VC 10 Photos

[ex82watcher]

While sorting through some of my late neighbours effects I have found approx 45 B&W photo's,about 8"x10" produced by BOAC Technical Photographic Unit,circa 1963.There are 16 bound into a folder,of the flight-deck,the rest being of radio/radar&other technical installations.I don't want them,but I don't just want to throw them away, either,
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1280x720/img_20210412_185355_2bac24a8b940de1dd54054533a54940e3cac11a2 .jpg
so if anyone here would like them,or know of someone who would,let me know your address by PM,and I'll post them on.

[toscana24]

Brooklands museum?

[NutLoose]

Please let jheiminga know, see the link, he runs VC10.net

https://www.pprune.org/members/48625-jhieminga




http://vc10.net/

[Jhieminga]

I will happily take them off your hands. I will send you a PM so we can work out the details.

[ex82watcher]

Thanks for your suggestion toscana24,but I'm going to let jhieminga have the photo's.I did donate a VC10 radar aerial (brand-new,still in its bag),which came from the same source,to Brooklands last year.

[toscana24]

An equally worthy home, thanks for making sure the photos survive!

[Saint-Ex]

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1280x864/wisley_vc10_resized_9a2b27f3bbc0242ee407edc8fb6cdd5d6ffe8fe2 .jpeg

[cavuman1]

Excellent photograph, Saint-Ex! Almost surreal. It might be entitled "Final Flight", but it proves the beauty of an extraordinary aircraft! For research into the VC-10 Jhieminga's superb website is well worth deep exploration.

- Ed

[treadigraph]

Yep, wonderful shot, so evocative. You can almost hear those Conways...

[25F]

So I've always wanted to ask this question...
The BA VC-10s I flew on had registrations like "G-ASGC" - was this a nod to their reputation as "GAS-Guzzlers"?

(Good call on trying to preserve the photos - once lost, forever lost).

[Jhieminga]

That's a cracker of a shot Saint-Ex! Looks like an early morning departure from runway 28. A shame that the registration is not legible but is a very atmospheric shot. A few years back I had the opportunity to wander around Wisley with Maurice Ungless, who used to work there in the early 1960s and I have some of the photos from that day on this page: https://www.vc10.net/Photos/Wisley.html Any chance I could add your photo to that page?

On the topic of photos, I received the photos that ex82watcher found just a few days ago, thanks! Most of them are detail shots of aerial installations or avionics boxes as his neighbour used to work in the avionics department at BOAC/BA. There are sets of flight deck photos as well that show the early configurations of the BOAC flight deck and the RAF C1 flight deck, I will see if I can add these to my site on a separate page in the near future. I did just add two photos to the page about XR806, see here: https://www.vc10.net/Airframes/cn_826__XR806.html (second row, first two images). These are the only two photos in the set that show a bit more of the exterior, and one of them happens to show the trial installation of the inflight refuelling probe on XR806. This was done at Wisley in the mid-1960s, before XR806 was delivered to 10 Squadron and it would take another 20 years (almost) before these probes would become a common feature on the C1 fleet.

As for the registrations of the BOAC Supers, they were allocated in sequence so any abbreviations, like the one you suggested 25F, are purely accidental, however fitting they may be.

[Saint-Ex]

Of course you may Jhieminga. During a BOAC engineering strike at LHR we used to fly the 10s into Brooklands for maintenance. This was probably on its way back to Heathrow.

[Jhieminga]

Was that into Brooklands or into Wisley? The flights back to Brooklands were a bit risky due to the restricted runway and were most likely only carried out by Vickers test pilots.
Could you let me know what name I should put on the photo for the copyright credits? Feel free to PM or e-mail if you prefer. Thanks!

[Saint-Ex]

Into Brooklands, not risky but we had to wait for a still or northerly wind as the railway blocked the north end. There was always a fire engine ready to put out a possible brake fire. Don`t worry about copyright you may use the picture as you like, just nice to know someone cares enough!

