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C/n 823 - 9G-ABO
Timeline
| Date |
|
| 14 November 1964 |
First flight. |
| 27 January 1965 |
Delivery to Ghana Airways as 9G-ABO. |
| c.1975 |
Slowly being repainted, this had to be done in several steps. Spotted at Heathrow in an interim version. |
| 12 December 1980 |
Operated from Accra to London via Rome, last commercial flight for this airframe. |
| 18 December 1980 |
Taken out of service, ferried to Prestwick for storage. |
| Late 1983 |
Scrapped. |
Photos
Image copyright BAE Systems |
Photo BAE Systems / Brooklands Museum archives |
Photo BAE Systems / Brooklands Museum archives |
Photo P. Upton |
1. A promotional image showing what the Ghana Airways VC10 would look like.
2. On 13 September 1963 this photo was taken which shows that the fuselage for 9G-ABO was coming together in the fuselage join-up jigs.
3. This photo of the flight deck was taken in the hangars at Wisley with the Ghana aircraft on jacks. The Super VC10 prototype G-ASGA is seen through the windows.
4. Peter Upton spotted the first Ghana Airways VC10 at Wisley during testing.
Photo BAE Systems / collection J. Hieminga |
Photo BAE Systems / Brooklands Museum archives |
Photo BAE Systems / Brooklands Museum archives |
Photo BAE Systems / Brooklands Museum archives |
1. 9G-ABO taking off from Wisley for another test flight.
2. Shortly after the first Ghana Airways machine took to the air several air-to-air photos were taken which make an interesting comparison to the first image.
3. This shot of the aircraft banking away shows the underwing vortex fences which were tested on this aircraft and G-ASIW.
4. The gear is seen in transit with the doors still open on this shot of 9G-ABO.
 |
Photo D. Staines |
 |
Photo collection J. Hieminga |
1. 9G-ABO in service, seen next to a BOAC 707 at Heathrow.
2. David Staines took this photo of 9G-ABO in its
original colours at Fiumicino Airport (Rome, Italy) in 1967.
3. Another photo of the early Ghana Airways colour scheme on a cloudy day.
4. Parked here against the detuners at Heathrow, the nose of 9G-ABO shows a subtle change to the blue cheatline.
Photo S. Richards |
Photo S. Richards |
Photo S. Fitzgerald |
 |
1&2. On 2nd January 1971 9G-ABO had to divert to Birmingham as Heathrow was completely fogged in. It is seen here being guided to a parking spot. See here for more photos from this unplanned event.
3. 9G-ABO approaching runway 28R at Heathrow on September 17th, 1972. The titling above the windows appears to have changed by now, although the precise sequence of these changes is not clear.
4. The second version of the colour scheme seen at the Heathrow maintenance
base.
 |
Photo by G. Hall |
Photo copyright Paul Davis |
Photo B. Wright |
1. 9G-ABO taxiing out at Heathrow showing the colourful scheme on Ghana
Airways' sole VC10.
2. 9G-ABO in the final Ghana Airways scheme worn by
the VC10, a very 'modern' scheme compared to the early colours. The
repainting was done in several steps during regular maintenance as the
aircraft could not be taken out of service any longer than necessary.
3. A nice mix of colourschemes, not just on G-ARVM, with 9G-ABO providing a change from red and blue.
4. Bill Wright's father caught 9G-ABO at Accra during taxi out (does anyone recognise the wing?).
Photo S. Fitzgerald |
Photo G. Hall |
Photo M. Howell |
|
1. Ready for high power engine runs at Heathrow on 5th July 1980.
2. And this is where the aircraft ended up, stored at Prestwick with the BA
Super VC10 fleet. The tail can just be seen in the center of the photo. The VC10
was taken out of service in 1980, this photo is from 1981.
3. Mark Howell took this photo in 1983, showing the partially scrapped remains of 9G-ABO at Prestwick.
Colourschemes
| GA |
Medium blue cheatline edged with red and white,
white over grey fuselage, red, yellow and green national flag on
rudder. Centre portion of rudder was initially white on first
testflights. |
| GA |
White fuselage with grey belly, yellow doors and
red, yellow and green national flag over full fin. |
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