Military AI Works

While looking for some classic aircraft still in service I came across the VC-10. Does somebody know when the RAF will retire the remaining ones?

Jan,

The VC-10 is supposed to remain in service until the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft, (The A330-300 or KC-330) comes into service. I think this is currently 2012 if everything goes to plan.

I have had the pleasure (if you can call it that) to work on the VC-10 for most of my time in the RAF. It is a funny old aircraft I can say that, but very fun and still going stong despite its age. However the lack of spares and the amount of flights they have had to carry out under current operations is meaning that they are suffering with reliability issues and have done for the last 10 years really.

Nick

My uncle flew them as well before he transferred to tornados, he said it flew really well and was pretty responsive, don't know what you think though. It has to be my favourite transport/tanker (or is that because I am incredibly proud of Britains aviation heritage!?!)

Nick,

thanks for your reply. When I lived close to Hanover I sometimes saw one of those birds at the airport. I knew you spent some time at the military but did not know about the aircraft you had to do with.

@tango
There were some nice aircraft built in the UK. Just to name a few: VC-10, BAe146, HS121, DH.106, Vulcan, Harrier, etc.

I went to a breifing today and was told the out of service date is 2013/2014. I notice that the first Airbus A330-200 to replace the VC10 had it's maiden flight last thursday. We at St. Athan currently do major and minor servicing on the VC10's.

Paul Day VC10 Rigger.

Sprocky,
Yeah there were some nice ones, though I have to say, outside the british military and private use it is very rare to see one now at all. To get a good look I have to go to my local air musuem (some of the brits here may have heard of Duxford)

Ah Duxford, famous for TSR2, Sally B, having a hangar blown up for a film, and being run over by the M11.

tango234 wrote:...some of the brits here may have heard of Duxford...

I was there in 2004,after a discussion with my wife and my two daughters... they wanted to go to Windsor Castle.... but I won

Smart move mate, just some curtains and furniture nothing flyable .

You would think the Queen would have had it built somewhwere else not under Heathrows flightpath

Loyal Subject

Gary

Remember the VC-10 coming down to Ascension Island when I was there from 1981 to 1985, when the VC-10 and Victor tankers took off the whole island shook. Seen one, off and on here at KCOF every so often years ago.

One of the odd things about the VC10 in RAF service is that all the passenger seats face backwards (or at least they did when I last flew in one, 1995). The design was quite remarkable at the time, I'm told that the tailplane is "all flying", iaw there is no elevator in the traditional sense. The VC10 still holds the record for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic - London to New York - by a subsonic jet airliner (only Concorde has beaten it).

Starlifterfan is right, they're bloody noisy beggars, banned from quite a few civilian places because of it. The same engines powered the Victor.

Rolls Royce Conways.
You can allways tell a VC 10 is coming from the wonderfull sound they make.

the glory days of British aviation may have passed, but you can't deny we have style, vc-10, concorde (shared with the French), the tin triangle, you name it.