Avro Vulcan B2 XH558 taxies towards the camera in impressive style with a haze of hot exhaust fumes trailing behind it. Luigino Caliaro Contents 6 Delta delight! 8 Vulcan – the Roman god of fire and destruction! 10 Delta Design 12 Delta Aerodynamics 20 Virtues of the Avro Vulcan 62 Virtues of the Avro Vulcan No.6 Nos.1 and 2 64 RAF Scampton – The Vulcan Years 22 The ‘Baby Vulcans’ 70 Delta over the Ocean 26 The True Delta Ladies 72 Rolling! 32 Fifty years of ’558 74 Inside the Vulcan 40 Virtues of the Avro Vulcan No.3 78 XM594 delivery diary 42 Vulcan display 86 National Cold War Exhibition 49 Virtues of the Avro Vulcan No.4 88 Virtues of the Avro Vulcan No.7 52 Virtues of the Avro Vulcan No.5 90 The Council Skip! 53 Skybolt 94 Vulcan Furnace 54 From wood and fabric to the V-bomber 98 Virtues of the Avro Vulcan No.8 4 aviationclassics.co.uk Left: Avro Vulcan B2 XH558 caught in some atmospheric lighting. Cover: XH558 banked to starboard above the clouds. Both John M Dibbs/Plane Picture Company Editor: Jarrod Cotter [email protected] Publisher: Dan Savage Contributors: Gary R Brown, Rick Coney, Luigino Caliaro, Martyn Chorlton, Juanita Franzi, Howard Heeley, Robert Owen, François Prins, JA ‘Robby’ Robinson, Clive Rowley. Designers: Charlotte Pearson, Justin Blackamore Reprographics: Michael Baumber Production manager: Craig Lamb [email protected] Divisional advertising manager: Tracey Glover-Brown [email protected] Advertising sales executive: Jamie Moulson [email protected] 01507 529465 Magazine sales manager: Paul Deacon [email protected] Brand manager: Sarah Downing [email protected] 01507 529549 Operations Director: Dan Savage Commercial Director: Nigel Hole Business Development Director: Terry Clark Managing Director: Brian Hill Editorial address: Aviation Classics Mortons Media Group Ltd PO Box 99 Horncastle Lincs LN9 6JR Website: www.aviationclassics.co.uk Customer services, back issues and subscriptions: 01507 529529 (24 hour answerphone) [email protected] Archive enquiries: Jane Skayman [email protected] 01507 529423 Distribution: COMAG Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE 01895 433800 Printed: William Gibbons and Son, Wolverhampton © 2010 Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including 99 Silver Deltas photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher. ISBN No 978-1-906167-38-7 102 Still in service 110 Virtues of the Avro Vulcan No.9 111 New memorial for the ‘Dam Busters’ Having trouble finding a copy 112 Vulcan versus Lightning of this magazine? Why not just ask your local newsagent to reserve you a copy 116 Waddington’s Warrior 122 ‘Black Buck’ Independent publisher since 1885 Member of the Periodical Publishers 129 Virtues of the Avro Vulcan No.10 Association Avro Vulcan 5 XH558 overflies RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire on 7 September 1992; later that month it was retired from its status as a military display aircraft. It was at this base that XH558 arrived on 1 July 1960 becoming the first Vulcan B2 delivered to the RAF,took off for the final RAF Vulcan sortie on 23 March 1993, and carried out its first public air show display in civilian ownership on 5 July 2008. Cliff Knox Delta delight! hen the prototype Vulcan periods in world history following the onset for several ensuing years, XH558 made its VX770 first appeared at of the Cold War. The fact that it succeeded in triumphant return to flight in civilian hands in Farnborough in 1952, it its role as a major deterrent at the sharp end, 2007 – the result of one of the most complex Wrightly stole the show! A and that the Vulcan wasn’t used for offensive and challenging returns to flight ever four-engined Delta-winged operations until 1982, is something we should undertaken in aviation preservation. jet bomber, it represented a massive leap in all be grateful for. Had it been called into This issue of Aviation Classics looks at technology over its famous Lancaster action in the 1950s or 1960s for its intended many aspects of the Vulcan story, from the predecessor which had been a war-winning operational capability of that time, the roots of Roy Chadwick’s early Avro designs, aircraft only seven years earlier – the Vulcan outcome would have been the self- through the writings of Avro personnel of could fly more than twice as fast, more than destruction of much of the human race. the early 1950s and the first flight of twice as high and more than twice as far. When it was used offensively during the prototype VX770, on to its military Considering that it soldiered on in Falklands War of 1982 it was on the verge of operations including the Falklands, and right operational service into the 1980s, the fact that being phased out. By then, as it was naturally up to XH558’s latest financial appeal which