Arrived at midnight, safely back after 42 years. Some beauty treatment follows a little reconstructive surgery.

All gone quiet, any more news anybody? :confused:

The ‘mockup’ VC10 at Brooklands is actually the fatigue test specimen. This was altitude tested in the stratosphere chamber (designed by Barnes Wallis) and pressure tested in the water tank, hence a valuable exhibit. I’m sure that if it were just a mockup, then it would give way to VM at Cosford.

RE: AIRBUS 3XX???

Heathrow’s terminal 5 was concieved with exactly the A3XX in mind. The arguements for it are more passenger movements with little or no increase in aircraft movenments. The direct benefit is that one larger aircraft will move more pasengers with less noise than two smaller aircraft. Also slots are at a premium at some airports such as LHR, therefore aircraft movements cannot increase as a result of increased passenger movements.

Whether it is liked or not, air travel is on the increase, so the choice is either more airports or maximise the use of existing airports with larger aircraft. If we look five or six years ahead when the A3XX is due to enter service then for the reasons above there will be a market for it. Boeing also seem to think so as they are actively sounding out their customer base for a stretched 747.

The main problen face by airports will be passenger handling. As for the physical size of the aircraft, it will fit into a standard 80 square meter box which most major airports allow for, so where the 747 ventures the A3XX will follow.

If the A3XX is launched then there will be a market for it and it will be a success.

RE: British Airways Tails

Having worked with BA from it’s conception in the days when the BEA Trident ruled the roost at LHR, I remember when the pre Tails livery was unveiled. At the time it was quite something new and almost regal looking.It certainly conveyed a sense of being something special and and especially powerful.

The ethnic tails was a disaster from the word go. Patriotic travellers no longer identified with the national carrier and began to roam. While being pleased that ‘tails’ has had it’s day, I cannot agree that the former livery was better than the present. As said previously, the former was regal and powerful looking, but times move on. The year of it’s unvieling escapes me but it must be 15 to 21 years old.

Time move on and we are now in the 21st century. The new livery conveys a sense of uniform freshness against the pre tails making it instantly identifiable. One other thing, in the new livery a BA aircraft is easily identified from the ground. This was not the case with the old ‘regal’ livery.