[norbert2008]

Just watching the Queen arriving back from Kenya as Queen and was wondering why back then we never kept that plane for a museum, I can only think of two VC10’s no 707’s, Tri’s, etc? Two tridents. BA had an open day afew years back and the had many planes on display and the queese were so long to tour them so there is a market?

[AlanOrton1]

Brooklands museum near Woking has some excellent vintage aircraft, though not a 707.
(2 x VC10, Concorde, BAC 1-11, Vickers Viscount etc).
Good range of vintage cars, inc F1 and a nice day out when combined with Mercedes Benz world, located adjacent.

[transtraxman]

Though the B707s and VC10s were excellent planes they were not flying in 1952 on regular passenger flights. I believe the staple plane used by BOAC at that time and one of them was used to transport Her Majesty back from Kenya, was a Bristol Britannia. This was a long range version of the turbo-prop Vickers Viscount – used well into the 1960s.

[Frederic]

sorry, but the BRISTOL BRITANNIA was first introduced in 1955 ! therefore years after the return of HM the Queen in 1952 !! she flew back from Kenya on a CANADAIR C4 ARGONAUT

[LuganoPirate]

I recall they had a VC-10 at Duxford some years ago. Not sure if it’s still there or was just flown in for the occasion of the air show?

[rjhcambs]

LP,
still there last summer. Cabin remains fitted out and economy seating seems remarkably roomy compared with today’s offering. My only VC10 flight, which I loved, were between Blantyre and Jo’burg on Air Malawi in the late 70’s. I seem to remember that Aer Lingus provided management support to A.M.

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LuganoPirate

[LuganoPirate]

Thanks for that rjhcambs, I also flew the VC-10 when I was young, so have a vague memory of it. I do recall though, as you mention, Economy was very spacious with plenty of leg room.

[canucklad]

I wonder if BA will donate a couple of 747’s to East Fortune and Duxford or Brooklands ?
Would be a nice piece of publicity that they could well do with.
Oh wait , Walsh and Cruz aren’t going to miss an opportunity to get some scrap value back

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esselle, LuganoPirate

[AnthonyDunn]

A couple of days back, taking a detour off the M25 and we came via T4 and then past the BA Engineering area at the eastern end of LHR. There must have been nearly a dozen 744s parked up there. I was really rather saddened at the prospect of never having the opportunity again of flying on the upper deck and was wondering just what they were all doing there. I’m assuming that they are now being stripped of any conceivable part that might be usable elsewhere. Where will they all end up?

I must get an A380 trip booked before they too finally get pulled out of service.

[alainboy56]

@AnthonyDunn

One BA 744 flew this afternoon LHR to Kemble in Glos for scrapping, so joining 4 others already there.
Many are in Cardiff, and some are in Teruel, Spain. The rest are at LHR, as someone said, having all and any useful internal parts removed.

It is better they are parted out than selling them on, (not that they could now this year in this disastrous year) as often they meet an ignominious end and become a bit of an embarrassment when newspapers say they were ex BA aircraft. I remember an old BA B747-100 somehow ended up in Sharjah 20 years ago, and lay there rotting for years.
The problem is with Museum exhibits, and I add also that I like to see and reminisce over past times, but has anyone been recently to Brooklands Museum?
The state of the aircraft on display is quite shabby as maintenance of the heavy sort obviously just cannot be done. The Omani VC-10 there is particularly shabby externally.
I remember for years seeing a Blackburn Beverley at Hendon Airfield (Museum) in North London, but I understood eventually it rotted and became dangerous and so was removed and chopped up.
Conversely I learnt that the Concorde at LHR adjacent 27L runway threshold although outwardly looking still quite smart and clean, internally is falling to pieces having been cut up and chopped about for souvenirs.
However I hope they do store one somewhere in UK, perhaps the special livery ones too. Any ideas out there?

[ontherunhome]

I have seen two Concordes well preserved, in Bristol, and in Scotland. They need to be inside to prevent weathering. Sadly a 747 is just so big. I have been lucky enough to visit the Smithsonian in Washington, where they have space, and a B720 on display.

The Bristol museum at Filton is a good half day out if in the area.

Only ever flew a VC10 once in RAF rear facing set up. nearly flew a B707 Dan air, but it went Technical, as we were about to board, instead the put us on a Comet 4.Interesting.

A good graveyard/museum for soviet types is just by Budapest airport, 10 mins from terminal, and worth an hour if you have time to kill. Outdoors though so need good weather.

[thecartoonman]

@alainboy56

I went to Brooklands about 10+ years ago and the static displays looked pretty tatty even then, so it seems time has taken a further toll, which is a shame.

The problem with our climate is that you just cannot park up an aircraft and leave it, it needs pretty regular cleaning to keep it looking half decent and for many of these places the money is just not there, so many great examples of aircraft just become memories.

I remember the Beverley at RAF Hendon, again it was just left to rot and finally scrapped in 1989. My father, ex RAF, would recount you could hear the Beverley coming towards you, go off and do something for half and hour and come back and still see it flying away from you, so slow that it was, must have been a tedious journey sat in the tail booms.

[fatbear]

The Kbely Aviation Museum is worth a visit for anyone with spare time when visiting Prague.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g274707-d1813064-Reviews-Kbely_Aviation_Museum-Prague_Bohemia.html

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