through the hangar door
Have a picture somewhere of one through the hangar doors at Wyton. (We did an avionics upgrade on EWAU- several over the 14 years I was there) Could not get the fin in. Bricks and sticks made a new pair of wooden centre doors with a cut out. also had to put lots of concrete down and steel beams to picket the thing to stop it rocking around in the wind. A big wooden beam was used to prop the aircraft doors shut at cease work as that was a way in to our secure hangar.
I recon we must have been on one of the first flights out of Nairobi in 65 as the Britannia had gone US and had to return shortly after taking off. Also came back from Changi in 70. Had several trips to Dulles and uncomfortable nights in Gateway house.
Does anyone remember the trails that were done in the early 80s on acoustic emissions? listening to cracks growing. I think the computer power and transducer amplifier/filters were a bit early. There was an article in Air Clues I kept for years on the topic. Well that technology was developed for use in submarine pressure vessels. perhaps one good thing that came out of basing Air and Sea people together in DE&S was that we could cross fertilise ideas. The technology had sufficiently matured in 2000 and something but still enormous resistance to adopt same on the air side.
No doubt the VC10 was an icon and ahead of its day.