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 Vulcan 62 Virtues of the 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 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- 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.

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© 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 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 ’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 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 . 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

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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 has raised the nearest one can get to it the better, and it is speculating on the reason performance levels of all 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 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 . Also it the Lancaster, Lincoln and Shackleton in the aerodynamic problems are rather similar and is necessary to keep the thickness of the wing military field and the Tudor in the civil field. just as from a military point of view the as low as possible in terms of the ; that is The little 707s seem to be a complete highest possible cruising speed is necessary, to say, whatever the wing chord is at any departure from this tradition. The reason is so in the case of a transport aircraft, it has particular point along the span, the thickness partly explained by the fact that the aircraft been proved that high cruising speed can lead should be kept down to a value of 10% of the are research aeroplanes and are intended to to overall economy and the lowest overall cost chord or even less. Furthermore, if you want find out more about the flying qualities of this per passenger/mile. From an economical to fly at a true air speed and go as far as sort of an aeroplane which is known as a point of view there is a limit to the cruising possible with an economical fuel load, it is well Delta, because of the close similarity between speed which as is well known, is set by the so known that you must go as high as possible the wing plan form and the Greek letter Delta. called ‘barrier’ of the speed of sound. Some where the air is less dense. We, like other large aircraft concerns, cannot aircraft have flown faster than the speed of Unfortunately, the speed of sound drops afford to stagnate and merely produce the sound, but it is not yet an economical with increasing altitude and, therefore, as you design to fly higher, you must not only take the steps mentioned previously but in Seen at the 1953 SBAC addition you must keep the angle between Farnborough Air Show on the wing and the flight path (known as the 3 September are Vulcan angle of incidence) low or else the drag will prototypes VX770 and rise rapidly. In order to keep the angle of VX777, joined by all four incidence low it is necessary to keep the surviving Type 707s for a wing loading low, or in other words, for a stunning Delta formation. given gross weight of aircraft the wing area Time Line Images must be larger than we have become accustomed to in the last 15 years. Another factor to be borne in mind, is that on a commercial aircraft or long-range bomber, if you want to fly long distances you utilise wings of high aspect ratio; that is the span is largely relative to the chord; the ratio varying from, say, nine up to 14. This is necessary in order to keep down that part of the drag (known as the induced drag) which is the penalty we pay for the wing lift.

10 aviationclassics.co.uk TRIANGULAR PLAN FORM Another by-product of this type of wing Now you can get a broad picture of what the with its low loading is that no special devices designer of a large load-carrying, long-range such as slots or flaps are necessary to keep aircraft is faced with, if he wants to fly at the landing speed down. The wing loading is speeds comparable with the speed of sound. sufficiently low as to enable quite normal He has at one and the same time to sweep the take-off and landings to be done on existing wings back, make them thinner, increase the aerodromes. Once we have abolished the area and keep up the span. This poses very need for landing flaps, which produce big great structural problems, and in fact to try to changes of trim that have to be balanced out keep a really high aspect ratio and do all the by the tail, the very need for the tail itself other things simultaneously is economically becomes questionable. The large wing chord impossible. One solution is to reduce the of the Delta type of wing enables us to fit aspect ratio, in order to keep the structure elevators at the of the wing and weight down, and let the induced drag rise these elevators have sufficient power to with the hope that so much saving can be enable the aircraft to be flown through all made on the rest of the drag that the total will normal manoeuvres. still not be too high. If you combine what is We thus, by a fairly logical process arrive structurally desirable with what is necessary at an aircraft capable of high cruising speeds aerodynamically you soon arrive at the for long distances with a respectable pay load solution that the best thing to do is to taper and consisting of nothing more than a A page from the original manuscript the wings very drastically so that in the limit smooth wing, streamline fuselage nose and on the background of Delta design the plan form becomes triangular in shape. vertical fin and to look after by Avro’s SD Davies. A little thought will show that with such a directional control. If we have done our wing the required sweep back is achieved calculations properly we have now reduced and a large area can be automatically the drag to the absolute minimum possible, obtained at the lowest possible structure and, therefore, have achieved, whether by weight, since the area out at the tip which military or commercial standard, the highest Below: Having been towed down the causes the big bending loads on the wing possible cruising efficiently. A15 from Avro’s facility at structure is reduced to a minimum and, Technically, therefore, the case for the Bracebridge Heath, Avro 707C WZ736 therefore, such a wing of large area can be Delta on paper is proved provided that in fact is taken onto the airfield at RAF obtained with the minimum possible it flies in a respectable manner and does not Waddington in February 1953. structural penalty. Furthermore, our aim of suffer from hidden vices which have been Via Rick Coney keeping the wing at the centre portion overlooked in thinking only of the nearest the fuselage is quite large in terms of performance. Any aircraft company feet and inches. interested in the large type of aircraft cannot We now find that as an interesting by- afford to ignore the possibilities of the Delta it is here where the designer’s art is more product of the theme we have got a relatively configuration. It is one thing, however, to important than his science, where time is large usable volume in the wing that can be prove a theoretical case on paper and it is dictated by the speed with which materials used for packing away the engines, another to sell it to the customer. What more can be obtained, fabricated and assembled undercarriage, fuel, etc, so that the obvious step, therefore, to take than to build equipment provisioned and tested, all of excrescences hitherto so evident on the wing a small one and fly it and this the Avro which adds up to a process which can run of an otherwise clean aeroplane have Company has done. into many years.  completely disappeared. Furthermore, the This, however, is only the beginning of the thickness of the wing at the centre is story; to translate this rather hopeful lesson The above is taken by kind permission from an sufficiently large as to absorb the fuselage into a large and intricate piece of hardware original typed manuscript in the collection of almost entirely so that it is reduced virtually such as a bomber or a transport aircraft Rick Coney, whose father David Coney worked to a streamlined projection ahead of the apex requires an enormous amount of for Avro during the development of the 707s of the triangle. investigation into the engineering details and and the Vulcan. Delta Aerodynamics

More contemporary notes from the time of the Vulcan’s development, this time by JR Ewans, Chief Aerodynamist at Avro, .

Rare early colour photo of Vulcan B1 XH497 as it breaks away from the camera ship.

12 aviationclassics.co.uk o far as can be ascertained, the idea of using a triangular planform for aircraft wings, now known as Sthe , was first put forward in 1943 by Professor Lippisch, who will be remembered for his association with the Messerschmitt Company. His studies had led him to think that this planform was most suited for flight at speeds in the region of the speed of sound, where conventional aircraft designs were already known to be in trouble. By the end of the war, he had a number of Delta wing projects in hand, including an unpowered wooden which was intended to explore the low-speed properties of the Delta wing. This was then partly built, and was later completed under United States orders. The idea of the Delta wing was studied by many other aeronautical experts and a strong recommendation for its use was given, for instance, by Professor Von Karman, of the USA, at the 1947 Anglo-American Aeronautical Conference in London. At the time of writing, three British Delta aircraft and two American are known to have flown, and it is pretty certain that others are on the way. In the date order of their first flight, these are:  Consolidated-Vultee XF–92  AV Roe 707  Boulton Paul P111  Douglas XF-3D  Fairey FD-1 With the exception of the last named, which is fitted with a small fixed for the first flights, all the above aircraft are tail-less. The following notes are intended to give a logical explanation of why there is this considerable interest in the Delta wing, and just what advantages it promises the aircraft designer. To do this, we must consider the type of aircraft the designer is trying to produce. THE DESIGNER’S AIM Right at the beginning, it must be said that the Delta wing is of value only for very high- speed aircraft, and at the present stage of engine development, this implies the use of jet engines. When projecting his high-speed aircraft, the designer will attempt to produce an aircraft carrying the greatest payload for the greatest distance, at the highest speed, and for the least expenditure of power (i.e. using the least amount of fuel). This applies to all types of aircraft, whether in which the payload is bombs, or civil aircraft, in which the payload is passengers or cargo, or fighters, in which the payload is guns and ammunition. PROBLEMS OF HIGH ALTITUDE AND HIGH-SPEED FLIGHT The most fundamental factor determining what is achieved is the height at which the aircraft flies. At higher altitudes, the density of the air reduces so that the aircraft drag is less and it is possible to fly at a given speed at say 40,000ft, for an expenditure of only one quarter of the power required at sea level. 

Avro Vulcan 13 Superb head-on view of prototype Vulcan VX770, showing the sleek aerodynamic design of the type off to good effect. All Time Line Images unless noted

The advent of the jet engine has enabled 70% of the speed of sound (i.e. a Mach control – leading possibly even to complete the aircraft designer to get his aircraft up to Number of 0.7) is reached – the effects loss of control. considerable altitudes and takes advantage of of compressibility become important and In order to progress along the speed the reduced drag; but a new factor is coming the characteristics of the airflow round the range to higher speeds it is therefore in to limit the speed of the aircraft. This is the aircraft change fundamentally. There is a necessary to design aircraft so as to postpone speed of sound. very large increase in the air resistance and/or overcome these effects. It has been shown in theory, and found in or drag, and an excessive expenditure of We have noted that with an ‘old-fashioned’ practice, that the speed of sound occupies a power becomes necessary to increase the type of aircraft design, i.e. that of jet- fundamental position in the speed range of speed any further. propelled aircraft current in 1945, the limiting aircraft. The speed of sound is actually 760 For transport and bomber aircraft speed in steady cruising flight is likely to be a miles per hour at sea level, and falls off to a the speed at which the drag starts to of 0.7 (higher speeds have, of value of 660 miles per hour at heights above increase (known as the ‘drag rise’ Mach course, already been achieved and a number 30,000ft. Because the speed of sound is of Number) becomes the maximum cruising of aircraft have exceeded the speed of sound, such importance, aeronautical engineers speed since if the aircraft is flown at but only for short periods, either by diving or relate aircraft speeds to the speed of sound, higher speeds, the disproportionally higher by use of rocket power). using the term ‘Mach Number’ defined as the thrust required from the engine means From the knowledge available, however, it ratio of the speed of an aircraft to the speed excessive fuel consumption and loss of appears possible by careful aerodynamic of sound at the same height. As an aircraft range. At a rather higher Mach Number design of an aircraft, to postpone the rise in approaches the speed of sound – in fact for there will be changes in the stability of the drag until a Mach Number in the region of conventional aircraft when a speed of about aircraft and in its response to the pilot’s 0.9 is reached and this figure is likely to be the practical limit of cruising speed for transport aircraft of all types for many years Topside view of a Vulcan to come. The designer of a civil aircraft, a showing the cranked bomber, or a long-range fighter, will, wing design nicely. therefore, bend all his energies to achieving a Mach Number of this order without any drag rise. In addition he must pay attention to the changes of stability or lack of control which might occur in this region, and this will occupy his attention to the same extent as the purely performance aspect of the drag rise. DESIGN FOR HIGH MACH NUMBER It is quite easy to design a fuselage shape which is relatively immune from Mach Number effects. It is the design of wings which is difficult, particularly since a wing that is suitable for high speed must also give satisfactory flying properties at low speeds, e.g. for take-off and landing. Original aerodynamic graphs as referred to in the text. Avro via Rick Coney

As the air flows past a wing its speed is increased over the upper surface to a considerable extent and over the lower surface to a lesser extent, so that there is greater suction on the upper surface than on the lower surface. This difference gives rise to the lift which enables the wing to sustain the weight of the aircraft. Thus, whatever speed an aircraft is flying, the speed of the air around the wing will, in fact, be higher. In the case of an aircraft flying at a Mach Number of 0.8 the speed around its upper surface will be equal to, or may easily exceed the speed of sound. At this stage, the air- flow pattern around the wing will be constantly changed, and it is, in fact, this change which gives rise to the drag and stability effects mentioned above. It is essential, therefore, to keep the velocity above the wing as little in excess of the speed of the aircraft as possible. There are four ways of improving the high Mach Number behaviour of the wings. They are different methods, all of which can be applied simultaneously, of keeping down the air The first prototype Vulcan VX770 seen from an impressive angle. velocities round the wing. They are: Sweepback; Thinness; Low wing loading; Low aspect ratio. We will consider each of these effects in turn. SWEEPBACK The amount of sweepback is measured by the angle by which the tip of the wing lies behind the centre line. The extent of the gains possible from sweepback is very considerable, and sweeping a wing back may easily lead to a postponement of the compressibility effects by a Mach Number of 0.1. This is illustrated in Fig.1 which compares the drag rises of an unswept wing with that of a wing swept back 45º. The drag rise of the former occurs at 0.7 and the latter is 0.83. Fig. 2 shows the way in which the drag rise Mach Number is increased by the sweepback.  A Vulcan B2 fitted with a nuclear stand-off weapon.

Avro Vulcan 15 THINNESS Keeping a wing thin leads to the reduction in the amount of air that must be pushed out of the way by the wing. This helps the passage of the wing through the air. The thickness of a wing is measured by the thickness/chord ratio, which is the maximum depth of the wing divided by its length in the line of flight. In the past, the thickness/chord ratios of an aircraft wing have ranged from 21% down to perhaps 12%. Now values of 10% down to 7% are becoming common. An indication of the result gained is given by Fig. 3.

