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Airliner · Civil · United Kingdom

Vickers VC10

Manufacturer: Vickers · Updated: August 5, 2026

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June 29, 1962
First flight
1964
Introduced
2013
Retired
54
Units built
Vickers VC10 silhouette
Two Royal Air Force VC10 tanker transports over Buckingham Palace on the Queen's birthday flypastCpl Laura Bibby (© Crown copyright) (OGL), vía commons
RAF Hercules C130K refuelling from a VC10 of No. 1312 Flight over the Falkland IslandsCpl Heidi Cox RAF (© Crown copyright) (OGL), vía commons
VC10 transport tankers of No. 101 Squadron at RAF Brize NortonSAC Neil Chapman (© Crown copyright) (OGL), vía commons
BOAC Vickers VC10 on finals into HeathrowRichard Vandervord (CC BY SA), vía commons
BOAC Cunard Vickers VC10 G ASGC Duxford 2006 (01)Bahnfrend (CC BY SA), vía commons
Royal Air Force VC10 C1K tanker transport parked at an airfield in the Middle EastSgt Laura Bibby (© Crown copyright) (OGL), vía commons
Vickers VC10 tanker refuelling two RAF Tornado F3 fighters in flightSAC Sarah Burrows (© Crown copyright) (OGL), vía commons
VC10 tanker trailing its refuelling basket to a Hercules above the Falkland IslandsCpl Heidi Cox RAF (© Crown copyright) (OGL), vía commons
Canadian F-18s waiting to refuel from a VC10 K3 of No. 101 Squadron during Operation Unified ProtectorSAC Sally Raimondo (© Crown copyright) (OGL), vía commons
Cockpit of a Royal Air Force VC10 tanker preparing for take off from RAF Brize NortonSAC Neil Chapman (© Crown copyright) (OGL), vía commons
Vickers VC10 Type 1103 A4O-AB of the Oman Royal Flight at Brooklands Museumcalflier001 (CC BY SA), vía commons
Two Typhoon T3 fighters refuelling from a VC10 C1K with a Tornado GR4 waiting behindSAC Taz Hetherington (© Crown copyright) (OGL), vía commons

The Vickers VC10 was a British long-range jet airliner designed to operate from the short, hot and high runways of BOAC's route network. It first flew in 1962 and, after its airline career, soldiered on with the Royal Air Force until 2013.

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History

The VC10 answered a very specific BOAC requirement: a long-range jet able to lift a full load out of the short, hot and high runways of its African and Asian network, where contemporary American jets paid heavy performance penalties. Vickers chose an unusual layout, clustering four Rolls-Royce Conway engines at the tail to leave a clean, high-lift wing. The prototype flew from Brooklands on 29 June 1962 and the type entered BOAC service in 1964.

The stretched Super VC10 added capacity for Atlantic routes, where the aircraft earned a reputation for speed and a quiet cabin that passengers remembered fondly; a VC10 set the fastest Atlantic crossing recorded by a subsonic airliner. Its operating economics, however, could not match the American competition, and production ended after just 54 aircraft.

Its second career was military. The Royal Air Force used the VC10 as a transport and, above all, as an air-to-air refuelling tanker, a role it kept flying until final retirement in 2013, nearly half a century after its first flight.

