Guided tour of a Vickers Super VC10 at Duxford airfield.

Join me in this guided tour of a Vickers VC10 powered by Rolls-Royce Conway Mk.301 and on display at the British Airliners Collection at the IWM Duxford Air Museum.
British Airliners Collection: www.britairliners.org/
Duxford Aviation Society: www.duxfordaviationsociety.org/
VC10.net: www.vc10.net/index.html
Other similar videos:
Tupolev Tu144: • Guided tour through a ...
de Havilland Comet 4: • Guided tour through th...
Avro Vulcan tour and engine run: • Guided tour through an...
SAM 26000 VC-137C: • Detailed tour through ...
Lockheed VC-121E “Columbine III”: • Tour through Eisenhowe...
Douglas VC-54C “Sacred Cow” : • Video
The first Boeing 737 tour: • Detailed tour around t...
The first Boeing 727 tour: • Detailed tour around t...
Tour around the first Boeing 747 in Seattle: • Detailed tour through ...
Lockheed YF-12A tour: • Video
Tour around a Saturn V rocket in Houston: • Detailed tour around t...
Tour around the Northrop YF-23 in Dayton: • Tour around the Northr...
Detailed tour around the Lockheed F-22 Raptor: • Lockheed F-22 Raptor d...
F-117 Nighthawk: • Tour around the Lockhe...
NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 747-100: • Detailed tour through ...
Space Shuttle Orbiter: • Detailed tour through ...
Hughes H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose": • Detailed tour through ...
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress: • Detailed tour through ...
Boeing B-29 Superfortress: • Detailed tour through ...
Convair B-36 Peacemaker: • Tour around the TEN en...
Boeing B-47 Stratojet: • Tour around a Boeing B...
Convair B-58 Hustler: • Tour around the first ...
North American XB-70 Valkryie: • Tour around the North ...
North American X-15: • Video
BAC Concorde: • Detailed tour of a Bri...
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird: • Detailed tour through ...
Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit: • Detailed tour around t...
Grumman F-14 Tomcat: • Tour around the Grumma...
Tour around a Titan II missile silo on Tucson: • Detailed tour through ...
Tour through an AVRO Lancaster bomber: • Detailed tour through ...
Tour through a QANTAS Boeing 747-200B: • Detailed tour through ... ​
Tour through a QANTAS Boeing 707-138: • Tour through the uniqu... ​
Tour through a QANTAS Lockheed Super Constellation: • Tour through a Lockhee...
Tour through a Douglas DC-3: • Detailed tour through ...
Tour through a USAF Boeing B-52: • Detailed tour through ...
USAF/RAAF General Dynamics F-111: • Full tour through a Ge...
RAAF CAC Avon Sabre: • Tour around Australia'...
RAAC CAC Dassault Mirage III: • Tour around the Dassau...
100 years of QANTAS aircraft on display at the Qantas Founders Museum: • Video ​
Tour through the first ever Boeing 747 in Seattle: • Video ​
Tour through Concorde: • Video ​
Tour through a VC-137B - Air Force One: • Tour through a Boeing ... ​
Onboard the LAST EVER Qantas Boeing 747 flight in Canberra: • Onboard the LAST EVER ... ​
Tour through a DeHavilland Comet 4 at the Duxford IMW: • Video ​
Tour through the Museum of Flight in Seattle: • Video ​
I have two KZbin channels: Paul Stewart (aviation travel vlogs): / paulstewartaviation
Paul Stewart EXTRA (unedited inflight aviation footage): / @paulstewart2ndchannel
Check out my Instagram account: @paulstewartaviation ( / paulstewartaviation ) and Facebook: / ​
If you enjoy this videos and want to see more, you can send me a donation via Paypal :) paypal.me/paulstewartaviation​
#airplane #plane #plane
0:00 intro and history
1:22 nose wheel
2:00 unique wing
3:20 main landing gear
4:01 rear mounted Rolls-Royce Conway Mk.301 turbofans
7:20 T tail
7:40 flights control system and autoland
8:18 BOAC Cunard
8:36 going inside and the passenger first class and economy cabin
10:00 periscope
10:45 thrust augmenters
11:22 5th engine pod
11:45 cockpit
13:00 military versions

[@chrispaw1]

Its not forgotten by any means, its has a huge fanbase…we love it!

[@robinvanags912]

....I was going to say - FORGOTTEN?????

[@beachbum4691]

​@@robinvanags912 "FORGOTTEN?????" Yea?' ha' ha' ha' :)

[@seltaeb9691]

My first flight in the RAF VC10 was in 1971 from Brize Norton to Washington (USA!), So quiet, good food & gentle landing. Took about 5hrs+ & a high altitude as I rmbr looking down on jets crossing Atlantic t'other way. Much loved plane amongst servicemen & thanks to the Blue Jobs also.

[@grooeygroo]

That's awesome! Are there any left still airworthy, or close to it?

[@chrispaw1]

@@grooeygroo There were many serving with the British airforce, RAF, they were retired not too long ago, finally. I believe they were the last airworthy ones, Im sure someone knows more than I but i don’t think there are any currently flying at airshows etc….

