A Little VC10derness

Further to my earlier enquiry, I wonder if anyone knows any more about "Flagships"?
I have a note in my log-book about flying G-ASGD in January 1971, where a plaque recorded the aircraft's name as "Canopus", and referred to it as the current BOAC "Flagship". Several people have come up with theories, and suggestions, for which many thanks, but no-one can confirm the situation about Flagships. I do know that a Stratocruiser carried the Canopus name, and that C-class Flying Boats were given titles beginning with "C" - the first being "Canopus", I believe. I also have discovered that "GD" operated the inaugural commercial flight by a VC10, to New York , on the 1st of April 1965. Any more information or anecdotal evidence would be very much appreciated.
Malcolm Holliday (BA/BOAC retired)

I recall the plaque but do not recall the exact wording. Was this perhaps intended to mark the fleet flagship rather than a company flagship? Fleet flagships were common in earlier BOAC/Imperial Airways days but I don't recall a reference to a flagship for the entire airline until G-BOAC was so honoured, for obvious reasons - although unofficially, I think.

Aircraft namings in BOAC/BEA seemed very half-hearted and arbitrary, even highly inappropriate. I can think of very little that a B757 has in common with "Dover Castle" (except maybe it can sink like a brick) and I have complete contempt for anyone who could name an aircraft "County of Greater Manchester". The Elizabethan on board service died a quick death and the Elizabethan 747 names faded away. The infamous Flags appeared and all the earlier names disappeared anyway. No-one seemed to care. I don't recall anyone ever referring to a 74/75/767 by name or even knowing what the current name was, they were so dull. Everyone knows of the Mauretania and the Olympic (I'll skip over Lusitania and Titanic). If they had been called the City of Newcastle and the City of Belfast after their birth-places we would have forgotten them long ago - just as the B747 "Cities".

Even carrying the name "Canopus" over to a SVC10 showed a remarkable lack of inspiration when it had been used several times before, which is possibly why the name did not appear anywhere other than on that plaque. By and large I was pleased the rest of the fleet remained unnamed!

I was at MOD Boscombe Down yesterday and went aboard VC10 K4 Tanker (ZD242) that is being utilised for the Project VISSAGE Ageing Aircraft study (The VC10 is now stored in a hangar).

In the QinetiQ offices, I spotted a picture of an ex-Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) Comet IV, RAF Serial No XS235, that also carried the name "Canopous" on its nose.

BOAC and Imperial Airways before always had one aircraft called Canopus, and this aircraft was semi reserved for VIP duties. I asked my dad incase I was wrong and his reply was..

'Canopus was a name that was given to one BOAC a/c even when other a/c were not named. The Queen generally used Canopus for royal flights whichever fleet but GD was damaged in a heavy landing in Antigua which left the fuselage skin slightly corrugated so for the 70's Royal Flights GR was used. I don't know if GD did the first New York trip, but I would be surprised if it wasn't GA'

The previous a/c by the same name was also used by Winston Churchill and the like

Stewart Weller