Variants

Vickers VC10 Type 1100BAC Super VC10 Type 1151BAC Standard VC10 Type 1102BAC Standard VC10 Type 1103BAC Standard VC10 Type 1104BAC Standard VC10 Type 1106BAC Standard VC10 Type 1109BAC Super VC10 Type 1150BAC Super VC10 Type 1152BAC Super VC10 Type 1154BAC Super VC10 Type 1180BAC Super VC10 Type 1181BAC Type 1125BAC VC10A Type 1110BAC VC10A Type 1111BAC VC10 Type 1101BAC VC11 Type 1400VC10 C.1VC10 C.1KVC10 K.2VC10 K.3VC10 K.3AVC10 K.4
First flightJune 29, 1962May 7, 1964—————————————————————
Aircraft typeLong-haul airliner prototypeLong-haul airlinerLong-haul airlinerLong-haul airlinerLong-haul airliner (not built)Strategic military transportLong-haul airlinerLong-haul airlinerLong-haul airliner (not built)Long-haul airlinerLong-haul airliner (not built)Long-haul airliner (not built)Long-haul airliner (not built)Long-haul airliner (not built)Long-haul airliner (not built)Long-haul airlinerMedium-haul airliner (not built)Strategic military transportMilitary transport and aerial tankerAerial refuelling tankerAerial refuelling tankerAerial refuelling tanker (not built)Aerial refuelling tanker
PowerplantFour Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.42 turbofans paired on either side of the rear fuselage, with thrust reversers on all four engines, an arrangement the production series dropped.Four Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.43D Mk.550 turbofans of 96.97 kN each (21,800 lbf), in nacelles angled three degrees nose-up and with reversers on all four engines.Four Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.42 Mk.540 turbofans of 93.4 kN each, with the 4% chord leading-edge extension and an extra wing fence near the root.Four Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.42 Mk.540 turbofans of 93.4 kN each, with the same extended leading-edge wing as the Ghana Airways series.Four Rolls-Royce Conway turbofans in rear pairs, like the rest of the Standard series; the order was cancelled before the available sources pinned down the exact engine mark.Four Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.43 Mk.301 turbofans of 96.97 kN each (21,800 lbf dry), the same uprated engines as the Super VC10, fed as well by the fin fuel tank.Four Rolls-Royce Conway turbofans in rear pairs; the sources consulted do not state the exact mark carried after the conversion.Four Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.43D Mk.550 turbofans of 96.97 kN each (21,800 lbf), with thrust reversers on all four engines and an extra fin fuel tank.Four Rolls-Royce Conway turbofans of the Super VC10 family; the order was cancelled before the sources pinned down the exact mark.Four Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.43D Mk.550 turbofans of 96.97 kN each (21,800 lbf), identical to those of BOAC's Super VC10.Four Rolls-Royce Conway turbofans in rear pairs, following the Super VC10 layout the project derived from.Four Rolls-Royce Conway turbofans in rear pairs, following the Super VC10 layout.Four Rolls-Royce Conway turbofans in rear pairs; the study never reached a documented engine designation.Four Rolls-Royce Conway turbofans in the VC10's characteristic rear arrangement; the project never settled on a documented engine designation.Four Rolls-Royce Conway turbofans in rear pairs, following the VC10A project layout.Four Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.42 Mk.540 turbofans of 93.4 kN each (21,000 lbf), paired on either side of the rear fuselage; thrust reversers were retained only on the inboard engines.Four Rolls-Royce Spey turbofans in the rear arrangement inherited from the VC10; sources do not state the engine mark.Four Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.43 Mk.301 turbofans of 96.97 kN each (21,800 lbf dry), with a tail APU for self-sufficiency at bases without ground support equipment.Four Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.43 Mk.301 turbofans of 96.97 kN each (21,800 lbf dry), unchanged from the C Mk.1 the conversion came from.Four Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.43 Mk.550B turbofans of 96.97 kN each (21,800 lbf): the conversion brought the Standard airframes up to the C Mk.1 engine standard to unify the fleet.Four Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.43 Mk.550B turbofans of 96.97 kN each (21,800 lbf); the conversion sealed the cargo door and removed the inboard thrust reversers.Four Rolls-Royce Conway turbofans of the Super VC10 family; the conversion was never carried out and no engine designation is documented.Four Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.43 Mk.550B turbofans of 96.97 kN each (21,800 lbf), the same as the K Mk.3 the conversion follows.
