RAF VC-10`s how long to retirement?

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Member for

19 years 1 month

Posts: 76

Hello all!
How long do the RAF VC-10 fleet have to go until retirement?
I only ask as the last few weeks have seen VC-10s visiting marshalls aerospace at cambridge,for i asume,cosmetics.
Todays arrival was calling:868 and looked a little worse for wear!
see attachment.

Regards,
Ben.

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Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 32

VC10

saw that one coming in through the rain also, looked a bit battered from underneath too, came over my workshop in burwell twice, even in that rain you'd think he'd be able to spot marshalls!!

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20 years

Posts: 154

Looks like is is probably about to be resprayed, or possibly have some modification done. They regularly used to fly from St Athan to Filton for respray after major services.

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20 years 8 months

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I have no idea how much longer they are likely to remain in service but, given their age, it can't be much longer. From a personal point of view I'll miss them when they go as they are so easily identified even at night just by the sound. Plus the happy memories I have of flying to and from Cyprus in them. It was nice being on the flight deck halfway home (2 hours into the flight) and watching as we overtook the C-130 which had taken off 2 hours before us. The captain tried talking to the Herc but got no reply, his remark was 'He's either on a different frequency or he just doesn't want to talk to us.'

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24 years 2 months

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From a personal point of view I'll miss them when they go as they are so easily identified even at night just by the sound.

Ah the dulcet tones of the RR Conway....... the first by-pass engine to go into service in the world.

Just a little trivia .....

How many other aircraft types used the Rolls Royce Conway???

Ken

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20 years 4 months

Posts: 1,713

The planned out of service date for the VC10 is now 2011, but there are some rumblings which might lead to earlier retirement for some airframes. Mostly gossip for now but who knows!

Aircraft types with Conways...... I can think of the 707 and the Victor off the top of my head.

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21 years

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Early Vulcans had them as well.

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19 years 8 months

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Some DC8 variants also had Conways.

Tom.

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24 years 2 months

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Early Vulcans had them as well.

Only the first prototype, amongst various other engines, and one B.Mk1.

Discounting the external test engines for TSR2 and Concorde, Vulcans flew with Avons, Sapphires, Conways, Olympii and one even had 2 Conways and 2 Speys. Quite a range.

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21 years

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I have no idea how much longer they are likely to remain in service but, given their age, it can't be much longer.

As has been said, BAe have lifed the airframes to 2012.

Info coming out of Brize indicates the C1KS have clocked around 27,000hrs, and the K3/K4S Ex-civvie have around 60,000hrs. But, it seems that the engine situation may bring that projected date forward perhaps, RR don't won't anything to do with Conway overhaul anymore, and the 6 spare Conways in store have all been used in the last month which leaves them in an interesting situation I believe.... :eek:

Also coming from the same source was the quote,
"We are not welcome at airshows this year as officially we are told the organisers want something more punchy[new] cluttering up their pan. We know that Buffoon and his ilk would rather the public did not see a 21st centuary airforce flying museum relics."

:mad:

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19 years 5 months

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VC-10s...compared to KC-135s they practically new.

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24 years 2 months

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I was at Dunlop in Birmingham a few years back and they were threaterning to dust off the plans to make more heat exchangers for the Conway - something they hadn't done for 20 years!

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20 years 1 month

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If anyone's interested I can confirm that she's in Marshalls for a repaint.

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20 years 2 months

Posts: 2,508

If anyone's interested I can confirm that she's in Marshalls for a repaint.

I think it HAS to be, as I didn't know there were any left still in the old 'hemp' scheme. Last time I went to Brize every one I saw was in the new grey scheme.

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20 years 7 months

Posts: 97

Happy memories seeing and hearing the "moon rocket" take off from Tengah, Singapore. It made a whole new different sound in that climate. Was it really thirty years ago!

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24 years 2 months

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Happy memories seeing and hearing the "moon rocket" take off from Tengah, Singapore. It made a whole new different sound in that climate. Was it really thirty years ago!

Ahh, Tengah! Remember it well.

Here are a few photos of a VC10 landing at Tengah during the afternoon of 29 April 1968, an unusual occurrence then because Changi was still the main Far East Transport base. This aircraft landed at Tengah with a problem. It was a routine “trooper” from the UK to the Far East and one or two tyres had burst on take-off from Gan. This resulted in the aircraft being diverted into Tengah to land. The left-hand side of the main runway was foamed and the aircraft landed on that without further incident. The photos were all taken from the roof of the Transit Block which was just off the southern threshold.

The first photo shows the aircraft at the moment of touchdown. The second shows it braking, with the reverse thrust blowing up the foam layer. The third photo shows the conga-lines (there were 3) of fire/crash vehicles moving out to the aircraft. The foam laying equipment is visible in the right hand corner of the photo. Two Whirlwind helicopters, with firemen onboard, also followed the 10 down the runway as it landed.

I never did find out the serial number of the VC10 or the full circumstances of the incident. Any more info anyone?

BR

Laurie

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24 years 2 months

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Reading a copy of Aviation News (can I say that here) I notice that the MOD has selected the Thales UK proposal for the RAF's Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft.

These new build A330's will be operated by Thales on behalf of the RAF and are due to come on line in early 2008.

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20 years 5 months

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For the VC-10 fans here are a couple of pics.

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24 years 2 months

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These new build A330's will be operated by Thales on behalf of the RAF and are due to come on line in early 2008.

Hang on a minute... are you really saying the RAF's tanker force is to be civilian owned and operated? What next, Typhoon Squadron Plc? :eek:

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19 years

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The Raytheon King Air B200's, which replaced the RAF Jetstreams, are leased by the RAF from SERCO who own and operate them.

Brian

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24 years 2 months

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Hang on a minute... are you really saying the RAF's tanker force is to be civilian owned and operated? What next, Typhoon Squadron Plc? :eek:

Steve, this is a PPI thing. Tankers spend a lot of their time sitting around gathering dust. Why not then as the thinking goes lease the airframes to commercial airlines but recquisition them in times of need. The nearest similie would be cruise liners acting as hospital ships in wartime.