A40-AB VC-10

[SpringHeeledJack]

On a trip down 'Nostalgia Avenue' on youtube over the weekend, I was able to see again the BAC 1-11 and Vickers Vanguard landings at Brooklands to become part of the fantastic museum. However, try as I might I couldn't find a video of the VC-10 A40-AB landing there to become a stalwart of the collection. I'm sure that one exists as I remember watching it some years back. Does anyone have some pointers where one might be viewed online ?

[Jhieminga]

I don't think you'll find it online. The landing was filmed, and shots from this were used in the DVD about Aviation at Brooklands, available from the museum shop. See here: https://www.myonlinebooking.co.uk/brooklandsmuseum/shop/product.aspx?catid=9&id=421
It may also be on the DVD about the VC10 that Avion Video produced many years ago, but it's been a while since I've watched that so I cannot be sure (see here: https://avionvideo.com/product/classic-wings-vickers-vc10/).

[eckhard]

I visited Brooklands recently and was pleased to see that the Omani VC-10 is still available for interior viewing, electrical power and all. She does look a bit sad on the outside though...

I don’t remember seeing a video of the landing included as part of the interior display; however, I was a bit short of time and may have missed it.

On a point of pedantry, the Marks of Nationality for Oman are A4O (Alpha Four Oscar) and not A40 (Alpha Four Zero).

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[dixi188]

On the subject of the Sultan's VC-10.
When it flew from Hurn to Filton for painting it was in bare metal and I don't think it carried any markings at all. I have a photo somewhere of it in bare metal after it was paint stripped.

[Chris Scott]

I visited Brooklands recently and was pleased to see that the Omani VC-10 is still available for interior viewing, electrical power and all. She does look a bit sad on the outside though...

I don’t remember seeing a video of the landing included as part of the interior display; however, I was a bit short of time and may have missed it.

On a point of pedantry, the Marks of Nationality for Oman are A4O (Alpha Four Oscar) and not A40 (Alpha Four Zero).

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Yes, she badly needs external TLC which Brooklands Museum, without any doubt, would love to be able to afford. (Have you joined? ;) ) Come to think of it, she's the last surviving airframe to have escaped the tanker modifications that clutter what may be the largest clean wing in aviation history?

I'm pretty sure that a couple of years ago the museum's VC10 explanatory exhibit - in the separate VC10 fuselage - included footage of her last landing.

Good to see that all ten wheels are currently fitted with 225 mph tyres in decent condition. They helped at Nairobi in her BUA/BCAL days as G-ASIX...

[India Four Two]

What were typical ground speeds at Nairobi on a hot day?

[Skipness One Echo]

Come to think of it, she's the last surviving airframe to have escaped the tanker modifications that clutter what may be the largest clean wing in aviation history?
Also BOAC's G-ASGC at Duxford is unmodified.
A4O-AB *REALLY* needs a wash.

[Jhieminga]

As is G-ARVF at the German Hermeskeil museum! ;)

[SpringHeeledJack]

On a point of pedantry, the Marks of Nationality for Oman are A4O (Alpha Four Oscar) and not A40 (Alpha Four Zero).


After all these years, you've learned me something sir! I always 'saw' it as A40 and not A4O.....

I don't think you'll find it online. The landing was filmed, and shots from this were used in the DVD about Aviation at Brooklands, available from the museum shop. See here: https://www.myonlinebooking.co.uk/br...catid=9&id=421 (https://www.myonlinebooking.co.uk/brooklandsmuseum/shop/product.aspx?catid=9&id=421)
It may also be on the DVD about the VC10 that Avion Video produced many years ago, but it's been a while since I've watched that so I cannot be sure (see here: https://avionvideo.com/product/class...-vickers-vc10/ (https://avionvideo.com/product/classic-wings-vickers-vc10/)).

Thanks for the info, it is amazing that in this day and age where every old TV show/game/event seems to have been uploaded to youtube etc that this event hasn't done so as well. Oh well, never mind.

[Jhieminga]

At the time when the VC10 landed, in 1987, the museum wasn't yet open for business and access to the site was more strictly controlled. Also, the presence of personal video cameras wasn't yet as normal as would have been some years later. The footage that was shot was produced professionally and is held by the museum. I would suggest getting a copy of the first DVD I linked to, you'll be sponsoring the museum as well and there is plenty of interesting stuff on it.

[Chris Scott]

Hi Skipness 1E and Jhieminga,
Oh bother... I'd forgotten about G-ASGC and was unaware of G-ARVF being in Germany. :O


What were typical ground speeds at Nairobi on a hot day?


At risk of teaching granny to suck eggs, Nairobi's Embakasi aerodrome (since renamed Jomo Kenyatta Int'l) is at 5327 ft amsl, and even in the early 1970s was blessed with a very long runway (13500 ft) and no significant close-in obstacles. As a result, most - if not all - transport aeroplanes complying with take-off performance regs were and are limited more by the second-segment climb requirements ("WAT") than the field length. All the VC10 types, with their Conway engines, had more thrust than the rival, JT3D-powered B707-320B/Cs and DC-8-50 srs. That, coupled with a wing specifically designed for hot-high airfields (including full-span leading-edge slats), enabled them to operate at a higher MTOW on the day, although that advantage was partly eroded by their higher APS weights. BCAL's VC10s regularly operated direct services to Gatwick with, IIRC, a full load of F/Y pax (but not a full charter load of 150).