Powerplant4 × Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.424 × Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.43D Mk.5504 × Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.42 Mk.5404 × Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.42 Mk.5404 × turbofan4 × Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.43 Mk.3014 × turbofan4 × Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.43D Mk.5504 × turbofan4 × Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.43D Mk.5504 × turbofan4 × turbofan4 × turbofan4 × turbofan4 × turbofan4 × Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.42 Mk.5404 × Rolls-Royce Spey4 × Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.43 Mk.3014 × Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.43 Mk.3014 × Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.43 Mk.550B4 × Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.43 Mk.550B4 × turbofan4 × Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.43 Mk.550B
Thrust per engine93.4 kN97 kN93.4 kN93.4 kN—97 kN—97 kN—97 kN—————93.4 kN—97 kN97 kN97 kN97 kN—97 kN
Length48.4 m52.3 m48.4 m48.4 m48.4 m48.4 m48.4 m52.3 m52.3 m52.3 m—————48.4 m—48.4 m48.4 m48.4 m52.3 m52.3 m52.3 m
Wingspan42.7 m44.6 m44.6 m44.6 m44.6 m44.6 m44.6 m44.6 m44.6 m44.6 m—————44.6 m—44.6 m44.6 m44.6 m44.6 m44.6 m44.6 m
Height12 m12 m12 m12 m—12 m12 m12 m12 m12 m—————12 m—12 m12 m12 m12 m—12 m
Wing area—272 m²273 m²273 m²—272 m²272 m²272 m²272 m²272 m²—————265 m²—272 m²272 m²265 m²272 m²—272 m²
Empty weight—71,937 kg66,670 kg66,670 kg—66,224 kg———70,160 kg—————67,980 kg—66,224 kg—60,875 kg———
MTOW—151,953 kg141,520 kg141,520 kg—146,510 kg———151,953 kg—————142,430 kg—146,510 kg146,510 kg135,622 kg146,513 kg—146,513 kg
Top speed—935 km/h914 km/h914 km/h—935 km/h———935 km/h—————914 km/h—935 km/h935 km/h914 km/h935 km/h—935 km/h
Max speed altitude—9,450 m9,450 m9,450 m—9,450 m———9,450 m—————9,450 m—9,450 m9,450 m9,450 m9,450 m—9,450 m
Cruise speed—886 km/h886 km/h886 km/h—684 km/h———886 km/h—————886 km/h—684 km/h684 km/h886 km/h886 km/h—886 km/h
Cruise altitude—11,600 m11,600 m11,600 m—9,145 m———11,600 m—————11,600 m—9,145 m9,145 m11,600 m11,600 m—11,600 m
Service ceiling—12,800 m12,800 m12,800 m—12,800 m———12,800 m—————12,800 m—12,800 m12,800 m12,800 m12,800 m—12,800 m
Initial climb rate—11.7 m/s9.8 m/s9.8 m/s—15.5 m/s———11.7 m/s—————9.8 m/s—15.5 m/s—————
Range—7,596 km8,115 km8,115 km—6,273 km———7,596 km—————8,115 km—6,273 km—————
Ferry range—11,470 km9,765 km9,765 km—————11,470 km—————9,765 km———————
Combat radius0 km0 km0 km0 km0 km0 km0 km0 km0 km0 km0 km0 km0 km0 km0 km0 km0 km0 km0 km0 km0 km0 km0 km
Range conditionsDevelopment airframe devoted to certification testing, with no published range figures of its own; the programme ended with type certification in April 1964.Range of 7,596 km with maximum payload and up to 11,470 km with maximum fuel, without reserves; the fin tank is the key to the jump over the Standard series.Range of 8,115 km with maximum payload and 9,765 km with maximum fuel, without reserves.Range of 8,115 km with maximum payload and 9,765 km with maximum fuel, without reserves.No range figures of its own: the variant was never built.Range of 6,273 km with maximum payload; the extra fin tank and the more powerful engines offset the heavier military airframe.No published range figures of its own; with the Type 1106 wing its behaviour was close to that of the production Standard series.A family tuned for payload rather than take-off performance; the actual range figures belong to the 1151 and 1154 series.No range figures of its own: the variant was never built.Range of 7,596 km with maximum payload and up to 11,470 km with maximum fuel, without reserves.No range figures: the project never got past the study stage.No range figures: the project never got past the study stage.No range figures: the project got no further than a commercial proposal.No range figures: the project never left the drawing board.No range figures: the variant was never built.Range of 8,115 km with maximum payload and up to 9,765 km with maximum fuel, both figures without reserves; the high-lift wing let it work from the short, hot runways of Africa and the Middle East.No range figures: the project was dropped before any aircraft was built.Range of 6,273 km with