2013-04-26— /travelprnews.com/ — The Classic Air Force visitor centre at Newquay Cornwall Airport – which has seen more than 12,000 people through its doors since it opened at Easter – is getting set to receive its latest star exhibit.
Tomorrow (April 26) the last flyable British Aircraft Corporation BAC 1-11 in the UK will make its final flight – and be preserved at the Classic Air Force hangar. It joins an ever expanding list of classic British aircraft dating back to the 1930’s, many of which actually fly as part of the memorial trust.
The aeroplane, which has kindly been made available by QinetiQ at Boscombe Down, was designed as a short-haul jet airliner and is one of the most iconic British jetliners ever built. It was designed to replace the Vickers Viscount turboprop on short-range routes and first flew fifty years ago on August 20, 1963.
By the time the last BAC 1-11 had rolled off the production line nearly 250 had been built and the type served with BEA, Court Line, Laker Airways and British Eagle. They also scored export successes with US carriers such as Braniff and Mohawk flying the type in North America.
British Airways retired its last BAC 1-11 in 1998 but a small fleet survived in use with the British military and QinetiQ as trials platforms.
The airframe being delivered to the Classic Air Force tomorrow was built for British Airways (as G-BGKE) and later joined the MoD’s Defence Research Agency in 1991. It gained the military registration ZH763 and served at Thurleigh, Farnborough and Boscombe Down – the home of British military aircraft evaluation and test flying since 1939 – as a flying laboratory, primarily for radar trials.
This aircraft is the last BAC 1-11 to fly in the UK – and tomorrow will be its last flight.
“We are honoured and delighted that QinetiQ has chosen the Classic Air Force as the permanent home for Britain’s last 1-11” commented CEO Group Captain Davie Paton OBE RAF (Retd). “This jet is one of the most iconic of all British jetliner and fits our ‘Best of British’ ethos perfectly. The 1-11 is a notoriously noisy aeroplane, so we’re looking forward to her roaring overhead for one final time.”
For more information visit www.classicairforce.com
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Iconic British Jetliner to fly into Classic Air Force on final flight