Jump to content

British United's VC10 schemes


Meatbox8

Recommended Posts

I've had the Airfix VC10 (BA edition) in the stash for longer than I care to remember and had always intended to build it as a BOAC aircraft with their beautiful blue, white and gold scheme.  However, now that Roden have produced a Super VC10 in those markings I'd quite like to build the Airfix one in British United markings.  26 Decals do two sets, one with the familiar beige/blue cheat line, the other in what it describes as the 'Delivery Scheme'.  Being a product of the 60s myself, I prefer the earlier scheme as, although simple, it has all the hallmarks of that decade.  On the other hand I want to build an aircraft that was actually in service so can anyone tell me whether BUA's VC10s were operated in this earlier scheme of were they quickly re-painted in the later scheme? 

Edited by Meatbox8
Grammer correction
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, I can confirm they were operated for around 2 years in the original delivery scheme.

G-ASIW

Delivered in September 1964 changed to blue and sandstone livery September 1966

http://www.vc10.net/Airframes/cn_819__gasiw_7qykh.html

G-ASIX

Delivered in October 1964 changed to blue and sandstone livery August 1966

http://www.vc10.net/History/Individual/GASIX.html

Hope this helps!

Cheers,

Ian

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's great Ian.  Thanks for going to the trouble of posting the links.  Much appreciated.  Now, I wonder where I can find a 144th scale model of Sir Freddie's 1964 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost!? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's a bit more to producing a BUA VC-10 from the Airfix kit than just changing the decals.

 

About 20 years ago I built a model using the Liveries Unlimited sheet mentioned by Eric.  The decal instructions (which I still have) claimed that BUA's aircraft had Super VC-10 style wings with extended inner leading edges and different fences compared to the Airfix kit.  VC-10 wings are a study in themselves and I'm not an expert but the wing fences and leading edges as moulded by Airfix are based on the early BOAC aircraft and may not be accurate for later aircraft.  Perhaps somebody with more knowledge than me can expand on this but my advice would be to have a careful look at the wings in photographs of whichever aircraft you are planning to model.

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks guys.  And there was me thinking I'd got away with it without opening a can of worms!  I do have the Crowood book on the VC-10 so I'll see if it says anything concerning BUA's aircraft having Super wings.  To be honest i thought the only visible difference between the marks was the fuselage length so you learn something new every day.  With regards to decals 26 Decals do both schemes so I'm ok there.  The big question is what to do with the BOAC sheet I bought from them now. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Eric Mc said:

Didn't some of the BUA versions have cargo doors as well?

 

 

Indeed they did, well two of them, although these are provided in decal form which is good enough for me in this scale.   An interesting diorama for those so inclined would be to open out the cargo door, detail the interior and add Sir Freddie's Roller as he displayed it at Farnborough.  You could add a BUA 1-11 too. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have now read up on the BUA VC-10s and they did indeed have a different wing to the standard BOAC aircraft.  According to the Crowood book by Lance Cole the type was known as the V1103 and they had a re-profiled wing tip with a drooping curve and a 4% wing chord extension.  Looking at pictures of the BUA aircraft in the book the drooping wing tips are quite pronounced and the leading edge extension seems to be between the two wing fences.  I can't say I can see the wing tip droops on the Super wings so this may have been a modification unique to BUA's aircraft.  So, as Skodadriver pointed out, the wings will need to be changed to be strictly accurate.  I haven't dug out the kit yet so I don't know what the situation is regarding wing fences but these should be pretty easy to modify, even for me!  Thankfully the span is the same for all marks.  The general arrangement drawings in the book appear to show that the panel lines and access panels are almost identical for the standard and Super.  Just as well really as the kit has raised panel lines and I am of the modelling fraternity who finds life is too short for re-scribing.  I'll probably tone them down though through judicious sanding.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Skodadriver said:

There's a bit more to producing a BUA VC-10 from the Airfix kit than just changing the decals.

 

About 20 years ago I built a model using the Liveries Unlimited sheet mentioned by Eric.  The decal instructions (which I still have) claimed that BUA's aircraft had Super VC-10 style wings with extended inner leading edges and different fences compared to the Airfix kit.  VC-10 wings are a study in themselves and I'm not an expert but the wing fences and leading edges as moulded by Airfix are based on the early BOAC aircraft and may not be accurate for later aircraft.  Perhaps somebody with more knowledge than me can expand on this but my advice would be to have a careful look at the wings in photographs of whichever aircraft you are planning to model.

 

 

 

That's right and good advice Skoda.

The Airfix kit is the prototype VC10 so the wings are the same as the original. For anything but BOAC Standard(and sell ons) VC10s you'll need the Braz inboard leading edge extension. Braz Stubs if its a RAF C.Mk1 (&1K) and any Super and RAF K3 &K4. As for wing fences you'll need to really study pics of your subject reg VC10. There are differences. I found a pic today of a British United VC10 in original scheme that had the under wing fence for an eye blink , like the early Ghana A/ways tens . Inbd Wing fence dimension from fuse varies , RAF C.Mk1 Super or Standard,might not be a problem in 144th mm wise but the fwd tank lid (2&3 tank) is in the way. Standards had another small wing fence outbd. The best thing is to Google IMAGE the kite's reg and books you have. never too much info. I've never got enough info and find new things all the time.