[Jhieminga]

Together with a friend who used to work at The Brooklands Museum I have tried to put together a list of known VC10 flights back into Brooklands. I ended up with about twelve flights, encompassing most of the BOAC Standards, the prototype, the second BUA airframe and two Supers. That is all based on photos and logbook entries. If BOAC also flew airframes into Brooklands for maintenance, that list should most likely be a lot longer. If you can tell me more about this, I would appreciate it.

By 1987, most of the knowledge about all this appeared to have been forgotten and at that point people weren't sure whether VC10s had ever made their way back to the factory runway. Because of this, the preparation for A4O-AB's arrival was quite extensive and there was quite a bit of excitement around the event.

[Saint-Ex]

12 BOAC flights is probably about right, all by Vickers pilots. I think I did 3 with Bill Cairns.

[spatston]

Bit of thread creep so apologies, From 1969 I lived in a new development just off set from the southern end of the runway. There was no aerial activity when my parents bought the house nor for a while afterwards. So we were all somewhat surprised when one day a VC 10 took off no more than 200 metres away. Four Conways at full tilt certainly grabs your attention.

It maybe folklore but I was told they had to fly out with nothing in them to make the hop to Wisley for fit out.

[Jhieminga]

The VC10s that I know were flown back to Brooklands were these:
- G-ARTA (photo in Lucas book, shown departing Brooklands in MEA colours). Flown back for rebuilding to airline spec.
- G-ARVA (Eric Bucklow logbook, flew as co-pilot, via S.S.), WCN1185 (BAE Archives photo). Flown back for reconfiguring to airline spec.
- G-ARVB (photo from BAE Systems archives, via Stephen Skinner, MP24643).
- G-ARVC (photo in BAE Archives collection, departing Brooklands in Nigeria Airways colours, also in Stephen Skinner bookazine and Haynes manual shown in flight shed in NA colours).
- G-ARVE (photo in Martin Hedley book, Stephen Skinner bookazine).
- G-ARVF, rumoured to be the first to return (according to e-mail from G.P.) for drag modification assessment.
- G-ARVK (photo in Brooklands Archives/Putnam Aeronautical Review/Crowood VC10 book), flown by Trubshaw.
- G-ARVL Flown out of Brooklands again on 13 Jan 1966, according to Eric Bucklow logbook, via S.S.
- G-ARVM Flown out of Brooklands again on 28 Jan 1966, according to Eric Bucklow logbook, via S.S.
- G-ASGB (photo in Brooklands Archives).
- G-ASGD (photo in Brooklands Archives). For this one see: https://www.vc10.net/Memories/FlightTesting.html#TestPilots
- G-ASIX (photo in Brooklands Archives showing a departure from Brooklands in September 1965, flown there by McNamara/Bucklow in July 1965, from Gatwick).
If you can add any details to this list, please let me know. If you have the logbook details... even better!

The VC10s were certainly light when they left Brooklands, but I suspect that at least some of them did have an airline interior. They could of course use a very light fuel load for the short flight to Wisley. The last one, 5H-MOG, flew out with an empty cabin, see photo on this page: https://www.vc10.net/Airframes/cn_885__5hmog.html

[NutLoose]

Ten Sqn didn’t like the refuelling probe fitted as it spoiled the lines of the Ten, hence we only put them on when there was a requirement and removed them afterwards

[Musket90]

About to "touch and go" runway 21 at Prestwick, 27th March 1976
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1500/p5010585_d881ef0eb9523bef2358547eb6bd399a2dca5b59.jpg

[Nightstop]

No idea of the registration, but here’s a photo of me and my Hamble (741A) mates in front of a BA VC10 at LHR in ‘74 or ‘75:


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1600x1098/c6e6a1a6_82b5_4a92_a712_f45436806a33_19934adb0838ef5766da43e 06270a2b81f16d9c5.jpeg

The best Hamble course (741A).

[Jhieminga]

Pretty good odds that your photo shows G-ARVM Nightstop. I'm pretty sure it's a Standard VC10 and only three of those were ever painted in the 'negus' scheme.

