Mike Howles

Well it is finished, saying that there is always a load of tinkering you can do afterwards but overall I'm happy with it. Took a while and I must say a huge thanks to Ray Charles at TwoSix Decals for going the extra mile in providing the decals and they are tremendous decals. I spent 9 years on VC10s in the 70's and 80's and we did spend some time robbing stuff of 809 when it slowly disintegrated at Kemble. I do have some small bits of airframe from it and thought it would make a nice model subject. Not easy with the Airfix kit but with a fair bit of messing, particularly in the stub wing area, and area I know intimately from spending so much time in, on and around the engines. Hope you like it. Thanks for looking Mike

Now, did you remember to add the nose weight?? Or is it going to be wheels up? It's not a bad kit really and it does look nice on the shelf with the other 4 engined pax aircraft. Look forward to seeing it finished!

Here's a picture of it sitting atop a CD: Its 180mm long and wingspan is 200mm

Not the easiest of models and certainly not the most detailed but it does look nice on the shelf. Ignore these below, its because I moved the images.

I of course would like a CMk1 from the time I was at BZN pre probe. We actually trial fitted the first one. And I did the acceptance checks on ZA141 when it arrived so something from that era. However it wuld be handy if there were options for Super and the other standards with civvie colours.

I was Hangar controller at that time and later worked with John Kyte, I remember well the SR53 being in the hangar for the respray, I did a very close inspection one night, a very interesting aircraft. The rocket motor was in there as well. John Kyte was a member of the BZN aviation society as I remember. Anyone any idea where the aircraft is now? maybe Cosford? Mike

All the weathering looks totally authentic, a great build.

Having worked on 10's for 9 years I am of course a little biased, I love the aircraft, it is probably the most elegant airliner ever built and probably the longest in service as a single type. It was like a lot of British things that were similar to others, only far more elegant. Spitfire and Mustang F86 and Hunter F100 and Lightning IL62 and VC10 etc etc British engineering always did the business but it looked good too. I think it was Sir Stanley Hooker who said that if it looks right it'll fly right You only really need to look on ebay and try and get hold of a 1/144 for less than £30 and you'll see how popular they are as an model aircraft. I do agree that it would be a massive gamble for Airfix or any other manufacturer to go for it but just the sheer size of the model would attract attention though it would not be significantly bigger than the Nimrod but would potentially offer more diversity of types withouot a huge amount of effort. For some it is a 'definitely want one' for others it would be a 'nice to have'. As an alternative a new tooling 1/144 would be nice too. Aah well it is always worth writing to Airfix (or any other manufacturer for that matter) and passing on your views, see what happens.

I just noticed something on the box.......I paid £6.69 for it, now that must have been a while ago!!

As mentioned on another forum I contacted Airfix with a request for a future release to be a 1/72 VC10. Their response was: Dear Mr Howles Thank you for your e-mail Although we currently have no plans to release this item, we do keep a record of all customer requests and product suggestions, which we do take into consideration when planning all future ranges Kind regards Matt Jordan Customer Care Now, I have a 1/72 Nimrod, Victor and Vulcan and a 1/72 VC10 would complete my Ascension Island group. I was down there during the Falklands war (on VC10's) and these aircraft stick in my mind as the memory of how hectic it was there. It would be an awesome model and I am sure would attract a lot of attention provided it was designed in a way where a good selection of versions were available, key would be BOAC standard, RAF CMK1/Kmk2/3 and perhaps even Super/Kmk4. I'm just wondering how much support there would be for it from the folk here? Mike

I was unaware of the protocol for posting pictures on GB build forums. It's a Welsh term 'got a row' and a bit difficult to describe, it is not as severe as 'got in a row' in the English sense. 'Got a row' can mean something as simple as 'can you tidy your desk' rather than a full scale row in the English sense where it is a two sided slanging match involving shouting and such. Getting a row in Wales never involves shouting and rarely gets a verbal response. We are quite civilised really. Now for a full row you would be chopsing, but thats a different story. Bit of a joke really, I just took the hint that was put on the GB forum where it is explained that you should place build images on the Work in Progress Forum rather than the actual GB build forum. No problems, a bit embarassing in a way

Ah, I got a bit of a row because I was not aware of the correct protocol on GB's so I will continue the build progress here: Major components together: Engines dry fit: A bit of assembly and a load of filling to do: Engines fitted and starting to shape the stub wings: Getting the conway stubwing right, looks just as I remember it: RB211 stubwing: Both: Just need a tailplane: It does match this picture reasonably well: This is pretty much what I have been trying to acheive: I am doing the filling around the wing roots to get the inner flap fairing right (ish) As soon as that is done I'll post some more pictures.

Ah, I guess that was aimed at me a bit there. Apologies!! I'm guessing that the protocol is to join the GB but post the In Progress piccies in the in progess forum and completed in the completed GB builds forum. Ok, point taken Mike

Phil Just what I was thinking. GR1 it is then!

Jabba The fin vertical streaks are just caused by water entering the fin root and rudder PFCU areas collecting dirt in the form of Skydrol etc and just running down the fin. The underside of the nacelles was always dirty with any oil in the bottom of the cowlings staining the underside, it was one of the BF jobs.....cowling clean. There was always a dark steak going back from the cabin compressor exhaust on the top forward of the cowlings, on the odd occasion a real dirty streak which together with low oil indicated a forthcoming cabin compressor change... Mike