Rear view clearly showing the layout of the four jet exhausts. LOW WING LOADING The wing loading is the weight of aircraft carried by a unit area of wing, measured in pounds per square foot. Mach Number effects are postponed by keeping the wing loading as low as possible, i.e. by supporting the weight of the aircraft with a large wing area. This is particularly important for flight at high altitudes where the low air density puts a premium on keeping the wing loading low. In fact, flight at high altitudes becomes virtually impossible unless this is done. Fig. 4 illustrates this. LOW ASPECT RATIO Aspect ratio is the ratio of the span of a wing to the average chord. For moderate speeds, a high aspect ratio, i.e. a large span relative to the chord, gives greater efficiency. At high Mach Numbers this consideration is no longer important, in fact, some alleviation of compressibility effects is given by reducing aspect ratio. This is shown in Fig. 5. There is another reason for choosing a low aspect ratio. One of the disadvantages of sweeping a wing back is that the flying characteristics at low speed become worse. A typical symptom is that the wing tip of a swept back wing stalls, giving violent behaviour if the speed is allowed to fall too low. Research has, however, shown that this bad characteristic of highly swept back wings The three types which made up the RAF’s V-Force: a Victor at top, then may be overcome relatively easily. Fig. 6 is a an Avro Vulcan, with a nearest the camera. graph of sweepback versus aspect ratio,

Vulcan B2 XM603 served with 44 and 101 Squadrons and after being struck off charge was purchased from the MoD by BAE Systems and kept at Woodford painted in anti-flash white. Via François Prins

16 aviationclassics.co.uk EARLY DELTA DEVELOPMENT TIME LINE

January 1947 Design study began December 1947 Prototype ordered January 1948 707 series proposed September 1949 first flight September 1950 Avro 707B first flight June 1951 Avro 707A first flight August 1952 Vulcan first flight February 1953 Second Avro 707A first flight July 1953 Avro 707C first flight September 1953 Second Vulcan Avro Vulcan B2A XM575 of 44 Squadron. This aircraft is now preserved at the East first flight Midlands Airport Aeropark. Via François Prins compiled from a very large number of tests the consumption of fuel. REDUCTION OF of wings of various plan forms. Each of these Investigation shows that a control surface MECHANICAL COMPLEXITY plan forms has been classified as giving good at the trailing edge of the wing, provided Compared with a conventional aircraft, or bad characteristics. It will be noted that that the latter has a large root chord (as the Delta wing aircraft will therefore be although almost any aspect ratio can be has the Delta), can cater for all but the simpler by the omission of the following accepted with an unswept wing, for wings of extreme cg movements. items: the tailplane, the rear fuselage 45º sweepback an aspect ratio of little over 3 b) To deal with trim changes due to landing necessary to carry the tailplane, wing flaps is the most satisfactory. flaps etc. and other high-lift devices such as the There is yet a third reason for choosing a With the low wing loading associated with drooped wing leading edge. There is a low aspect ratio – the behaviour (as regards the Delta wing, take-off and landing considerable saving of weight, of design stability etc) in the high Mach Number speeds are moderate without the use of and manufacturing effort, and of region. For reasons which it is not possible to flaps, and this question does not, maintenance when the aircraft is in service. go into here, compressibility effects are therefore, arise. These economies will have considerable minimised and a transition from speeds c) To provide damping of pitching oscillations. bearing on the initial cost and the manpower below that of sound to the speed of sound The reduction of damping of the pitching necessary to produce and maintain a number and above is much more readily oscillation has led to difficulty on some of aircraft. accomplished if the aspect ratio is low, say in tail-less aircraft, but it does not arise on the order of 2 to 4. the Delta since the large chord near the VALUE OF THE root gives adequate damping. LARGE INTERNAL VOLUME THE DELTA PLAN FORM d) To deal with loss of stability or control Because of its shape and the large root Put the above requirements together and the power consequent on distortion of chord, the Delta wing provides a large result is an aircraft with a highly swept back, the wing structure at high speed internal volume in relation to its surface thin wing, moderately large wing area and a (Aerolastic Distortion). area, even when using the thin wing low aspect ratio. A little consideration of At very high speeds, all aircraft structures sections which, as we have seen above, geometrical properties and possible plan distort to a greater or lesser extent under are essential for high-speed aircraft. form of wings leads to the conclusion that the the high loads imposed, and this Simple calculations show that for the Delta wing is the only form which satisfied distortion alters the aerodynamic form. In same wing area, the Delta wing has 33% these requirements. It possesses high extreme cases this leads to a loss of more internal volume than an untapered sweepback and low aspect ratio. The wing stability or control power, making the wing, while if the inboard half of the wing area will, of necessity, be generous for the aircraft dangerous or impossible to fly at only is considered, as this represents a size of the aircraft and for reasons which will high speeds. An aircraft with a high aspect more practical case from the point of be detailed later, it is easy to build it with a ratio sweptback wing would need a view of the aircraft designer, the low thickness/chord ratio. tailplane to deal with this, but the shape of internal volume of the Delta wing, is We must see how the Delta plan form, the Delta wing makes it extremely stiff, more than twice that of the corresponding indicated from considerations of aerodynamic both in bending and in torsion, and a untapered wing. performance, lines up with practical design tailplane does not appear necessary. It is found that without exceeding a requirements, and in particular the over- e) To provide for spin recovery. wing thickness of as little as 8% to 10% it is riding necessity for keeping weight and drag Although this point has not been proved, possible on a moderate-sized Delta wing low in order to obtain a maximum it is expected that the controls on a tail- aircraft to bury completely the engines, performance. A preliminary question is less Delta wing would not be powerful undercarriage and sufficient fuel tanks whether a tailplane is necessary. enough to ensure recovery from a fully for a very considerable range. The fuselage developed spin. A tailplane appears to be also has the tendency to disappear into TO FIT OR NOT TO the only way of dealing with this. This the wing at the root. The result is the FIT A TAILPLANE? restriction is of no significance for attainment of an aircraft consisting only of a From the earliest days of flying, the question transport or bomber-type aircraft for wing, a fin and a rudimentary fuselage, has been raised as to whether aircraft can be which spinning does not arise, but on representing a degree of aerodynamic flown satisfactorily without a tailplane. fighter or , a tailplane would cleanliness which has never before been Confining our attention only to the case of appear to be a necessity. reached. In fairness, it must be pointed out high-speed , we will examine each It is, therefore, concluded that for a that this is achieved at the expense of a of the functions of a tailplane in turn, in Delta wing aircraft of the transport type, rather larger area than usual, but relation to the Delta wing aircraft. A tailplane a tailplane is unnecessary. Its deletion investigation shows that the drag of this is performs the following functions: leads immediately to a considerable considerably less than that due to a a) To trim out changes of centre of gravity saving of weight and drag, and to a major conglomeration of items such as engine position according to the load carried and gain in performance. nacelles, tailplane, etc. 

Avro Vulcan 17 THE STRUCTURAL 2) Extensive wing tunnel and flight tests Above: Amazing photo of XH558 before DESIGN OF THE DELTA WING have shown that the low aspect ratio Delta retirement from the RAF. François Prins From the design point of view, the shape of the wing gives minimum change in stability Delta wing leads to an extremely stiff and control characteristics at speeds near structure without the use of thick wing skins, the speed of sound. and strength becomes the determining feature 3) In spite of being thin, the internal volume rather than structural stiffness. This avoids is large, so that the engines, the inefficiency of conventional sweptback undercarriage, fuel and all the necessary wings where the wing has to be made equipment can be contained within the stronger than necessary in order that it shall wing and a rudimentary fuselage. be stiff enough. It is found that the Delta wing 4) Adequate control can be obtained by control lends itself to conventional design techniques, surfaces on the wing, thus eliminating the and to conventional methods of construction. need for a conventional tailplane. Together with item 3, this leads to considerable SUMMARY reduction in the drag of the aircraft, and, Summarising the above, we have seen that in therefore, to high performance. order to meet the requirements of large loads 5) Auxiliary devices such as flaps, nose flaps, for long range, at high speeds, the high slots and the all-moving tailplane are performance transport or military aircraft of unnecessary, thereby saving weight and the future will cruise at a considerable design effort, and simplifying manufacture altitude, at a speed not much below that of and maintenance. sound. The Delta wing provides the only 6) The Delta wing is very stiff and free from satisfactory solution to these requirements, distortion troubles.  for the following reasons: 1) It meets the four features necessary for The above is taken with kind permission from avoiding the drag rise near the speed of an original typed manuscript in the collection sound, i.e. it is highly swept back, it can of Rick Coney, whose father David Coney First page of the original be made very thin, the wing loading is worked for Avro during the development of the manuscript by Avro’s Chief low, and the aspect ratio is low. 707s and the Vulcan. Aerodynamist JR Ewans.

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Avro Vulcan 19 Throughout this issue we present a series of 10 original AV Roe & Co Ltd advertisements from the early 1950s highlighting the ‘Virtues of the Avro Vulcan’. These were compiled into a company booklet and showed in graphic form the many advantages of the Delta planform. All Avro via Rick Coney

Avro 707C XZ744 displays its ‘Baby Vulcan’ looks to great effect. All Time Line Images unless noted

The ‘Baby Vulcans’ Martyn Chorlton presents a brief look at the Avro 707.

t was not unusual for a pre-prototype or two to be built when a revolutionary design which stretched aerodynamic Iknowledge of the day was on the table. However, when Avro presented its ground-breaking design for a Delta-winged bomber of never before seen proportions, further research would definitely be needed. This research could only be carried out by a special test aircraft which would eventually lead to five different airframes spread over three different marks. This aircraft was the Avro 707, the first British-built Delta. While the Avro Type 698 was developing rapidly on the drawing board, the ABPG (Advanced Bomber Project Group) recommended that further research was needed into the characteristics of the Delta wing. While a great deal of theory was already understood, very little was known about how the Delta wing would behave at very high and very low speeds as well as altitudes up to 60,000ft. To find this out, a one-third scale flying model designated Avro Type 707 was ordered, followed by a pair of half-scale machines, designated Avro 710. The latter was dropped in September 1948 in favour of increasing the amount of 707s that were needed. Work began on the first 707 in mid-1948 under the specification E.15/48. A simple design, the aircraft made use of a large number of components from other aircraft. These included the canopy and nose wheel arrangement from a Meteor and the main undercarriage from an , all of which saved a large amount of construction time. The 707 was powered by a Rolls-Royce Derwent 5 which was unusually fed by air via a bifurcated dorsal air intake set behind the Two fascinating photos of Avro 707B cockpit, which upset the lines of an otherwise VX790 under construction at Woodford. attractive little aircraft.

22 aviationclassics.co.uk By August 1949, the 707 was finished at Woodford and, by this time displaying the serial VX784, was dismantled and sent by road for flight testing at Boscombe Down. Following reassembly, the aircraft was thoroughly ground tested before the maiden flight date was set for 3 September. A high cross component postponed the first flight, but by the early evening of the following day the conditions were good for flight. In the hands of A&AEE’s Deputy Chief Test Pilot, Squadron Leader Eric Elser DFC, VX784 took to the air on a flight which the pilot would later report as ‘handling like an ordinary aeroplane’. Over the following days, further test flights of up to two First of the Avro 707s was VX784 powered by a Derwent 5 and seen here in August 1949. and a half hours were flown before the aircraft was presented at Farnborough that year, for static display, on 11 September. ‘NOT TO BE STALLED’ On return to Boscombe, VX784 was fitted with data-measuring and recording equipment and exploration in the low speed handling of the Delta wing continued. Flight testing then switched to the RAE at Farnborough and a steady catalogue of criticisms began to emerge as the test programme advanced. These included and elevators which were far too heavy at higher speeds and a rudder that was too light. Adjustments were made, but the aircraft’s Form F1090 also bore Seen powering down the runway at speed,VX784 first took flight on 4 September 1949. the warning: ‘Anti-spin parachute not fitted, aircraft not to be stalled’. Elser would have been well aware of this improvements over the first example. 707B TAKES FLIGHT warning when he took VX784 out again on 30 The airbrake control system and elevators By August 1950, the 707B was ready and after September 1949. Not long after, the 707 were upgraded and the addition of an ground testing was completed at Woodford, stalled and spun into the ground half a mile in August 1951, gave assurance the aircraft, now serialled as VX790, was south of , killing Elser to future test pilots. A longer nose, originally dismantled and transported to Boscombe instantly and destroying VX784. The intended for the 707A, was fitted to the Down. Following reassembly, Avro’s Chief resulting enquiry revealed an electrical fault new airframe making the 707B 12ft longer Test Pilot, RJ ‘Roly’ Falk, which had deployed the aircraft’s airbrakes to than the original. This additional fuselage carried out a high-speed taxi run which the fully extended position, while Elser was would prove very useful for housing the included a pre-flight hop. On 6 September investigating a low-speed at low level. increasing amount of data-gathering 1950, VX790, in its bright blue colour scheme, The design of the Delta wing was not equipment. To decrease construction time took to the air with Falk at the controls for an brought into question from the enquiry, and lower costs, other aircraft components initial 15-minute flight. He was so impressed although the construction of the second 707 were incorporated but, on the 707B, a with the aircraft that he immediately was delayed during the investigation. lengthened nose leg of a Hawker P.1052 contacted his Avro superiors who gave Work began again in haste on the second was also used as well as the Meteor and permission for the 707B to appear at the aircraft, the 707B, which incorporated several Athena parts. SBAC at Farnborough just a few days later. Flight testing of the 707B was initially carried out from Dunsfold with the main emphasis of the trials being within the 80 to 350-knot speed range. It was not long before the 707B ran into problems, the most alarming being when the engine would be starved of air during the higher- speed runs. This was attributed to canopy turbulence which disrupted the air flow into the air intake not far behind it. Both the canopy and air intake were modified in January 1951 which solved the problem and all future 707s would dispense with this unconventional design. After displaying at the SBAC again in 1951, VX790 suffered a crash landing on 21 September which required repairs at Woodford. These were not completed until 16 May 1952, by which time the aircraft had been transferred to Boscombe Down for further trials. By Wearing a bright blue colour scheme,VX790 carried out its maiden flight on 6 September of that year, the 707B was on September 1950 and handled so well it appeared at the SBAC at Farnborough just a loan to RAE, where it remained until few days later. This view clearly shows the positioning of its air intake. transferring to the ETPS in January 1956. 

Avro Vulcan 23 While the 707B continued its testing, Avro ‘MINI VULCAN’ ARRIVES time having its own problems rectified, rather seemed to spend more time modifying the The third aircraft to be built was 707A WD280 than contributing to the Type 698 programme. aircraft for its own benefit rather than the which first took to the air from Boscombe By March 1954, after spending more time with Type 698 it was meant to be breaking ground Down on 14 June 1951, following the same the A&AEE and RAE, WD280 was fitted with for. Despite this, of all the 707s produced, it process as its predecessors. Fitted with the powered flying controls and wing fences. A was the 707B that contributed the most and more powerful Derwent 8, WD280 really was year later, a modified wing with a kinked influenced the new bomber’s design more a ‘mini Vulcan’, having been fitted with a leading edge was also fitted which, after than any other test aircraft. These included a scaled-down Type 698 wing complete with successful testing, became a model for the reduction in the Type 698’s fin and rudder wing root intakes, cropped wing tips and ‘Phase Two’ Vulcan wing. By 1956, WD280 and an adjustment, slightly downwards, of hydraulically powered control surfaces. The was off to having been assigned to the bomber’s tail pipes which would cope unflattering dorsal intake now gave way to the Australian Aeronautical Research Council better with variations in longitudinal stability pleasant lines which allowed for the fitment of for low-speed flight trials. and trim settings throughout the entire an elegant dorsal fin. WD280 was destined for Further aircraft were ordered under a power range. VX790 went on to complete the high-speed and high-altitude work, the new specification, E.10/49, on 13 November over 100 hours flying time in support of the latter resulting in the aircraft having a partially 1951 comprising of another 707A and two Type 698 programme before it was handed pressurised cockpit. Once again, though, like 707C side-by-side conversion trainers. The over, permanently, to the A&AEE. VX790, the aircraft seemed to spend more latter order was actually for four aircraft but, as the Type 698 progressed and was later found easy to fly, only one training aircraft was ever built. These final two 707s were both assembled at Bracebridge Heath with components manufactured at . 707A WZ736 was the first to be completed and, after being carefully towed down the A15 to Waddington, first took to the air on 20 February 1953. WZ736 was specifically built for the use of the RAE and, by June 1953, was ready for use at Farnborough. Its remit was to investigate any possible aerodynamic problems that could be encountered with the Delta wing. After fitment of powered flying controls at Woodford in April 1954, the aircraft continued its research with the A&AEE at Martlesham Heath by which time it had also been fitted with an auto-throttle system. More automatic systems were trialled at Bedford where it continued to operate from until April 1962. TYPE 698 FLIES The one and only 707C WZ744 followed the same route down the A15 and first flew from Waddington on 1 July 1953. After initial flight tests, WZ744 was delivered to the A&AEE for pilot familiarisation in the flying of a Delta- Avro 707A WD280 was constructed with a scaled-down Type 698 wing plan winged jet. By 1956, the 707C had been complete with air intakes at its wing roots, and was in effect a ‘mini Vulcan’. delivered to the RAE at Farnborough to trial

WD280 flying over the English countryside before it was sent to Australia for low speed flight trials.

