This Merchantman was the last operational example of the type. It was withdrawn from use on 30 Sep 1996 and flown to the museum on delivery on 17 Oct 1996. This was the last flight of a Vickers Merchantman worldwide.

Taxying from the southside Cargo area.

Sitting on a rain swept ramp at Glasgow. Air Bridge used to operate a nightly flight from Glasgow to Zurich on behalf of Swissair.

The Vanguard was a very capable aeroplane but came on the scene just as turbojets were all the rage. As a result only 44 Vanguards were produced and this is the only surviving example. This aircraft was built at Brooklands in 1961, delivered to BEA and christened 'Superb'. In 1969 it was converted to a Merchantman and would serve BEA/BA until 1981. In 1992 it was sold to Hunting Cargo Airlines and flew until 1996, when it was donated to the Brooklands Museum for display

'Superb' by name, superb by nature. One of my favourite aircraft, now preserved just a couple of miles from where I then lived - great memories of some rides LHR-BRU around the time of this shot, then of seeing her arrive on the shortened runway at Brooklands for the museum on 17.10.96 (lamp posts were temporarily removed specially from the road outside) - the last ever flight of a Vanguard