Hopefully the cars parked on the airfield have stopped breeding so there might be some space left
This event will be held right at the other end of the airfield I'm guessing. I'm sure there's upto 28,000 cars now stored on there at present...& rising.
I can recall reading an article on the VC10 in Air Pictorial in the early eighties. It showed plans from the sixties for several different versions including such types as, AEW, MPA , and even as an Air Launched Cruise Missile carrier.
With one used as the testbed for the RB211, there were plans to re-engine the VC10 with two of these and I understand the Chinese were very interested in them.
Would have been slightly quieter than 4 Conways I think!
Wasn't the VC10 meant to be a good aircraft, but it was effectively scuppered by BOAC/BA who were in bed with Boeing at the time and didn't order the expected quantity? A huge downside of a virtually monopolistic national carrier is that it can make or destroy an aircraft industry.
No Amount Of Evidence Will Ever Persuade An Idiot (probably not Mark Twain)
I think I read somewhere that BOAC didn't want the last few built which is why the RAF got so many; could have been referring to the Super VC10. One of the BOAC ones still, I believe, holds the record for the fastest Atlaniic crossing by a subsonic aircraft, the VC10 and the Trident both having a faster cruising speed than any contemporary or modern day airliner; on their flight plans they would file something like M0.89 where other types would be M0.82.
I remember taking my cadets to Abingdon for Chipmunk flying and many of the ex BA VC10s were parked there without engines, what a sad sight; probably meant to provide spares for the RAF fleet.
I suppose they must have been broken up when the RAF left Abingdon. I think there were one or two Nimrods there too.
I have to declare an interest but I seem to recall it being said that the VC10 was 6 years too late and six tons too heavy. Had it been otherwise and if Vickers had the production capabilities, then perhaps other carriers might have purchased the Super VC10. Once in service, it was very popular with passengers. But the future was wide-bodied.
The following user(s) said Thank You: John Anderson
In the late 90's I was in the main hangar at Filton where they were busy converting Airbus A300's into freighters. However in one corner was a VC10 in BA colours which was being converted to the last tanker for the RAF. The MD of British Aerospace commented to me that he could not understand why the conversion had been ordered at such a late date but that he was glad for the business!
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