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101-481: The Vickers VC10 is a mid-sized, narrow-body long-range British jet airliner designed and built by Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd and first flown at Brooklands , Surrey, in 1962. The VC10 is often compared to the larger Soviet Ilyushin Il-62 , the two types being the only airliners to use a rear-engined quad layout, while the smaller business jet Lockheed JetStar also has this engine arrangement. The VC10

202-561: A BOAC order for a 250-seat "VC10 Superb", a move away from the VC10's initial MRE role into the area targeted by the DC-8 Super Sixties . The VC10 would have needed an entirely new double-deck fuselage, which raised emergency escape concerns, and the design failed to attract orders. A total of 12 Type 1101 VC10s were purchased in 1964–65, followed by 17 Type 1151 Super VC10s in 1965–69. The VC10 became an immensely popular aircraft in

303-506: A Centaurus-powered design with a gross weight of 103,000 lb (47,000 kg) and a payload of 13,300 lb (6,000 kg). The anticipated Karachi - Cairo run necessitated a 48-seat limit including sufficient fuel for the lengthy stage. On 5 July 1949, the Ministry of Supply ordered five such prototypes with the understanding that BOAC would contract for 25 production units. BOAC purchased options for 25 aircraft on 28 July powered by

404-509: A decade and a half. Written down and amortised by the 1970s, it could have continued in airline service much longer despite its high fuel consumption, but high ground-noise levels sealed its fate. Hush-kitting the Conways was considered in the late 1970s, but rejected on grounds of cost. In 1960, the RAF issued Specification 239 for a strategic transport, which resulted in an order being placed by

505-447: A forward freight door, facilitating the insertion of five upper fuselage tanks in the main fuselage; the K.2s lacked forward freight doors, thus a section of the upper fuselage was dismantled to insert the five upper tanks. In the K.2 and K.3 conversions, extensive floor reinforcement was installed to support the additional weight imposed by the five fuel tanks. In 1981, 14 former BA Super VC10s were purchased and stored for spare parts. In

606-525: A full Certificate of Airworthiness was awarded at the end of 1955. The first two Model 102s were delivered to BOAC on 30 December 1955 for crew training. The Model 102 began scheduled service on 1 February 1957 with a BOAC flight from London to Johannesburg, flights to Sydney following in March and to Tokyo in July. By August 1957, the first 15 Model 102 aircraft had been delivered to BOAC. The last 10 aircraft of

707-736: A further redesign eliminating the Centaurus option. Senior figures within BOAC such as the Deputy Chairman Whitney Straight , however, considered the Proteus engine to be "an obsolete contraption". Despite BOAC's desire to have a turboprop engine, the Type 175 project was contingent on the Proteus passing a 150-hour Type Test. During April 1950, the airliner's name, Britannia , was selected. The designation Britannia 101

808-405: A long term type. In 1956, BOAC ordered 15 Boeing 707s . These were oversized and underpowered for BOAC's medium-range Empire (MRE) African and Asian routes, which involved destinations with " hot and high " airports that reduced aircraft performance, notably between Karachi and Singapore, and could not lift a full load from high-altitude airports like Kano or Nairobi . Several companies proposed

909-474: A part-drooped, four-per-cent chord extension over the inboard two-thirds and a drooped, extended-chord wing-tip that allowed more economical high-altitude flying. (This mimicked the 1961 aerodynamics of the similar-looking but significantly different Il-62 .) Further developments proposed included freighter versions, one with front-loading like the C-124 Globemaster II . Efforts focused on getting

1010-472: A production order for six aircraft for the RAF. The planned civil airliner was known as the VC7 (the seventh Vickers civil design). Development was prolonged by the need to meet the RAF's requirements for short take-off and a self-loading capability. Work started on the prototype but by 1955 the aircraft's increased weight required a more powerful engine, causing BOAC to question the engine development cycle. In 1955,

1111-461: A quarter of a mile in length with no internal supports. Up to six VC10s could be positioned inside with adequate room remaining for working space around each aircraft. During the late 1980s, plans to move major servicing to RAF Abingdon near to RAF Brize Norton were considered. Abingdon was closed and a new facility was built at RAF St Athan , in South Wales – "1 Air Maintenance Sqn" (1 AMS);

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1212-545: A smaller version, the VC11, to BEA for routes like those to Athens and Beirut but this was rejected in favour of the Hawker Siddeley Trident . The aircraft featured Powered Flight Control Units an early type of Electro-hydraulic actuator ; these were produced by Boulton Paul . Vickers revamped its production plans to try to achieve break-even point with 35 sales at £1.5 million each, re-using jigs from

1313-661: A suitable replacement. De Havilland offered the DH.118 , a development of the Comet 5 project while Handley Page proposed the HP.97 , based on their V bomber, the Victor . After carefully considering the routes, Vickers offered the VC10. Crucially, Vickers was the only firm willing to launch its design as a private venture, instead of relying on government financing. The VC10 was a new design but used some production ideas and techniques, as well as

