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C/n 801/2 - Test Specimen
C/n 803 - G-ARTA
C/n 804 - G-ARVA - 5N-ABD
C/n 805 - G-ARVB
C/n 806 - G-ARVC - ZA144
C/n 807 - G-ARVE
C/n 808 - G-ARVF
C/n 809 - G-ARVG - ZA141
C/n 810 - G-ARVH
C/n 811 - G-ARVI - ZA142
C/n 812 - G-ARVJ - ZD493
C/n 813 - G-ARVK - ZA143
C/n 814 - G-ARVL - ZA140
C/n 815 - G-ARVM
C/n 819 - G-ASIW - 7Q-YKH
C/n 820 - G-ASIX - A4O-AB
C/n 823 - 9G-ABO
C/n 824 - 9G-ABP
C/n 825 - G-ATDJ - XX914
C/n 826 - XR806
C/n 827 - XR807
C/n 828 - XR808
C/n 829 - XR809
C/n 830 - XR810
C/n 831 - XV101
C/n 832 - XV102
C/n 833 - XV103
C/n 834 - XV104
C/n 835 - XV105
C/n 836 - XV106
C/n 837 - XV107
C/n 838 - XV108
C/n 839 - XV109
C/n 851 - G-ASGA - ZD230
C/n 852 - G-ASGB
C/n 853 - G-ASGC
C/n 854 - G-ASGD
C/n 855 - G-ASGE
C/n 856 - G-ASGF
C/n 857 - G-ASGG - ZD235
C/n 858 - G-ASGH
C/n 859 - G-ASGI
C/n 860 - G-ASGJ
C/n 861 - G-ASGK
C/n 862 - G-ASGL - ZD240
C/n 863 - G-ASGM - ZD241
C/n 864 - G-ASGN
C/n 865 - G-ASGO
C/n 866 - G-ASGP - ZD242
C/n 867 - G-ASGR
C/n 881 - 5X-UVA
C/n 882 - 5H-MMT - ZA147
C/n 883 - 5Y-ADA - ZA148
C/n 884 - 5X-UVJ - ZA149
C/n 885 - 5H-MOG - ZA150

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C/n 812 - G-ARVJ - ZD493

Timeline

Date  
16 January 1963 Registered as G-ARVJ to BOAC.
25 February 1964 First flight.
23 April 1964 Delivery to BOAC as G-ARVJ.
29 April 1964 Operates the first service for BOAC, flying from London Heathrow to Lagos, captained by 'Flaps' Rendall with 59 passengers and various BAC and BOAC officials as well as journalists.
30 April 1964 Introduction of Nigeria Airways VC10 services with G-ARVJ operating the first flight.
12 June 1968 Operates flight BA165 from London to Dar-Es-Salam with J.E. Willett as the captain.
1 April 1974 Ownership transferred to British Airways Board.
1975 - 1981 Operated by BA for the ruler of Qatar under a wet-lease construction. The aircraft was painted in a Gulf Air colour scheme in October 1975 and was sometimes used as a standby aircraft for the airline.
April/May 1979 During a Doha-London flight, a piece of engine cowling came adrift and acted as a speedbrake while overflying Yugoslavia. An unscheduled stop in Vienna and a jury-rigged fix meant that the aircraft could continue to London for proper rectification.
10 September 1982 Ferried LHR to Brize Norton as BA9553E by Captain Roger Price, Phil Hogge and Alan Holloway. They flew unpressurised at 6000 ft with the gear down and the flaps set at 20 degrees.
20 September 1982 Ownership transferred to the RAF, assigned registration ZD493. The initial plan was to use it for local training flights only, but it was found to be too different from the other RAF VC10s.
1990/1991 Used to test a trial repair on the wing center section, which was to be used on the Super VC10s at Abingdon before ferrying them to Filton for conversion.
September 1991 Airframe broken up at Brize Norton. Fuselage may have survived on the fire dump until 1993/1994.

