The Vickers VC10 and Super VC10 were Britain’s entry into the long range jet aircraft market in the 1960s. Originally designed for hot and high routes in places like Africa, the lengthened version was popular on transatlantic routes.
Powered by four Rolls-Royce Conway engines, the aircraft first flew on 29 June 1962, entering service with BOAC on 29 April 1964. Once its passenger service ended, it continued operating for the RAF, with its last flight on 25 September 2013.
Vickers VC10 Video
Following on from last week’s video about the Airbus A310 is a 19 minute video about the Vickers VC10. This is produced by Skyships Eng who does some pretty good overviews of airliners.
Everything you’ll want to know about the aircraft is covered in the video. This includes placement of the engines, how it came about and how it ended its career with the RAF. Some great air-to-air, cabin and cockpit footage is included too.
Having the engines situated at the rear led to a very quiet passenger cabin. Right through to the end of its service with British Airways, people would still actively choose to fly on the VC10, even over modern aircraft like the Boeing 747.
Just 54 aircraft were built, partly because the aircraft arrived too late to market. It was also tailored too specifically to BOAC’s requirements and it did not help when BOAC publicly derided the aircraft’s economics.
Transatlantic Record Holder
The record for the fastest transatlantic flight is still held by the Super VC10. In March 1979 G-ASGC set a time of 5 hours and 1 minute from New York JFK to Glasgow Prestwick and the record still stands. You can read about that here.
Overall Thoughts
Flying in the 1960s and 1970s would have been tons of fun. Lots of different airlines to choose from plus loads of different types of aeroplanes to fly in.
Unfortunately I never had the pleasure of a Vickers VC10 flight. The closest I will get now is to get on board the one at Bruntingthorpe that still does fast taxi runs. Do check out this site all about the aircraft if you’re interested.
Have you ever flown in a VC10? What was it like? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
Enjoying the series? Check out the index to all the “Does Anyone Remember…” articles.
Flight reviews your thing? Mine are all indexed here.
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Featured image by Lars Söderström via Airliners.net.
BOAC image via BAE Systems.
The VC-10 – especially in its ‘Super’ version – must count as the best-looking aircraft ever to grace the skies and airport aprons. In the 1970s I lived in Surrey (right under one of the main Heathrow departure routes) and regularly saw VC-10s/Super VC-10s operated by BOAC/BA, East African Airways, Ghana Airways and Gulf Air. Trips to Gatwick were rewarded with sights of British Caledonian VC-10s (and on one occasion an Air Malawi example). The aircraft’s Conway engines produced a very distinctive sound that I can still hear in my mind’s ear. To my mind, arguments over the aircraft’s operating economics are these days purely academic; in terms of glamour, aesthetics and sheer sex-appeal, the VC-10 knocked all competition into a cocked hat and symbolised the very best that British design and engineering were capable of. She may be gone from the skies but she she has a firm place in my heart.
Note to the author: this is an excellent article and I should like to read more like it.
I completely agree with you, it was a very aesthetically pleasing design. I’ve heard the sound of the Rolls-Royce Conway engines on the VC10, albeit only on a DVD about the aircraft, so I know what you mean about the sound. Great that you lived so close to the airport, though I imagine it was quite a bit noisier those days compared to now. The economics weren’t that different, I recall reading something like £4.24 per hour for the VC10 and £4.1? something per hour for the 707 in BOAC service. Of course, as more people booked in the VC10, it made more money. I would have loved to have flown on board one. Really glad you enjoyed the article – all my others on planes are linked from the bottom of this one, so enjoy! Thanks for the comment.
The quality of aviation journalism varies greatly (to put it politely); the quality of your article makes me want to read more. Chocs away!
I flew round trip JFK-LHR in 1970. I was working for Pan Am at the time, but bought an interline ticket on BOAC for the specific purpose of flying on a Super VC-10. Beautiful plane and beautiful ride. It couldn’t pack in as many paying passengers as a 707 or DC-8, which led to it being competitive.
Really glad you had a chance to try the Super VC10. I imagine it was great fun to experience something so unique compared to the many Boeing 707s and DC-8s of the era. Thanks for the comment!