[Bergerie1]

Nightstop, I hope you got your VC10 course!

[DH106]

Pretty good odds that your photo shows G-ARVM Nightstop. I'm pretty sure it's a Standard VC10 and only three of those were ever painted in the 'negus' scheme.

On the left hand side of the 'bullet' as we look at it - looks like you can just make out an 'F' at the end. But I don't think G-ARVF was ever in Negus as got sold in the UAE?

[Nightstop]

I hope you got your VC10 course!

Sadly not. We were streamed for the Trident, but the whole course was put in the holding pool after graduation. Several lucky course mates soon the joined BCal Executive Charter fleet, expecting to go onto their Navajo’s but ended up on the BAC 1-11 course straight away. From there they joined BA, upon the acquisition of BCal.

[dixi188]

Just searghed Google. There is a pic of 'VF in that colour scheme. Its from vc10.net

[Jhieminga]

The one Standard that is most often associated with the 'negus' colours is G-ARVM, but G-ARVF and G-ARVJ also carried that scheme, see here:
https://www.vc10.net/History/Individual/GARVF.html
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1000x607/g_arvf_ba_takeoff_apr74_f6450559a911c46be18f6cc95f850892b522 995b.jpg

https://www.vc10.net/Airframes/cn_812__garvj.html
https://flic.kr/p/XDsdfj

Both 'VF and 'VJ were of course repainted into UAE and Gulf Air colours respectively. Based on DH106's sleuthing, I'll change my answer to G-ARVF ;)

[Musket90]

Heathrow 8th June 1976
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1500x1125/g_arvj_gulf_air_2e4270f397ffa02ea280670df57e50b19059e739.jpg

[Musket90]

Heathrow April 1976
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1500x1125/a40_vl_gulf_air_d4ae9cb06b7b9db0ce7ceec18a681515b8844c42.jpg

[Musket90]

Heathrow January 1977 - Looks like it's carrying spare engine pod.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1500x1125/5h_mog_east_african_1cbf69ed3bd6add7a4ee839ba4725a43bc7bd228 .jpg

[Musket90]

Gatwick September 1977
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1500x1125/7q_ykh_air_malawi_54d8007b75ef07a31030e01682719cf1910725f8.j pg

[SpringHeeledJack]

I'm loving all the schemes on show. I remember that for some reason towards the later period of of VC-10 operation in and out of LHR, they all seemd to park on the apron between the old Terminal 2 and the old Terminal 2 multi-story carpark. I used to love standing on the top of the carpark and watching and listening to the the sounds of the VC-10 coming and going.

[Jhieminga]

Some of the photos that started this thread are now up on my site. I have combined them with a set of photos that was found at Filton several years ago to show three very early VC10 flight decks. It is a bit of a 'spot the differences' page for aficionados, but I guess it's not the only page on my site that could be described as such.

https://www.vc10.net/Photos/FlightDecks.html
Enjoy!

[Bergerie1]

Jelle, Thank you - much enjoyed and now very confused!! The nav panel in picture 14 is the Doppler Navigator display.

[Jhieminga]

Thanks! I have corrected the caption for that photo. I considered adding photos of the final BA Super VC10 flight deck layout and C1K flight deck but figured it might get even more confusing ;)

[Jhieminga]

I considered using it in the 'what cockpit' thread, but while I was on the subject of flight decks, I finalised this page and have just added it to my site: https://www.vc10.net/Technical/FlightDeckDesign.html

[Geordie_Expat]

I'm fascinated that Gulf Air had VC10s. When I was at Muharraq in 67-68 they were flying DC3s

[dixi188]

A guy I used to fly with on the A300 did his Hamble course as a BOAC cadet around 1964/5 and expected to go on the 707 or VC-10. He was very suprised to be sent to the Gulf to fly the DC-3 for about a year before he got his 707 course.
Gulf Aviation was part owned by BOAC until 1974 when it became Gulf Air owned by Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Oman.