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Old 13th Feb 2011, 17:15
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D120A
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
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Yes, WHBM, but when the VC-10 flew in IIRC the runway was a bit shorter than it had been during the days of Vickers-Armstrongs. And by the time the Merchantman (Vanguard) arrived, there was a Tesco and a car park at about the point where you'd expect to see 60 kt and everything slowing nicely... Respect to both pilots for those landings, the aircraft are stunning exhibits in the museum.

Incidentally, Brooklands was deemed too short, even in 1963 and '64, for a VC-10 recovery. After each first flight to Wisley, that was where they were intended to stay. Unfortunately the drag-reduction (engine re-mounting) modifications found necessary from the flight test programme meant that they had to come back into Brooklands for some heavy engineering, and I think it was Brian Trubshaw who did it first in G-ARVF in July '63. The trains were stopped and I think a few Weybridge trees were felled in preparation. As many people turned out to see it as had for G-ARTA's first flight a little over a year before, on the time-honoured grounds that if you were a witness you couldn't get lumbered with doing the inquiry.
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