[@kernthorpe864]

Best. Airliner. Ever. Anyone who didn't get a chance to fly them missed out, badly. The 707 was like a soviet tractor by comparison. Accountants hated them. Crew and passengers loved them.

[@Prussianbluex]

Next to Concorde the VC-10 still stands out as one of the most beautifully designed aircraft, aesthetically and technically . . . Thank you for another great video.

[@QatarVegan]

Without doubt.

[@loveaodai100]

I was about to say the same thing when I saw your comment. Also the IL-62 super cool. Vic more beautiful. IL-62 more cool!

[@AxleGrinder]

Heh, if you go to Brooklands Museum in Surrey you can literally see the two next to each other

[@OfMoachAndMayhem]

It sure got enough looks to stand right next to a Spitty Vb and a Trident yet remain the main point of interest - Stylish bird

[@martinfinlayson4135]

My father was a flight engineer on the VC10 and he loved it! He started on Comet 4 and finished on the 747 but his first love was the VC10.

[@88sandman]

The most beautiful looking airliner ever built!

[@flybobbie1449]

My thoughts also, very elegant.

[@derekheeps1244]

The Comet , the VC-10 and Concorde were not only the most beautiful airliners ever built , but each in its own time led the world .

[@seansands424]

@@derekheeps1244 And the Trident

[@anthonypetty9288]

The wonderful Super VC10! I travelled from Sydney to London and back to Fiji back in 1971 on the VC10. I remember the cabin being pretty quiet, and also going up to the cockpit at least twice (the good old days). As a member of the BOAC Junior Jet Club, I can say I have fantastic memories of the VC10 and, let's be honest, its a gorgeous aircraft, especially in those BOAC colours.

[@alexmcwhirter6602]

Ah the days when BOAC also operated to Australia via the transpacific. It was a Super VC-10 by the way (not the shorter Standard VC-10).

[@normandiebryant6989]

@@alexmcwhirter6602 Was the Super VC-10 the model advertised by Stuart Wagner as BOAC VC 10 Hushpower or just the standard?

[@robertp.wainman4094]

Nothing beats the BOAC livery!

[@Ben-xe8ps]

I am wondering if anybody who travelled as a through passenger (without stopover in the US) aboard one of these transpacific BA flights had any recollection of the US immigration arrangements applicable in respect of through flight passengers. Thinking back to the era before the post 9-11 paranoid US immigration procedures, the only US airport that I can recall having an airside transit/departure lounge area such as is found in the rest of the world was ANC for use by polar route transit passengers. In 1978 I travelled SYD-SFO aboard a QF 747-200 flight (2 class FY original configuration with 9 abreast Y seating and an upstairs 'Captain Cook' lounge for F class pax) which was routed MEL-SYD-HNL-SFO-YVR. QF did not carry US domestic passengers over the HNL-SFO sector. At HNL passengers were held in a secure gate room and I actually cleared US immigration at SFO. I believe a similar arrangement existed at SFO so that YVR bound passengers were not required to actually enter the US. In view of the number of stops made in the US (JFK, LAX and HNL) on the BA transpacific route flight and the fact that this was obviously before any VWP existed for the US, was any similar arrangement in place on the BA flight for through flight transit passengers or were they all required to actually enter the US (and presumably possess a US visa)? Does anybody recall?

[@austindarrenor]

I'd like to know why no European or US airlines bought the VC-10. Fuel consumption? Engines hard to access compared to the 707/DC-8?

[@Videx19]

My dad flew on one of these from Heathrow to Montreal in 1970. He did mention the steep angle of attack and how quiet the ride was. The closest I got to a VC-10 was an Airfix model from Woolworth’s.

[@paulpunnamootil7783]

I flew on VC10 from Bombay to London 1973.BOAC had services from Bombay stop over at Doha,Bagdhad,Damascus then to London.I still remember that flight 50 years ago and service was outstanding.

[@gswilliams]

My Father was one of the pilots on the first RAF training course for the VC10 in 1966. He'd flown Canberras, Vulcans and Comets before, but loved the VC10 more than any of them. The military version with the upgraded engines but same fuselage was a performance marvel. I have a letter of thanks from the Chief of the Air Staff when Dad had flown him around the US on a tour. He commented that the take off angle never failed to impress watching dignitaries!

[@TroyMorePhotography]

My favourite airliner of all time! What it lacked in economics, it made up for in pure elegance.

[@geoffreyking4515]

So true keep your boing ,airbus, etc,the only two aircraft to come anywhere near it was a 727 and a 1011 Tristar

[@alexmcwhirter6611]

Not only economics. VC-10 lacked range. So it couldn't, unlike 707, fly non-stop Europe to US West Coast.

[@geoffreyking4515]

@@alexmcwhirter6611 but a lot of people didn't want to fly all that way non stop ,so you went to N Y. then hopped across America to the west coast

[@alexmcwhirter6611]

@@geoffreyking4515 Of course but there were still non-stop flights with BOAC and others in the late 1960s. I worked in the trade at that time and I remember my best friend taking AF LHR-ORY-LAX. (AF flew non-stop ORY-LAX with 707).

