British Aerospace 146 ZE701 from the RAF’s Number 32 Squadron (the Royal Squadron) is flying in to IWM Duxford on 24 January to retire and join the British Airliner Collection
The most successful British jet airliner, the BAe146 is an important addition to the world’s premier collection of post-Second World War British civil airliners at IWM Duxford which attracts thousands of visitors from the UK and overseas and includes icons of aviation such as the VC10 and Concorde 101.
ZE701 is one of two BAe146 Statesman VIP models that were owned by RAF. In 1986 when it was delivered to the RAF it was part of what was then called the Queen’s Flight. In 1995 the Queens Flight was merged with No32 Squadron, which then became the Royal Squadron.
After landing, the aircraft will remain airside, near AirSpace, where visitors can view the decommissioning process and preparation for display.
When the works are completed the aircraft will take its place in the display line, next to the VC10, and will be open for visitors during the summer.
Photo: Colin Cooke cc-by-nc- nd 2.0/ Flickr
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