G-ASIX, as A4O-AB was then, is a Type 1103: standard fuselage and engines but a "super" wing (i.e., with the extended chord for improved buffet-margins at cruise-altitudes). The super wing also provides a take-off flap setting of 14.5 degrees, in addition to the standard 20-degree setting. That offered a big improvement to the "WAT" performance when compared with BOAC's Type 1101s.

Now to your question. Let's take a typical daytime temperature of +25C (ISA+20) and a QNH of 1020. If I interpret the graphs correctly 45 years on, the RTOW would equal the MTOW (structural) of 142427 kg. The VR and V2 would be respectively about 158 and 164 kt IAS, and the aircraft would become airborne at about V2. Due to the altitude and temperature, the IAS of 164 kt is roughly 183 kt TAS, giving a ground-speed in still air of about 211 mph. Hence our need to replace the original (200 mph) tyres with those rated at 225 mph.

[India Four Two]

Chris,

Thanks for taking the time to provide such a detailed answer to my question. I’ve only departed Nairobi once and it was on a flight to Mombasa, so we were probably not very heavy. However, in the 90s, I flew out of Addis Ababa (7625’) on a flight to London. It was the longest takeoff run I’ve ever timed. I don’t remember the exact time, but it was well over a minute!

[finncapt]

Addis is very high and, as a consequence, on approach, despite having typical IAS of about 120 something knots, the TAS was in the order of 160+ knots (Chris can probably give the exact figures).

It makes the approach seem quite sporting!!

For the golfers, the less, than at sea level, dense air allows ones balls to travel further for the same effort!!

As we are on high airfields, BOAC also went to Mexico City, in the VC10, but I never did one of those trips sadly.

[ZFT]

Addis is very high and, as a consequence, on approach, despite having typical IAS of about 120 something knots, the TAS was in the order of 160+ knots (Chris can probably give the exact figures).

It makes the approach seem quite sporting!!

For the golfers, the less, than at sea level, dense air allows ones balls to travel further for the same effort!!

As we are on high airfields, BOAC also went to Mexico City, in the VC10, but I never did one of those trips sadly.


2 departures daily from Jo burg in the 70s were great to watch too. 5560' if my memory is still intact

[eckhard]

As far as Mexico is concerned, here is some advice from someone’s Part ‘C’:

The airfield elevation of 7316ft gives a high TAS of about IAS + 15% and consequently a high ground speed and large turn radii. (High temperatures will compound this effect.)
A low platform altitude co-incident with completion of the final turn onto Rwy 05L/R and G/S intercept can significantly increase the workload. Establishing the aircraft in the landing configuration early will reduce ground speed and workload for the final approach.
Mt Popocatepetl is an ACTIVE VOLCANO so Volcanic Ash encounters are possible.
Having operated there here several times on the 747-400, and quite recently on the 787, I would agree with all the above. In addition, a red blob on the radar could be a Cb or a mountain! A good place to have one pilot on WXR and the other on TERR.

ATC can give interesting vectors ‘off piste’ which degrade SA. The third pilot can help by keeping an eye on the Radar Vectoring Chart and maintaining a ‘big-picture’ plot of where we are.

The real key to success on 05 is to get everything sorted before the final turn and watch the FMAs carefully in case of early LOC capture. Have a ‘plan B’ if this happens. I normally pre-select a heading of 090.

A bit off topic I know but someone may find this useful......

[Chris Scott]

At the time when the VC10 landed, in 1987, the museum wasn't yet open for business and access to the site was more strictly controlled. Also, the presence of personal video cameras wasn't yet as normal as would have been some years later. The footage that was shot was produced professionally and is held by the museum. I would suggest getting a copy of the first DVD I linked to, you'll be sponsoring the museum as well and there is plenty of interesting stuff on it.

I've now purchased a copy of the Avion DVD. Much of the older, historic footage used is of better quality than I'd expected, and there's a lot of it. I'll buy the Brooklands Museum one next time I'm there.
G-ASIX/A4O-AB's sister ship, G-ASIW, is shown in the original BUA livery in 1964, taxiing and taking off on Rwy 09 (now 08R) at Gatwick - footage taken from a helicopter.**
The Brooklands final return is brief, consisting of a "clean" fly-by and the landing from about 100ft height to the end of the landing run. Nicely handled. Reasonable quality footage.

** Did my base training 6 or 7 years later on the same a/c and runway...

[Jhieminga]

Sounds like you've got a copy of the Avion DVD, that is indeed a must if you're a fan of VC10s. I wasn't there myself, but from everyone I spoke to I understand that the Brooklands return was nothing more than what you described, a single flypast and a professionally handled landing on a shortish runway. To read the story from another perspective, see here: The 1st and last VC10 flight (http://www.vc10.net/Memories/A4OAB_Royalflight.html)