VC-10 Series 1400: The “What-If” Vision of a Short Haul Jet

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The Series 1400 is a fascinating chapter in the VC-10 story—not a production aircraft, not an RAF adaptation, but a proposed, never-built variant imagined as a shorter, agile version of the iconic airliner. While it never left the drawing board in real life, our CAD reconstruction brings this “what-if” aircraft to life, giving enthusiasts, engineers, and historians the chance to explore a design that might have been.

Concept and Inspiration

The Series 1400 was conceived as a shorter, lighter, and potentially more versatile VC-10, aimed at serving smaller airports or lower-demand routes without losing the elegance, speed, and performance the VC-10 is known for. Key imagined modifications include:

Fuselage: Shortened by approximately 2 meters compared to the Series 1102, or 6 meters from the Super VC-10 (Series 1151).
This creates a compact airliner with slightly reduced passenger capacity, optimized for efficiency on shorter routes.
Wingbox-fuselage connection: Enlarged and reinforced to support two critical goals:
- Structural integrity: Designed to handle the stress of shorter runways and potentially rougher operations.
- Weight balance: Compensates for the rear-heavy tendency introduced by the shortened forward fuselage, ensuring proper center-of-gravity distribution.
Engine nacelles: Inspired by the Series 1106 refinement, with trailing-edge pointy nacelles and fully streamlined surfaces.
Combined with the 1151 aerodynamic enhancements, this gives the aircraft sleek efficiency and visually coherent VC-10 lineage.
Other features: Follows the aerodynamic logic, wing design, T-tail, and overall proportions established in the previous series, ensuring the Series 1400 is unmistakably a VC-10 while exploring a new concept.

Design Philosophy

The Series 1400 demonstrates how CAD can transform ideas into precise, digital reality. By imagining a “non-existent” aircraft, this model allows:

Experimentation with alternate fuselage lengths and balance adjustments.
Exploration of structural design adaptations, such as reinforced wingbox connections.
Analysis of aerodynamic efficiency using all lessons from previous Series (1102, 1106, 1151).

Even though the aircraft never flew in reality, the CAD reconstruction treats it as a real, engineering-grade design, giving it the same fidelity and precision as historic aircraft models. Every surface is fully lofted, mathematically smooth, and NURBS-based, with cross-sections available for DXF/DWG export and further study.

Why It Matters

The Series 1400 is a visionary exercise—a bridge between historical reality and the creativity of aerospace design. Preserving it in CAD form allows:

Aviation enthusiasts and historians to imagine alternate VC-10 futures.
Engineers and designers to test structural and aerodynamic scenarios that were never realized in practice.
Modelers and hobbyists to explore new VC-10 variants in 3D-printed or RC form, expanding the experience beyond historical limits.

In essence, the Series 1400 shows how CAD empowers creativity, allowing engineers and enthusiasts to explore “what might have been” without the constraints of physical production, while still respecting the aerodynamic logic and iconic shape of the VC-10.

The Legacy of a Conceptual Aircraft

While the Series 1400 never existed in real life, it embodies the spirit of innovation and the enduring appeal of the VC-10. With its compact fuselage, reinforced structures, and sleek aerodynamics, it preserves the family resemblance of the VC-10 while daring to imagine a new path.

This model captures the balance between historical accuracy and creative exploration, offering a unique perspective on one of Britain’s most beloved airliners. For enthusiasts, engineers, and dreamers alike, the Series 1400 is a fascinating “what-if” that brings imagination to life in digital form.

What You Can Do With These Packs

Depending on the pack you choose, you can:

3D print the aircraft
Build RC laser-cut models
Perform CAD or CFD analysis
Render it in Blender
Create posters, stickers, and merch
Study the engineering form

This product line is divided into clear “factory-floor” production tiers for different users: 3D printers, CAD engineers, RC builders, artists, and hobbyists.

Pack A — 3D Printing Pack (STL + 3MF Only)

Get the Pack for €10 in Gumroad

Includes:

High-resolution STL of the aircraft
Pack A: Included Custom Aircraft Stands
Clean watertight mesh suitable for resin or FDM printing
3MF file for layout reference
Aerodynamic, smooth loft surfaces just like wind tunnel models
Ready for slicing (Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio, Orca-Slicer)
Optional: scaled versions (1:150, but can be re-sized as 1:72, 1:144, 1:48, etc.)

Perfect for: Collectors · Modelers · 3D printer hobbyists

Pack B — RC Maker Pack (DXF + 3MF)

Get the Pack for €15 in Gumroad here

Includes:

Full DXF cross-section slices (wing + fuselage) for laser cutting
Up to ~50 fuselage stations
Wing rib sections
Clean orthographic section cuts
3MF file for RC layout reference

Perfect for: RC aircraft builders · Laser-cut foam/balsa makers · Workshops

Pack C — Engineering Pack (CAD Only)

Get the Pack here for €20 in Gumroad

Includes:

Full STEP 214 file (solid bodies + surfaces)
Full IGES file (solid bodies + surfaces)
Full CATIA file (solid bodies + surfaces)
Complete aircraft with precise NURBS lofts

Suitable for:

SolidWorks
Fusion 360
CATIA
Creo
Siemens NX

Engineering-grade geometry

Perfect for editing, CFD pre-processing, and derivative design work
3MF file for layout reference included

Perfect for: Engineers · Students · Aerospace researchers

Pack D — Merchandise Art Pack (DXF + PDF)

Get the Pack Here in Gumroad for €7

Includes:

Clean line-art views:
3-side view (top, side, front) + Bonus 1-side view (belly)
Isometric view
Provided in DXF + PDF
PDF in both modern black-over-white diagram as well as negative-white-over-black diagram

High resolution, ready for: