BOAC Vickers VC-10 Airliner Aviation Art Painting by Aviation Artist Chris French FGAvA

Built to an exacting brief laid down by BOAC, the VC-10 not only met but also exceeded its specifications. Able to take off and land from runways most jetliners of the day were unable to, the VC-10 proved highly thought of by the passengers and crew that flew in them. With the engines at the rear, cabin noise was kept to a minimum, while the aircraft proved to have a higher cruising speed than many of today’s aircraft. The record for fastest non-supersonic crossing of the Atlantic is still held by a VC-10.

This excellence did however come at a cost, as the running costs of the VC-10 were higher than those of other aircraft in the fleet and this led to a reduced order. This seeming lack of interest by the aircraft’s initiators led to a knock-on effect that led to low numbers being built and a number of unsold aircraft.

This piece of airliner art by Chris French GAvA shows the clean lines of an aircraft that, it could be said, was a little too good.