VC10 in six-hour trip to RAF Museum Cosford

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-33215901

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A military aircraft has made a six-hour journey to its new home at a museum.

The 93ft (28m) long VC10 fuselage left Bruntingthorpe in Leicestershire for RAF Museum Cosford, Shropshire, at about 07:00 BST. It will be on permanent display in the autumn.

The VC10 has been one of the RAF's most significant assets for nearly 50 years, the museum said.

A lorry took the fuselage on the M69, M6 and the M54 and through Shifnal in Shropshire.

The VC10 entered service with the RAF in 1966 and had the ability to carry up to 124 troops at a time with nine crew members or a freight load of up to 20,400 kg (44,974 lbs). It completed its final mission in 2013.

It will be positioned on the airfield at RAF Cosford for about five to six weeks and partially reassembled, before being moved on to the museum site in August.

It is scheduled to be placed on permanent display next to the Hercules in October.

The museum's head of collections, Ian Thirsk, said: "For one aircraft type to have been in service for such a long period is remarkable in itself.

"However, when this is added to the variety of roles and worldwide scope of operations, it is clear this is a unique aircraft."