BOAC Golden Speedbird Livery on Super VC10s

[Manofmendip]

Aero Classics have issued a 1:400 scale model of G-ASGC but in the fist 'Golden Speedbird' livery, with the stepped cheat line but without the gold lining; I never remember this first livery without gold lining.

Did the Supers ever carry this livery? My memory of them at Wisley and Heathrow was of them always carrying the second version with the sloping/tapering cheat line.

From the picture of the new model the wing fences look wrong too.

Best regards.

Dave

[Jelle Hieminga]

From photos and video we know that at least the first three Supers carried the 'stepped' Golden Speedbird livery during testing. If you look at the pages below you'll see 'GB in these colours and the images showing 'GA at Khartoum also show the good trim on the cheatline.

G-ASGB: http://www.vc10.net/Memories/Trialstribulations_3.html
G-ASGA (bottom of page): http://www.vc10.net/Memories/Trialstribulations_2.html

There is clear footage of 'GC in these colours on the 'Look at life - Civil Aviation in the 60's' DVD (http://www.video125.co.uk/acatalog/Look ... ation.html), there's a preview here which shows part of it in the leader and at the end of the preview:

[Manofmendip]

Thanks Jelle

That's great.

I will look at the model on offer, again, and see if the stepped livery has the gold lining, it doesn't look like it in the photo.

Best regards

Dave
VC10der Loving Carers

[Jelle Hieminga]

Hi Dave,

I've had a look at the model on their site and it does look a bit odd indeed. I think that the fence configuration may be correct but the paint scheme is definitively off. I had a look around my harddisk and look what I found:

That's G-ASGC leaving Brooklands on its first flight. The model doesn't quite capture that look...

[Manofmendip]

Hi Jelle

I agree. I have the model now and it is nicely made and does make an attempt at getting the engine 'stub wings' right; not straight like most models. However, the lack of gold lining to the cheat line sticks out like a sore thumb. Also, no model uses gold leaf, as I believe was used on the real aircraft; I still remember seeing that gleaming at Wisley in the mid 1960s.

Many thanks for the SGC FF photo.

Best wishes.

Dave
VC10der Loving Carers group

[petet16]

The fridge pack intakes look very odd on the model.

[Manofmendip]

In the photo they do but on the actual model they are painted black and about the right size.

In the photo the engines are inclined too much too but on the actual model they are close to the 3 deg that was on the real Supers.

I have some gold leaf in the garage, one day I will add it to the model and then it will look more like I remember them.

Dave