BOAC VC-10, 1960s

Obviously a montage - in those days flying so low over central London would have caused much annoyance, not least to MPs in the Parliament, nowadays people would think the pilots were Muslim nutters.

BOAC was the main customer for the Vickers-Armstrongs VC-10, for whom it was designed. A total of 12 Type 1101 VC10 were purchased in 1964-65, followed by 17 Type 1151 Super VC10 (a minor modification with an extra fuel tank in the fin) in 1965-69. The VC10 became a popular aircraft in the BOAC fleet, both with passengers and crew, being praised for its low cabin noise level and comfort. BOAC (and later British Airways) obtained higher load factors with the VC10 than with the 707 or any other aircraft of its fleets. Operational experience soon resulted in the deletion of the inboard thrust-reversers due to continued tailplane buffeting despite the engine repositioning.

Apart from the twin-pair rear mounted jet engines, it had a generous wing equipped with wide chord Fowler flaps and full span leading edge slats for good take-off and climb performance and its rear engines gave an efficient clean wing and reduced cabin noise. The engines were also further from the runway surface than an underwing design - of importance considering the nature of the African runways. Technology from the V.1000 and later Vanguard programmes included structural parts milled from solid blocks rather than assembled from sheet metal. The entire airframe was to be coated against corrosion. Planned flight-deck technology was extremely advanced, with a quadruplicated automatic flight control system (a "super autopilot") intended to enable fully automatic zero-visibility landings. Capacity was up to 135 passengers in a two-class configuration. Vickers designer Sir George Edwards is said to have stated that this plane was the sole viable option unless he were to reinvent the 707 and, despite misgivings on operating cost, BOAC ordered 25 aircraft.

Successor to BOAC, British Airways, retired all its then 15 remaining VC-10s in 1981, one for preservation and the rest sold to the RAF.  Apparently a few are still flying.