Editing Vickers VC10 (section)

===Background===
[[File:British Airways VC-10.jpg|A [[British Airways]] Vickers VC10 still in partial [[BOAC]] livery|thumb]]
Although privately owned, Britain's aviation industry had been government-managed in practice, particularly during the [[Second World War]]. Design and manufacture of transport aircraft had been abandoned to concentrate on production of combat aircraft with Britain's transport aircraft needs being met by the provision of US aircraft through [[Lend-Lease]]. In 1943, the [[Brabazon Committee]] introduced [[command economy]]-style principles into the industry, specifying a number of different types of airliners that would be required for the post-war years, though it assumed that US dominance in transport aircraft would translate into leadership in long-range airliners and conceded in principle that the industry might have to cede the long-range market to US makers.

During the 1950s, the government required the aviation industry to [[mergers and acquisitions|consolidate]]: in consequence only two engine makers were left by 1959: [[Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]] and [[Bristol Siddeley]]. In 1960, the [[British Aircraft Corporation]] (BAC) encompassed [[Vickers]], [[Bristol Aeroplane Company|Bristol]] and [[English Electric]]'s aviation interests, whilst [[Hawker Siddeley]] built on [[de Havilland]]'s heavy aircraft experience and [[Westland Aircraft|Westland]] consolidated helicopter manufacture.<ref>Hayward 1983, pp. 41–44.</ref> The British government also controlled route-licensing for private airlines and also oversaw the newly established publicly owned [[British Overseas Airways Corporation]] (BOAC) long-range and [[British European Airways]] (BEA) short and medium-range airlines.

In 1951, the [[Ministry of Supply]] asked Vickers-Armstrongs to consider a military troop/freight development of the [[Vickers Valiant|Valiant]] [[V bomber]] with trans-[[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] range as a successor to the [[de Havilland Comet]].<ref name="Henderson5">Henderson 1998, p. 5.</ref> The concept interested BOAC, who entered into discussion with Vickers and the RAF.<ref name="Henderson5" /> In October 1952, Vickers were contracted to build a prototype which they designated the ''Type 1000'' ([[Vickers V-1000]]), followed in June 1954 by a production order for six aircraft for the RAF.<ref name="Henderson5" /> The planned civil airliner was known as the ''VC7'' (the seventh Vickers civil design).<ref name="Henderson6">Henderson 1998, p. 6.</ref><ref>Hayward 1983, pp. 22–24, 27.</ref> Development was prolonged by the need to meet the RAF's requirements for short take-off and a self-loading capability.<ref name="Henderson6" /> Work started on the prototype but by 1955 the aircraft's increased weight required a more powerful engine, causing BOAC to question the engine development cycle. In 1955, the government cancelled the RAF order in a round of defence cuts.<ref name="Henderson6" /> Vickers and the Ministry of Supply hoped that BOAC would still be interested in the VC7 but they were reluctant to support the production of another British aircraft following delays in the [[Bristol Britannia|Britannia]] programme and the crashes involving the [[de Havilland Comet]].<ref name="Henderson6" />