ClassicLover From Ireland, joined Mar 2004, 4521 posts, RR: 26 Posted (9 months 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 6571 times:
One of my favourite aircraft of all time is the VC10 - it even gives Concorde a run for its money on the most aesthetically pleasing aircraft to ever grace the skies.
At the moment there are 8 remaining in service - with 2 more due to be retired in September 2012. The remaining six - 1 x C1K (the original RAF variant), 4 x K3 (originally East African Airways Super VC10s) and 1 x K4 (originally BOAC Super VC10) are due to be retired in March 2013.
The main web site is A Little VC10derness - http://www.vc10.net/ - which is undeniably awesome!
What I have found online is some really cool VC10 videos on the British Pathe web site. This company produced newsreels from the turn of the 20th century up until 1970, and all of their material has been digitised and put online. There are some awesome VC10 clips on there.
For example, this one showing flight simulator training (using a camera over a model for the visual system!) -
There are heaps of cool videos on the VC10 on the site. It also has lots of other things - like BOAC Comet (search it), the flying boats and so on and so forth.
Anyway, I hope you like the videos.
Now all we need is someone to organise an airliners.net charter of an RAF VC10 for a 90 minute flight on the K4 tanker (as it still has all its seats) before it retires. I'd pay for that to get a Super VC10 in my logbook!
I do quite enjoy a spot of flying - more so when it's not in Economy!
skyymarc From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 86 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (9 months 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 6404 times:
What a treasure trove. Thank you for sharing! I have only had the opportunity to see a VC10 live in action once. I was on a layover at IAD and one took off towards my hotel. I was outside and heard a loud aircraft taking off. At first I thought it was a non-hushed 727. However as she approached her form was unmistakable. It was a RAF VC10 bound for Brize Norton I'm assuming. The crackle of those Conways as she passed overhead was music to my ears.
Faddypainter From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2010, 126 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (9 months 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 6357 times:
I always wondered how those old analogue simulators worked. Impressive how such a simple method of running a CCTV system over a model yields such a good perspective & image. Must have been extremely complex taking all the inputs from the cockpit (throttle/yoke/pedal/flaps/spoilers/gear position etc) and turning this into velocity, pitch, roll and yaw for the camera rig as well as providing feedback to the instruments (altimeter, attitude indicator, stall warning etc). I assume the model and camera could be lit appropriately to simulate night flying?
rcair1 From United States of America, joined Oct 2009, 917 posts, RR: 25 Reply 3, posted (9 months 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 6209 times:
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Quoting Faddypainter (Reply 2): I always wondered how those old analogue simulators worked. Impressive how such a simple method of running a CCTV system over a model yields such a good perspective & image.
They are really cool - and effective. Got to see the setup for simulation in T-37/T-38 in Enid Oklahoma once. Can't recall which aircraft - but I'm thinking T-37. Didn't get to fly it .... dang.
Quoting Faddypainter (Reply 2): I assume the model and camera could be lit appropriately to simulate night flying?
They can also be crashed - put the camera into the "ground"
Rwy04LGA From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 2142 posts, RR: 7 Reply 5, posted (9 months 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 5471 times:
Quoting ClassicLover (Thread starter): One of my favourite aircraft of all time is the VC10 - it even gives Concorde a run for its money on the most aesthetically pleasing aircraft to ever grace the skies.
That clean wing and that quartet back there. Be still my heart!
To say the least!!! I could spend hours in there, reviewing the Round the World schedules, amongst other things. Thank you so much for showing us this. The videos were something to marvel. Growing up I loved the DC10 along with the VC10. When I transferred to ABQ, I was privileged to see the Royal Air Force VC10 come and go at ABQ/Kirkland AFB.
I had no idea how loud that a/c was until my first chance to see it take off. After that, anytime it was in town, I made a point of stopping what I was doing on the tarmac and watching.
type-rated From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 4343 posts, RR: 21 Reply 10, posted (9 months 3 days ago) and read 3687 times:
Wow, what great video!
Both AA & UA had the same kind of simulators in the 60's & early 70's for training. And yes, as stated above you could crash the simulator.
I always thought the VC10 looked best in the original navy blue & gold livery. When they switched it over to the white livery the plane seemed to lose something. But I think it's one of the most beautifully designed aircraft ever built. I used to see them at ORD for the ORD-YUL-LHR flights operated by BOAC.
Fly North Central Airlines..The route of the Northliners!
