RAF VC10 Tankers

If memory serves, I think it was XV103, she was scrapped but dont think it was necesarily down to any damaged caused. Quite a few VC-10s have been broken for spares back up in recent years.
I meant to say I didnt think any RAF VC-10s have been lost in crashes or serious accidents;) . In fact I believe very few accidents occured with the type in civie street, I think there was only one accident with fatalities and they were due more to the airfield layout.

It was XR806 and she was scrapped as she slammed down hard enough on her tail to rupture the rear pressure bulkhead. I was nearby at the time. A great shame as she’d just been serviced. It wasn’t long before I was working in Base Hangar too and using bits from her to service other jets.

XV103 was scrapped at St Athen. (and holds fond Vicky Ten memories for me…the first one I flew on!)

If memory serves, I think it was XV103, she was scrapped but dont think it was necesarily down to any damaged caused. Quite a few VC-10s have been broken for spares back up in recent years.
I meant to say I didnt think any RAF VC-10s have been lost in crashes or serious accidents;) . In fact I believe very few accidents occured with the type in civie street, I think there was only one accident with fatalities and they were due more to the airfield layout.

i remember seeing that, as my dad lives in Witney and used to go flying at brizzy a lot. i think the VC10 in question was cannibalised for spares in the end wasnt she? im sure someone told me that it wasn’t a violent smack down at the rear, rather a graceful seesaw and she “gently” settled onto her tail?

Here at St Athan (where they are all serviced) they say an end date 0f 2012, but I know that date keeps being extended! Both C.1ks and K.3s are meant to retire together.
They are favourite of mine and I never tire of seeing them fly in and out of short runway here, or that lovely Conway whine.
Truely a remarkable aeroplane, with none lost in militay service.

What about the one that was sat on its backside in front of the main hangar Brize Norton with its nose pointing through fog as the station commander was coming into land???:diablo::diablo:

Before anyone asks,from what I gather the the aircraft was being de-fuelled, unfortunately the guage for the tailfin tank was showing zero but was still full:eek: .Two people were on board and as one got off the centre of balance favoured the tail end & bingo-one very over-rotated,stationary VC10 later.:o 😮 😮

I also heard the poor s*d in the aircraft cartwheeled down the aisle as it tipped:o -this is all second hand info as I was on Det in Al Kharj at the time.

The complete airframe for the RAF E3Ds were produced from new far more recently than any Nimrod or Comet.
Also the crews I have spoken to that have flown both the Nimrod and E3, all say the E3 has a far more modern layout and feel.

Another Nimrod! (but uglier than before)
MR4A due to replace the ageing, but ever lovely, MR.2s in the next few years, in reality it probably should’ve gone the way of the Nimrod AEW and a more modern airframe used.

The first production Boeing 707 flew four months before the Comet 4. How does that make it more modern?

Breifly BAE Systems signed a 1.1 billion pound contract in 1996 to develop the MR4A,it will fly at Mach 0.77 have a 6000 mile range ,engines will have 25% more thrust and be 30% more fuel efficient, plus advanced radar etc the contract is for 12 aircraft, completion is 2012 😎 😎 😎

Initially it was 21 aircraft, then 18 then 12.

the R1s will stay in service for a while yet.

In January 2007 Flight did an article on the FSTA and the related VC10 out of service date, which will move towards 2015, article here: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/01/08/211431/fsta-delays-may-force-uk-to-prolong-vc10-operations.html

As for type numbers, the C1K indeed has the highest number 1180, see here for a list: http://www.vc10.net/Data/vickers_vc10_type_designations.html. Whether that should be considered as the ‘final variant’ is up for discussion I guess. Having the highest type number doesn’t mean that the airframes are the newest or sporting the latest technology. I’d say that the K4s, after the modification program in the early 90s and originally built as Super VC10s, might also be considered.

I’m biased though, I like them all 😉

As a lad at Luton watching (and I think the name is correct) Albert Ball VC taxiing past the spectators enclosure during the mid 1970’s.

Horrendous Conway whine and the smell of kerosene! MARVELOUS!

Breifly BAE Systems signed a 1.1 billion pound contract in 1996 to develop the MR4A,it will fly at Mach 0.77 have a 6000 mile range ,engines will have 25% more thrust and be 30% more fuel efficient, plus advanced radar etc the contract is for 12 aircraft, completion is 2012 😎 😎 😎

If memory serves me correctly, the contract started out at 18 or more airframes. I wonder what its hot and high performance will be like? Pity the aircraft is at least 7 years late at the moment!

Eric

I well remember the early evening roar of VC-10’s taking bombs out of the Wittering bomb dump just prior to GW1 ! What a sound as they seemed to use up most of the runway!

nimrods replacement,

Breifly BAE Systems signed a 1.1 billion pound contract in 1996 to develop the MR4A,it will fly at Mach 0.77 have a 6000 mile range ,engines will have 25% more thrust and be 30% more fuel efficient, plus advanced radar etc the contract is for 12 aircraft, completion is 2012 😎 😎 😎

having thought about that post i realised afterwards that the mra4 is the next inline,only the other day, will any of the current fleet be retired and offered up for sale?

Another Nimrod! (but uglier than before)
MR4A due to replace the ageing, but ever lovely, MR.2s in the next few years, in reality it probably should’ve gone the way of the Nimrod AEW and a more modern airframe used.

is there an out of service date for the nimrod yet?, whats the replacement going to be?

I believe the final variant is the 1180, which is the C1K variant of the RAF’s original 1106 C1 series.

I never tire of hearing and seeing a VC10, and o course flying home in one. That said, I will never get used to the rear facing seats.

Fantastic old girl!

Here at St Athan (where they are all serviced) they say an end date 0f 2012, but I know that date keeps being extended! Both C.1ks and K.3s are meant to retire together.
They are favourite of mine and I never tire of seeing them fly in and out of short runway here, or that lovely Conway whine.
Truely a remarkable aeroplane, with none lost in militay service.

The sound of the VC10 taking off from Tengah, Singapore was awsome, no wonder we called it the “Moon Rocket”. Combination of temperature and humidity made the sound!

I believe it was announced recently they have now have an out of service date as 2015.