24 aviationclassics.co.uk Two views of WZ736 undergoing construction at Bracebridge Heath.

its electrical signalling system which was later backed up by further instrumentation to monitor this. This system was basically the forerunner to fly by wire. The aircraft ended its days at Farnborough by mid-1966 and, like WZ736, did not contribute to the Type 698 programme in any shape or form simply because the new Type 698 itself had already taken to the air on 30 August 1952. VX790, while serving with the A&AEE, was wrecked on 25 September 1956 by an ETPS student after a heavy landing at Farnborough. The airframe was assessed for repair by Avro, By June 1953 WZ736 was ready used by the RAE at Farnborough to investigate any but the work was never carried out and the possible aerodynamic problems that could be encountered with the Delta wing. It aircraft was placed in storage at 71 MU, continued to operate until April 1962. Bicester, for several years. Struck off charge in November 1957, the aircraft was later moved to after. The aircraft provided a few spares for technological achievement in their own right Thurleigh, where it was slowly stripped for WZ744, but not enough for it to be scrapped, and because of this they created their own spares before finally being scrapped. WD280 as it survives today in the Manchester development problems. The loss of VX784 so had a long and productive career in Australia Museum of Science and Technology. Finally, early on in the development programme and until 12 November 1964 when flight testing the 707C WZ744 was retired from service on VX790’s crash landing obviously did not help, came to an end. Struck off charge on 10 1 February 1967 and transferred to having the knock-on effect of delaying February 1967 and sold to a private owner, the MoD(Air) as a museum exhibit. After production of the following aircraft. aircraft has been in the RAAF Museum, Point spending many years at Colerne, WZ744 can Regardless though, the development of the Cook, Victoria, since April 1999. now be seen at the RAF Museum Cosford. Type 698 progressed so well, and ultimately After WZ736 had completed its trials, it Overall none of the 707s contributed a with successful prototypes of its own, it was struck off charge at Farnborough on 19 great deal to the development of the Type rendered the 707 almost obsolete before it May 1962, moving to Thurleigh not long 698, mainly because they were a had a chance of fully proving itself. 

WZ736 being carefully towed down the A15 from Bracebridge Heath to Waddington in February 1953. via Rick Coney The True Delta Ladies

Martyn Chorlton profiles the life and times of the Type 698 prototypes, VX770 and VX777.

t took Avro just 28 months to were moved on. Once clear, Falk opened the had to fly VX770 from Boscombe Down as it construct one of the country’s most throttles of the four Rolls-Royce RA.3 Avon was not cleared to land at Farnborough. Several advanced bomber designs. The first of of just 6500lb each and VX770 made flypasts were made during the show including Itwo prototype 698s, VX770, was rolled a short roll down the runway before taking to one where the 707A WD280 and 707B VX790 out at Woodford on 30 August 1952. In the air. The gear was retracted after a short provided a very impressive escort. a brilliant all-gloss white paint scheme, only climb and Falk continued upwards to It was now time to officially name the beast, broken up by its large RAF roundels and fin 10,000ft; the limit of the aircraft’s operational Avro having already suggested the name flashes, the big Delta would have made a ceiling owing to a lack of cockpit ‘Ottawa’ in keeping with the bomber tradition very impressive sight. In the capable hands pressurization. A series of gentle manoeuvres of naming them after towns and cities within of Avro’s Chief Test Pilot, Wing Commander were carried out before Falk began a steady the . However, Vickers had RJ ‘Roly’ Falk, VX770 was taxied out onto descent back down to Woodford. Once over already named their Type 660 the Valiant and Woodford’s main runway and carried out the airfield, Falk lowered the undercarriage the Chief of Air Staff, Sir , stated several high-speed taxi runs to get a feel for at which point Air Traffic Control reported that he wanted the remaining two aircraft to the controls and check all the systems were that they had seen something fall from the have names beginning with the same initial. So working as they should. VX770 was fitted aircraft. Nothing untoward was being in late September 1952, the Type 698 was with the very minimum of systems required indicated to Falk, but as a precaution he christened as the Vulcan and, by the end of the for flight and this meant that there was no remained in the circuit while a Vampire and a year, the HP.80 was named the Victor. requirement for a co-pilot or supporting crew. Type 707 joined him to make a visual check After its brief public outing, VX770 spent Falk was on his own, and before he of the aircraft. Both pilots spotted that each of several weeks in a hangar at Woodford being committed to the aircraft’s historic first flight, the main undercarriage leg fairings were brought up to a more purposeful specification. he made a final high-speed run to test the all missing. The problem was a relatively minor Modifications included the fitment of an important brakes and make sure the nose- one and with the mystery solved, Falk lined ejection seat for the co-pilot, revised pilots’ wheel steering was not shimmying. VX770 up for landing which he carried out instrument panels, plus air-conditioning and Now convinced that the Type 698 was safely, deploying the aircraft’s giant brake pressurization systems. Up until now the ready to fly, Falk had to wait patiently at the parachute to reduce the wear on the brakes. aircraft had been flown with its fuel tanks end of the runway while some reluctant birds temporally fitted in the . Now the CHRISTENED THE VULCAN tanks were fitted in their appropriate positions There was now a race for VX770 to complete in the wings along with the maze of plumbing the required amount of flying hours for it to required. By the end of October 1952, the work perform at that year’s SBAC show at was completed and VX770 was back in the air. Farnborough. This was achieved, although the By January 1953 and with 32 flying hours classified nature of the aircraft meant that Falk under her belt, it was apparent that the RA.3

The second example of the mighty Delta bomber,VX777, powers off of the ground in a characteristically impressive Vulcan take-off. Superb photo of the first Vulcan prototype VX770. All Time Line Images

Avon engines were not pushing the aircraft anywhere near its full potential. The jet had always been designed with the more powerful Bristol Olympus in mind, but these were still not available. As a stop gap, VX770 was resigned to the hangar floor again, this time to be fitted with four Sapphire SA.6 turbojets, each developing a more respectable 7500lb of thrust. This was still well short of the planned 10,000lb of thrust that the Olympus engines were still promising. Several other systems were revised before flight testing began again in July. While VX770 continued its trials, the second prototype, VX777, was taking shape at Woodford. Several subtle, but important changes were incorporated into this second example, all of which brought it closer to the final production variant. These included a longer nose leg and in turn a longer undercarriage bay to accommodate it. It was discovered during the Type 707 trials that by raising the angle of attack of the wing up by 3.5 degrees, the length of the take-off run was VX770 attracts much interest on the ground. significantly reduced. Many other systems were changed and improved upon and the Air Show, VX777 was also joined by VX770 This problem was partially attributed to the bomb aimer’s blister was also fitted under the and, during one particularly memorable flexing of the airframe which upset the long nose. However, the most significant change of flypast, was also accompanied by all four throttle control runs. This problem was all was the engines, which initially were four surviving Type 707s. solved by fitting a cruise governor which Bristol Olympus Mk.99s that had been fitted allowed full power on take-off, but once to carry out engine ground runs and the TEETHING TROUBLES airborne the throttle was restricted below the myriad of electrical system checks. These Back to work, VX777 continued its own test maximum. Tests at the A&AEE revealed a were replaced by four Olympus Mk.100 flying programme with Avro and later the tendency for the port inner engine to surge engines, each developing 9750lb of thrust as Aeroplane and Armament Experimental which, after a lot of investigation work, was the aircraft was prepared for its first flight. Establishment (A&AEE) at Boscombe Down. found to be caused by how the air was This came on 3 September 1953, and the now Further testing began to reveal several entering the intake. After several methods traditional rush to make that year’s SBAC was engine problems, one of which was rpm creep were tried, a detent system was applied to once again achieved. As well as performing at altitude which could lead to an alarming both inboard engines which improved the flypasts of its own during the Farnborough increase in the jet pipe temperatures (JPT). handling of the aircraft ten fold. 

Avro Vulcan 27 The A&AEE also had at its disposal a ground rig, supplied by Avro, which consisted of a port intake, a section of the wing and a 10ft piece of the forward fuselage. Continuous ground runs could now be made at leisure, initially concentrating on the way the intake behaved in conjunction with the fuel system. After reaching a successful conclusion, the test rig was then used for trials on the siting of the various engine accessories and their cooling. One problem that was encountered in the air, but not the test rig, was when the engine intake’s anti- icing system would overheat the oil tank housed in the intake’s main partition, or bullet. A redesign of the oil cooling system soon rectified this. The test rig did reveal that the pitot head, in contrast, had a tendency to ice up and this was also moved into the bullet and another problem was logically solved. On 14 July 1954, VX777 was transferred to the RAE to be prepared for the Vulcan’s main role of dropping bombs. Unfortunately, this latest trial would have to be postponed because, on 27 July, VX777 was Cat 3 damaged following the loss of rudder control. With Falk at the controls, a very hard rudder manoeuvre was carried out which caused the control surface to stay locked in that position. VX777 banks away and displays the later cranked wing. Unable to see what was going on, the crew presumed that, at best, it and a section of the fin had been torn off but a low pass of the Farnborough control tower confirmed that all was still intact. A very delicate landing followed, using asymmetric power to counter the effect of the jammed rudder. Once on the ground, there was little chance of stopping the bomber from overshooting the end of the runway and

VX770’s all-white paintwork stands it out in the sky above the clouds during an early trials flight.

The Vulcan’s earlier wing plan form with a straight leading edge is clearly shown in this view.

VX777 slows down with the aid of its brake’ chute.

28 aviationclassics.co.uk sinking into the soft ground causing a partial undercarriage collapse. Unable to exit via the crew door, Falk had to release the canopy manually as it had not yet been fitted with the standard explosive bolts. While holding the canopy up the crew evacuated the aircraft before Falk left the stricken bomber. To recover the Vulcan, deep trenches had to be dug to help the lifting equipment get underneath. Once free, the undercarriage was locked down and fixed so that the aircraft could be flown back to Woodford for repairs. The engineers quickly found the problem with the rudder was a failed Powered Flying Control Unit (PFCU). Even though this was backed up by a secondary PFCU, the rudder had jammed so far it had gone beyond the operating limit of both units. This system was modified so it would not Photographers gathered on the edge of the runway to capture Avro’s new jet bomber. occur again. While at Woodford, Avro took the opportunity to fit another set of engines, between 119,000lb and 130,000lb, although significantly, a completely new wing was being this time it was the Olympus 101 producing the actual operational weight of the Vulcan designed which would solve all of the early 11,000lbs of thrust which would become the was going to be in the region of 165,000lb. Vulcan’s problems in virtually one go. standard engine for the future Vulcan B1, the The trials were also flown at just Mach 0.87 first of which, XA899, had already made its while the production B1s were planned to fly at MORE POWER AND THE MK.2 WING maiden flight on 4 February 1955. Mach 0.95. Alarmingly, test pilots discovered Following this latest trial by the A&AEE, the Avro’s own flight development trials were that when the aircraft reached Mach 0.86 the conclusion was reached that VX777, in its resumed on 23 March 1955, although this Vulcan had a tendency to pitch down and this current form, was not acceptable as a high was destined to be a brief exercise. VX777 increased as speed was gained. This obviously altitude bomber. Not including all of the speed was transferred to the A&AEE for preview made the aircraft very difficult to fly accurately and flight problems encountered, the aircraft trials on 30 March, although all maintenance and keep within the speed limitations set by could only carry a 10,000lb bomb load up to for the aircraft was still the responsibility of Avro. Additionally, the ailerons caused 43,000ft. This was far too low for a modern Avro back at Woodford. This was a busy problems of their own because of a looseness bomber, even at night. The aircraft was praised period for the second prototype which was in the hinges, which caused an oscillation by the A&AEE for having many outstanding certainly put through its paces at Boscombe effect at higher speeds which in turn restricted features but they had to conclude that the Down. In all 17 flights, totalling 72 flying manoeuvrability. Avro was well aware of all of Vulcan, in this form, would not be considered hours, were achieved before the aircraft was these problems and was already developing an for RAF service. Thankfully the prototypes, returned to Avro in late May 1955. The auto Mach trimmer and pitch dampener to like the Avro 707s before them, were being A&AEE flights had been flown at weights rectify the higher speed effects. More overtaken by more advanced versions.  Meanwhile, VX770 had continued to carry surfaces, which split, causing a compressibility trials were successful and the new shape of out valuable trials throughout 1955 working stall. The Type 707 was brought in to help the Vulcan was first seen by the public at with both Avro and the A&AEE. On 8 June resolve the problem with wing fences and Farnborough in 1957. VX770 was also in the 1956, the aircraft was back at Woodford to vortex generators being fitted. While this did planning for the Phase Two wing, but a tragic begin a special trial to fly with a set of Rolls- not solve the problem it did highlight how to accident would occur before the work could Royce Conways. VX770 was fitted with four resolve it which could only be achieved by be carried out. RCO.7 engines of which a later version was redesigning the entire leading edge of the destined to power the . wing. The original straight-edged Delta had a TRAGEDY STRIKES By 9 August 1957, VX770 was transferred to sweep of 52 degrees, but after extensive wind During the morning of 20 September 1958, Rolls-Royce so it could carry out its own trials tunnel testing at Farnborough it was VX770 was being prepared at for on the new powerful engine installation. With discovered that the solution was to be found by another test flight relating to its Conway all this surplus power compared to the earlier introducing a cranked inner section. This inner engines. If all of the trials set for the sortie Avons, new flight envelopes could be section was angled at 42 degrees while the that day were carried out with time to spare, pursued allowing the Vulcan to fly higher and outer section retained the 52 degree sweep. A the plan was to make a low flypast at the faster than before. Like the A&AEE test slight droop was also introduced to the outer nearby RAF Syerston Air pilots, the Avro crews experienced the same section which in turn increased the chord of Display. The crew on this flight were all Rolls- problems with buffet and pitching between the wing, raised the lift coefficient and Royce employees, with the exception of the Mach 0.80 and 0.85 which could only be therefore lifted the compressibility buffet way navigator, Flight Lieutenant RM Parrot. The solved in the short term by flying lower and beyond the speed of the aircraft. remainder of the crew consisted of the pilot, slower than the aircraft was designed for. This new Phase Two C or Mk.2 wing was KR Sturt, co-pilot RW Ford and Flight The aerodynamicists discovered that the first fitted to VX777 which took to the air in Engineer WE Howkins. With their tasking problem lay with the airflow across the upper this new form on 5 October 1955. Initial flight completed, Sturt approached Syerston for a brief display at approximately 13:00 GMT. It is known that Sturt intended on flying at 250ft Topside view clearly at a speed between 200 and 300 knots down showing the cranked runway 07 before completing his display and wing plan form. making a safe return to Hucknall. Witnesses claim the aircraft was flying nearer to 350 knots or Mach 0.61 when it approached the airfield from the west, which would be still well within the aircraft’s safe operating speed. During the pass, Sturt made a rate one turn to starboard, at which point the starboard wing’s leading edge began to fail at the point where it joins the centre section. It rapidly peeled back, destroying the entire wing within seconds. As the bomber continued onwards, it pitched towards the ground, before rising to an almost vertical attitude. At this point the bomber slipped earthwards, engulfed in flames, before scattering itself along the end of runway 07 in a trail of The once high profile VX777 stands derelict at Farnborough, stripped of useful components including most noticeably its rudder.