it was conceived in 1947 shows how advanced envisaged the mighty V-bomber would no went to the wire in October 2010. I hope the its design was for the time. Specification longer ever be needed for such operations, the selection of articles and photographs we B35/46 was issued in January of that year, and bomb hoists for the Vulcan’s payload of 21 have assembled for this publication prove a called for a high-performance, long-range, jet- 1000lb HE bombs had been disposed of – so fitting tribute to the Vulcan in general, and powered bomber capable of carrying and RAF ground crew were reportedly despatched in particular mark XH558’s 50th anniversary delivering a nuclear weapon. Roy Chadwick’s to scrapyards all over Lincolnshire to recover in suitable fashion. How strange things early design work was submitted just four some! Well into its twilight years, the Vulcan work out sometimes; the first B2 delivered to months later, though sadly this great British then achieved the longest bombing raid ever the RAF became the last to fly in military designer never lived to see the Vulcan fly. undertaken; a round trip totalling 7700 miles. hands, and now the Once into RAF service the type certainly At that time there was also a requirement oldest complete made its mark, with, for such a large aircraft, for the Vulcan to briefly fulfil a shortfall in the Vulcan in the world performance and manoeuvrability that can tanker fleet, before XH558 soldiered on with is the only example still take your breath away to this day. the Vulcan Display Flight until 1992 as the of its breed to Vulcans formed part of the V-Force, standing RAF’s last flying example of its type. After remain in airworthy on constant readiness as a nuclear deterrent being sold into private ownership and condition. Long may Jarrod Cotter during one of the most tense and dangerous carrying out ‘fast taxi’ runs at Bruntingthorpe it continue! Editor 6 aviationclassics.co.uk Photo © John Dibbs A True Story of British Grit There are many ways and Determination to you can be part of it... succeed against all the odds. Sign up to our free weekly newsletters Join the supporters club TODAY! The world’s only flying Vulcan is not Join our monthly prize draw, with over £1,000 to be won every month! government funded or owned by the Donate a little each month by standing order RAF,it is maintained by a registered E-donate at anytime online charity and relies on public donations. Become a Sponsor for an event Become a Vulcan Volunteer Join our Private Partnership Programme from only £250, or Commercial Partnership Programme from only £500 Set up a bequest to leave a legacy Individuals or Companies can make visit: www.vulcantothesky.org a difference by showing support. or call us on 01455 637 864 Buy XH558 Merchandise at: www.vulcantotheskystore.co.uk Vulcan To The Sky Trust (Charity No. 1101948) 1&2Venture Court, Dodwells Road, Hinckley, Leicestershire LE10 3BT UNIQUE CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES - Call: MICHAEL TROTTER on 07803 141483 Vulcan the Roman god of fire and destruction! The specification for the V-bomber which was issued in 1947 represented more than a 100% increase in speed and altitude capabilities than Avro’s final piston-engined bomber design in service with the RAF,the Lincoln. Time Line Images Delta Design Contemporary background notes on the reasoning behind the design of the Vulcan written by SD Davies of Avro during the type’s development. any people, and not only same basic type with miscellaneous detailed proposition to attempt to cruise for long those connected with the alterations and improvements as the years go distances at these speeds. However, the aircraft industry, are by. The advent of the jet engine has raised the nearest one can get to it the better, and it is speculating on the reason performance levels of all military aircraft and this consideration which starts the designer for AV Roe and Co Limited also long-range commercial aircraft, and with thinking on radical lines. designingM and building the 707 series of the radical change in power plant must come In order to fly economically the aircraft must Delta research aircraft, the first of which equally radical changes in the airframe to have the minimum possible drag and in order appeared at the 1949 SBAC [Society of match it. Considering that a military bomber to keep the drag down at speeds approaching British Aerospace Companies] show. After or commercial transport is essentially an that of the speed of sound it is necessary for all, the name of Avro is closely associated aircraft designed to carry pay loads for technical reasons to sweep the wings back at a with the very much larger aircraft, such as relatively long distances, the basic very pronounced angle to the fuselage.