 

I am always open to PMs and can supply pictures of any VC10 in just about all the schemes, stubs, fences wing tips and beaver tails.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No Supers had the "BUA's" drooping Kuchemann tips. Only Standards operated by MEA, BUA/ BCAL, Air Malawi, Sultan of Oman's, RAe Bedford, Ghana A/ways and (IRC) the prototype eventually. Same goes for inbd chord extension... NB all Supers had that extension. Only the BOAC Standards didn't get that MOD.

Edited by bzn20
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks to all for this plethora of interesting information.  Just back from the pub so haven't absorbed it all yet but i will study in the cold light of day.  Anyway, so much for just buying some new stickers for my VC-10!  What is truly amazing is the amount of variations on an aircraft with a production run of 50 odd.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, ClaudioN said:

"British Untied"... any hint at recent events, or just a slip of the fingers?

 

No offense intended... :D

Looks like you are the first person to notice.  Duly corrected.

Edited by Meatbox8
Update
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, kev67 said:

What aircraft are you going to do, if its G-ASIX then I have plenty of information and photos of that VC10

 

Thanks for the offer.  I might well take you up on it.  The 26 Decals sheet has codes for 'TDJ, 'SIW and 'SIX so I will probably pick the easiest one!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, kev67 said:

I went for the G-ASIX as the aircraft is the one at Brooklands museum

 

 

That's the one that was sold to the Sultan of Oman isn't it?  I used to see it every day from the train when I commuted to London.  Never actually made it to the museum, which is a shocking omission on my part.  Maybe I'll pay it a visit when the current work is completed there. 

 

26 Decals also do a sheet with the later blue/stone scheme which includes G-ARTA, the prototype which was sold to BUA having been updated at BAC's expense.  It's probably the one aircraft in BUA'a fleet that has the least differences to the Airfix kit but, as far as I can tell, it never operated in the original scheme. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Kev

 

Just been perusing the thread that you put the link in for.  Thanks for that, I think it will be a great help.  Tons of info.  You are a braver man than me, building a vacform!  I've only just started rigging models after coming back in to the hobby, albeit coming back in to the hobby 30 years ago!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you are doing G-ARTA, it looks to me as though the outer wing fence was shortened when it was in BUA livery if you look closely at the photo, from the original BOAC scheme, there also does not seem to be a cargo door but it did have the  downturned 'Kuchemann' wingtips

http://www.vc10.net/History/Individual/GARTA.html

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

59 minutes ago, kev67 said:

If you are doing G-ARTA, it looks to me as though the outer wing fence was shortened when it was in BUA livery if you look closely at the photo, from the original BOAC scheme, there also does not seem to be a cargo door but it did have the  downturned 'Kuchemann' wingtips

http://www.vc10.net/History/Individual/GARTA.html

 

 

I think I may have found something in your original thread that will make life a lot easier for me.  Bottom of page one a post by KEV1n (is that you?) the diagram you have attached suggests that 'SIW was delivered with the original wing (i.e BOAC wing) and operated for about a year as such until it was modified for commonality with the rest of BUA's fleet.  So, unless I've misunderstood it, all I would need to do to make the kit representative to 'SIW when it was delivered is to add the inner wing fences.  Stop me if I'm wrong though. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No kev1n is another Kev but that's another story LOL, looking at photos if you are doing G-ASIW, it has cargo doors, downturned 'Kuchemann' wingtips, inner wing fence and smaller outer wing fence, you will also have to add the wing chord extension that goes along the trailing edge up to the smaller wing fence, as it looks like the Airfix kit does not have this

   

http://www.brazmodels.com/vickers.html

 

G-ASIW  VC-10  BUA

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

3 hours ago, kev67 said:

No kev1n is another Kev but that's another story LOL, looking at photos if you are doing G-ASIW, it has cargo doors, downturned 'Kuchemann' wingtips, inner wing fence and smaller outer wing fence, you will also have to add the wing chord extension that goes along the trailing edge up to the smaller wing fence, as it looks like the Airfix kit does not have this

   

http://www.brazmodels.com/vickers.html

 

G-ASIW  VC-10  BUA

 

Kev, the increase in wing area is done purely by the inbd wing's deeper leading edge fairings. That's the step in the L/edge around rib 28 ish/ inline with outbd flap boat fairing. The trailing edge falsework looks exactly the same but might be a different Material spec. and gauge, thickness, used. Same for Super wing box v the standards

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 31/10/2016 at 1:52 PM, kev67 said:

No kev1n is another Kev but that's another story LOL, looking at photos if you are doing G-ASIW, it has cargo doors, downturned 'Kuchemann' wingtips, inner wing fence and smaller outer wing fence, you will also have to add the wing chord extension that goes along the trailing edge up to the smaller wing fence, as it looks like the Airfix kit does not have this

   

http://www.brazmodels.com/vickers.html

 

G-ASIW  VC-10  BUA

 

 

 

Thanks for the Braz link.  They look like good sets.  I'm going to see if I can find photographic evidence of 'SIW at the time of delivery to see whether it really was eqiuiped with the standard wing for a while before having the 'Super' wing fitted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...