destruction measuring over 1400 yards. The four crew sadly perished along with three other RAF servicemen, Sgt C Hanson, Sgt ED Simpson and SAC JJ Tonks, who were on the ground manning the airfield controller’s caravan. There is much conjecture that continues today about the exact cause of this accident, although the popular and official viewpoint is that the aircraft exceeded the limits imposed on it. This may have been the case, but the amount of punishing trials work that VX770 had been put through since its first flight must have taken its toll on the airframe and could possibly have contributed to Disaster strikes as VX770 breaks up at Syerston on 20 September 1958. such a catastrophic failure of the airframe. VX777 was allocated to the RAE again on this was destined to be the last act for VX777. 17 April 1960, this time to carry out ground It was withdrawn from use on 7 February 1962 vibration trials of various equipment, including and was struck off charge on 18 October that the armament installation. 10 days later, year. Quickly falling into a semi-derelict state, further trials continued at Farnborough but the second prototype was stripped of any useful spares and, with no ceremony, was scrapped at Farnborough in July 1963. 

The sheer size of the Delta bomber is highlighted in this view from August 1952, with a man stood under its starboard wing tip to give some scale. Fifty years of

Jarrod Cotter reviews the 50th anniversary of the first B2 delivered to the Royal , which was also the last Vulcan to continue flying with the RAF and is now the world’s only airworthy example of the mighty V-bomber. ’558

ulcan B2 XH558 was built at VULCAN DISPLAY FLIGHT Avro’s Woodford plant near Fortunately for this aircraft, while many of its appearance was made at the Dreamflight air Manchester and first took to the brethren were being scrapped XH558 was show at Cranfield in Bedfordshire on Sunday air on 21 May 1960. On 1 July selected to join XL426 on the Vulcan Display 20 September 1992, making the journey 1960, painted in all-over ‘anti-flash’ Flight (VDF) and once more made a welcome home the following day where crowds had whiteV which was standard at the time, XH558 return to Waddington later that year. Over gathered to witness it arrive. carried out its delivery flight to RAF that winter it was restored to its original In January the following year XH558 was Waddington in Lincolnshire and became the bomber configuration and in 1985 was given a put up for tender which was won by C Walton first Vulcan B2 to enter service with the RAF. glossy coat of paint, which also included the 1 Ltd, a family business led by David Walton It went on to the strength of 230 Operational Group black panther head emblem, plus a who would base the Vulcan at Bruntingthorpe Conversion Unit for use in the training role. Union Jack and City of Lincoln coat of arms airfield in Leicestershire, where a collection In June the following year the OCU moved on its tail fin. XH558 then replaced XL426 on of former RAF Cold War jets was assembling. to RAF in Yorkshire, taking XH558 the display circuit and, with its sister ship So, on 23 March 1993 XH558 carried out its, with it. XH558 remained based at Finningley retiring into civilian hands at Southend, and indeed the type’s, last flight with the RAF for almost seven years, before making a move Essex, became the last operational Vulcan when it took off from its base at RAF back to Waddington in early 1968. with the RAF. Waddington to fly to its new home bringing to By this time the Waddington Wing It soldiered on with the VDF until 1992, a close a military career of some 33 years. comprised 44, 50 and 101 Squadrons. Initially which was to be its last display season. pooled, XH558 later went onto the strength of September of that year would see its last 101. In 1973 it was one of the Vulcans public display in Service hands, so that selected for conversion to B2(MRR) month the RAF organised a press flight to standard, finding its way to RAF Scampton, record its last Vulcan in the air. Its final public Lincs, as such in 1974. In late March 1982 XH558 made a return to Waddington, but was soon on its way to its birthplace at Woodford for conversion to a tanker. That October it was delivered back to its base and joined 50 Squadron. The Vulcan tanker role was brief, and 50 Squadron disbanded in March 1984 leaving XH558’s future in the balance.

XH558 climbs out from Woodford airfield in 1990 while flying with the RAF’s Vulcan Display Flight. Cliff Knox

32 aviationclassics.co.uk Close-up of XH558 showing its ‘the Spirit of Great Britain 1960-2010’ legend on the forward fuselage. Luigino Caliaro

PRESERVATION Over the following years XH558 was maintained in ground-running condition, carrying out regular ‘fast-taxi’ runs during various open days at the airfield. In 1997 a team headed by Dr Robert Pleming started to put together an ambitious plan to return XH558, by then civilian registered G-VLCN, to airworthy status. Obviously such a project would be hugely complex and challenging, as well as requiring a vast amount of money. Over the next two years formal support of the necessary manufacturers was gained – had just one of these not given their approval it could have put a stop to the entire project. Marshall Aerospace of Cambridge became XH558’s engineering authority. Money remained a major factor of course, but this was significantly helped when a successful bid was made to the Heritage Lottery Fund, which XH558 in its early ‘anti-flash’ white paint scheme on a test flight cMay 1960 with then announced a grant of some £2.7million the visible extended on its underside. This was the first Vulcan B2 towards the Vulcan’s restoration in December to enter service with the RAF on 1 July 1960. BAE Systems/Avro Heritage Centre 2003. In March 2005, XH558 was purchased for the nation by the Vulcan to the Sky Trust, a Registered Charity. Work began that August. A major milestone was reached on 31 August 2006, when XH558 was rolled out of the hangar with much ceremony for the first time in seven years. As this day approached it was coinciding with a critical funding crisis, but the determined team managed to raise over £1.3million to save the project which was then focused on the hope that XH558 would be ready in time to fly over London in June 2007 as part of the Falklands 25th anniversary flypast. However, the complex engineering project just could not be completed in time, though it was making great strides towards having XH558 in the air that year. The ‘dream’ began to turn to reality, as the V-bomber’s four Olympus engines were started up on 16 August 2007. After completing all the necessary tests successfully, full power runs were carried out on the 20th. With plenty of ‘midnight oil’ being burned by the engineering team, a further two months of test and rectification work followed, making sure that XH558 was completely ready XH558 flies over the ‘piano keys’ on the threshold of RAF Waddington’s runway on for the big day when it would take to sky for 3 July 2010 – almost 50 years to the day that it arrived at the Lincolnshire air base the first time in over 14 years.  as the RAF’s first B2. Jarrod Cotter

Avro Vulcan 33 RETURNING TO THE SKY With over £7 million having been spent to make it happen, at just before 12:30 XH558 roared down Bruntingthorpe’s 3000m long runway and lifted into the air again on Thursday 18 October 2007. Guests, supporters, sponsors, press and TV crews had gathered at the airfield to witness the end result of one of the most amazing aviation restoration projects in recent years. After a trouble free flight test lasting just over 30 minutes, the Delta-winged Vulcan arrived back at Bruntingthorpe to a rage of fervour from those on the ground. The focus then turned from restoration to continuing the flight test programme and getting XH558 ready for its debut display in civilian hands. As the 2008 air show season approached the Vulcan was flown to various locations on air tests and for compass swings. These included RAF Cottesmore in Leicestershire and RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. At the latter base the opportunity was taken to roll out Lancaster I PA474 and have the two iconic Avro bombers parked up together. It was the RAF Waddington International Vulcan Operating Company ground crew await XH558’s imminent arrival. Luigino Caliaro Air Show that July which was scheduled for

34 aviationclassics.co.uk Wherever the Vulcan goes the crowds will gather to see it! Luigino Caliaro

With plumes of smoke radiating out from its four exhausts, XH558 is caught on short finals to land. Luigino Caliaro

One of several highlights during 2010 was the Vulcan in formation with the RAF’s opening Farnborough on 19 July. Terry Wade

the Vulcan to make its debut – which was wholly appropriate as the Lincolnshire base represents its spiritual home. On the early evening of the Thursday before the event, the sound of a Vulcan flying over Waddington was heard again as it carried out a series of displays and the V-bomber was duly given its display authorisation. It went on to appear at numerous air shows and events for the remainder of that year, as it did in 2009. SPIRIT OF GREAT BRITAIN To mark its 50th anniversary year in 2010, the legend ‘the Spirit of Great Britain 1960- 2010’ was inscribed on its forward fuselage. Its airshow debut in 2010 came at Waddington on 3 July – just two days later than it had arrived there 50 years ago! It appeared at many more events throughout this landmark year, being seen by an estimated two million spectators in total. Venues included RNAS Yeovilton, the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, Farnborough, RNAS Culdrose, Lowestoft, Dunsfold, Jersey and RAF Leuchars. Its final appearance was at the Coventry Fly-in on 26 September, then financial ‘storm clouds’ appeared again…  Squadron Leader Martin Withers DFC was captain of Vulcan XL607 which bombed the airfield at Port Stanley following a 4000 mile marathon flight from supported by 11 Victor tankers during Black Buck 1 on 30 April/1 May 1982. He is now Chief Pilot of XH558 and a passionate supporter of its A USAF Boeing B-52 Stratofortress flies over Vulcan XH558 on the runway at RAF role in education and training. Fairford on 19 July 2010 – two Cold War era bombers together. Bernie Condon

An announcement was made that if one point £30,000 a day was arriving, then on people who donated – many thousands – the £400,000 could not be raised before the end 27 October more than £15,000 came in welcome result of active promotion by our of October XH558 may not be seen at an air overnight! The campaign went to the wire core team of supporters and valuable show in the UK again, and might have to be but was eventually successful, and Dr Robert coverage of the appeal by the media. The fact sold. In a press release, Trust CEO Dr Pleming said of its success to those who had that the appeal has been such a success Robert Pleming commented: “If we don’t supported it: “This is obviously really good despite the current economic conditions once make it, a heritage icon as popular as The news, and is very much down to you, our again proves without doubt the magnitude of Tower of London may never be seen by the core supporters, and the desires of the wider the public’s affection and support for XH558.” British public again. We have a great public, who have dug deep into their pockets The aim now is to keep XH558 flying business plan for 2011 that will substantially to move us forward once again. We have through the 2011 season and then into the improve our commercial funding, but the received tremendous support from Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year in 2012. That stark reality is that we look unlikely to thousands of people, and from literally all year will also mark the 30th anniversary of survive beyond October.” four corners of the world! On behalf of the Falklands, so let’s see what happens…  Through the continuing generosity of the XH558, thank you so very much!” Vulcan’s many supporters, and via a John Sharman, Chairman of Trustees, With many thanks to Press Officer Richard successful campaign by Vulcan to the Sky, Vulcan to the Sky Trust, added: “What is Clarke and Megan Hill of the Vulcan to the Sky the money came in at an impressive rate; at most significant is the sheer number of Trust. www.vulcantothesky.org Nice study of XH558 on a transit flight in July 2010. Luigino Caliaro

“THE FACT THAT THE APPEAL HAS BEEN SUCH A SUCCESS DESPITE THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CONDITIONS ONCE AGAIN PROVES WITHOUT DOUBT THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PUBLIC’S AFFECTION AND SUPPORT FOR XH558.”

For the 2010 season XH558 was based at RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire. Luigino Caliaro Avro Vulcan B2 XL321 of 617 Squadron, RAF Scampton, carrying a Blue Steel nuclear stand-off weapon. Time Line Images

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Avro Vulcan 41 A representative description of an air Vulcan display routine by XH558. display

42 aviationclassics.co.uk XH558 caught at an impressive moment, with smoke bellowing out of its exhausts and wingtip vortices trailing behind as it pulls out of a descent. Nathan Daws

Avro Vulcan 43 ew aircraft have had such an climb. The aircraft’s pitch is progressively impact on air shows in recent increased, from an initial 35 degrees to years. Vulcan to the Sky’s XH558 around 45 degrees. The angle of pitch is Fhas certainly been a major carefully controlled by the pilot to keep the attraction since its return to flight speed at around 160 knots. in October 2007, and then its subsequent Soon after getting airborne the brakes are appearances at many events. Its debut display briefly applied to stop the wheels from under civilian operation as G-VLCN came at rotating, then the undercarriage is retracted. the 2008 RAF Waddington International Air The 160 knot speed is maintained until the Show. The Vulcan arrived at the Lincolnshire Vulcan’s pilot levels the aircraft out at 1500ft, air base during the early evening of Thursday having demonstrated the type’s performance. 3 July, then carried out its Display Power is reduced to 75%, then the V-bomber Authorisation in beautiful blue summer skies. is put into a descent as it heads to a position After a series of display routines, it ready to enter its display and accelerates up successfully gained permission to display at to 250 knots. the air show that weekend. Massive crowds were drawn to the event and such were the ‘BOMB RUN’ ARRIVAL numbers that the organisers had to close the The first flypast is carried out at an entry gates relatively early on the Saturday speed of 250 knots at a minimum height of morning, as even this large base quickly 300ft, and is referred to as the ‘bombing run’ reached capacity as a result of the Vulcan’s due to its nature. As the jet flies along the appeal – its first public air show appearance runway, power is increased and XH558 for 15 years. accelerates up to 300 knots by the time it XH558’s size and shape make it reaches the end of the display line unmistakable – and its sound as the four Rolls- whereupon it will have also climbed to 500ft. Royce Olympus engines are set to full throttle Power is then cut to almost to idle and the certainly leaves no doubt that it has arrived! airbrakes are extended as the Vulcan breaks away from the crowd and climbs to 800ft. Its TAKE-OFF speed will by then have eased back to 160 Full power is selected for take-off and XH558 knots, power will be re-applied, the airbrakes quickly accelerates to its rotation speed of will be retracted at the 270 degree point and 150 knots. Once off the ground the Vulcan’s it will drop back down to 500ft as it comes power allows it to be quickly put into a steep around to return head-on at crowd centre.  Nice topside pass, as the sun lights XH558 with a stormy backdrop. Pitch and roll movements of the Delta-winged Vulcan are controlled by four large on each trailing edge, noticeable in this view. Mark Meades

Caught in a turn away from the crowd, XH558’s manoeuvrability is put to Power is applied to the Vulcan good effect. Mark Meades while it turns away from the display line. Mark Meades

Just after take-off the Vulcan’s undercarriage begins to retract. Jarrod Cotter

“FULL POWER IS SELECTED FOR TAKE- OFF AND XH558 QUICKLY ACCELERATES TO ITS ROTATION SPEED OF 150 KNOTS.”