Photos


Photo BAE Systems via J. Quick

Photo BAE Systems via J. Quick

Photo BAE Systems via J. Quick

Photo BAE Systems via J. Quick

1. G-ARVJ awaiting passengers and guests for the first VC10 service.
2. Judging by the stripes on the uniforms, the two pilots are at the bottom of the steps to greet the passengers.
3. G-ARVJ parked next to an Air Ceylon Comet at London Heathrow while passengers board for the first service.
4. Taking off on the first scheduled service for a BOAC VC10, G-ARVJ climbs away on this first flight to Lagos, Nigeria.


Photo BAE Systems / Brooklands Museum archives

Photo collection J. Hieminga

Photo T. Johnson

Photo Richard Vandervord via www.Airliners.net

1. G-ARVJ taxiing in at an unknown location. On this early BOAC Golden Speedbird scheme the registration was hidden aft of the engines and to aid identification the last two letters have been added to the top of the fin.
2. Seen here being towed across the Heathrow maintenance base, the last two letters 'VJ' are visible just below the fin bullet. At a later stage the full registration was moved to the bullet itself.
3. G-ARVJ parked at Lusaka in October 1969.
4. Having been repainted, 'VJ is coming in to land at London Heathrow in April 1974. The merger into British Airways was underway at this time.


Photo collection J. Hieminga

Photo copyright Paul Davis

Photo copyright Paul Davis

Photo BAE Systems / Brooklands Museum archives

1. Judging by the British Airways titles on G-ASGF in the foreground, G-ARVJ (second airframe) is seen here in 1974, sharing the ramp in front of the TBA building with two Super VC10s.
2. G-ARVJ heads a threesome of BOAC Standard VC10s, all with added British Airways titles.
3. In August 1975 G-ARVJ carried the British Airways 'Negus' colours, one of only three Standard VC10s to be painted in these colours.
4. On this photo G-ARVJ is seen parked at the BA Maintenance base in Gulf Air colours. The aircraft remained in the ownership of British Airways during its time flying the Emir of Qatar.


Photo collection J. Hieminga

Photo copyright Paul Davis

Photo collection J. Hieminga via F. van Vliet

Photo copyright Paul Davis

1. In this scheme it carried the Emir of Qatar but appeared at first glance to be a regular airliner.
2. G-ARVJ parked behind A4O-VG in November 1975. This photo shows that 'VJ kept the light grey wings and engine nacelles from the BA 'Negus' scheme while 'VG is completely white.
3. As shown on this photo, the Emir's VC10 also visited Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport.
4. In December 1981 'VJ is seen covered in snow at the Heathrow maintenance base. By this time it had not been used for several months and was kept in storage.


Photo collection J. Hieminga

Photo M. Burrell

Photo M. Burrell

Photo collection J. Hieminga

1. Having been delivered to Brize Norton in September 1982, by June 1984, G-ARVJ still looks more complete than G-ASGE.
2. Now with the RAF as ZD493, stripped of spares at RAF Brize Norton in 1987.
3. Seen from the rear.
4. When this photo was taken in May 1989 the airframe has been moved to a different location. The undercarriage had to be refitted for this job. 101 Squadron's tankers can be seen in the background.


Photo F. Goodman via www.Airliners.net
     

1. G-ARVJ seen at Brize Norton in September 1991 with part of the wing lying next to it. Having been used to test a repair to the wing center section, so that this could be carried out on the ex-BA Super VC10s before ferrying them to Filton, the airframe was scrapped just after this photo was taken.

 

 

Colourschemes

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.
BA First British Airways ('Negus') scheme, white over dark blue fuselage with grey wings. Top of fin and stabilizer in red with Union Jack section. British Airways titles and small Speedbird on front fuselage.
GA Gulf Air VC10 scheme, white fuselage with a large red, purple and green cheatline flowing from nose to fin. Gulf Air titles on forward fuselage. Light grey wings and engine nacelles.


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