Moving
Aircraft at Brooklands
The Brooklands Museum is currently undergoing some major changes which are
linked to the development of the site around the museum, but also because of a
major new addition: a Concorde.
To learn more about Brooklands latest aquisition, you can visit these pages:
Concorde
at Brooklands
Now about the developments, it boils down to the fact that the former
airfield will get a new purpose, and this means that the two airliners that were
parked there had to be moved inside the museum grounds. Now the reason that this
hadn't been done before was that both the Vanguard and the VC10 wouldn't fit
across the available bridge. This has been avoided by constructing a shallow
ramp over the existing bridge which spreads the load and lifts the aircraft high
enough for the wings to clear the surrounding structures.
In preparation for the move both aircraft were weighed, to make sure that the
ramp was constructed to the right specs. The rest of the story from here will
follow the photographs as they will tell it best.
Photo M. Strick |
Photo M. Strick |
Photo M. Strick |
Photo J. Downey |
1. Weighing the VC10: pulling the VC10 forward onto the scales using resident off-road recovery
vehicle 'Milly Tant'.
2. The nose gear positioned correctly on the scales.
3. As well as the main gear.
4. As everybody knows these things go better when you have a comittee to oversee
operations, even aligning a tow bar!
Photo J. Downey |
Photo A. Lambert |
Photo R. Wilson |
Photo S. Green |
1. The aircraft movements and preparations started a while ago. Once the area
between the Strat chamber and the acoustics building was clear the Viscount
(minus outer wings) was (temporarily) moved into the spot where the Varsity used
to be, this having moved next to the 1-11 already.
2. Now before the Vanguard was moved across the river, on 29th May the
opportunity was taken to taxi her on the runway one final time.
3. As the new location will prohibit movement, this will have been the last time
a Vickers Vanguard ever moved under her own power.
4. Using the small BA tug seen on these photos the Vanguard was pulled
onto the runway a few days later.
Photo S. Green |
Photo S. Green |
Photo S. Green |
Photo S. Green |
1. Positioning the Vanguard.
2. Together with the VC10 (once again being positioned using 'Milly Tant'), the
two aircraft were left on the runway for a few days.
3. This was a fitting goodbye, the aircraft were standing on the runway from
which they made their first flights all those years ago. Soon that runway will
be no more.
4. The two airliners parked on the runway.
Photo S. Green |
Photo S. Green |
Photo S. Green |
Photo S. Green |
1. The aircraft together on the runway.
2. View from the VC10
3. The VC10 at the threshold of the runway, this is where she also stood on 16
October 1964 just before her first flight.
4. The VC10 standing on the Brooklands runway.
Photo S. Green |
Photo S. Green |
Photo S. Green |
Photo S. Green |
1. The VC10 on the runway.
2. Seen from the front, it looks like a strange creature now!
3. On the 4th June the Vanguard was the first to cross the bridge. In the
meantime the Viscount and Varsity had been moved from their temporary resting
places to the new aircraft section, situated in the old car park.
4. The ramp was constructed so that the weight could be borne by it, but also
to enable the wings to clear the flight ticket office which is to the left of
this photo.
Photo S. Green |
Photo S. Green |
Photo S. Green |
Photo S. Green |
1. The Vanguard was then towed to its allocated position.
2&3. The VC10's turn came a few days later on 7th June. First she was towed
towards the bridge.
4. A larger tug was used to pull her backwards onto the bridge.
Photo S. Green |
Photo S. Green |
Photo S. Green |
Photo S. Green |
1. The BA tug was used now to steer the nosewheels.
2. Until the mainwheels were almost leaving the ramp.
3. At that point this machine was manouvred underneath a specially built cradle
that fits under the main-gear bogies.
4. Using this 'crawler' the aircraft could be safely moved towards the
parking area as it enabled tighter turns to be made.
Photo S. Green |
Photo S. Green |
Photo S. Green |
Photo S. Green |
1&2. Turning and slowly moving towards the parking area.
3. Close up of how the 'cradle' fitted beneath the main gear.
4. The three large Vickers airliners together in the new aircraft park. The
1-11 and Concorde will join them there.
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VC10move8.jpg)
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