1414-438: A thousand casualties of the conflict were evacuated to Cyprus by VC10s. In June 2009, the remaining VC10s were withdrawn from Iraq, along with most other British military assets. Between 2000 and 2003, the remaining K.2s were retired and scrapped. The surviving K.3s served as tanker/transports with No. 101 Squadron at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire and the single remaining K.4 supported No. 1312 Flight at RAF Mount Pleasant in

1515-715: The 2011 military intervention in Libya , a small number of VC10s were dispatched to bases in the Mediterranean and were used to refuel NATO strike aircraft being used in the theatre. The VC10 and Lockheed TriStar tanker/transports were replaced in RAF service by the Airbus A330 MRTT Voyager under the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft Project. The type's final flights in RAF service took place on 20 September 2013,

1616-721: The Air Ministry with Vickers in September 1961 for five VC10s. The order was increased by an additional six in August 1962, with a further three aircraft cancelled by BOAC added in July 1964. The military version (Type 1106) was a combination of the Standard combi airframe with the more powerful engines and fin fuel tank of the Super VC10. It also had a detachable in-flight refuelling nose probe and an auxiliary power unit in

1717-1434: The Airbus A318 , while the Airbus A321LR could replace the less fuel efficient Boeing 757s used since their production ended in 2004. Boeing will face competition and pricing pressure from the Embraer E-Jet E2 family , Airbus A220 (formerly Bombardier CSeries) and Comac C919 . Between 2016 and 2035, FlightGlobal expects 26,860 single-aisles to be delivered for almost $ 1380 billion, 45% Airbus A320 family ceo and neo and 43% Boeing 737 NG and max. By June 2018, there were 10,572 Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX orders: 6,068 Airbuses (57%, 2,295 with CFMs, 1,623 with PWs and 2,150 with not yet decided engines) and 4,504 Boeings (43%); 3,446 in Asia-Pacific (33%), 2,349 in Europe (22%), 1,926 in North America (18%), 912 in Latin America (9%), 654 in Middle East (6%), 72 in Africa (1%) and 1,213 not yet bounded (11%). Many airlines have shown interest in

1818-600: The Airbus A321LR or its A321XLR derivative, and other extended-range models, for thin transatlantic and Asia-Pacific routes. Bristol Britannia The Bristol Type 175 Britannia is a retired British medium-to-long-range airliner built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1952 to meet British civilian aviation needs. During development two prototypes were lost and the turboprop engines proved susceptible to inlet icing , which delayed entry into service while solutions were sought. By

1919-639: The Arctic and North Pole . After three de Havilland Comets crashed without explanation in 1953 and 1954, the Air Ministry demanded that the Britannia undergo lengthy tests. Further delays were attributed to teething problems with the engine resulting in the loss in February 1954 of the second prototype, G-ALRX , caused by a failed reduction gear that led to an engine fire and the aircraft landing on

2020-597: The British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) encompassed Vickers , Bristol and English Electric 's aviation interests, whilst Hawker Siddeley built on de Havilland 's heavy aircraft experience and Westland consolidated helicopter manufacture. The British government also controlled route-licensing for private airlines and also oversaw the newly established publicly owned British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) long-range and British European Airways (BEA) short and medium-range airlines. In 1951,

2121-570: The Conway engines , developed for the V.1000 and VC7. It had a generous wing equipped with wide chord Fowler flaps and full span leading edge slats for good take-off and climb performance; its rear engines gave an efficient clean wing and reduced cabin noise. The engines were also further from the runway surface than an underwing design, an important factor in operations from rough runways such as those common in Africa; wide, low-pressure tyres were also adopted with this same concern in mind. The VC10

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2222-516: The Falkland Islands . In January 2010, VC10 passenger operations were temporarily suspended while an airworthiness review was carried out. Following the 2006 North Korean nuclear test , a pair of VC10s were dispatched to Okinawa , Japan to undertake nuclear debris tests; this unusual task was performed using specialised sampling pods which replace the refuelling pods equipped as standard. During Operation Ellamy , Britain's contribution to

2323-605: The Icelandic "budget" airline Loftleiðir . The CL-44D4s were all built with swing-tails to allow straight-in cargo loading and served with a variety of carriers, most notably Flying Tiger Line . The similar CC-106 Yukon was used by the RCAF in a solely passenger configuration. A final "one-off" development was the Conroy Skymonster , nicknamed Guppy , based on a Canadair CL-44D4 N447T. The prominent modification

2424-636: The Ministry of Supply asked Vickers-Armstrongs to consider a military troop/freight development of the Valiant V bomber with trans- Atlantic range as a successor to the de Havilland Comet . The concept interested BOAC, who entered into discussion with Vickers and the RAF. In October 1952, Vickers were contracted to build a prototype which they designated the Type 1000 ( Vickers V-1000 ), followed in June 1954 by

2525-548: The Royal Aircraft Establishment and Cubana, Zaïrois airlines continued to operate several Britannias into the early 1990s on regular cargo flights from N'djili Airport to various destinations within the country. Most aircraft were built by Bristol at Filton, but 30 were built at Belfast by Short Brothers and Harland . Due to the extended development instead of a projected production of 180 Britannias, only 80 were sold. The negative experience with