Avro Vulcan 45 XH558 turns towards the crowd for a pass with its bomb bay doors open. Jarrod Cotter

Once in the correct position the pilot will begin a steep turn back on to the display line and the throttles will be pushed forward to full power. He then puts the Vulcan into a steep climb to 1200ft. At that point he will commence a turn away from the display line and begin a descent with the airbrakes deployed. Power is eased back to 70% and the speed kept at 160 knots, partially using the airbrakes to control it when necessary. BOMB DOORS OPEN The Vulcan again levels out at 500ft, turning to crowd centre once more. It is then turned back on to the display line for a pass with the bomb- doors open by the time the jet reaches crowd centre with its underside facing the audience. Speed must not drop below 150 knots during the full 360 degree turn with 45 degrees of bank which is then carried out, and by the time the Vulcan returns to crowd centre the bomb bay doors will have been closed. This turn is continued until the jet is facing away from the crowd line and then the Following its bomb doors open pass, aircraft carries out a wing-over back towards XH558 completes a 360 degree turn to the display line, climbing to 700ft during and arrives back at crowd centre with the initial part of the turn. It then descends to its doors by then closed. Howard 500ft, with the pilot controlling its speed with Heeley/Down To Earth Promotions the application of airbrakes. 

46 aviationclassics.co.uk Series of photos catching XH558 landing at RAF Waddington following its display authorisation on 3 July 2008. All Howard Heeley/Down To Earth Promotions

“AFTER TOUCHDOWN ON A LENGTHY RUNWAY THE NOSE WHEELS CAN BE HELD IN THE AIR UNTIL THE VULCAN SLOWS DOWN TO ABOUT 70 KNOTS.”

XH558 caught in an atmospheric skyscape during a spiral climb out to altitude after a display. Mark Meades

Avro Vulcan 47 As well as its highly popular solo displays, XH558 has flown with numerous aircraft to create thrilling photo opportunities. One of the best happened on the Saturday of the 2008 RAF Waddington International Air Show, when the Vulcan carried out a flypast led by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Lancaster I PA474 which was a major highlight of the weekend. The two Avro bombers are caught here from a fantastic viewpoint. Mick Bajcar

XH558 then returns along the display line until it reaches crowd centre, where it banks away and makes another turn again with a minimum speed of 150 knots. As it returns to point at crowd centre, power is applied and the V-bomber gains altitude with a steep 60- degree angle of bank in a spiral climb generally through 540 degrees reaching a height of 2500ft – so concluding an impressive display of the mighty Vulcan’s incredible flight capabilities. LANDING The Vulcan will then either depart, or if it is to land back at the same venue, the undercarriage will be lowered once the speed has been reduced below 200 knots. It returns in a glide-approach for landing, the downwind leg being flown with power set just below 70%. During the Vulcan’s display it carries out several impressive climbs, one of which is The approach speed is 160 knots until the just beginning here as its nose heads skywards. Mark Meades Vulcan descends to 600ft with airbrakes deployed to their ‘medium’ setting. The throttles are then eased back slightly and the final approach will be made at 140 knots, with the airbrakes then being fully deployed. After touchdown on a lengthy runway the nose wheels can be held in the air until the Vulcan slows down to about 70 knots. As well as looking impressive and offering the spectators some great photo opportunities, this slows the aircraft down with little use of the brakes, saving a lot of wear and tear. XH558’s aircrew do not routinely use the brake ’chute, which is reserved in case of an emergency only. Those who have seen XH558 display can’t fail to have been impressed. For such a big aircraft the main aspect of its capability which stands out is its impressive and almost fighter-like manoeuvrability. The noise from the four Rolls-Royce Olympus engines also leaves no doubt as to its immense power.  XH558 departs its former home at RAF Waddington via a steep climb out. Jarrod Cotter

48 aviationclassics.co.uk

Vulcan to the Sky’s XH558 caught from a most unusual topside viewpoint during an air-to-air sortie in July 2010. Luigino Caliaro

Skybolt

The cancelled US weapon which was intended to replace Blue Steel.

he Douglas AGM-87A Skybolt was an air-launched ballistic missile of the early 1960s, which T the RAF planned to order from the US as a replacement for its Blue Steel nuclear stand-off weapon. Weighing in at 11,000lb and measuring over 38ft long, Skybolt was powered by a two- stage solid-fuelled rocket, carried a thermonuclear warhead and was navigated by internal equipment. Once it had been air launched, the missile would climb to an altitude of around 300 nautical miles and then follow a ballistic trajectory to its target. It had a range of approximately 1000 nautical miles. The RAF joined the Skybolt programme in 1960 and chose Vulcan B2 XH537 to be test fitted with two of the missiles under its wings. However, the weapon didn’t perform well in tests and following a troubled development phase was cancelled in 1962. Photos: Avro

Avro Vulcan 53 From wood and fabric to the V-bomber François Prins profiles Avro’s chief designer, Roy Chadwick, who was responsible for many famous designs including the war-winning Lancaster. The Avro Type 698, later becoming the Vulcan, was the last project on which he was intimately involved.

arshal of the service and served throughout World War Sir Arthur Harris once One. After the war it continued in Royal Air wrote about aircraft Force service – in one form or another – until designers: ‘Working behind 1932. Surplus aircraft were sold for £60 and the scenes, away from the several found their way on to the civilian limelight,M their names seldom hit the register and many ordinary people gained headlines. Yet the work they did is their first experience of flight in an . exceptionally complex, often profoundly – celebrating 90 years in 2010 – inspired and always of prime importance to started operations with a converted 504 in the advance of aviation.’ Harris knew many 1920 in the Northern Territories of Australia. designers during his years in command and Roy Chadwick believed in simple, strong held Roy Chadwick in high regard. aircraft and was never really satisfied with his Chadwick was born on 30 April 1893 at designs which he would always try to better. Farnworth near Bolton in . His During World War One he produced several father, Charles, was a mechanical engineer designs for Avro but none entered RFC and his work influenced the young Roy a service, however, he was gaining valuable great deal. From his earliest days Roy was experience during these years. Avro emerged fascinated by aviation and was determined to after the war as one of the main aircraft take an active part in its development. To manufacturers, but the lean post-war years gain practical knowledge Chadwick built saw little in the way of challenge for Chadwick several model gliders and aircraft. It was in and the firm. He learned to fly during 1919, 1911 that he gained entry into the real world taking lessons from Captain Hammersley who of aircraft construction when he joined AV was one of the pilots operating 504Ks on Roe & Company as a draughtsman. At the pleasure flights for the Avro Transport A young Roy Chadwick photographed time Avro was producing the Type E500 Company. Chadwick qualified as a pilot, but on in 1907/8 with a model aeroplane. trainer which was shortly to enter service 13 January 1920 he crashed into the garden of All via author unless noted with the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). the Reverend Everad Verdon-Roe. Chadwick While the E500 was a good trainer, was badly hurt but survived; though rarely something better was required and designs for piloted himself after that. He did, however, fly a successor were soon in hand. Work on the a great deal as a passenger and observer on new aircraft began at the Avro plant at the aircraft he designed.  Brownfield Mills in November 1912. CR Taylor and Chadwick produced the fuselage and undercarriage, while HE Broadsmith designed the wings for the new Avro 504. Roy Chadwick thus began his long association with every Avro design that left the factory from the famous 504 through to the Vulcan, although he did not live to see the latter materialise. The Avro 504 made its first flight on 18 September 1913 and two days later took part in the 1913 Aerial Derby where it gained fourth place. From the very start, the 504 was singled out as a winner and entered RFC Vulcan prototype VX770 with a straight leading edge – while the Avro Type 698 was the last project on which Roy Chawick was intimately involved, unfortunately he didn’t live to see it fly. Time Line Images

“ROY CHADWICK THUS BEGAN HIS LONG ASSOCIATION WITH EVERY AVRO DESIGN THAT LEFT THE FACTORY FROM THE FAMOUS 504 THROUGH TO THE VULCAN, ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT LIVE TO SEE THE LATTER MATERIALISE.”

Roy Chadwick’s first successful project for the company was the Avro 504, which served with the military from 1913 to 1932. Jarrod Cotter Avro’s first new post-war design to enter RAF service was the Type 549 Aldershot, designed by Chadwick to Specification 2/20 (D of R Type 4B). Powered by a single Rolls-Royce Condor III engine, the 15 Aldershot bombers built saw service with 99 Squadron. The type was the first Avro design with a metal fuselage; its central cabin – on two decks – was covered with plywood. Avro designs varied from bombers to ultra-light aircraft with Chadwick’s 558 biplane being entered for the 1923 Lympne trials. It did not win first prize but Captain Hammersley took it to 13,850ft to win the Duke of Sutherland’s prize of £100. Designs from Chadwick and his team came out on a regular basis and one of the best was the Avian, which flew into the record books with a solo flight to Australia in 1928. In 1927, Roy Chadwick was appointed Chief Designer at Avro and set about producing a replacement for the On board Nene-powered Lancastrian III VH742. Chadwick is at the right with Captain ageing 504 model variants. His answer came Shepherd of Rolls-Royce in the pilot’s seat, during the record flight on 18 November 1946. with the equally long-lived Avro 621 Tutor trainer which entered RAF service in 1932. August they were ready to show drawings to new and when Air Ministry However, in 1929 Roe sold his shares to Sir the Imperial board. Given the go-ahead the Specification P13/36 was issued he was John Siddeley and left the company. In time prototype was built and made its first flight ready. Chadwick married his monoplane the Siddeley group, which included on 7 January 1937 as the . While the bomber design with two of the latest Rolls- Armstrong Whitworth, would become part of aircraft was in-build the Air Ministry Royce Vulture engines and on 25 July 1939, Hawker-Siddeley under the chairmanship of expressed an interest in a military variant; the prototype (L7246) took Thomas Sopwith. this was flown on 11 March. Known as the off from Ringway. As a design it was superior Anson the aircraft entered RAF service in and more capable than either the Handley AND BOMBER March 1936 and served in a variety of roles Page Hampden or the Armstrong Whitworth During the 1920s and 1930s Avro had until retired in 1966. It was an Anson that, on Whitley, but the engines proved troublesome. manufactured Fokker civilian aircraft under 5 September 1939, made the first aerial attack So while the other two bombers were in RAF licence and using this knowledge began to of World War Two on a German . service by the outbreak of World War Two, design their own . On 18 May 1933 Roy Chadwick, like many others, was the Manchester was delayed in reaching Imperial Airways issued a specification to aware of the threat from Nazi Germany long squadron service until November 1940. Avro for a small passenger aircraft. Chadwick before the politicians took note. made their first raid – on Brest and his team responded quickly and by Consequently, he set his thoughts down for a – on 24 February 1941.

HM King George VI and Queen Elizabeth during a visit to Avro at Yeadon on 26 March 1941. Chadwick is at the right with the Queen and Ted Fielding. The King stands with Roy Dobson, Sam Brown and Hartley Shawcross.

56 aviationclassics.co.uk Above: The Avro Manchester entered service with 207 Squadron (depicted) in November 1940. It was plagued with engine problems and the type was withdrawn from service after a raid on on the night of 25/26 June 1942. LANCASTER AND LINCOLN Before the Manchester had flown Chadwick had already designed a four-engined version and this first flew on 9 January 1941 as the Manchester III (BT308) – later renamed Lancaster. Much has been written about the Lancaster and details are not required here, except to note that AOC RAF ACM Arthur Harris singled out the Lancaster as a major contribution to winning the war. He wrote: ‘Roy Chadwick’s Lancaster was indeed a shining sword placed through his genius in the hands of our After the maiden flight of the Tudor on 1 May 1946 at Woodford. Left to right: Roy Chadwick, Lancaster aircrews; a sword wielded with Mr Wilmot, Sir Roy Dobson, Sir Thomas Sopwith, Arthur Woodburn MP and unidentified. such effect as to become a major contribution to the final success of our arms.’ It was Chadwick’s ability and skill in design that made the Lancaster an easy aeroplane to manufacture in quantity. Pilots liked it and found it easy to fly; the late Lord VC told this writer that his favourite aircraft next to the Mosquito was the Lancaster. “It was delightful and highly responsive for a large heavy bomber. It was tough and could carry an enormous bomb load in that undivided bomb bay. We dropped the mighty 10-tonner from a Lanc with the bomb bay cut away to accommodate the bomb. I remember when I took over six-one- seven I thought I knew all about low-flying in a Lancaster and took them on a training flight. I then saw ‘Mick’ Martin [later ACM Sir Harold Martin] flying beneath me and below the tree line in a Lancaster. I turned Roy Chadwick’s four-engined proved to be a war- over low-flying training to ‘Mick’ after that!” winning design, becoming the mainstay of Bomber Command from Cheshire’s admiration for the Lancaster is 1942 and seeing action right through to VE Day. This is the Battle of echoed by all that flew the type.  Britain Memorial Flight’s Mk.I PA474 which is still maintained in airworthy condition at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. Jarrod Cotter – designed by Chadwick as a long-range bomber for the war in the .

