20 The Aircraft of British Aerospace and BAE SYSTEMS 1977 - 2017
RAF VC10s in service
The RAF’s original VC10 C1s of 10
Squadron played a major role in
‘Operation Corporate’ and two aircraft
converted into full ‘Casevac’ role and
others busy supporting operations.
Subsequently despite all their other
usual duties they now had to support
the UK forces in the liberated Falklands.
With the arrival of the VC10 tankers from
1984 the total VC10 fleet grew to 27 at its
peak. They were active in support and
tanker roles from the Falklands, over
former Yugoslavia in the mid-1990s,
airstrikes over Afghanistan after 9/11,
where five VC10 tankers supported USN
aircraft operating from carriers in the
Indian Ocean. This operation was
succeeded by ‘Operation Herrick’, the
UK’s operations in Afghanistan from 2002
which ended in 2014.
Despite ongoing operations in 2003,
the emphasis temporarily shifted back to
Iraq and 101 Squadron crews were
heavily involved in the ‘Operation Telic’,
the invasion and final overthrow of
Saddam Hussein’s regime. They would
typically transfer 40 tons of fuel to RAF
aircraft, USN F-18s, USAF, Italian or French
types. Operations were not confined to
refuelling, as 101 Squadron helped
evacuate over 1,000 casualties to
hospitals in Cyprus. Their last offensive
operation was ‘Operation Unified
Protector’, the liberation of Libya 2011
where they flew in support of RAF
Tornados to enforce the ‘no fly’ zone and
during hostilities which led to the
downfall of Gaddafi.
With the VC10’s numbers shrinking,
by October 2005 there was a combined
total of 17 airframes; ten C1(K), four K3s
and three K4s so they were all
concentrated into 101 Squadron.
Numbers dwindled as aircraft were
broken up for spares until the withdrawal
of the VC10 from service in September
2013.the need for UK-based F-111s to return
carried out to Sacramento, California.
Many of the UK-based F-111s then passed
through this facility at Filton.
Following the end of the Cold War, US
forces in Europe were scaled back and the
14-year contract to service and re-lifing of
the F-111 came to an end. The last F-
left Filton on 16 September 1992.Scottish Aviation and the
Bulldog
The Bulldog had been developed by
Beagle, the UK’s last light aircraft
manufacturer which went out of business
in early 1970. It was a side-by-side,
twin-seat 200hp Lycoming-engined
primary trainer whose development trials
had been part-completed at the time of
Beagle’s collapse.
Before it ceased trading Beagle had
received an order for 58 aircraft (later
raised to 78) from the Sweden. Scottish
Aviation (SAL) speedily arranged to take
over development and production to
fulfil the Swedish order. SAL used the
Beagle-converted prototype G-AXEH forBritish Aerospace Filton’s F-
maintenance programme
In addition to its work on the VC10 Tanker
conversion programme, between 1978
and 1992 BAe Filton worked on 328
UK-based F-111Es from 20TFW Upper
Heyford and F-111Fs from 48TFW
Lakenheath. The initial contract placed in
September 1978, called for replacement
of the pyrotechnics in the ejection
capsule system. More contracts followed
increasing the work to depot level
maintenance. It was cheaper for the USAF
to have the work done in the UK than
returning the F-111s to USA for the work.
By April 1984 Filton had worked on 100
USAF F-111s and the contract was
extended again.
Owing to severe fatigue problems
affecting the wing fold mechanism, it was
decided that the structural integrity of the
wing pivots and other prime structural
components had to be thoroughly
proof-tested at low temperatures. So a
test facility was completed at Filton in
mid-1986 to re-life the aircraft. The
opening of this new test station negated Scottish Aviation
Bulldog G-CBCB
displaying its
previous military
serial XX537 at
Fairford in July- Scottish
Aviation took over
the project after the
original
manufacturer
Beagle collapsed.
(Author)
The roll out of the first licence-built ROMBAC One-Eleven 560
assembled at Banasea, Romania in August 1982. BAe supplied
Romania with twenty-two aircraft sets of structural components,
equipment, details and raw materials for the Romanian production
line. Only nine were ever completed. (BAE SYSTEMS)