2626-504: The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and Canadian Forces from 1957 to 1982. Canadair built 39 Canadair CL-44/Canadair CC-106 Yukon turboprop Rolls-Royce Tyne-powered aircraft, comprising 12 CC-106 Yukon for the RCAF and 27 CL-44D4 passenger/cargo variants for the civil market. Civilian operators typically operated the type as freighters . Four CL-44D4s were converted as CL-44Js with lengthened fuselages for service with

2727-551: The Second World War . Design and manufacture of transport aircraft had been abandoned to concentrate on production of combat aircraft with Britain's transport aircraft needs being met by the provision of US aircraft through Lend-Lease . In 1943, the Brabazon Committee introduced command economy -style principles into the industry, specifying a number of different types of airliners that would be required for

2828-664: The Standard VC10 (Type 1100). In accordance with its contracts with Vickers, in May 1961, BOAC amended its order to 15 Standard and 35 Super VC10s, eight of the Supers having a new combi configuration with a large cargo door and stronger floor; in December the order was reduced again to 12 Standards. By the time deliveries were ready to begin in 1964, airline growth had slowed and BOAC wanted to cut its order to seven Supers. In May,

2929-535: The Super 200 development of the VC10 with more powerful Conway engines and a 28 ft (8.5 m) longer fuselage offering up to 212 seats, 23 more than the Boeing 707-320 series. By January 1960, Vickers was experiencing financial difficulties and was concerned that it would not be able to deliver the 35 VC10s without making a loss. It offered to sell ten Super 200s to BOAC at £2.7 million each only to find that BOAC

3030-540: The Taliban , codenamed Operation Veritas . VC10s remained on long term deployment to the Middle East for twelve years, ending just before the type's retirement. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq by an American-led coalition, a total of nine VC10s were deployed to the theatre under Operation Telic . In the aftermath of the invasion, multiple VC10s were commonly stationed in Iraq; in addition to logistics operations, more than

3131-546: The Vickers Vanguard . On 14 January 1958, BOAC increased its order to 35, with options for a further 20 aircraft, the largest civil order ever placed in Britain at that time; these were to have smaller 109-seat interiors and more first-class seating. As the BOAC order alone reached the break-even point, the reuse of Vanguard jigs was abandoned and new production jigs made. To offer greater economy, Vickers began work on

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3232-433: The thrust reversers . The two inboard engines could have thrust reversers installed (such as on military VC10s), matching the 707. There was 3.0% more wing area with the leading edge extension reducing aspect ratio and wing root thickness/chord ratios, improving low speed lift and reduced high Mach drag. Later VC10 developments included the testing of a large main-deck freight-door and fitting new wing leading edges featuring

3333-435: The 200 series, incorporating 123 inches (3.1 m) longer fuselage, capable of carrying up to 139 (originally 99) passengers, medium-fuel capacity. As 305 series, but with strengthened fuselage skin and undercarriage. Long-range fuel capacity and was originally known as 300LR. Fourteen Britannias were lost with a total of 365 fatalities between 1954 and 1980. The worst accident was the 1967 Nicosia Britannia disaster with

3434-402: The 3,000 miles transatlantic flights between the eastern U.S. and Western Europe, previously dominated by wide-body aircraft. Norwegian Air Shuttle , JetBlue and TAP Portugal will open up direct routes bypassing airline hubs for lower fares between cheaper, smaller airports. The Boeing 737NG 3,300-mile range is insufficient for fully laden operations and operates at reduced capacity like

3535-518: The 310s, of which BOAC took 18 and, after deliveries began in September 1957, put them into service between London and New York City ; in March 1964 BOAC owned 50 aircraft, 10 being Britannia 312s. BOAC's last scheduled Britannia flight was April 1965. The 310 series (the Model 318) also saw transatlantic service with Cubana de Aviación starting in 1958, in spite of the Cuban Revolution

3636-574: The Argus was a hybrid, using the Britannia wings, tail surfaces and landing gear matched to a "purpose-built", unpressurised fuselage. It substituted North American materials and standard parts for British parts. The interior of the Argus was well equipped to conduct anti-submarine warfare — navigation, communication and tactical electronic equipment along with weapon loads that included bombs, torpedoes, mines and depth charges. A total of 33 Argus aircraft were built in two series (Mk 1 and Mk 2), serving

3737-483: The Atlantic to Montreal on 8 February 1964. By this point, 7 of the original 12 Standards were complete and the production line was preparing for the Supers. A Certificate of Airworthiness was awarded on 23 April 1964 and the plane was introduced to regular passenger service between London and Lagos on 29 April. By the end of 1964, all production requirements had been fulfilled; Vickers (now part of BAC ) retained

3838-421: The BOAC fleet with both passengers and crew, being particularly praised for its comfort and low cabin-noise level. BOAC (and later British Airways) obtained higher load factors with the VC10 than with the 707 or any other aircraft in its fleet. Operational experience soon resulted in the deletion of the inboard thrust-reversers due to continued tailplane buffeting despite the engine repositioning. One BOAC Super VC10

