Timeless classic

speedbird591 · Post by **speedbird591** » 17 Jul 2006, 16:24

Garry Russell wrote:I wondered where you were.

You knew how to flush me out - you knew that your repaint of VB is my favourite, didn't you?

Post by **Garry Russell** » 17 Jul 2006, 16:34

I do now

Comes in British Airways flavour as well .........but that's not the same really :sad:

Garry

Nigel H-J · Post by **Nigel H-J** » 17 Jul 2006, 16:45

Fortunately where I live there are quite a few occassions when the VC10 flies into Waddington, many times at about 1500ft they will make a turn for short finals nearly overhead my home. One description that I consider suitable for the 10 is 'Graceful Vicky' in the way that it always appears graceful and majestic as it flies overhead but only once have I had the priviledge of hearing those engines at full ear splitting spool when one had taken off at the 03 end at Waddington, what a noise........ but more importantly.......what a sound. Though I must admit sometimes I am tempted at home when flying the VC10 to turn the volume up full....coupled to the sub woofer.......it is not just the noise that gives me ear ache...Tis' the wife for doing it!!!!!!!!!

speedbird591 · Post by **speedbird591** » 17 Jul 2006, 19:24

Nigel H-J wrote:what a noise........ but more importantly.......what a sound. Though I must admit sometimes I am tempted at home when flying the VC10 to turn the volume up full....coupled to the sub woofer

Those of you who have never heard a VC10 taking off will have to do so before you die. It is indescribable. As the Conways achieve full thrust, the thunderous roar becomes a deep, sharp crackle that goes right through you. The only other civil aircraft that I have heard close to it was Concorde but she still seemed muffled compared to a VC10. It would seem that the crackle must be atmospheric as it doesn't come through on any sound files. Even the fantastic aeromusica sounds by Benoit Plamondon and Mark Cranston recreates the roar but however long I hold it on the brakes with the volume turned up it doesn't develop into the crackle. :crying:

See you by the fence at Brize!

Ian

p.s. I just remembered that I spent 4 years as the tail gunner on VC10s and my take-off seat was just a couple of feet forward of the port engines! Could be why a recent hearing test showed a slightly reduced performance in the left ear. It was worth it, though. What?, eh?

Post by **DaveB** » 17 Jul 2006, 19:58

Taking the pill's indeed :shock:

You don't get the crackle everytime Ian but when you do, it is very rewarding. Likewise (and next to the Space shuttle!!).. Concorde is the only other aircraft I can recall having heard it on, civvie aircraft that is

Is it not something associated with the wx that causes it??
Talking of wx, It's due to be a blinder on Wed so I may be found lurking by the fence at BZN

ATB

DaveB :tab:

Post by **Garry Russell** » 17 Jul 2006, 20:16

Th One-Eleven gave a cackle...it was said to be the air spinning off the blades and hitting the next set a supersonic speeds...multi sonic booms similar to the crack of a flying flag.

It only happens at full power.

They used to say the only way they could ever make them quieter was to re design the engine with different spacing so there was much talk of re fanned Speys.

One noticeable thing about the One-Eleven was the smoke was not continuous but as series of close puffs each one corresponding to a cackle.

Both the VC 10 take offs I saw A40-AB and an RAF positioning back to Brize did no make much noise at all..but I suppose they were light and on reduced power.

Garry

speedbird591 · Post by **speedbird591** » 17 Jul 2006, 20:56

The crackle probably only occurs on a full power take-off - so when somebody's being sensible you don't get it. What I remember about flying on them in the 70s was that the pilots never saw a need to be sensible

We often used to do 'shuttles' tagged on to the main flight. For instance London - Nairobi - Johannesburg - Blantyre and back . We called the JNB - Blantyre - JNB legs a shuttle but they were really the final leg of one flight and the first leg of a return flight. Still with me?

A day's work for a crew would just be that, with 4 or 5 hours in a hotel in Blantyre having lunch by the pool :-({|= . We were only flying the flag to outposts of Empire and HMG picked up the tab. Anyway, the point being that we had virtually no punters, little fuel and no cargo. Invariably we would get a message to strap in securely and hold on to our hats. They always did a full power take-off and the acceleration would take your breath away. We would use hardly any runway and the climb felt vertical. They would keep the power hard on until we reached cruise and the whole crew and the few punters would have grins from ear to ear.

Who on earth invented reduced power take-offs for VC10s? Must have been a woman

Dave I won't see you at Brize on Weds as I'm working. But I hope you get a crackle!

Ian

Chris558 · Post by **Chris558** » 17 Jul 2006, 20:59

I wonder if aesthetics was what Vickers was aiming for? I mean, the 1-11 has no frontal extension to the fin, and so looks a bit 'home made-ish' as it lacks the VC10 -type curves, which is what we all love. The 1-11 obviously didn't need an 'extension', but did the 10 actually need it - for in the event of an engne failure, fin extensions are supposed to help control yawing, like on the Dove - or, was it just to improve looks over the B.707?

Living the other side of Benson to Dave B, and right under the glide path from 4 miles out, I grew up with VC10s which used to use Benson not frequently, but about once a month/2 months I would say, for training. I got to know the distinctive howling sound then, and it was the largest Aircraft we used to get! Now we only get one very occasionally, but as I'm now at work, I don't see 'em :sad: I have to rely on my Dad for such reports!

I also remember seeing, in about 1986, two VC10s formating off a Tristar, and doing two or three wide circuits around Benson, but not the usual landing circuit, though they were about circuit height!

So thesedays, it's the relatively short drive to Brize when possible - Wish you were here..? :dance:

Post by **DaveB** » 17 Jul 2006, 21:25

I think I saw one again today by coincidence looking like it had come out of Heathrow but much higher than the usual 8000-odd feet that is the norm for a/c heading for CPT. The sky was hazy so it may have been wishful thinking. I couldn't make out two engines either side but the tail sure looked like the real thing

No crackles.. definately no crackles

I'm sure you're right about fullpower takeoffs being the cause. It all fits now I've heard it (read it) again

I think we have enough waffle to start a new VC10 forum.. don't you?? :roll: :think:

ATB

DaveB :tab:

speedbird591 · Post by **speedbird591** » 17 Jul 2006, 21:40

DaveB wrote:I think we have enough waffle to start a new VC10 forum.. don't you?? :roll: :think:

Oh - I thought that's what this was

I wondered why everybody except me and Dan talked about other stuff