Aviation History – June 29, 1962. On this Friday, June 29, 1962, the prototype of the VC-10 1100 airliner made its very first test flight. A first flight which will be relayed by the daily press. The aircraft in question should eventually integrate the fleet of the British airline, the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and thus, take over from the Comet aircraft.
On June 29, 1962, pilot Brian Trubshaw will ensure the first flight of the VC-10 1100, an aircraft which has no less than 93 seats on board in tourist class as well as 16 seats in business class. It displays a T-tail and has swept-back wings. On the engine side, it is equipped with four Mk 301 Rolls-Royce Conway turbojets, with thrust reversers, with a thrust of 100.1 kN each.
On April 29, 1964, the VC-10, finally delivered, will enter service, after two years of tests. But his career will be undermined by his fairly high operating costs. And so, we cannot say that it will represent a success in commercial terms…