3939-494: The Beast." Aeroplane in "100 Great British Aircraft" (2008) said the Britannia counted among the "greats". Seventy-four passenger airliner with 114 ft (35m) fuselage and powered by four Bristol Proteus 705 All cargo variant with a 124 ft 3 in (38 m) fuselage, BOAC option for five was cancelled, none built. Similar to the 200 series, but mixed passenger and freight. Passenger-only "stretched" version of

4040-547: The Boeing 707, the turboprop airliner had become passé. In 1954, a licence was issued to Canadair to build the derivative Canadair CL-28/CP-107 Argus , and the Canadair CL-44 / Canadair CC-106 Yukon . Based on the Britannia, the Argus maritime patrol and anti-submarine military aircraft was optimised for endurance on long-range patrol, not speed, and used four Wright R-3350-32W Turbo-Compound engines that used less fuel at low altitude. Unlike its Britannia forebear,

4141-553: The Bristol Centaurus, but to be re-fitted with the Bristol Proteus when available. In November 1948, the Type 175 was revised again to accommodate 74 passengers and a longer wingspan in a contemplated long-range version aimed at long-haul Empire and transatlantic routes rather than the medium-haul Empire routes originally planned. On reflection, BOAC decided that only the Proteus engine was viable, necessitating

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4242-595: The Constellation were considered in late 1946, BOAC decided that an entirely new design was preferred. After wrangling between the Ministry of Supply and BOAC over costs, the go-ahead for the project assigned the company designation Model 175 in July 1948. Three prototypes were ordered with the first being Mk 1 (Centaurus 662), and the second and third prototypes designated Mk 2 (to be convertible to Bristol Proteus turboprops, then under development). In October 1947, with work already underway, Bristol had settled on

4343-567: The Ilyushin Il-62 . BOAC's successor British Airways (BA) began retiring their Super VC10s from trans-Atlantic flights in 1974, mainly due to the 1973 oil crisis , and using them to displace standard VC10s. Ten of the eleven surviving standard models were retired in 1974–75. Of these, five were leased to Gulf Air until 1977–78, then purchased by the RAF. One was leased to the Government of Qatar for VIP transport until 1981 when it

4444-475: The K.2, lacked forward freight doors, thus it was decided that there would be no internal refuelling tanks fitted. The K.4 had identical refuelling equipment to the K.2 and K.3, but lacked the extra fuselage fuel tanks and retained the same fuel capacity as a Super VC10. During the 1980s and early 1990s, the 13 surviving C.1s were equipped with wing-mounted refuelling pods (HDUs) and re-designated as VC10 C.1K two-point tanker/transports. No extra tanks were fitted,

4545-436: The RAF subsequently issued a contract to British Aerospace to convert five former BOAC VC10s and four former East African Airways Super VC10s, designated VC10 K.2 and VC10 K.3 respectively. During conversion, extra fuel tanks were installed in the former passenger cabin; these increased the theoretical maximum fuel load to 85 long tons (86 t) (K.2) and 90 long tons (91 t) (K.3), the Super VC10's fin fuel tank making

4646-647: The Super VC10s, enabling effective open-ocean navigation. A pair of VC10s were also painted with Red Cross markings and used for casualty evacuation from neutral Uruguay during the conflict. In 1991, 9 K.2s and K.3s were deployed to bases in Bahrain , Saudi Arabia and Oman as part of Operation Granby , the UK's contribution to the First Gulf War . A total of 5,000 flight hours across 381 sorties were flown in

4747-987: The Type I and Type III contracts, delivering their Type I design, the Bristol Brabazon in 1949. The requirement for the 1946 British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) Medium Range Empire (MRE) Requirements coincided with the Type III, Specification C.2/47 , issued in April 1947 by the Minister of Supply . The specifications called for an airliner capable of carrying 48 passengers and powered with Bristol Centaurus radial engines or Napier Nomad turbo-compound Diesel engine . Turboprop options were also considered, but they were so new that Bristol could not guarantee their performance. Although in-company Proposals "X" for conversions of Lockheed Constellations to Centaurus 662 powerplants or "Y" for licence production of

4848-488: The U.K. and Asia was London-New York-San Francisco-Honolulu-Wake Island-Tokyo-Hong Kong. On 1 April 1958 Canadian Pacific Air Lines took delivery of the first of six Model 314 Britannias, with an additional two Model 324s (built to a 320 standard) arriving later and sold to Cathay Pacific in 1961. BOAC ordered seven Model 302s, but never took delivery, instead they were taken on by airlines including Aeronaves de México and Ghana Airways. The main long-range series were

4949-504: The aircraft was commonly used by members of the British Royal Family, such as during Elizabeth II 's bicentennial tour of America, and by several British Prime Ministers; Margaret Thatcher reportedly insisted on flying by VC10. The aircraft proved capable of being flown non-stop by two flight crews, enabling several round-the-world flights, one such VC10 circumnavigated the globe in less than 48 hours. One aircraft (XR809)

5050-568: The airline had a special accord with British aircraft manufacturers to maintain this model of aircraft. In 1975, multiple Cuban Britannias were used to transport hundreds of soldiers of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces to Angola in Operation Carlota , a proxy war . Cubana de Aviación continued to fly its fleet of Britannias until March 1990. Following the purchase of remaining spare parts from