maximum payload, enough for Transport Command's strategic routes to Cyprus, Gan, Singapore and Hong Kong.Carrying no extra fuel, its radius of action remains that of the transport: whatever it passes to the receiver comes off its own range.Maximum take-off weight drops to 135,622 kg because the mission is to deliver fuel rather than cover distance: useful endurance depends on how much it gives away.The long fuselage and maindeck tanks give it the fleet's greatest offload capacity; maximum take-off weight is 146,513 kg.No range figures: the conversion was never carried out.Without maindeck tanks it offloads less fuel than the K Mk.3 in exchange for a lighter airframe; maximum take-off weight stays at 146,513 kg.
ArmamentNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNoneNone
Max weapons load0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg0 kg
Payload—22,860 kg18,039 kg18,039 kg—26,037 kg———27,360 kg—————17,840 kg—26,037 kg—————
Cargo capacityTest airframe without a definitive commercial cabin: prototype G-ARTA flew with the short 42.72 m span wing and squared tips before the series aerodynamic refinements were fitted.Fuselage stretched 3.96 m over the Standard: BOAC's typical layout of 16 first-class and 123 economy seats, up to 174 in a high-density cabin, with a maximum payload of 22,860 kg.Combi version for Ghana Airways: up to 151 economy seats and, on the second airframe, a large side cargo door for mixed passenger and freight work, with a maximum payload of 18,039 kg.Combi version for British United Airways, very close to the Type 1102 and also fitted with a cargo door; up to 151 seats and 18,039 kg maximum payload. One airframe came from a cancelled Ghana Airways order.Standard series ordered by Nigeria Airways with the usual VC10 cabin; the two-aircraft order was cancelled and none was ever built.Manufacturer designation of the RAF's VC10 C Mk.1: shortened Super VC10 fuselage with a large port-side cargo door and a tail APU, for 150 passengers or 76 stretchers with six medical attendants and up to 26,037 kg of freight.Type 1100 prototype rebuilt with the Type 1106 wing and leased to Laker Airways, with a cabin of up to 151 economy seats.Generic designation of the Super VC10, with a fuselage stretched 3.96 m over the Standard and seating for 163 to 174 economy passengers.Combi Super VC10 for BOAC, with a large cargo door and a freight handling system for mixed operations; the thirteen-aircraft order was cancelled.Combi Super VC10 for East African Airways, with a large freight door on the port side ahead of the wing: up to 174 economy seats or mixed passenger and cargo loads with a maximum payload of 27,360 kg, the highest in the family.Double-deck Super VC10 project for high passenger capacity; sources disagree on the exact seat count and none was built.A second double-deck Super VC10 project, of even greater capacity than the Type 1180; it was not built either.Hybrid project between the Standard series and the Super VC10 offered to Aerolíneas Argentinas; none was built.Generic designation of the VC10A project, a development of the Standard series that was never built.VC10A version intended for BOAC; the airline chose the Super VC10 instead and none was built.Production series for BOAC in a typical layout of 16 first-class and 93 economy seats, stretchable to 151 in a high-density cabin; maximum payload is 17,840 kg.Scaled-down VC10 with a six-abreast cabin for 80 to 138 passengers; cancelled in favour of the BAC One-Eleven.RAF transport with the short Super VC10 fuselage and a large cargo door: 150 passengers or 76 stretchers with six medical attendants, and up to 26,037 kg of payload.Thirteen C Mk.1s converted to transport/tanker standard: they keep the transport's passenger and freight cabin and add two underwing hose units, with no extra fuselage tanks.Five Type 1101s converted to tankers, without a cargo door: five extra fuselage tanks, three hose drum units and only 18 seats for support personnel.Four East African Airways Super VC10 Type 1154s converted into three-point tankers, with maindeck tanks and 17 seats for support crew.RAF designation for four proposed Type 1166 tanker conversions; none was converted.Five British Airways Super VC10 Type 1151s converted into three-point tankers like the K Mk.3, but without maindeck tanks, so the volume they can offload is smaller.
Crew—4———4—————————4—4444—4
Passengers—174151151—150151174174174239239———1511381501501817—17
Units built117320141—050000012014135405