[@geoffreyking4515]

@@alexmcwhirter6611 all that way in a 707 .what a noisy Nightmare

[@julianlayton733]

Great video! I was fortunate to get to fly on a VC10 as an 8 year old in 1979 from Nairobi to London. We were originally booked on a 747 flight that originated in Johannesburg, but it was overbooked and as we were travelling on a BA staff ticket (my father worked for BA) we were transferred on to a VC10 flight that left about an hour later and flew to London with stops in Khartoum and Cairo. I remember my mother being non too pleased as she didn’t like take offs and landings, but for me it was an amazing adventure and the VC10 became my favourite aircraft (and remains so today) 😃

[@yahyahussein425]

I just mentioned this above and seeing that you flew the VC-10 in 1979, I also was 8 years old in 1979 flying from London to Khartoum several times in that decade and a bit later. What a coincidence.I heartily endorse your feelings on the aircraft.

[@julianlayton733]

@@yahyahussein425 Great memories 😃 I hope you still enjoy flying as much as I do 😃

[@seltaeb9691]

The VC10 was designed for the British Empire & as few stops as poss.

[@seltaeb9691]

​@@julianlayton733 until last week, my last flight was in 1978 RAF version & so too easyJet, my god cramped with knees scraping, seats are barely functional. It felt like being in a Dakota but strong oddly. Still Edinburgh to Bristol return £44, go figure eh..

[@julianlayton733]

@@seltaeb9691 you certainly don’t get the old ‘glamour of travel’ flying EasyJet!

[@chrisbell5248]

My lasting memory of the VC 10 is taking off from Aden airport in a Military one (seats face the rear). With no noise restrictions the pilot put the nose straight up to quickly reach cruising altitude and if it weren't for the seat belts we would have fallen out of our seats.

[@tlangdon12]

Been there, done that! As an air cadet in the 1980s I was offered a flight on a VC10 and was able to travel in the jump seat as we left Marham having dropped of the engineers for one of the Jaguar squadrons that had been on detachment to Gutersloh. The P1 suggested that we show the Jaguar pilots what a 'proper' aircraft could do and used full power for take-off - only possible where there were no noise restrictions! With no passengers, and a light fuel load (we were on our way straight back to Brize) it felt like we were going vertical! A very impressive airliner!

[@danielwelland5996]

Me too very strange feeling sitting backwards

[@firstfreonwarrior]

We also flew out of Aden in '67 on a VC10. My mother was smitten with the aircraft!

[@Ben-xe8ps]

@@danielwelland5996 Rear facing seats were not limited to military aircraft although I am aware that the RAF had all rear facing seats on their VC10's. On the BEA/BA Tridents, several rows of seats in the rear cabin from the centre passenger doors to the over wing emergency exits were rear facing. I also believe that the Trident 3's and Viscounts had rear facing seats in row 1. I have sat in such seats and found the take off experience to be quite strange.

[@danielwelland6638]

@@Ben-xe8ps Thank you I did not know that. The only time I was in a rear facing seat was in an RAF Britannia , it was strange.

[@loveisall5520]

Certainly, one of the most beautiful airliners ever flown. It has the same elegance as the much smaller lucky Jetstar with its four engines in the rear.

[@paulsangha124]

Possibly the most beautiful passenger jet:)

[@WetLettuce-kc2qm]

The most evocative tail fin in the history of aviation.

[@spanishpeaches2930]

My late aunt was a stewardess for BOAC in the 60s. She said it was a lovely aircraft to fly on. She was often part of the Queen's flight. Been on this aircraft at Duxford.

[@biya1965]

I flew on the VC 10 quite a few times on the way back to my home in NYC on my family’s way back from Pakistan. One distinct feature was that one had to pull out the armrests rather than pulling them up.

[@rafflesnh]

In the mid 70s, I flew on a 10 from Delhi to London. I had been upgraded to first class after suffering many delays and an overbooked economy section, so I was exhausted when I collapsed into my seat and promptly fell asleep after take off. When I came round several hours later, I was gutted to discover that they had run out of champagne and I had missed a slap up lunch. So my first and last experience of a first class cabin was something of a damp squib. However, I was very grateful for the large seats in which I got much needed shut-eye!

[@neilturner6749]

Haha a great story nonetheless

[@thomaserpingham2798]

I flew on a BOAC super VC 10 to Lusaka, Zambia in 1971, via Zurich and Entebbe, Uganda. I was 11 and lived in Lusaka for 4 years and went to the airport most weekends to watch the once weekly VC 10 flight from London and the Alitalia DC 8 from Rome. I left Zambia in an East African Airways VC10 in a yellowish top and silver underside livery flying to Dar es sal aam.

[@MrSimonstreet]

I had the pleasure of working on the super VC10 in 1977/1978 as a British Airways Avionic Engineering Apprentice. Also a flight in one, G-ASGI from Hong Kong's, Kai Tak airport Via Calcutta and Doha to London (LHR) in Aug 1978. What a take off from Kai Tak it was up in no time. A beautiful, reliable, Quiet (inside), not so (outside), but over engineered aircraft. Much more exciting to fly in than the Boeing B747-136 that was also used on the HK/LHR route at the time.

[@OldBassGuitarMan]

Always loved this aircraft...I believe I was 12 years old on board flying from Montreal, Canada to London Heathrow. Still remember getting a “Junior Jet Club” log book to enter all my journeys. Wish I knew where it is....

