Contacttower]

I think I read somewhere that some US pilots prefer tanking from VC10s because of the high-mounted engines. Does that sound correct?

That's what I learnt doing aircraft recognition as a cadet.

[moggiee]

Looks good - of course, it IS one of the aeroplanes that they inherited from 10 sqn (which makes this ex-10 sqn pilot feel rather better).

[BEagle]

Most USN pilots preferred refuelling (or even refueling) from the VC10K rather than the KC-135 or KC10 during GW1.

Nothing to do with the engines though. More to do with operational flexibility - their words, not mine!

Good to see the 'cat crapping in a pork pie' badge on the fin of an ex-'shiny' ten. Although the Dulles Dinosaurs will probably not agree.

[Art Field]

Caught a glimpse of the pairs recovery back into Brize, very nostalgic. Great to see the skills are being maintained, good luck, fly safe 101.

[mstjbrown]

BEagle

As an authority on the subject, can you recall which sqn's badge was a donkey laughing through a lavatory seat ? It may have been one of the Valiant outfits.

Lovely VC10 pics !

[Two's in]

The truly amazing thing is that at 40 years the aircraft is nearly half as old as the Squadron! A glowing testament to Royal Air Force maintenance practices and a damning indictment of the Government's procurement process.

[FFP]

Why USN pilots prefer VC-10 to a KC-135 by FFP aged 6 and three quarters.

Assuming that the jet isn't MPRS (and I'm not sure how many are....)

The KC-135 is primarily a boom aircraft, but can be adapted to refuelling probe equipped aircraft by the use of a BDA (Boom Drogue Adapter) This 10ft length of hose has a drogue attached to the end. This must be set up on the ground (there is no way of attaching the BDA in flight).

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Boeing_KC-135E_boom_drogue_adapter.JPEG/800px-Boeing_KC-135E_boom_drogue_adapter.JPEG

When the receiver makes contact, the hose must then be bent into 2 ninety degree angles to enable fuel flow. This, coupled with the offset position of the receiver and lack of visual cue's make it harder for the receiver.

http://www.bw-flyer.de/neu/report/report/aar/aar1k.jpg

Why the USN prefer VC-10's to a KC-10
2 Wing hoses make it a quicker process for the USN. Can refuel Maverick and Iceman (although when they had F-14's the wingtip clearance was a little too close for comfort) at the same time, as oppposed to cycling through the centreline on the KC-10. The 10 will be primarily boom refuelling in the AOR, so it's a bit of a pain to bring up the boom, trail the centreline, reel response check it (up until recently ;)) then start the refuel. VC-10 is configured ready to go, so it's easy if your looking for a tanker at short notice.
Beags is right concerning the flexibility reason, but then how flexible (and how much individual thought do you allow the pilots) do the USAF need to be with 59 KC-10's and 540 odd 135's ?

[Max Shutterspeed]

Spent part of friday with 101 Squadron photographing the anniversary marked VC-10 in ARA12. Many thanks to the ground and air crews for taking the time to help us get these.

Nice shots, chap.
What was the camera ship? Another VC10?

MS

[Thatch]

Thanks for the comments, we were in another VC-10 in ARA12.

Neil

[The Helpful Stacker]

Of all the commercial jet aircraft produced how come the most elegant looking ones have been British (namely the Comet, VC10 and Concord)?

Will be a shame to see the Funbus leave service, though with the way FSTA is going it may well be around longer than I.;)

[BEagle]

Yes, that really is a CRACKING good photo.....:sad:

From what I hear..........:{

Hope things won't lead to a situation as serious as the fate which befell an earlier Vickers design.

The Valiant.

Art Field will know what I mean.

[Blacksheep]

Lovely photos. I flew out to Singapore in XV105 back in '69 and its really nice to see she's still airborne. (No, I'm not a reggy 'spotter' - As a former "Ton-Five" Halton Brat I recall the number easily)

Of the twenty-odd aircraft that I've worked on in my career, the VC10 is my personal favourite. They have their quirks, as all aircraft do (the fuel quantity indicating system and the flap assymetry systems being the most troublesome bits during my time from '71 to '74) but the VC10 was the best engineered flying machine I've ever come across.

[joebanana]

What's the crack then BEagle?

Very disturbing if what I hear is even half true.

Great photos Thatch, lovely to see the old girl but for how much longer?

[Art Field]

Oh dear, sounds ominous, surely the old girl is not going to catch the Vickers tin worm after all these years, must have got it off Lofty's car.

[BEagle]

Lofty's car eventually expired in a shower of rust flakes, I hear.....

When Plod needed a list of everyone's cars on 101, Lofty's went from 'White' to 'White and Brown' to 'Brown with the odd bit of white' in various editions of the list!

Not sure if it's Vickers tin worm - or BWoS changing the way the jet was flown with upset?

More data, anyone?

[Skeleton]

Worked it out... its the Sqn and not the VC10 that is 90!!

Doh!

[moggiee]

Worked it out... its the Sqn and not the VC10 that is 90!!
Doh!
Only 45 years since the first VC10 flew (Civvy not RAF).

