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The Fight for the VC10

2 episodes 94%4KCC

Inside Britain’s high-stakes race to build a jet age icon.

Explore how Britain’s aviation industry fought to compete in the 1960s jet airliner boom, and why the VC10 became both a technical achievement and a commercial struggle. From government pressure to engineering breakthroughs and setbacks, this series reveals the forces that shaped a beautiful aircraft and the fate of an entire industry. Sign up to see how ambition, politics, and design collided in the sky.

Episode guide

2 episodes
1
1The Fight for the VC10: Part 1
During the 1960s, the British aviation industry had its last real chance to find a place in the expanding jet airliner business. Try as they might, they did not succeed. The nation that had built the world’s first jet airliner had to concede defeat to its American rivals.
32 min
2
2The Fight for the VC10: Part 2
The 1960s were a turbulent time in British Aviation as the legendary aircraft manufacturers that had helped defend Britain in WWII were forced to merge together just to survive. As military orders were shrinking, producing long-range jetliners was key to their survival.
25 min
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