C/n 826 - XR806

Date
26 November 1965	First flight.
1966	During a RAF training flight the aircraft suffered a seized brake at Stansted, stranding it on a taxiway.
19 April 1967	Delivery to RAF 10 Squadron as XR806.
November 1968	Named 'George Thompson VC'.
7 July 1972	Operated RAF Brize Norton to Washington Dulles. Flying time 8:10hrs.
13 September 1980	Flew at the RAF Abingdon airshow.
22-24 June 1982	Carried PM Mrs. Thatcher to New York, for her address to the UN General Assembly followed by a night stop, and onwards to Andrews AFB for a meeting with President Ronald Reagan, returning on the 24th. Crewed by Sqn Ldr Mick Dobson and Flt Lt Richard King.
11 November 1982	Flew to RAF Wyton for trial fitting of a modified hangar door for a planned modification program.
29 Nov 1982 - 1 Dec 1982	At RAF Wyton for avionics modification.
29 June 1987	Overflew Brooklands and Wisley with some 132 Vickers-Weybridge veterans on board to commemorate the prototype's first flight. Carried special philatelic covers.
19-22 December 1987	Flew non-stop from Brize to RAF Mount Pleasant and back, setting two records.
1992	During maintenance at Brize Norton a combination of MEK fumes and a spark causes a flash fire in a wing tank. Nobody was injured, only a few shocked faces, and the damage to the aircraft was repaired.
29 November 1995	First flight after conversion to C1K tanker/transport.
23 February 1996	Delivery to 10 Squadron as C1K.
18 December 1997	Tipped onto its tail during a defuelling mishap.
March 1999	Airframe deemed beyond economical repair and scrapped. Nose section retained for battle damage repair training at Brize Norton. Total time: 35987 hours
September 2009	Fuselage section moved onto the airfield itself for fire training.
October 2009	Remains of forward fuselage scrapped.
	A galley unit and small fuselage panel are in private collections, another small fuselage panel is on display at FAST, Farnborough.

1. A brand new XR806 is towed towards the runway at Weybridge.
2. XR806's first flight from the factory runway at Brooklands.
3. During testing, XR806 returns to a wintery Wisley. Together with XR807, '806 had to carry out a lot of testing to find out how this 'hybrid' version performed.
4. A BOAC Super VC10 and what is most likely XR806 share one of the hangars at Wisley late in 1965.

1. The RAF C.1s were configured for a refuelling probe from the start and the installation was trialled on XR806 while at Wisley. It would take almost 20 years before they would be fitted to the airframes on a permanent basis.
2. XR806 is shown here in one of the bays of the large hangar at Wisley with several inspection panels open.
2-4. As the first RAF airframe XR806 was the subject of several air-to-air photos.

1. As the first RAF airframe XR806 was the subject of several air-to-air photos.
2. XR806 undergoing maintenance in the hangar at RAF Brize Norton. Second version of the fuselage titling.
3. XR806 landing, by this time the titles on the fuselage have changed to just 'Royal Air Force' but the radome is still black.
4. In 1980 XR806 performed several flypasts at the airshow at RAF Abingdon.

1-2. In 1980 XR806 performed several flypasts at the airshow at RAF Abingdon.
3. In 1980 XR806 performed several flypasts at the airshow at RAF Abingdon.
4. The original scrolls, as seen here during a visit to Belize, were handpainted.

1. XR806 at altitude creating contrails.
2. XR806 and XV109 sitting together on the pan at Mount Pleasant airfield in December 1987 during the record flights.
3. A group photo after XR806's arrival at Mount Pleasant. Left to right: GE, GE, Sqn Ldr Cadwallader, Sqn Ldr Barrell (TTF), Fg Off Ager, Gp Capt Lumb, M Eng Steele, Wg Cdr Mike Westwood, M Eng Mackey, Station Commander MPA, Wg Cdr Symes, MALM Emsen, Sqn Ldr Cottrell, Cpl(W) Miles.
4. Another approach photo in what appears to be twilight.

1. XR806 seen at Brize Norton on 7th September 1991.
2-3. XR806 looking undignified after its defuelling accident.
4. For ten years the forward fuselage was used for battle damage training at Brize.