Derived metrics
Computed by aircraft.fyi from the core specification — see how we calculate these.
How big is it, really?
The Vickers VC10's wingspan, against things you already know the size of.
The numbers
| Length (Super VC10) | 52.32 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 44.55 m |
| Height | 12.04 m |
| MTOW (Super) | 151,900 kg |
| Range | ≈9,410 km |
| Typical seats (Super) | up to 174 |
| Engines | 4 × RR Conway, rear-mounted |
| First flight | 29 June 1962 |
| Built | 54 |
Put the Vickers VC10 next to something
Last verified: 2026-07-14 · Spot an error? business@luck.fyi
What makes it different
The VC10 was designed for the Empire's leftovers: hot, high, short colonial runways that the 707 couldn't use. Four Conways on the tail left a huge clean wing, giving it superb short-field performance and a hushed cabin — BOAC sold it as 'swift and silent', and passengers preferred it to anything American.
It still holds a record that matters: the fastest subsonic jet airliner crossing of the Atlantic — 5 hours 1 minute, New York to London, set in 1979 and never beaten by anything without afterburners except Concorde.
Only 54 were built; the economics never matched the elegance. The RAF gave it a 47-year second life as a tanker, retiring the last one in 2013 — the final flight of a British-built long-haul jetliner.
Vickers VC10 — the short answers
How fast is the Vickers VC10?
How far can the Vickers VC10 fly?
How many people does the Vickers VC10 carry?
Is the Vickers VC10 still in production?
How big is the Vickers VC10?
The Vickers VC10 line
Standard VC10
Super VC10
VC10 K-series
Who flies the Vickers VC10
No current operators — this aircraft's flying days are over. The operators of record are below.
BABritish AirwaysThe launch operator — the flagship of the 1960s fleet.—→