Vickers VC10
The Vickers VC10 was the United Kingdom's answer to the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8. Its main advantage over the American aircraft was the short field performance, but it was less economical to operate. In the end just over fifty were built. Most ended up as transport or tanker aircraft with the Royal Air Force.
The VC10 has four jet engines attached in pairs to the rear fuselage. Other aspects of the design include a T-tail, low mounted swept wings and a main landing gear with four wheel bogeys. The VC10 has nine main cockpit windows with three eyebrow windows on each side. It also has a small bullet fairing on top of the vertical stabiliser. Finally, the leading edge of the vertical stabiliser and dorsal fin are highly curved.
The VC10 has not as much cockpit windows as the Il-62, but still fifteen is a lot. They are divided over nine main plus six eyebrow windows.
The bullet fairing on top of the vertical stabiliser of the VC10 is modest. Also note that the dorsal fin nicely curves into the leading edge of the vertical fin.
Different versions
The different versions of the VC10 can be identified by
- the length of the fuselage
- the number of refuelling points
Details will follow later.
Confusion possible with
Ilyushin Il-62
Only one aircraft type is very similar to the VC10: the Ilyushin Il-62. The Il-62 has more cockpit windows (eightteen in total), a larger bullet fairing on the tail and a tail gear that extends during parking.