Chadwick continued to improve the To address this the Air Ministry began Lancaster and to gain first-hand knowledge of discussions with Chadwick late in 1942. In its operational performance he visited December that year Chadwick and his design squadrons using the type and talked with pilots staff began work on the 694 Lancaster IV and on how the aircraft could be bettered. This was proposed using some 80% of the existing something that Chadwick did through his life – Lancaster structure. This would include the talking to people who used the products and front and middle fuselage sections and the always trying to improve on them. wing centre-section. The outer wing-sections Another method of gauging his designs was were enlarged and the rear fuselage to fly them or fly in them. After his crash he lengthened. Three prototypes were ordered rarely piloted solo, but he spent much time but work was held up due to increased aboard Avro aircraft on test flights, many with Lancaster production; the prototype Lancaster Roy Chadwick explains the Lancaster test pilots Sidney ‘Bill’ Thorn and ‘Sam’ Brown. IV – now called Lincoln – flew for the first design to a young cadet. Chadwick Once the Lancaster was in production and time on 9 June 1944. However, the type did encouraged young people with an service, Chadwick turned his attention to a not enter RAF service until August 1945 and interest in aeronautics, just as AV Roe transport variant that would have the range of saw no action during the war, although they had encouraged him. the bomber. He took the Lancaster mainplanes, were used as bombers in Malaya and Kenya tail unit, engines and undercarriage and during the conflicts of the 1950s. married them to a new fuselage. The result was Roy Chadwick had not ceased working the Avro 685 York, which first flew just five throughout the war years; he modified the months after the drawings were completed. On Lancaster into the passenger-carrying 5 July 1942 the prototype York took off from Lancastrian and started work on the Avro Ringway. As the Lancaster had priority, the Tudor airliner for post-war operations. This York was not immediately put into quantity was to be the first Avro aircraft with a production and only a few entered RAF service pressurised passenger cabin, so there were – mainly as VIP transports – during the war. It many quite different problems to be was in the years after 1945 that they carved out addressed. Chadwick, in typical style, made their place in history with RAF Transport several flights on the prototype Tudor Command, especially during the Air Lift gathering data for the production version and Roy Chadwick was awarded the CBE of 1948-1949. also the proposed larger model to be known and (right) the VC at While the Lancaster was ideal for long- as the Tudor II, which used some design Buckingham Palace after the famous range bombing missions to Germany, it was details from the Lincoln. Also, work was in Dams Raid of May 1943. not suitable for a similar task in the Far East. hand with a maritime aircraft that made use of

58 aviationclassics.co.uk III VH742 with its Rolls-Royce Merlins shut down and flying on Rolls-Royce Nene power alone. This aircraft set a speed record between London and in November 1946.

Lincoln technology; this would later appear as the . JET POWER Not neglected by Chadwick and Avro were the gas-turbine engines which were being tested on several aircraft including the Lancaster. Prototype II G-AGSU getting airborne from Woodford on a test flight. Chadwick was on board Lancastrian III VH742 which had two Rolls-Royce Nene jet engines in place of the outboard Merlins. In a letter to his daughter, Rosemary, dated Sunday 24 November 1946, Chadwick wrote: ‘I flew to Paris last Monday in the Lancastrian Nene jet propelled airliner and was proud to be the designer for the first jet propelled airliner to fly between the two countries.’ What Chadwick modestly left out was the fact that VH742 set a new record for the flight from London to Le Bourget on 18 November of 50 minutes at 263mph using the Nenes alone. When they flew back on the 22nd a minute was shaved off to set another record. Testing continued with the Tudor II during early 1947 and Chadwick followed progress while he busied himself with designs for a Delta bomber to be powered by four gas- turbine engines to Air Ministry Specification B35/46 that had been issued on 7 January. Roy Chadwick’s elder daughter, Margaret Dove, told the writer that her father was created Technical Director while Stuart Davies was made Chief Designer when Avro closed Yeadon The wrecked Tudor II as it ended up with its nose broken off and submerged in a and concentrated work at Chadderton.  large pond. The break may be seen clearly.

Avro Vulcan 59 She remembered that the Delta wing bomber designs were submitted to the Air Ministry in May 1947, just four months after the original request. Stuart Davies, who took over the Avro Type 698 (later Vulcan) designs wrote: ‘It was the last project with which Roy Chadwick was intimately concerned. It had a peculiar fascination for him, because he had an enthusiasm for the all-wing transport as the ultimate in aerodynamic and structural efficiency.’ Chadwick also designed a Delta- winged airliner, decades before . FINAL FLIGHT However, the prototype Tudor II (G-AGSU) was giving trouble at cruising speed, so Chadwick decided to investigate for himself. The main complaint was that the airframe vibrated slightly and it was thought to be something simple that could be solved quickly. On Saturday 23 August 1947, Roy Chadwick, together with Chief Test Pilot, Bill Thorn, Chief of Flight Test Section, David Wilson, Radio Operator, Joseph Webster, Flight Engineer, Edward Talbot and Stuart Davies climbed aboard the Tudor at Woodford airfield for a routine test flight. Thorn started the engines and prepared for take-off; he taxied out and at 11.58am the Tudor lifted off the runway. The undercarriage was still down and the aircraft had gone about 200 yards when suddenly it was seen, by those on the ground, to bank to starboard. There was no height and the starboard wing touched the ground. It remained in contact and rubbed along taking the tip off, then when the wing passed through a hedge the starboard was ripped off. Eye-witnesses to the incident remember that the engines increased in power as Thorn tried to pull the aircraft up, there was nothing he could do and then he cut the engines. The Tudor hit the ground, Roy Chadwick’s initial sketch for the Delta- ploughed through two fields, struck some winged aircraft that would lead to the Vulcan. trees and finally came to rest with the front section submerged in a pond. Later it was discovered that the aileron controls had been reversed the night before when they had been disconnected to gain access to the fuselage for a small modification. There was nothing Thorn could have done to save the Tudor. Chadwick, Thorn, Wilson and Webster were killed; Davies and Talbot were badly injured but survived. At the inquest held at Stockport on 26 August, Stuart Davies told of the last moment of the Tudor. He was in the rear of the fuselage and when it had finally stopped he was thrown to the floor and although hurt and dazed he was able to climb out of a hole on the starboard side of the aircraft. What he saw was that the front section of the Tudor had broken off. A Mr Hughes, who lived near the airfield, saw the incident and told the inquest that the aircraft behaved like a crab as it lost height with the port wing lifting all the time almost to the vertical. Dr MacGill gave the medical report and stated that Chadwick had suffered a fractured skull and pelvis and that death would have been Chadwick developed the Delta-wing bomber further and this instantaneous. Thorn and Wilson were later sketch shows detail of the and the bomb. drowned; they were badly injured but would

60 aviationclassics.co.uk Avro’s mighty Delta-winged V-bomber in its earliest form; Vulcan prototype VX770. Time Line Images

have survived if the nose had not been submerged in the pond. Margaret Dove wrote to me: ‘My father was making his way back from the flight deck when the break occurred. So I have always thought that he may have received the massive fracture to his skull at that moment as the nose of the Tudor broke off and sank into the pond. Mr Webster was found on the ground immediately below the point of the break and taken to Stockport Infirmary.’ A verdict of ‘death by misadventure’ was returned and that the crash was ‘no fault of the crew.’ Chadwick was just 54 years old and left behind a widow and two daughters. His name may not be familiar today, but his designs are still in evidence. The late Sir George Edwards, who worked with Chadwick told the writer: “Chadwick was always able to see and understand that the way you win wars is to have a hell of a lot of something that is a bit better than a handful of something spectacularly clever. I was always impressed by the way he designed the Lancaster so that small sections of it could be built easily and quickly. To my mind, Roy Chadwick has never been given the credit he deserved.” Roy Dobson, who was Managing Director of Avro and had known Chadwick for many years, and indeed was due to join the crew on the Tudor that fateful day, said on hearing of his old friend’s death: “He had no hobbies except that of aircraft, and they filled his waking thoughts. From a personal point of view I have lost an old and trusted friend and colleague, who stuck with me through thick and thin in the building up of the company [Avro], for which we both lived. Had he been spared a few more years, his name would have been blazoned forth as a man who had again jumped ahead of modern thought in his line. The country, as well as the company, has lost, in my view, someone quite irreplaceable.” 

The author would like to express his gratitude to the late Mrs Margaret Dove for information Long before Concorde, Chadwick had designed a Delta- and for the use of some family photographs. wing airliner based on the sketches of the proposed bomber.

Avro Vulcan 61

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Avro Vulcan 63 RAF Scampton The Vulcan Years Martyn Chorlton highlights the mighty V-bomber’s time at the famous Lincolnshire base.

64 aviationclassics.co.uk y the early 1950s, RAF short journey to Waddington on 1 June 1955. the runway in a graceful curve, which is exactly Scampton was an all jet bomber The same day Scampton was closed and what was done. Two other minor roads were station with only the remnants reduced to Care and Maintenance status. closed and a third was diverted towards the Bof the Avro Lincoln Reserve Scampton was about to enter its fourth new section of the A15. Holding Unit revealing the incarnation since it was established in 1917. It Also added were 22 V-bomber dispersals, Bomber Command of the past. had been developed into a pre-war expansion the wartime pan-handle being inadequate for a By January 1953, the first of four English airfield in 1936 and further work followed in modern bomber. Several of the new dispersals Electric Canberra B2 squadrons had re- 1943/44, when three concrete runways were were positioned on the north-western side of formed at the airfield. This was in keeping laid. The main runway, at 2000 yards, was more the airfield and this resulted in one of the with the widespread expansion of the type than adequate for the Canberra, but subsidiary runways being virtually deleted. To throughout the RAF. By September 1953, 10, accommodating an Avro Vulcan would entail an the south, additional technical buildings were 18, 21 and 27 Squadrons operated extension of just under 3000 yards. This work constructed and the domestic site was enlarged harmoniously as the Scampton Wing until would radically change the local landscape, to accommodate a large married quarters the station was designated for re- most significantly at the north-eastern end of patch which was distinctly lacking during the development into one of 10 new V-bomber the main runway which originally butted up to Canberra years. The airfield now occupied airfields. Three of the Canberra squadrons the Roman road of Ermine Street. The solution 920 acres of Lincolnshire compared to a mere left in May 1955, while 21 Squadron made the was simple; divert the A15 around the end of 287 during its World War One days. 

Line-up of anti-flash white Vulcan B2s of 83 Squadron at Scampton. All via author The first Vulcan to arrive at Scampton was XH482 in April 1958, seen here on its arrival touchdown.

‘DAM BUSTERS’ RETURN In April 1958, the airfield was once again declared operational and, on 1 May, 617 Squadron was re-formed at its birthplace, equipped with the Avro Vulcan B1A. The first Vulcan to arrive at Scampton was XH482, which was delivered only days before the re- formation of its squadron. The B1A was to be a short-lived mark for the ‘Dam Buster’ squadron which began to re-equip with the more powerful Vulcan B2 in September 1961. They were joined, on 10 October 1960, by 83 Squadron which had been reduced to a cadre at Waddington and was in the process of re- equipping with the Vulcan B2. Re-established at Scampton, the squadron began to receive its new Vulcans from December onwards. The new Scampton Wing was completed on 1 April 1961 when 27 Squadron returned to Her Majesty the Queen’s visit on 10 June 1963 included an impressive Vulcan Scampton to re-form with the Vulcan B2. scramble on the itinerary. No.617 Squadron made RAF history when it became involved in the first non-stop flight from Great Britain to Australia. Borrowing Vulcan B1A XH481 from 101 Squadron, because of its superb reliability, the flight began from Scampton at 11:36 on 20 June 1961, flown by Squadron Leader M Beavis. The trip would need three air-to-air refuellings, all by Vickers Valiant tankers, the first taking place over . Taking just 12 minutes, the Vulcan took on 5000 gallons a time, repeating the process over Karachi and finally over . At 04:39, the clock was stopped as the Vulcan passed over the control tower at RAAF Richmond. The 11,500 mile journey had taken just 20 hours and 3 minutes, achieving an average speed of 574mph. While this was not a world record of any description, it was a record for the Vulcan that would never be broken. Even the ‘Black Buck’ operation was approximately 3000 miles shorter. The first of only a handful of incidents Impressive V-Force line-up at Scampton during the visit of General P Stehlin on 31 July involving the Vulcan at Scampton took place 1961, with Vulcans B2s from 617 Squadron nearest the camera and Victors at the far end. on 3 July 1958. Vulcan B1 XH497, with Flight

66 aviationclassics.co.uk A rare selection of three photos showing Blue Steel servicing at Scampton. Lieutenant G Smeaton at the controls, began a normal take-off but as the bomber rotated, the nose wheels fell away back towards the runway. Smeaton continued to climb out as normal and after burning off sufficient fuel for landing, ordered the rear aircrew to bale out. Sadly, the navigator plotter, Flight Lieutenant DG Blackwell’s parachute failed to open and he fell to his death. Meanwhile, Smeaton and his co-pilot, Flying Officer RH Wood brought the bomber back down safely on Scampton’s main runway, with little further damage caused. An equally dramatic incident occurred several years later when Vulcan B2 XM576 of 27 Squadron got into difficulties during an asymmetric overshoot on 25 May 1965. Control was lost by Flight Lieutenant D Vernon, and the bomber was sent across the airfield directly towards the control tower. The giant bomber came to an abrupt halt with its nose buried in the building and several cars in the car park being reduced to scrap. All on board escaped injury. BLUE STEEL Scampton was also chosen to introduce the Avro/ Dynamics Blue Steel to the RAF and this involved further technical buildings, including a Type T2 hangar, being built north of the hangar line on the eastern side of the airfield. The new 1.1 mega ton weapon not only needed special handling, but also a new unit to conduct the trials. On 31 October 1961, No.4 Joint Services Trials Unit (JSTU) (UK Element) arrived, only to be redesignated as 18 JSTU from 1 December. Under the command of Wing Commander TAJ Stocker, the first Blue Steel training round did not arrive until 6 February 1961, followed a few months later by the real thing. 

Avro Vulcan 67 By this time, a parallel programme was The flypast took place on 29 April 1968 as the taking place to convert a batch of Vulcan B2s flag was lowered. to Blue Steel standard which mainly involved Life continued as it had before for the modification of the main and bomb Scampton; the only immediate change bay to carry the weapon. No.18 JSTU was following the Strike Command takeover later disbanded in August 1964 by which time was the disbandment of 83 Squadron on the responsibility for the nuclear weapon had 31 August 1968. This gap was filled the passed to a new Missile Squadron under the following year when 230 OCU returned to control of Scampton’s Technical Wing. On 31 Scampton from Finningley, Yorkshire, on 8 December 1970, Blue Steel was retired and December 1969. It was originally at Scampton all responsibility for the country’s nuclear in 1949 when it helped to introduce the deterrent passed to the under the Lincoln to the RAF, but this time it was name of . equipped with the Vulcan B2. The 1960s saw Scampton’s Vulcans The OCU was tasked with providing involved in a whole host of NATO exercises flying and ground training for Vulcan combined with detachments all over the crews, both for Strike Command and the world. High-level visits from the Queen to Near East Air Force. By 1972, the OCU MPs with various senior officers in between expanded further when the Strike were regular and, on each occasion, the Command Bombing School brought its Vulcans were presented and displayed Handley Page Hastings from Lindholme to immaculately for the distinguished guests. provide training for the Vulcan However, it was only a matter of time before navigators. Later known as the Hastings these days of V-bombers flexing their Radar Flight, it was absorbed into 230 OCU muscles would come to an end and the first on 1 January 1974, becoming the last RAF stage was to be held at Scampton. unit to operate the big piston engine tail- dragger until they were withdrawn on 30 BOMBER COMMAND DISBANDS June 1977, once again leaving Scampton as an Having been formed on 14 July 1936, Bomber all-Vulcan station. Command was being disbanded to be Around the same time as the arrival of the incorporated in Strike Command and the OCU, the Bombing and Navigation Systems focal point of this event was to be Scampton. Development Squadron moved in from A large parade took place and an impressive Wittering. They may have operated the flypast was performed by several Vulcans, Vulcan by drawing an aircraft from one of the closely escorted by English Electric operational squadrons as they needed it; but Lightnings representing Fighter Command by 1 December 1971, their job was obviously which was also being disbanded into Strike. done as the unit was disbanded.