5151-532: The autoland system did not work smoothly and finally was removed from the Super VC10s.). Capacity was up to 135 passengers in a two-class configuration. Vickers designer Sir George Edwards is said to have stated that this plane was the sole viable option unless he were to reinvent the 707 and, despite misgivings on operating cost, BOAC ordered 25 aircraft. Vickers calculated that it would need to sell 80 VC10s at about £1.75 million each to break even so, apart from BOAC's 25, another 55 remained to be sold. Vickers offered

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5252-659: The design team transferred from Woodford to Chadderton. In 2003, responsibility for the commercial procurement of all spares items was undertaken by BAE Systems, at BAE Systems Samlesbury . The Chadderton site maintained responsibility for the MoD contracts for project managing modifications; major repairs and major maintenance being carried out at RAF St Athan. Data from Macdonald Aircraft Handbook , Flight International General characteristics Performance Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Narrow-body Historically, beginning in

5353-498: The development of the Britannia caused BOAC to be more cautious towards other British-made aircraft such as the Vickers VC10 . Throughout the Britannia's lifespan, the engine icing condition remained a "continual potential hazard" that flight crews ultimately learned to manage with a "high-lo" flight regime that minimized the danger, Squadron Leader David Berry who had 5,000 hours on the type characterised it as flying "Beauty and

5454-438: The difference. In practice, the fuel load was capped by the maximum take-off weight before the tanks were full. Both variants featured a pair of wing-mounted refuelling pods and a single centreline refuelling point, known as a Hose Drum Unit (HDU), installed in the rear freight bay; nose-mounted refuelling probes were also fitted. Conversion of K.2, K.3 and K.4 tankers took place at British Aerospace 's Filton site. The K.3s had

5555-562: The early 1990s, to help the VC10 fleet replace the recently retired Handley Page Victor tankers, five of the stored aircraft were converted to VC10 K.4 tankers. Shortly after entering service, extensive wing tank corrosion was discovered on the lower wing surfaces; this was attributed mainly to the storage method used prior to conversion, the wing tanks had been defuelled and filled with water as ballast. Extensive wing tank corrosion rectification work, including tank replacement, often took place during major services. The K.4 conversions, as with

5656-497: The end of the year, two more aircraft had been flown. Flight tests revealed a serious drag problem, which was addressed via the adoption of Küchemann wingtips and "beaver tail" engine nacelle fairings, as well as a redesigned basal rudder segment for greater control effectiveness; these aerodynamic refinements considerably elongated the testing process. The certification programme included visits to Nairobi , Khartoum , Rome, Kano , Aden , Salisbury and Beirut . A VC10 flew across

5757-500: The final refuelling sortie was followed by a tour of the UK. On 24 September, ZA150 made its last flight to Dunsfold Aerodrome for preservation at the Brooklands Museum, while ZA147 arrived at Bruntingthorpe on 25 September. All servicing of the RAF fleet of VC10s was undertaken at RAF Brize Norton in a purpose-built hangar. Known as "Base Hangar", when built in 1969 it was the largest cantilever-roofed structure in Europe;

5858-527: The first aircraft to undergo major servicing at the facility entered in January 1993. After the closure of the British Aerospace factories at Brooklands/Weybridge and Hatfield, responsibility of design and all commercial activity transferred to British Aerospace (now BAE Systems ) Manchester, Woodford and Chadderton sites. In the mid-1990s, when the design of detailed components was subcontracted,

5959-579: The first flight of the prototype VC10, G-ARTA, was celebrated with a "VC10 Retrospective" Symposium and the official opening of a VC10 exhibition at Brooklands Museum on 29 June 2012. The type was retired from RAF service on 20 September 2013. It has been succeeded in the aerial refuelling role by the Airbus Voyager . VC10 K.3 ZA147 performed the final flight of the type on 25 September 2013. Although privately owned, Britain's aviation industry had been government-managed in practice, particularly during

6060-538: The first-ever non-stop flight from London to Canada on 19 December 1957. In late December 1957, BOAC began regular Britannia flights from London to New York. Other airlines, such as Israel 's El Al , also operated the Britannia on transatlantic routes. In 1959, BOAC started flying the Britannia across the Pacific to Tokyo and Hong Kong, thus extending their network round the world. The westbound routing in 1959 for these intercontinental BOAC Britannia flights between

6161-460: The fuel load remaining at 80 tons (70 tonnes). The conversions were undertaken by FR Aviation Limited based at Hurn Airport , near Bournemouth. The in-flight refuelling probe was an original feature on the aircraft, but had been removed during the 1970s and 1980s due to lack of use; the probes were refitted prior to the conversion. Replacing the Conway engines with IAE V2500 was studied but

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6262-530: The government cancelled the RAF order in a round of defence cuts. Vickers and the Ministry of Supply hoped that BOAC would still be interested in the VC7 but they were reluctant to support the production of another British aircraft following delays in the Britannia programme and the crashes involving the de Havilland Comet . Though BOAC had ordered modified Comet 4s, it viewed the type as an intermediate rather than