[@bryanlorang417]

I've always loved the VC10! What gets me as how in these old aircraft the economy section looks like what we call premium now. Thanks for another great vid!

[@user-tn1vc1xz5d]

Built in Brooklands. Beautiful but makes me miss the days when we could build stuff like this and when Mr Trubshaw would do VC10 delivery flights. Duxford is just fab. Great video as always 👍

[@bishwatntl]

I knew someone who worked at Brooklands. He told me that the runway there wasn't long enough for a fully-fitted Super VC10 to take off, so they would build the aircraft with just enough fittings to allow it to fly, sit it at the end of the runway with the brakes on while they ran up the engines, then take off and fly the short distance to Wisley, where the aircraft would be fitted out with its full airline interior.

[@neilturner6749]

@@bishwatntl yes I believe that’s true, they took risks routinely that would be considered outrageous today. I’m not sure that it applied to the later Super VC10s though- I’ve a feeling Brooklands shut down manufacturing before then and they were completed elsewhere? Perhaps a Vickers expert viewer could correct me or confirm re this?

[@martingreen-dc2eu]

Vanguard

[@datathunderstorm]

The sight of an RAF VC10 flying over West London on its way to Northolt Airport (I believe) about a decade ago is permanently burned into my brain. The aircraft was returning from a flight formation display over Buckingham Palace - for the Queen’s birthday I believe. I heard the roar of the 4 x Rolls Royce Conway’s long before I saw it. It was a sight to behold - the old girl was flying relatively low and moving quite quickly. This was probably one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built - and I do miss it.

[@danielwelland5996]

And it's going

[@danielwelland5996]

to happen again for King Charles

[@hunterfunter47]

I flew as a passenger on VC10s several times between London and Nairobi in the late '60s/early 70s. I was a member of the BOAC 'Junior Jet Club'. I was an unaccompanied minor and always asked if I could visit the cockpit. I was allowed in more than once which as you could imagine for a 10 yr old boy, was simply the best thing ever. I remember the angle of climb after take-off was very steep and the plane climbed like a rocket. A refuelling stop was needed - I seem to remember Athens was one.

[@wotan10950]

Fantastic! I remember in the late-1960s my uncle had travelled to London on BOAC. I asked what kind of aircraft - he responded, DC-10. I said, nonsense, the DC-10 hasn’t yet flown with an airline. He hollered, “I SAID “V”C-10! (Bit of trivia: Rod Serling, of Twilight Zone fame, wrote a book called The President’s Plane is Missing, using the VC-10 as its model)

[@staralliancefan1245]

Thanks Paul! Interesting seeing the periscopes all around the aircraft. Very analogue!

[@mrrcassidy]

You can get on board the VC10 tanker at Newquay. If you think the periscopes are 'analogue' you should see the military version of escape slides (a rope stowed above a window).

[@robbojax2025]

My first ever flight was on a VC10 from London to Montreal (and back) in 1966. It was such a thrill and this video revived a lot of memories,.

[@gjmob]

I remember as a kid growing up in Brisbane that there were ads for BOAC VC10 Hushpower. I think that the ads were done by Stuart Wagstaff. I guess that the Hushpower was because the engines were at the rear making for a quieter cabin.

[@commandingjudgedredd1841]

Yup. The VC10 was the first ever aircraft I flew on back in 1980, from Brize Norton to Akrotiri and of course in the way back to the UK, three years later. Pity I was a bit young to fully appreciate the plane itself. But I do remember how long and slender it looked with its four engine configuration sticking out at the rear. It certainly holds a place in my memories. Great video, Paul.

[@markrichmond4796]

Love the ‘Vickers Commercial No 10’ as my aeronautical engineer Uncle calls them. We used to fly to and from Lusaka, Zambia to school in the UK back on in the 1970s……..loved it. 😀

[@davidcartwright5591]

As a young av geek , I was given a guided tour at LHR . I’ll always the guide announcing that the tail span on the VC10 exactly matched the wing span of the Spitfire. A bit of useless information I know , but it’s stuck with me since that day . Great video and very nostalgic for nerds like me . Cheers Paul and thanks for posting .

[@MySteviec]

I worked on the VC10Ks at Brize Norton and my first ever flight was in one of these. It's a beautiful, elegant aircraft much loved by everyone who worked on it.

[@johnmatthews7703]

My very first flight at 16 years of age in 1967 was aboard a BOAC VC10. I flew Chicago to Montreal by myself to visit cousins, and to attend Expo '67. I believe the flight continued on to London from there. It was a fantastic experience and yes, it was fairly quiet. I do remember that the upholstry was a black/dark grey and white check pattern on the seats. The outbound flight served a full three course meal for dinner. I can't remember much about the return flight though other than seeing an Aer Lingus 707 taxing out at the same time. Thanks for renewing my memory!

[@ellesmerewildwood4858]

My dad flew in one in 1974 from London to Melbourne in economy and I remember him saying he was really impressed, it was very quiet and comfortable and the service from the cabin crew was very good too.

[@MrJimheeren]

There is no such thing as a quiet airplane in the 1970s. Especially not in an airplane with 4 engines strapped to the back of the fuselage

[@alexmcwhirter6602]

@@MrJimheeren Not true ! It's all about sitting in the right part of the cabin.