As a seven year old I flew back from Royal Air Force Changi, Singapore on an RAF VC-10 C Mk1 sitting in rearward facing seats. i remember the stewardess handing out sweets on silver trays prior to take off needless to say the sweet was consumed long before the aircraft had even taken to the sky. We left Changi at around about midnight and stopped for fuel at either at Bahrain or Cyprus before continuing to Royal Air Force Brize Norton.
In the early seventies I watched another RAF VC-10 C Mk 1 take off from Royal Air Force Aldergrove heading for one of the RAF Stations in Germany. The aircraft took off like no other passenger jet of the era once airborne the aircraft made a steep climb disappearing into the clouds. Oh boy was I was jealous, my older brother was on that flight.
In my opinion the VC-10 is a beautiful aircraft with clean lines and a fantastic whale tail.
Really nice you got to go on board the RAF aircraft! It’s a pretty long flight from Singapore to the UK what with having to stop and all, but fun anyway. Great memories – and I would have been the same as you, those sweets would have been gone the instant I had my hands on them. It’s a gorgeous aircraft indeed! Thanks for the comment!
My mother was English and we took many trips to England on a BOAC VC10. That is the first jet I remember being on. This would be late 60s, early 70s. BOAC used to have a flying club for children. I got my only set of wings from BOAC at about 8 years old. To this day the scent of jet exhaust is exciting because it means a trip to…somewhere. And it began on a VC10.
That’s wonderful, I think a lot of people had their first flight on a VC10. Those wings were certainly very popular as were the Junior Jet Club Log Books for the kids that they had back then. Excellent that you got to experience such a legendary aircraft more than once. It’s something I wish I had the opportunity to do. Thanks for the comment!
I never got to fly one but in 1974 we took a trip to the UK so I was about 9 y/o at the time. The only souvenir I wanted was a metal toy BOAC VC-10 with big rubber wheels that made a jet sound when you ran it across the floor. It was about a foot long or so it seemed at the time and I played with that plane for hours and it never broke. I wish I knew what happened to that thing.
I think I’ve seen a picture of that kids toy somewhere online. Sounds like it was a pretty decent size and probably a hell of a lot of fun to play with too 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
The VC10 was an incredible aircraft. I was a steward with BOAC in the early 1970’s and loved working on them. My wife was a stewardess and we met on a VC10 trip 46 years ago. It was the most beautiful aircraft ever made. To celebrate it my car registration number is VC10 FLY
You must have some great stories if you were a steward back then. Great to hear you liked it so much – and met your wife while flying! Love the car registration too 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
You might have flown with my father then!! He was VC10 Flight Crew – and worked for BOAC, I believe!!
What was his name.
Graham Wallin
It doesn’t ring a bell but I will check my records
Cool. I know that he was on VC10s. I’m sure BOAC was an outfit he worked for (also BIA I believe, and possibly B Cal). He worked as flight crew, after being in the Merchant Navy, from sometime in the 60s, until he moved over to Hovercraft (Ramsgate/Dover – Calais) in about 77.
I had the pleasure of flying on them and doing heavy maintenance on them whilst serving in the Royal Air Force based at Brize Norton.
All the main cabin seats faced the rear of the aircraft, never flown on an aircraft with that configuration since. Happy memories for the most part.
The guys at Brize Norton certainly had a major part in the VC10 history. Without the expertise of people like you, they wouldn’t have been in service for as long as they were. It would certainly be interesting to have all seats facing rearwards… perhaps that is where British Airways got the idea for their Club World seats. Thanks for the comment!
That photo is a rarity. The BUA VC10s were repainted “Caledonian / BUA” for only a few months before being repainted again as “British Caledonian.”
It really is a rarity for those titles! The fact the person happened to be a good photographer and took the time to scan what must have been an old print and then upload it online for free – also pretty amazing! Just total luck. Thanks for the comment!
It’s also the prototype VC-10, G-ARTA. My father was a BOAC pilot, flying VC-10s from ’64 to ’77 when he moved to the 747 fleet. He loved both types but has always said the VC-10 was more fun to fly.
I help with maintaining ZD241 (G-ASGM) at bruntingthorpe, but never got to fly on one
Great to know he thought the VC-10 was more fun to fly! That’s great, he must have some great stories from back in the day. I have yet to go to Bruntingthorpe to see ZD241 but it’s something I must do at some stage. I never flew in one either, alas! Thanks for the comment!
I really enjoy this series.
Thanks very much for that – I’m glad you like it! I’ll keep it going as long as I can.