6363-418: The government intervened, placing an order for VC10s as military transports to absorb over-production. This lengthy, well-publicised trouble eroded market confidence in the type. BOAC chairman Gerard d'Erlanger and managing director Sir Basil Smallpeice resigned, defending the opinion that the airline was a profit-making company, not a sponsor of indigenous aircraft. BOAC's incoming chairman Sir Giles Guthrie

6464-471: The landing approach, smoke filled the cockpit and the main undercarriage bogie temporarily stuck, only fully deploying seconds before landing. The snags were resolved and by September, the prototype was cleared to perform at the 1952 SBAC Display at Farnborough where spectators commented on the "quietness" of the giant airliner. In November 1952, Popular Science reported that by 1954 BOAC would have 25 of these aircraft on routes such as London-to-Tokyo over

6565-432: The late 1960s and continuing through the 1990s, twin engine narrow-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 737 Classic , McDonnell-Douglas MD-80 and Airbus A320 were primarily employed in short to medium-haul markets requiring neither the range nor the passenger-carrying capacity of that period's wide-body aircraft. The re-engined Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo jets offer 500 miles more range, allowing them to operate

6666-420: The mudflats of the Severn Estuary. Finally, time was lost in resolving inlet icing issues (by selecting a different cruising height) that were discovered as the first aircraft were being delivered to BOAC. These were exaggerated by BOAC, devastated future sales and delayed the Britannia's introduction by two years. The first prototype G-ALBO was modified to more closely approximate a production standard, but

6767-567: The names of stars, such as "Arcturus", "Sirius" and "Vega". On retirement from the RAF in 1975, many Model 200 series were subsequently used by independent civil operators for cargo operations, harkening back to their original intended role. Although the Bristol Model 302 was built first as part of the original BOAC order, BOAC released this series to other airlines; Aeronaves de Mexico took two Model 302s, which entered service in December 1957. The 18 Bristol Britannia 312s for BOAC were delivered from September 1957 with its service introduction on

6868-456: The names were displayed above the forward passenger door. During the 1960s, the VC10s of No. 10 Squadron operated two regular routes, one to the Far East to Singapore and Hong Kong, and the other to New York. By 1970, roughly 10,000 passengers and 730,000 lb of freight were being carried monthly by the VC10 fleet. In addition to the strategic transport role, the VC10 routinely served in the aeromedical evacuation and VIP roles. In its VIP role,

6969-480: The ongoing engine problem and delayed the Britannia's in-service date until February 1957, roughly two years late. The Britannia received a fair amount of attention in both the popular press and the British House of Commons , especially when it was revealed that BOAC had contemplated fitting Rolls-Royce Tynes to their fleet of Douglas DC-7s as an interim measure until the Britannia was cleared for service. In 1956, Bristol's managing director Peter Masefield flew

7070-453: The order were built as Series 300 aircraft for transatlantic flights. In April 1959, a Model 102 Britannia was leased by BOAC to Ghana Airways for flights between Accra and London, and several more Britannias were purchased by the airline in the early 1960s. The Model 102 was eventually made available to other BOAC associates, including Cathay Pacific, Central Africa, East African, Nigeria and Malayan airlines. The next production series

7171-438: The passenger interior remained less tranquil. Canadair purchased a licence to build the Britannia in Canada, adding another 72 aircraft in two variants. These were the stretched Canadair CL-44/Canadair CC-106 Yukon , and the greatly modified Canadair CP-107 Argus maritime patrol aircraft . In 1942, during the Second World War , Allied aircraft construction saw the UK of necessity concentrating on heavy bombers , leaving

7272-418: The post-war years, though it assumed that US dominance in transport aircraft would translate into leadership in long-range airliners and conceded in principle that the industry might have to cede the long-range market to US makers. During the 1950s, the government required the aviation industry to consolidate: in consequence only two engine makers were left by 1959: Rolls-Royce and Bristol Siddeley . In 1960,

7373-540: The prior commitment to the BOAC order, could not meet that requirement, so, with the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 jets expected in service by 1958-9, the opportunity passed. Aviation historian Peter Pigott summarised the impact of the delays: Had the Britannia appeared in 1950, when it was faster than every American aircraft, it would have put the British at the forefront of commercial aviation sales. Now, competing with

7474-539: The procurement of a Britannia fleet, however its protracted development eroded any competitive advantage against the Douglas DC-8 and de Havilland Comet 4 . Route-proving trials continued through 1955, although orders were on the books from El Al and Canadian Pacific Air Lines alongside the standing order placed by BOAC. During the first eight months of its operational trials, a total of 16 in-flight engine failures and 49 unscheduled engine changes punctuated

7575-455: The production of transport aircraft to the USA. This would have left the UK with little experience in transport construction at the end of the war, so in 1943, a committee under Lord Brabazon of Tara investigated the future British civilian airliner market. The Brabazon Committee called for several aircraft to be developed to its specifications for Britain's civilian aviation needs. Bristol won

