Even in full reverse pitch, one could hardly describe the Whispering Giant as howling. :O

I used to fly G-AOVF when it was with IAS Cargo in the early 1970's. Perhaps a trip to Cosford to say hello is called for!
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....9f2a2d9ccf.jpg
G-AOVF at Manston 1973

Well worth a visit - I had a very brief look round the museum a few years ago and would like to go again for a more considered viewing.

You can easily spend a full day there, at least, that's what I did...

A quick comparison between 1999 and 2016

IAS Britannias at Gatwick in the 70s... Tradewinds Cl-44s, BIA Heralds... nostalgia! And for Jhieminga, Air Malawi's VC-10!

Archie1 Could you remind me what was the purpose of the two boxes positioned above the green satin? I remember all the other instruments but my mind is a total blank on those boxes! I think we also had a "Eureka " down by the window which was a great help coasting in at Masirah from Gan. The Britannia was a beautiful looking aircraft and a pleasure to navigate. Happy days/

When I left the RAF and joined IAS we gave up Navigators and wandered around Africa in Brits as if we knew it!

The introduction of the Brit to RAF service was quite 'High Power'. Our first sight of one was in K'sar and we went to have a look at this shiny new visitor. One of the 'Loadmasters' (AQMs in those days?) was a mis-employed NCO pilot and somewhat disgruntled. He addressed his other 'loadie' by rank and said that this was mandated procedure on the Squadron (99?). Seemed very odd but on a later conversion course Dag ?, who was ex-Brits, spoke of similar 'peculiarities' of operating procedures. Just mischievious gossip or for real?

Compass amplifiers, navstar1, the control boxes for the port and starboard gyro magnetic compasses which feed all the other compass displays around the flight deck (correction: apart from the standby compass which we are lacking on XM496 at present). You could select pure gyro here for polar routes but magnetic monitoring was the norm. Actually, I don't remember using Eureka in the Britannia. Maybe a senior moment, maybe another era but I don't see it on the photos here or on the diagram I have in front of me. I'll have a browse through the manuals when I'm next on board.

Many thanks Archie1 much appreciated. I seem to remember the Eureka Box (or something like it) was on the ledge just below the window.but after all the years I could be wrong!

Much appreciated, but am I missing a photo from your post...?

No pic, just nostalgia I'm afraid; I think it was the only VC-10 I ever saw at Gatwick other than the unfortunate G-ARTA which was still visible on the dump in the mid-1970s.

:) I got a bit confused, but I've got it now. I missed those years myself, but if I'm allowed to shamelessly plug a product, Avion Video's DVDs are the next best thing: https://avionvideo.com/product-categ...ssic-airports/

XM497 at Stansted
 

Originally Posted by Herod View Post
There is a Britannia painted up as XM497 "Schedar" at the RAF Museum, Cosford. It is purely representative though, being in reality G-AOVF, originally a BOAC aircraft. Sadly it seems the real "Schedar" was broken up at Stansted in 1977.

The above was a perfect excuse for me to spend a few minutes hunting some pictures of XM497 at Stansted. I knew that I had taken some but it was in 1980.
Firstly, she is shown minus engines being prepared for the Fire Training ground and secondly the following year after she had already suffered some "slight" fire damage.
QP
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....ce5d6d0689.jpg
May 1980.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....819e4560d6.jpg
13 April 1981
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....c202fb772e.jpg
13 April 1981

I know the Fire Services need training, and I know the aircraft is withdrawn from use. But don't you just hate to see pictures of XM497 like that? Makes my blood run cold.

Postfade, please see your PMs about the photos you took in happier times.

Horrific Photos! I spent many happy military hours flying XM497.