[@LRBerry]

The VC10 will always be my favourite aircraft. I never got to fly on a commercial VC10, but did get to fly on the RAF version during a summer camp with the Air Training Corps at RAF Brize Norton. This was a training flight for a pilot and consisted of several touch-and-go manoeuvres which took place right after lunch. Needless to say, several people on board, including me, were soon throwing up our lunch. Still, it was a fantastic flight.

[@mrblewis4371]

Did my RAF air experience flight from Waddington in 1979, and flew to Crypus as a civilian in the 90's both planes with backward facing seats and loads of orange squash - thanks Vicky 10.

[@cadicorniche]

The VC-10 will always have a special place in my heart. I had my first jet flight, NY to Kingston, Jamaica on her. I was 10 years old.

[@basvanderhoek9293]

I am SO happy that I grew up in the Caravelle, Comet and VC-10 era. I moved to Montreal in the early seventies, and would do almost anything to fly the VC-10 out of Mirabel to the UK, and than to Amsterdam. I did that many times and still get goose bumps thinking about those planes. Also the Caravelle s. I got eargasms listening to their take offs. Yes, I do have 1 foot in the grave now, but thank god I grew up when I did, the pre Greta era. I was and am very privileged . Thanks Paul

[@totoroisbi]

My favorite aircraft. Was fortunate to fly as a child, JFK-LHR-JFK in the 60's. Great video, thx.

[@hbw7615]

Thanks for the very interesting video. I was at school in England in 1960s and flew out for holidays to Kuwait on BOAC VC10s; the flights were known as the "Lollipop Specials" as most of the passengers were children! 7:48

[@scotty6346]

Great video, The best looking airliner bar Concorde! I flew on a BOAC VC-10 when i was a kid I think it was Toronto to Heathrow? It was a night flight, We took off in an electric storm, I still remember that!

[@nickbannister775]

Flew in these many times whilst in the military, loved it but then I would seeing my dad was Chief Designer of the VC10s hydraulics on the undercarriage at Weybridge.

[@yahyahussein425]

It was a very lovely aircraft to fly. Flew it regularly from London to Khartoum which was the old Empire route London-Nairobi in the 1970'-late 80's

[@QatarVegan]

Lucky you!

[@ronjon7942]

Ugh, the quieter cabin due to rear mounted engines just makes those darling screaming babies so much the louder! Yeah, don’t crucify me, I’ve helped many parents distract their kiddies, but I’ll be sitting as far aft as possible, thank you. That jet noise virtually guarantees I’ll be asleep fast and long. I used to fly on MD-80s quite a bit with Wisconsin’s Midwest Express, and was a little anxious when I switched to Southwest’s 737s, but fortunately affordable noise canceling headphones became a thing. I always entertained myself w a phone app that just had continuous sound, my favorite being the jet noise. Carry on, Paul. Beautiful craft, like all British planes of the era.

[@HH-mw4sq]

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, my family and I used to routinely travel between Jamaica and New York. There was a BOAC VC-10 flight that went from Jamaica to New York, then continued on to London. Our other choices were a PanAm B707, or an Eastern Airlines B727. Once we flew the VC-10, that was it. It became our favorite airplane. It was not until PanAm began flying a B747 between MBJ and JFK, that we stopped flying the VC-10. As great as the VC-10 was, it couldn't compete with the B747 for passenger comfort.

[@dingerbell100]

My last trip on a VC10 was from RAF Brize Norton to RAF Akrotiri in 2001, 20 PAX on board. She climbed like a homesick angel & we were cleared direct from LMG VOR in France to the SIT VOR on Crete. We were cruising at FL450 @ M.92. There was absolutely nothing around us & she was literally hurtling along with a significant tailwind component at well over 700kts across the ground. I was lucky enough to fly on them many times … both as the child of a serviceman (to/from Singapore in 1969 to 1971 via Cyprus, Muscat & RAF Ghan at the southern end of the Maldives) & also during my own career 1986-2010 from Brize to Norway, Belize, the Mediterranean, the US, Brunei, Africa & the Middle East. She was a wonderful aircraft, sadly designed to cater for a particular route network instead of being a direct competitor to Boeing.

[@robertp.wainman4094]

My Uncle flew extensively on business in the 1960's and 70's - far and away his favourite airliner was the VC10!

[@gooner72]

Unfortunately, i never flew on one but i always remember seeing the adverts in the airport with the "Try a little VC-10derness" slogan...... I loved that!! She's a beautiful aircraft actually and another elegant design from the phenomenal British aircraft industry. 🇬🇧✌️

[@desertmodern7638]

Gorgeous aircraft. I had no idea only 54 were produced. Perhaps it was their appearance in film and television that made them seem less rare.

[@marcusdamberger]

Indeed, I thought he meant this particular variant. But it was 54 of all model types. The Standard and Super VC-10

[@MyJerseybean]

The problem in those days for the British Aircaft Industry was producing a tailor made Airliner for just one customer. B.O.A.C at the time had a problem and wanted an Aircraft with exceptional take of performance from hot and high short Runways and Vickers made them exactly what they wanted only to find that B.O.A.C wished to grossly reduce their order as the Aircraft were being built and complain they would be expensive to run and need a Government subsidy ? Hardly the sort of language needed for the Sales prospects for a great new Airliner.?