It was all change for 27 Squadron as well when, on 29 March 1972, the unit was disbanded only to be re-formed at Scampton with a different mark of Vulcan in a new role on 1 November 1973. Their new mounts were the Vulcan B2(MRR) [Maritime Radar Reconnaissance] which was fitted with different and sensors compared to a standard B2. Following the Turkish invasion of Northern Cyprus in 1974, it was decided that Akrotiri was not the place to keep a Vulcan Wing. So, on 16 January 1975, Scampton gained another Vulcan unit in the shape of 35 Squadron which had been flying the B2 since December 1962. VULCAN DRAWDOWN BEGINS When the station entered the 1980s and with the forthcoming introduction of the new , the days of the Vulcan appeared to have been numbered. The drawdown of the force began at Scampton On 29 April 1968, Scampton witnessed a flypast by two Vulcans and four Lightnings with the disbandment of 230 OCU, which had to mark the stand down of Bomber Command. already been gradually running down for

68 aviationclassics.co.uk Aerial view showing Vulcan B2s parked at their dispersals in front of Scampton’s hangars 3 and 4.

many months, on 31 August 1981. No.617 The rundown of the Vulcan fleet had been Squadron was next, when following a parade in the planning stages since 1979 and, at the on 22 December 1981, the unit was same time, Scampton’s future was being disbanded on 1 January 1982. Exactly one shaped. The forthcoming Tornado strike year later, the squadron was re-formed with squadrons were being planned for several the Tornado GR1 at Marham, . airfields in East Anglia, including Marham. At No.35 Squadron’s disbandment followed the time, the Victor tanker fleet was still a on 1 March 1982, with 27 Squadron on the large organisation and it was thought that 31st of that month bringing an end to the Marham could not cope with the new bomber Vulcan era at RAF Scampton. and two squadrons of tankers. The original On the other side of Lincoln, the plan was for the Victors to move to Scampton, Waddington Wing had been going through but in 1981 there was a rethink because of the the same process but thanks to the Falklands spiralling costs involved in moving two large conflict, their withdrawal was temporarily tanker squadrons. This put the idea on the postponed until the end of the year. back burner, leaving Scampton with an Some of Scampton’s Vulcans lived on for a uncertain future. With closure looming, the few more months with the Waddington Wing, airfield was transferred from Strike to RAF but the vast majority were scrapped. Some Support Command, becoming the home of were chopped on site while others were the Central Flying School from 1983. flown to St Athan or other airfields for battle The story of Scampton and the Vulcan was damage repair training. One aircraft, B2 not completely over though, as a pair of K2s XL318 of 617 Squadron, was dismantled and of 50 Squadron spent a couple of weeks on taken by road to the RAF Museum at the airfield while the runway at Waddington Cover of the commemorative booklet Hendon, where it is still on display within the was resurfaced. It was a brief glimpse of the produced for the stand down of Bomber Command Hall today. past, witnessed by very few.  Bomber Command at RAF Scampton.

Avro Vulcan 69 aturally the Vulcan will always be associated with being a bomber, but there were two Delta over other roles that the aircraft also performed, one of which wasN in long range maritime reconnaissance. It was a combination of decisions, disbandments and general RAF manoeuvring that resulted in a handful of these Cold War the Ocean bombers being reincarnated into a more passive, but equally important task. No.543 Squadron, which had been in the photographic reconnaissance role since its formation at RAF Benson in 1942, had been The Vulcan B2(MRR) operating the Handley Page Victor B2(SR) since January 1966. By the early 1970s, their aircraft were being seen as more useful in the Martyn Chorlton describes the often tanker role and this, combined with the arrival overlooked role of the mighty V-bomber. of Polaris, also reduced the need for the long- range Vulcan bomber. A natural void was now created where several surplus Vulcans could be modified to continue the role of the Victor SR2 without disrupting the RAF’s long-range strategic reconnaissance role. The first of just nine airframes arrived at Hawker Siddeley Aviation, Bitteswell, in Leicestershire on 20 October 1971, for conversion to the new B2(MRR) (Maritime Radar Reconnaissance) standard. XH560, a B2 which first entered service with 230 OCU in October 1960, was to be the first aircraft to be subtly converted. At first, there was only one main external difference between the MRR and the standard B2. The ARI 5959 TFR (Terrain Following Radar) was removed from the nose leaving it without the familiar ‘thimble’ fairing which had been introduced into the B2 fleet from 1966. Internally, the main modifications XH534 of 27 Squadron flying at low revolved around the Navigator Radar’s level over the sea while on maritime position although his standard Mk.9A patrol duties. Time Line Images radar was retained. However, a LORAN C long-range radio navigation system was also fitted which could operate up to a range of 1200 miles and was perfect for picking up maritime targets. The standard R88 strike camera was modified for aerial reconnaissance and a ‘high street’ SLR was also carried for any additional photography as and when it was needed.

To help protect the airframes against the corrosive sea spray, the small B2(MRR) fleet was finished in gloss paint as noticeable here shining on XH560. Time Line Images XH558 was one of the few Vulcans converted to B2(MRR) configuration. Luigino Caliaro A Vulcan B2(MRR) from 27 Squadron on patrol over the North Sea passes an oil rig.

As the MRR evolved in service, further XH563 on 31 December 1973 followed by which always received special attention from modifications included the fitting of the ARI XH560 on 19 March 1974. The squadron’s the RAF. This would normally be carried out 18228 RWR in a rectangular box fairing on initial aircraft strength was completed when by a Nimrod which had received the top of the fin. The new RWR was XH537 joined the unit on 17 June followed by information via the Vulcan’s AEO as to where incorporated as part of a refit programme for XH558 on 18 September 1974. the large target was. the whole Vulcan fleet, which ran from 1975 The Norwegian Sea was only a small to 1981, once again carried out by HAS at MARITIME FLYING portion of the MRR’s operating territory which Bitteswell. Five MRR aircraft were also given The keen eyed would also have spotted stretched from the North Cape to the the additional capability of air sampling, another external tell-tale sign that set the Mediterranean on the hunt for Soviet shipping. which was colloquially known as ‘sniffing’. MRR apart from the B2. The underside of From November 1976 to April 1977, 27 New were manufactured outside the small MRR fleet was painted in light sea Squadron gained a further four Vulcan the Skybolt pylons under each wing to carry grey and the whole aircraft was finished in MRRs, all intriguingly via 9, 35 and 44 a converted Sea Vixen drop-tank. These were gloss paint to help protect the airframe Squadrons which is where they were used whenever the Chinese, French or the against corrosive sea spray. The very nature delivered to after conversion by HSA. The USSR carried out an above-ground nuclear of the squadron’s tasking meant that the squadron’s peak strength of nine aircraft was test, which were still common during the aircraft would spend anything up to five to be shortlived, with XH534 being the first to mid-1970s. After using the under-wing pod to hours over the sea on its search for be withdrawn to St Athan on 8 April 1978. A take air samples, the particles were then interesting maritime targets. period of stability followed, but by 1979 it was passed on to the men in white coats at One of these tasks was Operation clear that the future of the Vulcan as a whole Aldermaston for analysis to determine the Tapestry which began in February 1977. The was not good. yield of the explosion. remit for this operation was the protection In April 1981, as if pre-empting their own XH560 was joined by XH563 at Bitteswell and monitoring of all of the United disbandment, two aircraft, XJ823 and XJ825, in the same month, while XH537 and XH534 Kingdom’s offshore oil rig and pipeline were transferred to 35 Squadron and XH534 followed in February and April 1972 installations and while this mainly involved was withdrawn to St Athan. The squadron was respectively. By this time 27 Squadron at the RAF’s Nimrod units, 27 Squadron played eventually disbanded on 31 March 1982 and Scampton had disbanded on 29 March 1972, its part in Tapestry until it was disbanded. the same day, XH563 and XJ780 were but on 1 November 1973 had reformed for its However, it was the continuous Soviet withdrawn from service. This still left three new role under the control of SACLANT naval threat that occupied the majority of the aircraft at Scampton, the first, XJ782, leaving (Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic). squadron’s time. In just two high-level sorties for 101 Squadron on 22 May. XH560 left for No.543 Squadron was already winding down, of five hours each, the Vulcan MRR Navigator Woodford on 5 July for conversion to K2 but continued its role until it finally Plotter could identify every single vessel in standard, leaving XH558 to languish on its succumbed on 24 May 1974. On the day of its the Norwegian Sea using his H2S screen. own. It was not until 13 October 1982 that formation 27 Squadron only had XH534 on Each vessel was then identified as small, XH558 made the short hop to Waddington to strength, which had been at Scampton since medium or large; the latter category would join 44 Squadron, bringing to an end the RAF’s August 1972. The lone Vulcan was joined by include the even larger Soviet capital ships association with the Vulcan B2(MRR). 

Avro Vulcan 71 Gary R Brown’s photographs capture two Vulcans that may no longer fly, but which have been maintained in operational condition and so been capable of carrying out fast taxi runs Rolling! for some years.

Above: XM655 is based at Wellesbourne and XM655 was brought back into British civil register as G-VJET, with hopes Mountford, , and cared for serviceable order to such a high again high to get a Vulcan flying in by the 655 Maintenance and Preservation standard that the jet began to carry out civilian ownership under the Vulcan Society. It arrived at the site in February an annual fast taxi run. During 2007, this Memorial Flight banner. Again this didn’t 1984 and was soon placed on the civil aircraft’s operational status was also happen and XL426 languished on the register as G-VULC, with hopes high to used to give XH558’s aircrew currency airfield in similar vein to XM655. keep it airworthy under an organisation training prior to their first flight on 18 Fortunately a deal was struck called the Vulcan Memorial Flight. October that year. between its owner and the airport However, its owner subsequently bought Wellesbourne’s runway is relatively short management and in 1993 the Vulcan XL426 which offered a better potential so the Vulcan is limited to 80 knots, and Restoration Trust was formed from the basis for returning a Vulcan to flight in being run light and with four powerful VMF to look after the V-bomber. It was civilian hands, so XM655 sat at the airfield Olympus 301s, that speed is reached in a returned to operational status and its exposed to the elements for many years. matter of seconds – and is sufficient for first fast taxi run at Southend occurred in After having passed into new the nose wheel to be briefly lifted! 1997. XL426 then carried out regular fast ownership, noticing that the V-bomber taxi runs during the following years, but was likely going to be scrapped if Below: XL426 now resides at Southend after its appearance at the open day in something wasn’t done, a group of Airport in Essex, and is a particularly August 2006 the VRT withdrew it from enthusiasts including former V-Force well-known example of its breed having service to carry out a programme of in- ground crew personnel (MaPS) been the founder member of the RAF’s depth and essential restoration work approached the owners during the late Vulcan Display Flight (prior to XH558). over several years. The VRT also helped 1990s and offered to care for the aircraft This aircraft arrived at Southend in with the return to flight of XH558, this time on a voluntary basis. This was accepted December 1986 and was placed on the by donating items from its stores.  Gallery & Bespoke Framing  Family run business, est. 2001  Fine Art Trade Guild Members Producing both complete and conversion resin kits for the modeller in avariety of scales. Heritage Aviation produces quality kits at Online shop affordable prices. www.picturethisgallery.co.uk Made by enthusiasts for enthusiasts our kits need not put off the less FREE P&P IN UK experienced modeller,resin parts are easily fixed using superglue or araldite type adhesives, they’re easily sanded and very robust when completed. Avro Vulcan B2 XH558 We try to model the oddball, weird and downright ‘The Delta Lady’ wonderful aircraft often overlooked by the larger by Brian Fare manufacturers, aiming to fill in the missing gaps in the 1:48 S.A. ONLY £11.75 FREE P&P market. We’re constantly looking at and for new BULLDOG & ventures, so if you’ve made a conversion / kit and 1:48 JET would like to see it produced or just have a wish list of PROVOST T3 kits you’d like to see made, then drop us a line. NOW ‘The Battle of SECONDHAND KITS ALSO SOLD - AVAILABLE Britain’ COLLECTIONS BOUGHT by Robert Taylor Limited Edition LIMITED EDITION OF Print 25 VULCAN KTS £200 FREE P&P

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• Regular open cockpit opportunities • Ground runs of the Rover APU • Can you help research XM594’s history? – Log Book entries featuring the aircraft are urgently needed www.newarkairmuseum.org , Drove Lane,Winthorpe, Newark, Notts, NG24 2NY Telephone: 01636 707170 Email: [email protected]

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Avro Vulcan 73 Inside the Vulcan

Although a huge jet bomber some 100ft long and with a wingspan of 111ft, for the Vulcan’s five-man crew there was relatively little room within the confines of the dark cavern provided for them! This look around the various positions shows its layout.

1

3 2 2

7 6 4 5 5 4 12 6

10 8 8 11 11

9 13 9 14 14

15 15

16 17 19 19 19

19 18 20 20

MAIN INSTRUMENT PANEL (XM594)

1 System warning indicators 7 Auto pilot trim indicator 14 Control column 2 Mach meter 8 Altimeter (fighter style, operates elevons) 3 Control surface indicator 9 Beam compass 15 Rudder pedals adjuster (showing the positions of the eight 10 Artificial horizon 16 Throttle quadrant elevons and the rudder) 11 Engine RPM gauges (%) 17 emergency switch 4 Air speed indicator 12 Compass 18 Air brake selector switch 5 Director horizon 13 Undercarriage selector 19 Rudder pedals 6 Rate of climb/descent indicator (covered) 20 Ejection seat lower pull handle

74 aviationclassics.co.uk Captain’s port side panel (XM594). Jarrod Cotter

Fuel panel, located centrally between pilots’ ejection seats (XM594). Jarrod Cotter

Co-pilot’s starboard side panel (XM594). Jarrod Cotter

Close-up of director horizon (XM594). Jarrod Cotter

Close-up of altimeter (XM594). Located behind the throttle levers facing up are the fuel gauges (XM612). Chris Pearson Jarrod Cotter

Avro Vulcan 75 Ejection seat straps and harnesses (XM594). Jarrod Cotter Martin-Baker ejection seat top pull handle (XM594). Jarrod Cotter

Compared to an in-service military Vulcan’s cockpit, that of the restored XH558 has been simplified and modernised. New instruments include a Bendix-King artificial horizon, LCD compasses and a Garmin GPS. Note that its civilian registration G-VLCN is also displayed. Luigino Caliaro

Comparison photo of XH558’s military cockpit layout. View of the layout of instruments on the higher part of the rear François Prins crew positions (XM594). Jarrod Cotter

76 aviationclassics.co.uk Wide angle view of the rear crew operating compartment of XM612, with the three To gain access to the Vulcan, crews seats visible. These are not ejection seats, and in an emergency the three crew had to firstly climb a folding ladder would have to escape via the entrance door. Chris Pearson attached to the access door. The rear crew would then turn and step up to their compartment, while the two pilots had to climb all the way up the second central ladder to reach the flight deck, then squeeze sideways onto their ejection seats (XM612). Chris Pearson

While the Nav Plotter’s central seat faces rearwards only, the Nav Radar’s (left) and AEO’s (right) seats can be swivelled around (XM612). Chris Pearson

When the Vulcan B1 was designed there was a requirement for traditional bomb aiming, lying prone in a lower compartment below the flight deck using a bomb sight. For the later B2 this position wasn’t equipped as such, but did offer crews with a superb vantage point (XM612). Chris Pearson

General view of the two navigator General view of the Air Electronics With many thanks to Howard Heeley for stations, the Nav Radar at far left and the Officer’s station at far right, with the Nav access to XM594 at the Newark Air Nav Plotter in the middle of the three rear Plotter’s position to his left (XM594). Museum, and to the City of Norwich crew positions (XM594). Jarrod Cotter Jarrod Cotter Aviation Museum for access to XM612.