AzoresLover From United States of America, joined Jun 2004, 744 posts, RR: 8 Reply 11, posted (9 months 3 days ago) and read 3548 times:
Quoting type-rated (Reply 10): I used to see them at ORD for the ORD-YUL-LHR flights operated by BOAC.
On Sep 18, 1969, I got my only VC-10 flight...this one you mentioned, YUL-ORD. I agree that the BOAC livery at that time was just beautiful, as was the plane itself. I still remember details of that flight, my sensations on takeoff, and the landing at ORD when the crew couldn't figure out what the correct local time was!! That was funny.
I regret that I never got to fly one again, as my trans-Atlantic flights the next few years were all on 707's and 747's. But at least I was fortunate enough to be on it once.
Those who want to do something will find a way; those who don't will find an excuse.
type-rated From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 4343 posts, RR: 21 Reply 12, posted (9 months 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 2501 times:
It seemed that BOAC replaced the VC10 with one of their Rolls Royce 707's on the ORD-YUL-LHR route.(Man those things screamed on takeoff!) Eventually this route became just ORD-LHR when the 747 came online.
How long did BOAC operate the VC10 and why did they phase it out?
Fly North Central Airlines..The route of the Northliners!
It was in service from 1965 until retirement in 1980, as it was from the same age as the original DC8s and B707s so was thirsty against the new B747/L1011/DC10s across the pond.
VC10er From United States of America, joined Feb 2007, 2417 posts, RR: 9 Reply 14, posted (9 months 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 2305 times:
Well, thank you! As my name is VC10er I have a very, very special love for her. My first flight in life was on a VC10 when I was 5 or 6 years old. My mother and I were going from JFK to Glasgow, Prestwick non-stop. I recall her parked, there was a long red carpet from the door of the terminal to the front door. I recall looking down her fuselage and seeing the double engines. Given I was already a fan of Star Trek I felt like I was boarding a space ship. I recall taking my window seat and gazing out the window at all the airplanes...an era when everything at the airport had "that airplane" smell (diesel and exhaust) as well as the continuous whine of engines. Wow!
The side wall of my BOAC jet, and I recall vividly, had a very 1960's mod starburst design in metallic gold.
I have an amazing original poster (swift, silent, serene) and a 1960's BOAC desk model.
Thank you so much for these links. They take me back 45 years.
The world is missing love, let's use our flights to spread it!
I don't think the seats pictured were the actual F class seats used by BOAC. The VC-10 that appears in that video was G-ARTA, the prototype. Although initally painted in BOAC livery it never flew for BOAC.
You can get a more accurate view of the real F class aisle width in photos of these preserved aircraft. Just about the same as 707s and DC-8s.
milesrich From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 1855 posts, RR: 7 Reply 18, posted (8 months 3 weeks 4 days 2 hours ago) and read 1165 times:
This video has no sound but begins at JFK. Interestingly, there are two 707-436's and a Britannia 312 on the ground at the International Arrivals Building and next door at TWA is an L-749 in the double globe scheme. The film must have been made in 1964, because I don't believe any TWA Connies were repainted until then. I flew on a TWA L-749 in June of 1964 IPT-PIT and it was still in the traditional double striped livery. BOAC used to use the Britannia on the JFK-BDA run. When did they switch that to a 707 or VC-10?
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21460 posts, RR: 24 Reply 19, posted (8 months 3 weeks 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 1025 times:
Quoting milesrich (Reply 18): BOAC used to use the Britannia on the JFK-BDA run. When did they switch that to a 707 or VC-10?
Not sure about the 707 but one BOAC history shows the VC-10 (actually Super VC-10) introduced on JFK-BDA on April 1, 1965, the same day it was introduced LHR-JFK. Those were the inaugural Super VC-10 routes.
BOAC JFK/IDL-BDA schedules from a few timetables in timetableimages.com site:
Apr. 14/57: 10 x wk Viscount (operated by BWIA with BA flight nbrs.)
Mar. 1/58: 10 x wk Viscount (operated by BWIA)
Sep. 1/59: Daily DC-7C, 1 x wk Britannia, 5 x wk Viscount (operated by BWIA)
Apr. 24/60: Daily DC-7C, 6 x wk Viscount (operated by BWIA)
Oct. 1/62: Daily Britannia
Mar. 22/64: Twice-daily Britannia
Jun. 1/66: Daily VC-10, 1 x week 707
Apr. 1/71: Daily VC-10 (until May 8); Daily 747-100 (effective May 9)
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