Royal Air Force VIP Voyager KC3 ZZ336 Vespina | |
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General information | |
Type | Voyager KC3 (A330-243 MRTT) |
Manufacturer | Airbus Military |
Status | in service |
Owners | owner: AirTanker Holdings operator: RAF |
Construction number | 1363[1] |
Serial | ZZ336 (from 2015) |
History | |
First flight | 25 October 2012[1] | ;
The Royal Air Force VIP Voyager, identified with the military aircraft registration ZZ336,[1] and more recently named by the Royal Air Force (RAF) as Vespina since June 2020,[2][3][4] refers to a customised RAF Voyager KC3 owned by AirTanker Holdings Limited[5] and operated under lease by the Royal Air Force. It is the primary transport aeroplane for the British royal family, the Prime Minister, and British government ministers.[4][6] The RAF operates a number of Voyagers which are militarised multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) aircraft; ZZ336 Vespina is a specific Voyager KC3 aircraft painted in a 'Global Britain' livery, and fitted with secure satellite communications system, missile detection, fifty-eight business-class seats (front cabin), one hundred 'premium economy' standard seats (rear cabin),[7] and media facilities, similar to other dedicated air transports of heads of state and government.
When ZZ336 was first converted to its VIP role in 2016, its exterior was visually identical to the remainder of the RAF Voyager fleet, retaining its original military low-visibility matt-grey exterior paint scheme with standard Royal Air Force roundels, insignia, and identification markings.[2][3][4] ZZ336 was first used in its VIP configuration on 8 July 2016.[8] ZZ336 was named Vespina when it was returned to RAF Brize Norton on 26 June 2020 following the completion of its new gloss-white livery.[9] The name Vespina is not used operationally; it is not used in its RAF F700 official logbook, nor is it used as its military call sign or flight number; it continues to be officially identified as ZZ336.
ZZ336 Vespina is based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and is operated alongside the main fleet of RAF Voyagers by No. 10 Squadron RAF.[9] Whilst on VIP duties, Vespina is operated by a typical crew of thirteen, consisting of its two flight deck crew (pilot and co-pilot) and eleven cabin crew (flight attendants and two pursers),[7] and for non-VIP standard military operation, utilises eight cabin crew.[4] Like all RAF Voyagers, Vespina carries a total fuel load of 111 tonnes (109 long tons; 122 short tons), being able to dispense 50,000 kilograms (110,231 pounds) to receiver aircraft via its two under-wing Cobham 905E hose and drogue refuelling pods and its centreline Cobham 805E Fuselage Refuelling Unit (FRU).[9]