7676-466: The prototype. The first Super VC10 was first flown from Brooklands on 7 May 1964. Although the Super was ostensibly a minor development of the Standard with an extra fuel-tank in the fin, testing was prolonged by the need to move each engine pair 11 in (27 cm) outboard as well as up and giving them a 3-degree twist. This redesign resolved tailplane buffeting and fatigue issues incurred by operating

7777-460: The public appeal of more modern powerplants. Eastern Air Lines and TWA both wished to place orders, which might have forced competitors to follow suit. TWA's majority owner Howard Hughes took the controls of the Britannia for one flight and immediately requested 30 aircraft. However, the Americans wanted delivery within a couple of years, and Bristol, with its limited production facilities and

7878-498: The record at 4 hours 56 minutes due to Storm Ciara . Only the supersonic Concorde was faster. Although only a relatively small number of VC10s were built, they provided long service with BOAC and other airlines from the 1960s to 1981. The VC10 was also used from 1965 as strategic air transports for the Royal Air Force , and ex-passenger models and others were used as aerial refuelling aircraft. The 50th anniversary of

7979-409: The tailcone. Another difference from the civil specification was that all the passenger seats faced backwards for safety reasons. The first RAF aircraft, designated VC10 C Mk.1 , often abbreviated to VC10 C.1 , was delivered for testing on 26 November 1965; deliveries to No. 10 Squadron began in December 1966 and ended in August 1968. The VC10s were named after Victoria Cross (VC) medal holders,

8080-482: The tenth production Britannia, G-ANBJ, on a world sales tour. American interest was strong, since the Britannia seemed to be a faster, longer-range, higher-capacity sister of the Vickers Viscount , which was already a marketing success on US domestic routes, and, compared to the piston-engined DC-7C, itself a new type, the Britannia offered similar transcontinental or transatlantic range with greater speeds and

8181-554: The theatre, as part of Operation Allied Force . The VC10s allowed Tornado GR.1 fighter-bombers stationed at RAF Bruggen to conduct long-range strike missions against targets inside Serbia . In 2001, Oman-based VC10s were used in some of the first missions of the war in Afghanistan , refuelling US carrier-based aircraft carrying out strikes on Afghan targets. The VC10s provided air transport missions in support of British and allied forces stationed in Afghanistan fighting against

8282-570: The theatre, flying both aerial refuelling and logistical missions in support of coalition forces in combat with the occupying Iraqi forces in Kuwait. VC10s remained stationed in the region throughout the 1990s, supporting allied aircraft enforcing no-fly zones over parts of Iraq, and during the 1998 Airstrikes on Iraq . During the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia , VC10 tankers were stationed at bases in Southern Italy to refuel NATO aircraft in

8383-582: The time development was completed, "pure" jet airliners from France, the United Kingdom, and the United States were about to enter service, and consequently, only 85 Britannias were built before production ended in 1960. Nevertheless, the Britannia is considered one of the landmarks in turboprop-powered airliner design and was popular with passengers. It became known as "The Whispering Giant" for its quiet exterior noise and smooth flying, although

8484-617: The world's smaller airports to extend their runways, thus eliminating the VC10's main advantage. Marketing overtures were made elsewhere, particularly in Mexico, Argentina , Lebanon , Thailand , Czechoslovakia , and Romania , often fronted by British politicians. The final serious enquiry for VC10s came from the Chinese CAAC Airlines in 1971. It was confirmed in 1972 but by then the production equipment had been broken up. Czechoslovakia, Romania and China eventually purchased

8585-532: Was also anti-VC10; he proposed that the Vickers programme be shelved in favour of more 707s. The prototype Standard, G-ARTA, rolled out of the Weybridge factory on 15 April 1962. On 29 June, after two months of ground, engine and taxi tests, it was first flown by Vickers' Chief Test Pilot G.R. 'Jock' Bryce, Co-Pilot Brian Trubshaw and Flight Engineer Bill Cairns from Brooklands to Wisley for further testing. By

8686-509: Was an enlarged fuselage, like the Mini Guppy , which was produced by Jack Conroy's previous company, Aero Spacelines. After a long operational career as a freighter, the Guppy was stored at Bournemouth Airport in 2003 and was later sold. Following a long period of uneventful development flying trials and the fitting of a modified Proteus 765 series engine that greatly reduced breakdowns,

8787-450: Was applied to first pair of prototypes, which were powered by the early Proteus 625, the successor to the 600 series engine that had already completed type trials. The first prototype, registered G-ALBO , with Bristol Chief Test Pilot A.J. "Bill" Pegg at the controls, first flew on 16 August 1952 at Filton Aerodrome . During the maiden flight, the over-sensitive flying controls led to wild pitching before Pegg restored control. During

8888-442: Was based on the long-range, mixed passenger/freight Model 200 series that was intended for civil airline use, but ultimately Bristol offered the series to the Royal Air Force (RAF) instead. The production series of three Model 252 and 20 Model 253 aircraft were purchased by RAF Transport Command in 1959, assigned the designation Britannia C.2 (first Model 252 series) and C.1 (Model 253 series). Those in RAF service were allocated