[@renejean2523]

Great video! Thanks for this. I grew up under the flight path near to Heathrow airport and remember the VC10 often trailing smoke from its engines and easily being the noisiest aircraft of them all. Until Concorde came along, of course. Oh, am I the only one to whom periscopes on an aircraft is a completely new concept? Who knew?

[@lardyify]

Boeing 727, 737 early models up to the dash 500, and (presumably) the 707 also had periscopes in the cabin to view the landing gear was down and locked. They were accessed by lifting a section of floor carpet near the middle of the cabin. 737 NG models don’t need periscopes because they have two independent landing gear indication systems.

[@datathunderstorm]

I certainly did not know about the periscopes!! 😮

[@janetbruce2430]

A brilliant aircraft from the time when Britain was at the forefront of aviation design. Fascinating features include periscopes to observe the engines because they were so far to the rear. A great aircraft which was superior to the Boeing 707 in many ways. Great videoing and interesting commentary Paul!

[@richardvoogd705]

I was fortunate to ride on a VC10 at age 10 in 1971, as part of a family trip from New Zealand to the UK and Europe. Part of the journey was on a BOAC 707 as well.

[@ravisriram6746]

I shall never forget this magnificent aircraft. My family and I flew on the VC10 and Super VC10 in the late '60's on the Bombay-Colombo route several times; ungorgettable, to say the least. It's wonderful to know that examples of the plane still exist. Thank you for the video.

[@turbofanlover]

Beautiful bird, IMO. Wish I would have been able to see one in action or, even better, fly on one of them, before their time came to an end. Great vid. Thanks.

[@emjackson2289]

Flew on a 101 Squadron VC10 K.Mk2 when I was in the ATC in the early-90s. We watched them tanking Tornado F3s (back when they were a thing) & I have to say it was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen.

[@matthewconrad-jones8846]

First plane I flew in as an excited 7 year old in 1974 …London to Dar Es Salaam… even got to go on the flight deck ! Happy days .. seemed to remember I was a member of their young flyers club !

[@Mustafiz1972]

As a 5 year old, I flew one of these, in 1977. From London to Cairo. With my parents.

[@grrlpurpleable]

They were so LOUD climbing out over my old home. Distinctively loud too. :)

[@charliekilpatrick4821]

I worked on the military version of the VC10 as a mechanic in the RAF back in the 1970s and my memory was not just how beautiful it was externally but also how exquisitely crafted were the working parts. For example if you were to open the access doors behind the rear toilets where the hydraulic systems lived it looked like a cathedral to engineering. Also it was an extremely safe aircraft with I believe an unmatched safety record. As an example of this all the flying control surfaces were individually powered by their own control units called pfcu's each of which had its 13:59 own complete electrically powered hydraulic system and duplicated so for example the rudder was devided into 3 segments each segment with its own pfcu. So you could lose two segments and you would still have some degree of yaw control. All the controls were this way. Because it was electric powered flying controls it had wind powered generator called the ELRAT which could be extended into the airflow to provide back up power as a last resort in the case of complete electrical failure.

[@simonhattrell5321]

I flew back to the UK (Gatwick) from Aden in 1966 in a VC10. A beautiful aircraft. Thanks for the tour 👍

[@_Mentat]

I recall many happy flights from Nairobi to London on VC10s, back in the '60s. I lived in Arusha and the flight from there to Nairobi was on a DC3 with the luggage piled up at the back of the cabin. Since the crew didn't bother closing the door during the flight I was always slighly worried for my suitcase.

[@neilturner6749]

Great story. I recently flew Nairobi to Arusha on a rather tatty ATR42 and although a bit faster than your DC3, they’re not significantly more refined from a passengers experience!

[@markhepworth]

The red stained lips become a warning...

[@saintuk70]

Loved seeing the Trident lurking in the background...and that BOAC livery was class.

[@AVMamfortas]

A fine lot of detail, but, dear oh dear, you omitted the most important feature. The tailplane. This is the most beautiful piece of aviation 'art' ever to be placed on a plane. The lines and the size, the curves, the tilt, are simply GORGEOUS. It is the Michaelangelo's David of Aviation. It is the Mona Lisa of control surface. C'mon !!! :) :) :)

[@strangesmile7801]

This was a great Plane of a great Time and of Course is not forgotten for a Lot of People. Thank you Paul

[@JettTyler17]

Never been inside this aircraft, thanks for filming this tour! I think this is the only surviving VC-10 in a civil configuration as the remaining survivors are either VIP examples, RAF examples and fuselage sections.

[@oldmanc2]

Yes. The Sultan of Oman's VIP VC10 at Brooklands is worth a visit I would add

[@QatarVegan]

Good point...I never thought of that. It would have been great to have had an RAF passenger one preserved too with its rearward facing seats.

[@QatarVegan]

@@oldmanc2 Agreed. Brooklands is an amazing museum.

[@robyoungquist5803]

Thanks for the memories Paul. I’ve had the privilege of several First Class flights aboard the BOAC VC-10 ORD-LHR back in the day. 😉👍🏻. What I well remember was how quiet the cabin was because of those engines being all the way in back.

