A Royal Netherlands Air Force-owned McDonnell Douglas DC-10 transport/freighter has been flown to the UK for scrapping, less than three years after entering use with the service.
Aircraft T-255 departed Eindhoven air base for the last time on 11 April, and was flown to Newquay airport in the UK for dismantling.
Joris van Boven
Originally operated by United Airlines, the DC-10-30 was acquired by the Netherlands in 2004, and underwent extensive modernisation before being delivered in May 2011 after lengthy project delays. It was deemed surplus to requirements as part of a package of defence cuts announced later that year, and subsequent efforts to find a new buyer for the 334 Sqn-operated transport failed.
Some parts from the retired aircraft will be used to support the Netherlands’ retained pair of KDC-10 tanker/transports, which have already received the same cockpit and systems modifications as T-255. The nation’s military airlift inventory also includes four modernised Lockheed Martin C-130Hs.
Source: Flight International
