The Vickers VC10 is a retired mid-sized, narrow-body long-range British jet airliner designed and built by Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd and first flown at Brooklands, Surrey, in 1962.

Nov 12, 2023 · The VC10 was the last passenger aircraft built by Vickers-Armstrong before the company was absorbed into British Aerospace. It was initially intended to be a military transport jet but was offered to BOAC when the RAF scrapped its plans.

Feb 19, 2025 · The Vickers VC10 holds a special place in aviation history as one of the most elegant and innovative airliners ever built. Designed in the early 1960s to meet the unique requirements of British overseas routes, it became a distinctive icon of British engineering.

Oct 30, 2024 · Enter the VC10, which was purpose-designed for this mission. Its high lift wings had wide chord Fowler flaps and full-span leading edge slats, maximizing take-off and climb performance from short runways. Its rear engine design enhanced performance, which left an efficient, clean wing.

The Conway engines showed great promise, and the advanced wing of the prototypes had shown that Vickers had the capability of producing an ideal "hot and heavy" solution for BOAC. The new design, designated VC10, took the unusual step of mounting the four engines each side of the tail.

May 3, 2023 · It was the fastest commercial 4-engined jet in service, at that time. The VC10 was a new design but used some production ideas and techniques, as well as the Conway engines, developed for the V.1000 and VC7.

Feb 18, 2020 · The British aviation industry, now largely privatized, continued to develop future jet airliners in hopes of finding their own success. One such result of their venture was the Vickers VC-10, a handsome airliner that was the visual epitome of 1960s optimism.

Gerry Sweet takes a nostalgic look at the Vickers VC10, the last long-haul airliner built solely by the British aircraft industry, as the type celebrates the 60th anniversary of its maiden flight.

The Vickers VC10 is powered by four Rolls-Royce Conway turbofan engines that were capable of producing 22,500 lbf maximum thrust each. It has a length of 3.36 meters and a diameter of 1.10 meters. The aircraft can fly up to 43,000 feet.

A VC10 holds the record for the fastest subsonic crossing of the Atlantic: G-ASGC flew from New York’s JFK to Prestwick, Scotland in 5 hours 1 minute in March 1979. The time was taken from take-off to touch down.