Images

AllOur imagesElsewhere
Vickers VC10 silhouette
Vickers VC10 Type 1103 A4O-AB of the Oman Royal Flight at Brooklands Museumcalflier001 (CC BY SA), vía commons
Royal Air Force VC10 C1K tanker transport parked at an airfield in the Middle EastSgt Laura Bibby (© Crown copyright) (OGL), vía commons
Two Typhoon T3 fighters refuelling from a VC10 C1K with a Tornado GR4 waiting behindSAC Taz Hetherington (© Crown copyright) (OGL), vía commons
VC10 transport tankers of No. 101 Squadron at RAF Brize NortonSAC Neil Chapman (© Crown copyright) (OGL), vía commons
Cockpit of a Royal Air Force VC10 tanker preparing for take off from RAF Brize NortonSAC Neil Chapman (© Crown copyright) (OGL), vía commons
Vickers VC10 tanker refuelling two RAF Tornado F3 fighters in flightSAC Sarah Burrows (© Crown copyright) (OGL), vía commons
VC10 tanker trailing its refuelling basket to a Hercules above the Falkland IslandsCpl Heidi Cox RAF (© Crown copyright) (OGL), vía commons
RAF Hercules C130K refuelling from a VC10 of No. 1312 Flight over the Falkland IslandsCpl Heidi Cox RAF (© Crown copyright) (OGL), vía commons
Canadian F-18s waiting to refuel from a VC10 K3 of No. 101 Squadron during Operation Unified ProtectorSAC Sally Raimondo (© Crown copyright) (OGL), vía commons
Two Royal Air Force VC10 tanker transports over Buckingham Palace on the Queen's birthday flypastCpl Laura Bibby (© Crown copyright) (OGL), vía commons
BOAC Cunard Vickers VC10 G ASGC Duxford 2006 (01)Bahnfrend (CC BY SA), vía commons
BOAC Vickers VC10 on finals into HeathrowRichard Vandervord (CC BY SA), vía commons

Elsewhere

Videos

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  • Aviation's most loved British legend, the Vickers VC10The Perms - PlanesApril 24, 2026 · 14:24 · English · Translated into Español, Français, Deutsch, Português, ItalianoWatch on YouTube
  • 10 REASONS Why The Vickers VC10 Was Doomed From StartSkyline EnginesFebruary 24, 2026 · 15:23 · English · Translated into Español, Français, Deutsch, Português, ItalianoWatch on YouTube
  • Why the Vickers VC10 Still Flies 60 Years Later- the truthFlight HeritageSeptember 9, 2025 · 16:34 · English · Translated into Español, Français, Deutsch, Português, ItalianoWatch on YouTube
  • A Misguided Beauty? - Vickers VC10Ruairidh MacVeighJanuary 11, 2025 · 26:00 · English · SubtitlesWatch on YouTube
  • Vickers VC10 VS Ilyushin IL-62 | WHICH PLANE IS BETTER?TheShowbloxOctober 19, 2024 · 3:10 · EnglishWatch on YouTube
  • Guided tour of a Vickers Super VC10 at Duxford airfield.Paul StewartApril 22, 2023 · 14:00 · EnglishWatch on YouTube
  • Vickers VC10 refuelling aircraft walkaroundThe Hobby Hub - a Sarik Hobbies ChannelAugust 28, 2021 · 5:33 · English · Translated into Español, Français, Deutsch, Português, ItalianoWatch on YouTube
  • Vickers VC10 - the lost flagshipSkyships EngMay 18, 2021 · 18:58 · English · Translated into Español, Français, Deutsch, ItalianoWatch on YouTube
  • Vickers VC10 DETAILED Cockpit Tour | Cockpit Views & Cabin Visit Onboard | Brooklands MuseumGreatFlyerAugust 24, 2018 · 8:29 · English · Translated into Español, Français, Deutsch, Português, ItalianoWatch on YouTube
  • FSElite Review: JustFlight Vickers Armstrong's VC10FSEliteDecember 29, 2017 · 23:37 · EnglishWatch on YouTube
  • Vc10 Proves Itself (1965)British PathéApril 13, 2014 · 4:14 · EnglishWatch on YouTube
  • Pathe's Trip In Vc10 (1964)British PathéApril 13, 2014 · 2:11 · English · Translated into Español, Français, Deutsch, Português, ItalianoWatch on YouTube
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  • RAF VC10 Biggin Hill 2010 - Incredible takeoff & Display! Unique footage!ViddyKJBJuly 1, 2010 · 6:15 · EnglishWatch on YouTube