[Desk Flyer]

The VC-10 celebrated 40 years of service with the VC-10 last year. So how many more years will they grace our skies before being replaced?
DF

[BEagle]

Another 40, probably, if this useless government were to have any say in the matter....

[D-IFF_ident]

"These are not the droids you're looking for" ;)

[euringineer]

Dont ask the amateur ask the professional.15 SQN which is actually"A hinds head affrontee erased at the neck between wings elevated and conjoined in base"As you say a donkey looking through a toilet seat."AIM SURE" is the 15 SQN motto.

[mstjbrown]

euringineer

Thanks for that. It's even better than I thought.

[TEEEJ]

Lovely work, Neil. Beautiful aircraft!:D

[beermountainer]

Sorry if this is posted in the wrong place...

My Dad Bill Graham was the weight control engineer on the VC10 conversion at BAe in 1981 and, before that, was a Halton apprentice and flight engineer on Catalinas in 210 squadron. He then worked on the original VC10 at Vickers.

He was very proud of the VC10 tanker, as it gave something back to the RAF with his name on it. Most of his other projects got cancelled

Sadly he died early on Saturday in Yeovil at 87 after a great innings and with all his family there. It was a cloudless night with all the stars visible - "per ardua ad astra " sprung to mind

Anyway, I am on the scrounge having found this thread via google and now joined PPRuNe , for

a) a bird'e eye view of a VC10 tanker, so we can make a cake for his funeral shaped like his favourite project; and

b) some way of contacting current 101 squadron flight engineers - to stand a round of drinks in his memory

Many thanks in advance for any help

Andy

[Art Field]

Beermountainer. Firstly, sympathy with you and your family on your sad loss. Rest assured your Dad and his fellow engineers did a grand job on the 10s to convert them to Tankers, I enjoyed many an hour operating them and they still grace the skies.

Secondly, I leave the Ginger Beers to arrange their refreshment but as far as pictures are concerned I suggest you look at www.vc10.net which has plenty of Tanker pics.

Art

[6foottanker]

See below, gleaned from RAF website/RAF Brize Norton website. The phone no. is for Media relations dept, who should be amenable to your reques, through which you can get to 101 Sqn. Or PM me, and I'll give you the phone no. of the engineers' office. Though it might be empty, they always seem to be too busy......:ouch:

RAF Brize Norton
Carterton
Oxfordshire
OX18 3LX

01993 842551

[Jackonicko]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/25/15_Squadron_RAF.jpg/150px-15_Squadron_RAF.jpg

Said donkey, said loo seat.....

[Jackonicko]

http://www.electricscotland.com/history/scotreg/images/f3s_vc10.jpg

also see

http://i18.ebayimg.com/05/i/000/b1/cb/5bbf_1.JPG

and

http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/Museum/Transport/planes/hobsons/hobson03.htm

http://aviation-fr.info/guide/3vues/vc10.gif

[beermountainer]

Many thanks everyone

The Mrs has had kittens at what she now has to craft from chocolate and cake - but we have decided on cadbury mini rolls instead of Conways.I'll post a picture of the result.

Dad would have been proud of my "initiative". He scrounged a double wasp engine from a Dakota squadron and bodged it into a Sunderland (on a flooded river in Ceylon of all places) to get it back home at the end of the war, but that's another story.

There's a hint of a smile coming back in the house now.

Thanks again - hope the ginger beers enjoy a tipple

[mstjbrown]

Jackonicko

Many thanks - that's the one.

HNY

MB

[Torchy]

Just had to comment - I've retired from the RAF after 37 years and I remember my dad taking me to Brize Norton before I joined up to see the new VC10s. First flew in one to Gan in '73. airframe was 807 - is it still around?

[TEEEJ]

Torchy,

XR807

http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=XR807&distinct_entry=true

[Torchy]

Thanks TEEEJ,

I followed the link and even found a picture of it taken in Feb 1966 just before it's first flight.

[TEEEJ]

No probs, Torchy.

Some more at the following

http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?regsearch=XR807

[6foottanker]

Been flying XR807 round the instrument pattern at Lyneham and Brize this morning!

Apart from a sticky HP Stop Valve and a horizon comparator light that seems intent on remaining on, she's still a dream to fly! Hope we didn't disturb those of you in Swindon who were on their morning tea break. Actually, I hope we did.

:ok::E

[beermountainer]

Excellent - so pleased its a bit of kit with his pencil marks on that's still so highly regarded

Dad's funeral is on Friday 18th in Yeovil if any ex BAe people are reading this who knew him and would like to come - PM me for details.

Also I'll get some money behind a bar as well for that Friday for the ginger beers as soon as I get a contact

Cake is proving a challenge but we will perserve - per ardua ad ...chocolate!

Andy

[Argonautical]

May not be the one you want, but perhaps someone will tell us, so here is one I filmed at Birmingham on the 14th August last year. Made a change to hear some real jet engines!

First post of a video so hope it works.

http://s24.photobucket.com/albums/c2/argonautical/?action=view&current=VC-10.flv[/

[The late XV105]

What a beautiful aircraft indeed, says he with the username XV105 :)