8989-432: Was capable of landing and taking off at lower speeds than the rival 707 and its engines could produce considerably more thrust, providing good 'hot and high' performance, and was considered to be a safer aircraft. The onboard avionics and flight-deck technology were extremely advanced, a quadruplicated automatic flight control system (a "super autopilot") was intended to enable fully automatic zero-visibility landings (though

9090-414: Was designed to operate on long-distance routes from the shorter runways of the era and commanded excellent hot and high performance for operations from African airports. The performance of the VC10 was such that it achieved the fastest crossing of the Atlantic by a subsonic jet airliner of 5 hours and 1 minute, a record that was held for 41 years, until February 2020 when a British Airways Boeing 747 broke

9191-582: Was leased to Rolls-Royce for flight testing of the RB211 turbofan between 1969 and 1975. On return to the RAF, it was discovered that the airframe was distorted, possibly due to the power difference between the RB211 on one side and the Conways on the other. It was considered uneconomical to repair and was partially scrapped, part of the airframe retained for load training. In 1977, studies began into converting redundant commercial VC10s into aerial refuelling tankers;

9292-534: Was lost during the Dawson's Field hijackings in 1970. Ghana Airways ordered three VC10s in January 1961: two to be fitted with a cargo door, known as Type 1102. The first was delivered in November 1964 and the second in May 1965. The third was cancelled. Ghana Airways leased one aircraft to Tayaran Assharq Alawsat ( Middle East Airlines ; MEA), destroyed at Beirut during an Israeli raid in December 1968. The other

9393-707: Was not found to be cost-effective. In 1982, VC10 C.1s formed a part of the airbridge between RAF Brize Norton and Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island during Operation Corporate , the campaign to retake the Falkland Islands. VC10s were also used in a more unconventional sense – the Avro Vulcan bombers that participated in Operation Black Buck had been rapidly retro-fitted with the Dual Delco Carousel navigation system of

9494-477: Was one of the five Type 1154 Super VC10s built for East African Airways between 1966 and 1970. Of these, one was destroyed in a takeoff accident at Addis Ababa in 1972, and the other four were retired in 1977 and returned to BAC, subsequently being purchased by the RAF. After the last aircraft was delivered in February 1970, the production line closed, 54 airframes having been built. The 707 and Douglas DC-8 , with their superior operating economics, encouraged many of

9595-662: Was preserved at RAF Cosford in the British Airways Museum collection; its condition deteriorated after BA withdrew funding, being reduced to a fuselage in 2006 before being moved to the Brooklands Museum . Retirement of BA's Super VC10 fleet began in April 1980 and was completed the following year. After failing to sell them to other operators, British Airways sold 14 of the 15 survivors to the RAF in May 1981 (the other went for preservation at Duxford Aerodrome ). The VC10 served its intended market for only

9696-528: Was purchased by the RAF as an instructional airframe. The Government of the United Arab Emirates used another for similar purposes until 1981; it is preserved at Hermeskeil , Germany. The other three were traded in to Boeing as partial payment on new aircraft, and were scrapped at Heathrow . The last standard VC10 in BA service, G-ARVM, was retained as a stand-by for the Super VC10 fleet until 1979. It

9797-550: Was purchased from Vickers/BAC by Freddie Laker and converted from Type 1101 to Type 1109 in 1968. It was initially leased to Middle East Airlines, but returned to Laker in 1969. This particular aircraft never flew in Laker livery as it was sold on to British United to join their existing fleet. The prototype was damaged beyond economical repair in a landing accident at Gatwick in 1972, and the others were sold in 1973–74. One saw further service with Air Malawi, being retired in 1979. Another

9898-499: Was retained by the company to undergo engine testing and development. Bristol revised the design into a larger transatlantic airliner for BOAC, resulting in the Series 200 and 300; the Britannia 300LR (Long-Range) was viewed as being "eminently suitable" for BOAC's services between London and Sydney. The purchase price for each Britannia 100-series aircraft was agreed by BOAC in 1955 at £768,000. Australian airline Qantas considered

9999-497: Was retired from service in 1980. MEA also leased the prototype aircraft that Vickers had kept until 1965, leased from Freddie Laker 's charter airline. British United Airways (BUA) ordered two combi versions (Type 1103) in 1964, receiving them in October that year. When BOAC ceased VC10 operations to South America, BUA took them over, purchasing Ghana Airways' cancelled third aircraft in July 1965 (Type 1103). The prototype aircraft

10100-576: Was sold to the Sultan of Oman as VIP transport and has been preserved at Brooklands since its retirement in 1987. One aircraft went to the Royal Aircraft Establishment for equipment tests and was retired in 1980. Nigeria Airways had planned to buy two VC10s but cancelled the order for financial reasons. They leased a BOAC aircraft from 1969, but it was destroyed in a landing accident at Lagos in November that year. The final VC10

10201-435: Was unconvinced it had a role for the already ordered 35 VC10s and doubted the airline's ability to fill all 200 seats. The whole project looked to be facing cancellation prior to government intervention, supporting Vickers with an order for Super 200s being placed on 23 June 1960. The Super 200 extension was cut down to 13 ft (4.0 m) for the finalised Super VC10 (Type 1150), the original design retrospectively becoming

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