C/n 809 - G-ARVG

Date
16 January 1963	Registered as G-ARVG to BOAC.
17 October 1963	First flight.
19 December 1963	BOAC crew training starts at Shannon, using G-ARVG.
12 June 1964	Delivery to BOAC as G-ARVG.
1 April 1974	Ownership transferred to British Airways Board.
6 June 1974	Ownership transferred to Gulf Aviation Company Limited.
7 October 1975	Re-registered as A4O-VG in Oman.
9 December 1977	End of service with Gulf Air. This airframe was still in the old GA colours and was not repainted in the Golden Falcon scheme. Ferried Heathrow to Stansted for storage, intially sold to Dismore Aviation.
30 March 1978	Sold to RAF for conversion to type 1112 K2 tanker. Ferried Stansted to Filton on this date.
22 June 1982	First flight after conversion at Filton. First tanker conversion to fly.
September 1982	Demonstrated during the Farnborough airshow.
Late 1982	Fin damaged during test flight, replaced with fin from XX914 which had recently been retired.
1983	Used on flight 95 of the test programme to examine the behaviour of the K2 behind a Victor tanker resulting in a BAe report from the Dynamics department at Weybridge.
5 October 1984	Delivery to 101 Squadron as ZA141 'B'.
Late 1986/early 1987	Repainted into the 'hemp' colourscheme that was applied to the other tankers from the start.
22 August 1987	Present at RAF Binbrook for the Last Lightning show.
1990/1991	Acquired 'The Empire Strikes Back' nose art during its Gulf War service.
July 1999	Withdrawn from service.
April 2001	Scrapped at St. Athan.

1-3. At some time, probably during final assembly, the cockpit panels of G-ARVG have been photographed in detail.
4. Initially G-ARVG, seen here landing at an unknown location but probably during testing, was painted in the old BOAC colours just like the earlier VC10s.

1. When delivered to BOAC the aircraft carried the first version of the Golden Speedbird colour scheme, with only 'VG' on the tailplane bullet.
2. Maintaining the VC10 threw up some new challenges, including how to get up to that tailplane. 'VG is outside awaiting attention.
3. At a later stage, the full registration was applied to the tailplane bullet.
4. Later during its career with BOAC 'VG also acquired the second Golden Speedbird colour scheme.

1. Initially the Gulf Air VC10s remained registered in the UK.
2. Between October 1975 and the end of its career with Gulf Air in 1977 the aircraft was registered in Oman as A4O-VG.
3. A4O-VG together with German registered BAC 1-11 D-ALLI at Abu Dhabi in November 1976.
4. ZA141 slowly turning into a VC10 K2 tanker, with another airframe covered in a Driclad bag behind it.

1. ZA141 now looking more complete.
2. ZA141, same location as the previous photo but this one in black and white.
3. Engine runs on ZA141 with the fire services looking on.
4. ZA141 in the hangar nearing completion of the conversion process.

1. The BAe newsletter announcing ZA141's first flight.
2. ZA141 taking off in its 'lizard' scheme. Lizard is an American term for camouflage which is where the nickname originated.
3. ZA141 parked on the pan at Brize on a rainy day in January 1983. It had flown a test flight from Filton, at that point it was the only VC10 tanker flying.
4. The black patches on the underside of the tail and behind the wing pods may have been to cut down on glare for the receiving aircraft.

1. November 1984, not long after 101 Squadron took delivery of ZA141.
2. In February 1986 ZA141 encountered this Tu-95 'Bear'.
3. The camouflage colours lasted for quite some time, ZA141 still carried the scheme early in 1986. Although the lack of the 'B' on the fin may mean that the date for this photo is incorrect, it may have been taken before delivery to 101 Squadron.
4. ZA141 is seen here during an airshow at RAF Alconbury on 16 August 1987.

1. In November 1987, the hemp scheme on ZA141 is still pretty shiny.
2. By December 1990 it is starting to look a bit patchy, the addition of the nose art can't change that.
3. A close up of the 'The Empire Strikes Back' nose art on ZA141. The BP logo is hidden by the open entrance door.
4. At RAF Marham on 10 May 1991.

1. In May 1999 ZA141 is parked at RAF Brize Norton, it would not be long until it was taken out of service.

Vickers /BOAC	BOAC scheme of white over grey fuselage, dark-blue cheatline and fin with two white bands over fin.
BOAC	First version of BOAC 'Golden Speedbird' scheme with stepped, gold-edged dark-blue cheatline. Grey lower fuselage and white upper fuselage. Dark-blue fin with gold speedbird logo.
BOAC	Second version of BOAC 'Golden Speedbird' scheme, golden edge on cheatline removed and cheatline now arcs smoothly down towards the nose without the step of the previous scheme.
BOAC/BA	As above but with British Airways titles on the forward fuselage.
GA	Gulf Air VC10 scheme, overall white with a large red, purple and green cheatline flowing from nose to fin. Gulf Air titles on forward fuselage.
RAF	Wrap around camouflage scheme in grey/green with white undersides. RAF roundels, large 'B' on fin and registration on engine nacelles. Nicknamed 'The Lizard'.
RAF	RAF 101 Sqn 'Hemp' scheme. Grey undersides with hemp colours on top and fuselage sides. Toned down markings and large letter on fin. In 1991 a BP logo and the text 'The Empire Strikes Back' was added to the nose in front of the crew entry door.