[@karstenjackson-lange5516]

Loved flying in the VC 10 when small but all seats faced backwards as it was an RAF plane also later going to Northern Ireland on deployment

[@brandonmcheyenehoward1077]

I was lucky enough to fly in one of these when I was in cadets in the late 70’s in the UK. The military used them for transport, boy was that a wake up experience, steep climb out .. awesome looking aircraft

[@JohnSmith-ei2pz]

Yes used to fly trench fodder!

[@94xjrgodown2]

I came out to Australia in 1970 as a ten pound Pom on one of these VC10's. Wonderful aircraft.

[@daviddenham1511]

Flew many many times on these Lusaka- Gatwick…….my uncle was a captain for BCAL, and my mum was station manager for BUA……..flew entire flight once in navigators seat with my uncle…….he showed me every system on the aircraft in detail……ironically I ended up as a navigation officer for BA, and later Etihad……greatest plane ever

[@jeffswoyer9898]

Flew on a VC-10 (Military version) with the RAF (Osan-Kai Tak (Hong Kong) on an RAF transport flight for a Gurkha detachment that supported border operations in the DMZ. The USAF had an agreement with the RAF which allowed us space available seats on the monthly rotator. Seats faced backwards, but we got to go up to the cockpit. I remember it saved a lot of money vice commercial. And I had a great week in H.K. Then flew to Manila on Cathay Pacific and "home" (Osan Air Base, S. Korea) from Clark Air Base, Philippines. Thanks RAF for a great time.

[@gtv6chuck]

I think this and the Caravelle are the most beautiful airliners ever made. Very elegant.

[@alexmcwhirter6602]

And Concorde too.

[@QatarVegan]

@@alexmcwhirter6602 no doubt about that!

[@whatever8282828]

Quite an interesting tour, and good job pointing out the weird similarity to soviet cockpits.

[@PaulStewartAviation]

Thanks for your kind words. I'm back to Duxford in August to film several of the other airliners on display there :)

[@jeremyludlow4439]

Great video. I've been aboard that aircraft at Duxford and photographed it. But I wasn't given a guided tour, so a lot of the information you give during the video was new to me. BOAC used to fly VC-10s into Perth, Australia, where I live, but I never flew on one.

[@davidwebb8877]

Flew to Canada on one of these in 1979,I was 9 years of age and remember going up to the cockpit

[@applejacks971]

I like the looks of the military version. It reminds me a lot of the C-141 Starlifter.

[@SuperEdge67]

Starlifter had an anhedral wing, and wing mounted engines. The starlifter looked more like a Russian IL-76. The Russian IL-62 looked like a VC-10 , they both had a dihedral wing and 4 engines mounted on the tail.

[@That_Stealth_Guy]

Wow, talk about having an aircraft give you a flashback moment. While deployed to Incirlik AB in Turkey for Operation Provide Comfort II way way back in the early 90's I got to take several flights in the VC10's that were there. The USAF never allowed us to fly on the KC-135's on operational sorties, but the Brits did. The flight crews were amazing , so were the Jaguar and Harrier maintenance crews that were there as well. I had a blast, as a then very young 🤣 F-16 maintainer and all around airplane nut.

[@JohnSmith-ei2pz]

USAF flew a few of us lineys at BZN! Which was decent of them! Unlike the raf aircrew, who refused to acknowledge the groundcrew!

[@That_Stealth_Guy]

@@JohnSmith-ei2pz I guess it must be a public relations thing for them. My experiences were the exact opposite. What I didn't mention was that the USAF soon cracked down on allowing us to do it once they found out we were being flown into the no fly zone by the Brits!

[@suecourt1909]

I remember the VC10 with great fondness when I travelled from Bermuda to the U.K. for boarding school in the late 1960s

[@bazwaterboy522]

The VC10 used it speed back in 2005. I was stationed at RAF Mount Pleasant (Falklands) and the weekly airbridge, at the time a 747, had just left and an Airman injured his leg badly and needed casevac to the UK for treatment. He was rushed to the 1312flt VC10 and set off to Ascention to meet with the 747. Long story short he got there before the 747 landed and was waiting at departures :-)

[@richardschindler8822]

Loved this video. Some fascinating facts I never knew. I have a grand total of one flight on a VC-10, JFK to Heathrow. I believe I came back on a 707. As a retired corporate pilot that flew BAC 1-11’s, I’d love for you to do one of your marvelous tours of a 1-11. Keep up the great work, and can’t wait for the next video.

[@petersnow389]

One of my late Fathers friends was a Flight Engineer with British United Airways, then operating Brittanias out of Gatwick. During one of the family vists he took Dad and I on to the aerodrome, and there, just delivered, was a brand new standard VC10. He took us up into this wonderful aeroplane, and onto the flight deck. I had the privilege of sitting in the Captains and Flight Engineers seats in this brand new, superb British aircraft. It was an experience that has stayed with me ever since, something I will never forget. The Duxford Super needs to be under cover!!.

[@noodlebike]

The RAF vc10s were even more impressive. Standard sized uprated fuselage with super engines, made for a very impressive power to weight ratio. In the Air Cadets I flew on one to Scotland from RAF Brize Norton with rear facing seats. We did a touch & go landing in Scotland before turning round & coming back.

