XM490
SERIES
250 - VARIANT 253 / C mark 1
Constructors
No. 13435 - Production No. 012
Built
at Belfast - First flight 16.05.60 C of A:
Not known
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Built to contract 14293 and
delivered to Royal Air Force Transport Command at
RAF Lyneham on 8 June 1960, allocated to No. 511
Squadron, she was serialled XM490 and named 'Alderbaran'.
This aircraft was transferred to the Britannia
pool on 7 November 1960. Withdrawn from RAF
service in August 1975, XM490 was ferried to RAF
St Athan on 13 August 1975 for storage with a
total of 18 673 hours and 8637 landings to her
credit. Purchased by Euroworld on 29 October 1975,
she was flown to Luton Airport the next day
before flying on to Stansted Airport the
following day. Allocated the registration G-BDLZ
when purchased on 17 November 1975 by U.M. Patel
and M.I. Raj G-BDLZ was operated in their company
name of Air Faisal.
The livery was applied 'around
the old' RAF livery and she was named 'Al Mubarak'.
She was operated together with G-BEMZ (ex-XL660)
between Bombay and Dubai. Leased to Air Works,
India in December 1976, G-BDLZ was returned to
Air Faisal in early September, 1977. Both of Air
Faisal's Britannias were immobilized due in early
August 1978 and by the end of August 1978, G-BDLZ
had flown a total of 22 306.48 hours and carried
out 9437 landings. G-BDLZ was withdrawn from use
at Luton in May 1979 and broken up during
September 1979. |