Boscombe Down 1-11s "SOS"

[mrshubigbus]

Boscombe Down is home to the last of the UK based BAC 1-11s. Five aircraft have been operated at the site over the years with all of them still present in one form or another.
Bearing in mind the huge amount of interest with the recent Nimrod retirements and the number that have now been preserved, it would be very sad indeed if a single "military" 1-11 cannot be saved also. The five aircraft, XX105, XX919, ZE432, ZE433, ZH763 have been in service for five decades, with the first aircraft XX105 arriving in the early 1970s.
The fleet is now down to just one current aircraft, ZH763, while the other airframes are in various states of repair at the Boscombe Down site.

XX105 is a very historic airframe but is shortly due to be scrapped.
XX919 was scrapped several years ago but it's cockpit survives.
ZE432 is currently hangared with serious corrosion problems.
ZE433 has been withdrawn from service and is used as a spares source.
ZH763 remains in service whilst there is work for the aircraft.

I can only try and raise the profile of these unique airframes on the various aviation forums in the hope that maybe one of the many UK museums comes forward and offers one of these aircraft a home where they can tell the amazing history of the UK military 1-11 fleet

[2 sheds]

Is it not "One-Eleven"?

[Brian Abraham]

Goes by both designations 2 sheds.

[chevvron]

'919 was the one allocated to RAE Farnborough so I had several flights in it. Do you know, the RAF insisted on flying it with 4 crew on a flight deck designed for two! ( 2 pilots, FE, Nav)
I remember OC Flying Bedford bringing his 'new' One Eleven - 500 down to Farnborough one day (must have been 432, 433 or 763 can't remember which) and COEF (RAE Commanding Officer Experimental Flying) for some reason took exception and told him his flight wasn't authorised so take it back to Bedford!

[Phileas Fogg]

I recall at least one of the 1-11's being based at Pershore back in the 70's!

[chevvron]

Could have been 919; when I arrived at Farnborough in early '74 it was on the strength there but had been bolt-holed to either Bedford or Pershore for several months whilst the Farnborough runway was re-surfaced.

[Tester78]

'919 was the one allocated to RAE Farnborough so I had several flights in it. Do you know, the RAF insisted on flying it with 4 crew on a flight deck designed for two! ( 2 pilots, FE, Nav)

Not quite. The flight deck was designed for more than two, 'cos XX919 had a specialist nav station added for trials purposes. It wasn't normally flown with an Air Engineer, at least during the period when I was flying it. However, it had the standard 1-11 jump seat, and an Air Eng may have joined the crew for certain sorties.

Many trials platforms need crewing arrangements different to the normal in-service requirements, because they're doing things not normally done in service!

[Skipness One Echo]

What's the currennt situation with XX105 and ZH763?

Are either parked outside and visible? XX105 must be a candidate for Cosford surely.

I guess ZH763 doesn't fly much? It was the only BA BAC-111 I never saw as G-BGKE !

[HZ123]

Agree with this entirely as at least the airframe is small enough to be roaded to a museum. On another subject it is a shame too to see the last couple of airworthy 748 aircraft at SEN just waiting to be cut up, another aircraft worthy of displaying.

[dashiell]

I believe XX105 may have been scrapped in the last month or so with ZE433 due to follow shortly. Can anyone confirm if this is true?

[billynospares]

105 is now scrapped 433 due to be chopped soon. 105 has sat for years no interest in saving her