[@henrygingold6549]

Wonderful aircraft, the "Whispering Giant". Quite often you'd forget you were on a plane because you couldn't hear or feel the engines. The interiors were beautiful and well ahead of the corporate blandness that Boeing and Douglas used.

[@robbiephillipstravelsofple4790]

Absolutely fantastic video Paul. Such a beautiful aircraft. Growing up on the flight path to RAF Brize Norton were the VC10 was based I have grown up with the sound of the Conway engines buzzing me for the best part of my life. I have even enjoyed a flight in a VC10 to so I class my self as one lucky chap. Thanks for sharing this video hope you are well and keep the videos coming

[@renyoung9735]

Informative video Paul - brought back memories for me. I flew on a few occasions in the VC10 in the 1960,s between Heathrow and Lagos Nigeria. On one journey, whilst in flight, I asked to visit the flight deck. I was allowed to do so and had an interesting chat about the aircraft with a trainee pilot who was on a familiarisation trip. The passenger cabin is very comfortable and quiet whilst on the flight deck there is no engine noise but a high pitched hissing as the aircraft punches it’s way through the air. I still have my dark blue tie with the VC10 in plan view picked out in gold that was sold on board as a souvenir

[@papah5552]

The VC10 was the first airliner I flew in. It was a BOAC charter from Prestwick to Toronto in 1970. I'm certain in was a one class configuration with 28 rows. The highlight for me as a young boy was an invite to the cockpit and I was speechless. I clearly remember the four crew in the cockpit who were really cool guys. I also remember the captain was smoking 😂. I came away with a signed BOAC log book signed by the captain, which could be filled in on other BOAC flights. It was an amazing aircraft.

[@leep5113]

My first plane ride at age 4 was on VC-10 to Canada in 1976.

[@Travelsbydreamer]

Great to see that old speed bird livery! Awesome stuff mate

[@damian-795]

Wow, what a brilliant educational video. I love the VC10, the tail looks very aquatic and graceful.

[@well-blazeredman6187]

Built by the French, I believe. Not sure who can claim the design honours.

[@wokeupandsmellthecoffee214]

Nice review Paul, I was fortunate enough while working for BA I flew on the sister of this aircraft G-ASGG from ATH to LHR back in 1980 what a great experience it was.

[@EuropaSman]

@Paul Stewart, you forgot to mention the K4 tanker. Five Super VC10s were converted in the early 1990s, having been in storage for years at RAF Abingdon. I remember seeing a K4 flying in and out of Boscombe Down in 1993/1994 when I did my industrial placement year there as part of my aerospace engineering degree. The sound of those Conways was quite distinctive. It was certainly something to see the VC10 operating as well as the Comet (now at Bruntingthorpe) and the ETPS BAC 1-11 that were operating from Boscombe at the time.

[@JohnSmith-ei2pz]

Yes converted @ BAe Filton, before the site went under!

[@ginog5037]

Great video Paul, the periscope explanation was very interesting.😊

[@user-hz1tl4fq9m]

This is one of my Favourite airliner. Its sad that it was retired. I hope it will one day reenter service again. 😢😊

[@vieuxbal1253]

I don't know if it's me, but I can't help thinking of the Thunderbirds TV series from the 60ies when looking at the VC10. Its design was so futuristic and ahead of its time.

[@toucheturtle3840]

Miss the sound of those beauties in the sky. I used to live under the flight path from Brize Norton.

[@winstonschwarz1636]

I flew back from Cyprus in an RAF VC10 to Brize Norton. We had been delayed in Limassol for 2 days due to technical problems which meant we got to stay In a nice hotel with a pool where I horsed around with the flight crew. When we eventually took off the air stewardess who I knew invited me up to the flight deck. By that time we were flying up the west coast of France and I was fascinated by the street lighting. I was dazed and half asleep as it was the middle of the night but the memory is strong. My first flight on a jet was a memorable experience and certainly 100% more comfortable than the Bristol we had flown out on two years prior to this journey. Many thanks for another great video Paul.

[@richarddyasonihc]

I am old enough to remember this aeroplane with fondness. I only ever flew in one once from Singapore to Heathrow - our family lived for a brief period in Singapore, owing to my father being a Master Mariner. I remember taking off from Singapore- the limb rate seemed quite remarkable to a late teenager, used to Comets & Boeing 7070s. It was also a very luxurious aircraft compared with the 707 - but my Dad & I were flying in the first class section, so can’t really comment on the economy or ‘standard’ class section.

[@theaustralianconundrum]

Oh they were very powerful but for the time were the first true Turbofans hence the "hushpower" advertising. Back then most every other airliner heavy jet used turbojets and my gawd did they make a racket!!! LOVE this channel.

[@Quinnikon]

My Fav Airliner of all time, an absolutely beautiful piece of design. I used to love seeing these gorgeous birds climbing out of Manchester / EGCC. Nice vid and info mate Quinny

[@Calebs_Aviation]

Loved the video Paul! I was so fortunate to see a VC-10 of the RAF several years ago when I visited Rome Italy 🇮🇹 and I saw it takeoff from Rome FCO headed back home to the UK 🇬🇧 I presume. 😊 So So Lucky and I love the VC-10 among several other old British jetliners it’s one of my absolute favorites! 😊