Vickers VC-10 History
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In the early 1950's Vickers were already working on designs for a 4 engined jet airliner, originally known as the V1000. Compared with the Comet, it was a very modern design, featuring a wider fuselage, slotted flaps, a variable incidence tailplane & much better performance. Unfortunately, the government pulled the plug on the project, as the prototype neared completion. It is suspected that behind the scenes dealing with the Americans may have led to this strange decision. The governments action effectively stopped the aircraft from becoming the commercial success that it should have been.
BOAC stated that it still wanted the aircraft, but only to fly their 'Empire routes' to Africa & Australia. They stated specifically that they did not want a Transatlantic airliner.
Their strict requirements had to be incorporated by Vickers & the project continued as the VC-10. BOAC ordered 35 in 1957, with an option for 20 more.
The prototype first flew on 29th June 1962 & it entered service with BOAC in April 1964.
The VC-10 was designed to give good takeoff performance from hot & high altitude airports, often with short runways. Powered by 4 Rolls Royce Conway bypass engines, it's large wings, leading edge slats & huge Fowler flaps, gave it the take off & landing performance of a much smaller plane.
But in designing it this way, other trade offs had to be made, particularly in fuel economy.
In hindsight BOAC had made a bad judgment in asking for a design to fit the existing airports. With the arrival of the Boeing 707 & Douglas DC-8, most of the airports began to extend their runways, so as not to be left behind. This made the VC-10s design advantage unnecessary to most major destinations & hindered its future sales.
Vickers, worried about the type's appeal to other airlines, had set the VC-10's fuel capacity high enough to allow non-stop flights across the Atlantic. BOAC had stated from the start that they did not want this. Vickers also set about a stretched version, with a 28ft fuselage extension. BOAC demanded that the stretch be reduced to just 13ft before they would place an order. This not quite as stretched version became the Super VC-10.
Relations between Vickers & BOAC were not particularly good, with the airline constantly changing its order quantities & even publicly criticising the aircraft in an attempt to gain a subsidy for operating it.
The Super VC-10 entered service with BOAC in April 1965, bizarrely on the not wanted Transatlantic service to New York.
Other airlines did take up the VC-10, but never in great quantities. BUA (later British Caledonian), Ghana, Malawi, Gulf Air, Nigerian had the Standard and East African had the Super. BOAC later became British Airways, who flew both types for many years. The RAF also used both types, taking most of the surplus from BOAC's reduced orders.
Renowned for it's quiet cabin & sparkling performance, the VC-10 was amazingly popular with both flight crews & passengers. It did managed some passenger service into the 1980's, but was on the whole phased out rather early. It now only operates in the RAF, where it has been a good servant for many years as transport & as the converted K2 & K3 in-flight refueling tanker.
In all, only 54 VC-10's were built.
There are 4 static models on public display.
3 in England at Cosford, Duxford & Vickers Design Facility Weybridge/Brooklands.
1 in Germany at Hermeskeil.
