Duxford Super VC-10

[Foxdelta211f-bvfd]

I recently saw Duxford's Super VC-10 and I couldn't help but think it was in need of a wash and repaint.
i was just curious to see what condition it's airframe is in as it has been outside for decades now. Are there any plans to move the airliners indoors- I love Duxford but it seems that they paint the planes beautifully and restore them then let the rain and dirt stick to them, it is odd (but unavoidable, considering it would be extremely costly to build a hanger to keep the outdoor airliners in).

does anyone know of any future plans for it and whether or not it will receive a re-paint like the BAC 1-11 that is currently in the primer stage before a repaint?

I must congratulate duxford on its intent on restoring airliners such as the viscount, comet, trident and ambassador (the dart herald is undergoing long stage reiteration) and it is a brilliant museum

I just wondered what the future may bring for g-asgc

[Thumper]

The Duxford one was tarted up for it's appearance in the BA advert a couple of years ago, shame it hasn't lasted very well.

Duxford have some pretty major roof repairs to attend to at the moment because of the storms so I would imagine funds are tight. It would be lovely to have the VC10 under cover but the hangar would have to be rather huge to house it let alone anything else so I doubt that will happen. Perhaps email the IWM and ask them?

[vc10boy]

i havent herd that duxford have been active at bruntingthorpe re spares for GC...you,v got to worry about corrosion on her?..that huge tail fin...im not sure there,s active anti corrosion programme for her either unlike brooklands?..im a bit worried about GC..I was invited to look her over by john e clarke, who looked after her.. [a fantastic bloke] in 1980 soon after she,d landed,i remember seeing the sacks of BA menu,s in the hold..she,s the last BA super still with many origional BOAC features inside,the yellow and black galley,s ect..it would be such a shame to see her be scrapped in the future..she need a big overhaul and proper boac or ba markings reapplied,the boac paint job is awful,the speed bird on the fin is the wrong shape,they got the blue cheat line all wrong..such a shame more care could,nt be taken.

[Stewart]

I am curious as to how the speed bird is wrong, although I can see the cheat-line on the off side is somewhat 'broken' and not the smooth a curve it should be but the near side seems about right (comparing it to the photos of GI elsewhere on this site.) The lack of gold leaf is wrong though, but in service it had a habit of falling off. My father seemed to think it was pretty much spot on when he looked round GC about 6 years ago (lack of gold leaf aside).

Actually looking at the pic of GI I can see the speebird has shrunk a little but it's not that bad. If you look at the pic of GI you can see what my dad was on about with the gold leaf falling off!

[Thumper]

The Speedbird logo on GC is not correct in 2 ways that I can see and it's a horrible colour. It's too small and the angles on the right side cutout are not 'correct' (see picture attached below). It would not cost much to do it properly in gold leaf. Perhaps the funds raised from the VC10 polo shirts could maybe go towards having that done seeing as the Bruntingthorpe VC10 saga appears never ending? Food for thought.

[ACLVC10]

Hmmmm yes this is definitely food for thought, especially as Bruntingthorpe appears to have gone silent ........

[1103]

Hmmmm yes this is definitely food for thought, especially as Bruntingthorpe appears to have gone silent ........

Or it could go towards '150 as it is a presently the only confirmed runner .

Which would be more productive? A bit of titivation at Duxford that nobody except aficionados like us would notice or help to keep one a/c a runner?

Paul

[ACLVC10]

Hmmmm yes this is definitely food for thought, especially as Bruntingthorpe appears to have gone silent ........

Or it could go towards '150 as it is a presently the only confirmed runner .

Which would be more productive? A bit of titivation at Duxford that nobody except aficionados like us would notice or help to keep one a/c a runner?

Paul

This I feel would need to put to all the other guys that helped raise the funds to see where they all wish the funds to go.....??

[1103]

Naturally, my comment was said tongue in cheek.

Paul

[ACLVC10]

Yes I know Paul but this is something that all the guys that helped raise the funds need to agree on, well at least the majority does

[Thumper]

It's a difficult one really Paul. All the talk was that the runner at Brunty was '808 and now it's all over the place and nothing is happening, at least nothing anyone is aware of. Newquay Airport appears to be being turned into a concert hall to help pay the bills and '148's future is pretty much unknown as their restaurant idea fell through. 'GC' at Duxford is in reasonable condition and she is open to the public a lot of the time unlike ANY other VC10. I think of all the places a VC10 is located Duxford is the place where the chance of the land being sold or developed is most unlikely. Plus with all due respect the only thing that has happened so far with '150 is an engine run, stating that '150 is a runner is yet to be seen as no-one on here was 'special' enough to be there that day. That was tongue in cheek as well

[Stewart]

The only 'runner' at brunty I have seen anyone with any conection to it has mention has always been G-ASGM (ZD241) and as that airframe is once more fitted with engines I suspect nothing has changed. It was to be the runner before 808 arrived and still as far as I can tell is the currently prefered choice

[ACLVC10]

mmmmm sound many different rumours have been heard over the recent months, think we need to know exactly what's happening with our beloved BOB, cosford I think is a favourite

[Magnum]

mmmmm sound many different rumours have been heard over the recent months, think we need to know exactly what's happening with our beloved BOB, cosford I think is a favourite

Things are happening, but very slowly.

