SERVICES > Military Aircraft

The VC10 aircraft entered service with the RAF in 1966 in an Air Transport role with capacity for 137 passengers and 4 aircrew. It was also capable of being converted to a passenger/freight role or full freighter role. This was known as the C1.

In 1993 the role of the aircraft were changed to tanker/transport role with the addition of a refuelling pod under the outboard section of each wing and was redesignated the C1K. The fuel can either be used to feed the aircraft itself or be dispensed to smaller type fast-jet type receivers. It is capable of refuelling 2 aircraft at a time from the wing pods.

There VC10 C1K can also be refuelled from VC10K or Tristar tanker aircraft by use of its air to air refuelling probe, which is permanently attached to the aircraft nose. The are another 2 variants of the VC10 which are single role tanker aircraft the K3 and K4. Each aircraft is a 3-point tanker, fuel being dispensed from either the 2 wing hoses or from the single fuselage-mounted Hose Drum Unit (HDU). The wing hoses can transfer fuel at up to 1,000 kg per minute and are used to refuel tactical aircraft. The HDU can transfer fuel at up to 2,000 kg per minute and is usually used to refuel 'heavy' aircraft, although it can also be used by fighter-types.

AM&PS have produced the amendments to the Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM), Air Crew Manual (ACM) and Cross Servicing Guide (CSG) for the Successor Identification Friend or Foe (SIFF), to the ATA100 and AVP70 specification.