I have never understood the VC10 to be particularly fast, in its hayday the BOAC/BA advertising always played on the quitness of the cabin, which it was unless you were at the back.
In fact its operating costs and performance were considered a handicap as it was designed for the African routes where runway length and temperature were the driving factors. This detracted from its ability to cruise as efficiently as a DC8/707 when being used on the transatlantic routes.
The Trident and CV990 were the fastest things on the block.
I have spent many a happy hour on VC10’s in the circuit at places such as RAE Bedford, Glasgow and Prestwick, when I was a lad, just along for the ride on a training flights, the best place to be was in the jump seat but if that was unavailable we used to just stand in the flight deck doorway, our feet would leave the ground at top of climb out if the driver nosed over a bit quickly, and trying to use the loo was entertaining.
Richard

Many moons ago(1970’s perhaps) Aeroplane Monthly did a bit on this aircraft including a 3 view and several photographs. I dont have the indexes filed so it would mean working through the mags, and that might take a while. I take it you have seen this http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/Braas/6410.htm and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HNr9stG5Ec

Richard

My apprentice master was the late Alan Rosier, another aircraft fanatic. He had been told that XE531’s rear fuselage was a different diameter than all the other Hunters and he had been meaning to measure it for a number of years so he could make a model of it. That morning we got a plumb bob and marked out the diameter of the fuselage on the hangar floor and measured it. It was the same as all the other Hunters!
Rgds Cking

Cking
I think it was the internal size that was different, XE531 had the 200Srs Avon whereas the other 2 seaters would have had the 100Srs. The later engine being larger in diameter meant the fuselage frames had been redesigned to accomodate it, still leaving the external shape and size the same.

Richard

XE531 started life as a F.Mk.6 then modded to a FGA.9 so started life with a Avon 203 then got the 207. I think I am right that most UK two seaters were ex F.Mk.4 which had 100 srs Avons.
It was used for TSR2 Head up display trials early on then Fly-by-wire development work.
It was a very unusual and pretty aircraft, lost when a turbine disc failed on take off removing the rear fuselage, the two crew ejected. I heard the bangs.

Richard

Now that this thread has been revived I thought I would mention this reference to a PUNDIT BEACON is. I found it mentioned in the 5th paragraph on this site http://www.rafupwood.co.uk/preparing%20for%20war.html About a Fairey Battle crash in Hampshire(its not listed in the Hampshire air crash log).

Richard

What amazing pictures of some stunningly beautiful aircraft, in a stunningly beautiful setting, although the dreaded porta loo has managed to get itself into some of the shots. Why cant we go back to hessian screens aroung holes in the ground, just for authenticity, or at least some hessian screens around the b****y porta loo’s.

Richard

Dave
Yes I remember the dogfight, Gunbus and Fokker E111, and the other thing about the Turbulent was it had a wooden handled wire brush as the shoe or the tail skid, and Dad said it had a car engine.
Dont remember any Spitfire when I was there.
But they did have a really good helterskelter to play on, which at the time had nearly as much fun value as the aircraft, well I was only nine.

Richard

Picture of Moose is in the old BEA hangar at LHR near to where it was painted, the Tristar has a tail dock around it as it was far to big for the hangar. The painter who did the work was Mike.

Richard