XM489

SERIES 250 - VARIANT 253/Cmk1.

Constructors No. 13434 - Production No. 011

Built at Belfast - First flight 07.04.60 – C of A: Not known

Built to contract 14293 and ordered by the Royal Air Force, this aircraft was delivered to Royal Air Force Transport Command, allocated to No. 511 Squadron, serialled as XM489 named 'Denebola'. Delivery took place on 4 May 1960 at RAF Lyneham. Like the other Britannia aircraft within RAF service this one operated out of the Britannia Pool at RAF Lyneham from September 1960. Following XM489's withdrawal from service in September 1975, she was ferried to RAF Kemble where she remained in open storage until sold to the Belgian firm, Young Air Cargo on 10 February 1976. During service with the RAF she had flown 19 243 hours and carried out 8316 landings by the end of September 1975. This aircraft had a very short civilian life. After being allocated the registration OO-YCC, and re-positioned to the Belgian company's base at Gosselies, OO-YCC was not operated by Young Air Cargo, instead used primarily as a source of spares for their other airworthy Britannia aircraft. OO-YCC was finally broken up for scrap during 1978.