[Stewart]

As mentioed elsewhere

Hello all.

As an avid reader of this Forum for some months, I feel it is a little unfortunate that I must correct a number of statements made over the current survivors as my first posting. Hopefully you will bear with me over this and understand and appreciate the current situation once you have read the following.....

Comment has been made that Gary Spoors of GJD hasn't confirmed what the real situation is, leading to a lot of speculation over which of 147, 241 or 808 is to be retained as the runner, to be moved by road to Cosford, or of course be scrapped. Speculation has been rife not just on this Forum but on a number of others as well. Even today at Bruntingthorpe I was told by someone who insisted he was 'in the know' that none of them - other than their cockpits - would actually be preserved.

The reality of the situation - and the reason for lack of confirmation by Gary - is simply that as at today he still doesn't know. The final decision does not rest with Gary, but with a number of British organisations - both public and private sector - who ultimately will be putting up a great chunk of the money required to keep two of our beloved VC10's in existance past the end of November, the original date by which the remaining VC10 airframes had to be scrapped, as indicated by the MOD. Believe me, the overall cost of retaining two of the three remaining airframes really is an astronomical amount of money and no doubt once the final situation has been established, assistance both in the form of financial donations and voluntary labour will no doubt be more than appreciated by those responsible at both Cosford and Bruntingthorpe, where it is hoped two of the airframes will finally reside.....

GJD were employed to put together a recommendation to the responsible bodies involved, around the three remaining airframes - clearly 147, 241 and 808. Reality is 808/BOB has always been the RAF Museum favoured airframe for display at Cosford, for obvious reasons. BOB was never likely to have flown into Cosford this year. It was nothing to do with 'Health and Safety' (as has been posted on a various websites since BOB flew into Bruntingthorpe, which clearly opened up discussions over this subject) or the lack of ability of the then current RAF aircrew to repeat the exploits of the British Airways crew some 20/25 years ago (I forget exactly how long ago now !). The reality is Health and Safety have no say whatsoever over the rules and regulations relating to the flying by civil and miltary aircraft in the UK, and trees have grown in the vicinity of Cosford, reducing by a decent margin the LDA (Landing Distance Available) at Cosford. Something that was marginal at best when the BA VC10 flew in years ago, is no longer marginal. It was a non-starter. The days of removing trees as obstructions at airports for preservation purposes have unfortunately long since passed.

GJD's proposal is as follows :
808 : to be dismantled at Bruntingthorpe and roaded to Cosford where it will be reassembled for display
241 : to be retained as a runner at Bruntingthorpe
147 : to be scrapped

808 was flown to Bruntingthorpe (not Coventry or Birmingham) as although no final decision had been taken over its future, it was where GJD are based who would ultimately either disassemble (for moving) or scrap it. Coventry is clearly closer than Bruntngthorpe to Cosford but quite simply GJD have no presence there.
147 is a K3. Two other K3 examples have been preserved, one at Newquay and one by Brooklands but presently at Dunsfold.
241 is the only remaining K4 and clearly retains its passenger interior, something that is quite useful as the retained airframe is expected to earn its keep from business meetings etc, as does the Olympic 747.

Should GJD's proposal be accepted, the engines and other all other necessary components will be transplanted across from 147, which sadly will be scrapped. However, it is hoped that 241 will have run its engines by Christmas and will be fit and ready for action at the first Open Day in May 2014.

Should GJD's proposal NOT be accepted then who knows what will happen. Any one or more of a number of permutations might be the outcome. There might not be any money forthcoming at all but fingers crossed that is not very likely. However, that could still happen - if so get ready to dig deep once again. First, the Philippines, then Children in Need. Then Save a Runner???

No doubt Gary will confirm to all once he is able to do so, but with no official notification date, who knows how imminent or otherwise that is likely to be. Until such time as that final outcome is known, please treat any statements regarding 147, 241 and 808 as speculation - as that is all that they are in reality - speculation.

Please accept my sincere apologies if any of this posting reads a little direct or 'telling off' in any way. Clearly that is not the intention, but I thought it only right to make clear the real situation as I get ready to crawl into my bed tonight after another enjoyable day at Bruntingthorpe today.