Avro Vulcan 77 XM594 delivery diary

Howard Heeley documents step-by-step the events that led to Vulcan B2 XM594 landing at Winthorpe airfield on 7 February 1983, ready for delivery to the Newark Air Museum. When it safely touched down, XM594 became the only Vulcan to be flown into a non-licensed airfield in the UK. n early 1982 there was much talk The main point of the letter was that the about a Vulcan being acquired by the Ministry did not consider the facilities on Newark Air Museum and everything Winthorpe airfield suitable to allow a Vulcan Ilooked settled; but the conflict in the to land safely. In short, Newark would not be South Atlantic meant that the aircraft adding a Vulcan to its collection. A letter was were kept in service and indeed some saw immediately sent to the Ministry outlining action in the Falklands. After a fairly busy our case, and asking why, when we had autumn, things looked set for an interesting already received the go-ahead early in 1982, 1983, but on 17 December everyone’s hopes had things suddenly changed; after all, the took a severe tumble with the receipt of a runway hadn’t altered significantly. Over letter from the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Christmas, virtually everyone seemed resigned to the inevitable, ‘No Vulcan for Newark Air Museum’, despite Stuart Stephenson indicating that he was willing to purchase an airframe to display there. 

XM594 caught in an atmospheric scene at the Newark Air Museum during a night photo shoot. All Howard Heeley– Down to Earth Promotions 1983 The New Year brought new hope, when the first light was glimpsed at the end of what soon became a rapidly shortening tunnel. The national press was detailing impending deliveries of Vulcans to a number of other preservation groups, when we received a telephone call which set a new train of events in motion. The RAF crew responsible for delivering the eight Vulcans earmarked for preservation arranged to visit Winthorpe to make an inspection of the runway. They walked the runway to review the situation and this identified some minor problems: • A few holes in the Tarmac surface at the western threshold. • A set of fence posts to be removed. • Removal of the loose grit and stones that covered most of the runway surface. • There was also the need for a 10-knot easterly headwind for the aircraft to land into, but if not, a 10- to 15-knot north- easterly or even a south-easterly would do, but under no circumstances would a westerly wind be acceptable. • The problem of getting the aircraft across Volunteers of all ages turned out to help prepare the runway for the arrival of XM594! to its new home was also identified as a major concern; so much so that the RAF Stephenson if he was still interested in buying THURSDAY 13 JANUARY even suggested delaying the delivery until a Vulcan. He kindly agreed and the cheque A compressor and pneumatic drill were the summer to wait for harder ground. was in the post the same evening. delivered to the airfield and members of the That having been said, they indicated that This is where the fun started! The COMMAC job creation scheme who were they intended to inform MoD that they were problems identified by the RAF were still operating from the museum started to work at prepared to deliver a Vulcan to Winthorpe. there and a considerable amount of work had filling in the numerous holes in the runway From subsequent conversations with the to be completed. However, there was a big with concrete. The Agricultural Society was aircrew, one of the key reasons why the unknown with the delivery date, which could contacted for formal permission to remove the museum should get a Vulcan was their wish have been any time and with minimal notice. fences and to undertake repairs to the runway. to keep a Vulcan in the local area for the The only thing that seemed fairly certain was This was obtained and post removal at the public to have easy access to. that it would be before the end of January. western end of the runway commenced. Even then we had not actually been offered The RAF advised that once the conditions A surveyor from Eve Construction a Vulcan, so everyone was still uncertain of were right, delivery would happen and while arrived at 11am to assess the problem of the position and we only dared hope that an they hoped to give us at least a day’s notice, getting the Vulcan to its new home. Despite offer would be received. This came in a brief this could diminish to a couple of hours if the Vulcan having a wingspan of 111ft, being telephone call on Wednesday 12 January at necessary. Everyone was kept on a relative over 105ft long and weighing approximately about 5pm, when the MoD indicated that they state of alert, but all that could be done on 60 tons, the surveyor advised that they could had changed their view and asked Stuart this aspect of the project was wait. help us. The distance to travel was 68 metres

An area of the Winthorpe runway with holes needed to be cemented before the arrival of the mighty V-bomber to this A road sweeper was hired to clear the loose grit and stones that covered most of non-licensed airfield. the runway surface after years of not being in use.

80 aviationclassics.co.uk Rolls of Trakway – a specially constructed aluminium roadway – was required for the heavy Vulcan to make the journey over the grass to reach its final destination.

over a fairly soft-grassed field, so Eve building to the north of the dispersal pad, SUNDAY 16 JANUARY Construction decided to lay five roads (one while making the angles of turns involved as The sweeper was collected by tractor and for each set of wheels), each 11ft wide. After shallow as possible. With only five men and a brought to the airfield in the morning. The a lot of calculation it was found that a total of track-laying lorry, the roads themselves radio appeals for help had been a great seven rolls of their Trakway product would weighing over 25 tons were laid and picketed success with over 100 volunteers and be required. by 3.30pm. members turning out with brushes to help Trakway is a specially constructed During the late afternoon, the MoD sweep the runway. aluminium roadway and in 1983 each roll cost telephoned to inform us that they had On Saturday the road sweeper had £10,000 to buy new. The hire charge including received the cheque and despite all the uncovered several holes in important parts of delivery and laying was quoted as £2495. At doubts over the potential acquisition, the the runway, so a team of members and that time, this represented a lot of money for Vulcan for Newark had been the first of the volunteers started mixing concrete and filling the museum, but it was the only way to get a batch to be paid for! Following a visit to in these critical positions. Various newspapers Vulcan onto the dispersal pad safely. The Waddington by Stuart Stephenson, he and radio stations covered the ‘sweep-in’ and decision to go ahead was given with the was advised that the serial number of the the whole day was a great success with an delivery date set for Monday 17 January. aircraft was XM594 and that the MoD had estimated 20 tons of gravel being moved off Details of our impending acquisition were also sent a signal releasing the aircraft for the runway. At the end of the day it was issued to various TV/radio stations and also delivery to Winthorpe. thought that the Vulcan could now land safely all of the newspapers covering our area. The Throughout Thursday and Friday, much and everyone headed for home, many with ambulance and fire services were both hard work had also been undertaken trying aching backs and covered in dust. contacted and they agreed to assist us. Also to contact companies for assistance with the police were approached and discussions locating a road sweeper for the runway. SUNDAY 23 JANUARY were held with several high-ranking officers Several possibilities were looked into with no Squadron Leader Neil McDougall, the pilot before they consented to close the A46 success. One sweeper was found at a cost of who was delivering the Vulcan, visited the during the delivery phase. The Ministry of £17 per hour, but this was thought to be too museum. He had come to inspect the work Transport, who also had to be contacted for expensive. After further searching, a we had been doing on the runway and their consent to the intended road closure, company in Grantham offered a sweeper for roadway to the dispersal. Much to everyone’s later ratified this decision. A phone call on £10 per hour (this was finally negotiated at relief, he was completely satisfied with all of Thursday evening from Eve Construction 6.30pm on the Friday evening). the work and arrangements that had been informed us that they would now be starting undertaken. Now all that remained was the work the following morning. SATURDAY 15 JANUARY right weather conditions. At 8am the sweeper started work on the Waiting! Despite the fact that the required FRIDAY 14 JANUARY western end of the runway. By midday it was easterly wind was the normal prevailing wind The Eve Construction team arrived with a obvious that only half of the runway would be at Winthorpe, during the winter throughout lorry containing five rolls of Trakway cleared; the sweeper was only available for the rest of January we were waiting for accompanied by their track-laying lorry Saturday so more desperate measures had to favourable wind and weather conditions. carrying a further two rolls. A tractor was be thought up. Long-range reports from the Met Office borrowed from the showground and this was How about asking for volunteers? The suggested a suitable change in conditions by used to clear a large amount of soil that was local radio stations were contacted again and Friday 4 February. in the way of the roadway. The COMMAC asked to issue an appeal on our behalf. In The 4th duly arrived, but with a fresh team also started to take down the fencing in addition, some frantic phone calls were made westerly blowing, so definitely a no go! the area of the eastern end of the runway. to try and locate another sweeper. Eventually Saturday 5 February became a possibility, as Great care was taken in positioning the the Hemelite Block-producing company the wind was expected to veer to the north- Trakway so as to give the Vulcan maximum offered us the free use of a towed road east, but as usual the weather forecast was clearance from the fences and the incinerator sweeper brush. wrong and we still had a westerly wind. 

Avro Vulcan 81 SUNDAY 6 FEBRUARY already at the airfield (over 50 cars full) were Once the water had been successfully This became the strong favourite as the ‘Met told that if the Vulcan was coming it would be removed, the COMMAC supervisors and Men’ were convinced the wind would move at least 12.50pm before it would arrive. Many workers were gathered together and briefed to the north-east. Such was their conviction, people left the airfield to try and get warm on their positions for securing the entrances many museum members were notified and and some to return to work. to the airfield and the main show ring area they came along. The wind did veer to a 11.00am Squadron Leader McDougall next to the runway. Other members were heading of 020, but it unfortunately grew in arrived at Winthorpe and inspected the positioned at the entrance to the airfield and strength to near gale force. This was runway. A large puddle of rainwater near the on the taxiways to guide people to safe unacceptable, so once again the arrival was runway intersection was noted as being in a vantage points. postponed for at least 24 hours. critical position, which had to be removed. The various members of the press were Other than this, everything was satisfactory briefed as to the best and safest vantage MONDAY 7 FEBRUARY for a landing to be attempted. points to watch the landing from. A message The wind had died down somewhat and 11.15am Squadron Leader McDougall said was received from the Waddington Ops stayed in the north-east; could this be the that he was prepared to bring XM594 to Room that the arrival time would now be day? Outside it was snowing but thankfully Winthorpe, but because the wind was not 1.30pm. Excitement started to grow when we not settling. within the limits set by the RAF, the decision learnt that both the police and fire services 8.30am A call was made to Waddington to was left to the Station Commander at had also been independently notified of this check on the situation. XM594 had been Waddington. The only problem was that he time change. scheduled to depart from Waddington at was visiting BAE Bitteswell by road and 12.50pm The ground crew arrived from 10.30am, but Waddington was completely could not be contacted until his arrival there Waddington and they were briefed as to the snowed in and the snowploughs were which was not expected until 12.15pm. routing and positioning of the Vulcan once on working to clear the runways. However, Squadron Leader McDougall advised that the ground. The delay in the arrival allowed Squadron Leader McDougall was not at he would return to Waddington to prepare more time for the security of the runway to Waddington but possibly at his new posting XM594 for flight and wait for the Station be checked. By now several hundred cars at RAF Bawtry. Commander’s decision. If everything went had arrived and it was decided to stop further 9.00am Another call to Waddington Ops according to plan and he was happy with the vehicles from entering the live section of the confirmed the earlier information. The weather conditions, then XM594 would airfield. New arrivals were directed to the museum volunteers were now also receiving depart for Newark at 12.30pm. We were still showground. Yet another message arrived constant enquiries about the Vulcan delivery. left in the position of not knowing whether advising that the Vulcan would now be 9.50am Heavy snow had started falling and the Vulcan was coming and if it was we would overhead the field at 1.15pm, the arrival settling at Newark. Fortunately this only maybe only have 25 minutes notification. being brought forward because of worsening lasted for five minutes, after which it started The museum trustees talked through the weather conditions at Waddington. to melt – still no change at Waddington! options and decided to set everything in 1.10pm Just enough time for another check 10.00am Another call to Waddington Ops motion again and apologise later if it turned of the arrangements around the airfield. confirmed that their runway was now clear out to be a false . A team of volunteers Everything was OK! and the base had become operational. XM594 was organised to sweep away the water on 1.15pm The noise of jet engines could be was still scheduled for a 10.30am departure, the runway. Once this was under way, heard and hundreds of eyes scanned the sky. albeit that there was still no crew! notification was made to the emergency There was considerable cloud cover with the 10.15am Squadron Leader McDougall had services etc. A message from Waddington base around 1300ft. Suddenly XM594 arrived at Waddington and had decided to soon confirmed that the Station Commander appeared to the south of the airfield in a come to Newark by road to check the runway, had approved the conditions at Newark and small gap in the clouds at around 2330ft and thus delaying the delivery. All the press, TV that the Vulcan would be arriving at immediately disappeared behind the clouds. and radio informed of the delay. Those people approximately 12.40pm. A descending turn to the right brought her

XM594 arrives overhead Winthorpe airfield. Wheels fully down The ‘ops’ board for XM594’s final flight for ready to land. delivery to the Newark Air Museum was also donated and quickly went on display. into view again. Continuing the descent and turn, Neil McDougall positioned XM594 for a surveillance approach across the runway. Levelling out at approximately 200ft, he performed a wheels-up pass over the airfield. Halfway down the runway he opened the throttles and instigated a left turn climbing to 1000ft – the roar of the engines completely drowned out the clicking of hundreds of cameras. A left turn, over Winthorpe village and the aircraft was downwind. The undercarriage was lowered as she turned on to finals; everyone watched spellbound, down to 100ft and then the throttles were opened again for an overshoot. This was not due to any problems, but was just for the crowd to While the Vulcan carefully made its way over the Trakway sections, a snowstorm enjoy the last few flying minutes of XM594.  howled around the airfield.

Safely down, the brake chute was deployed to bring the huge Vulcan to a safe speed in good time on the relatively short runway. TOUCH DOWN As the aircraft once again turned downwind, many people could see the cloud thickening from the north-east. Turning finals way out over the Newark Sugar Beet Factory, everyone could see the Delta against the scurrying clouds. Lower and lower she dropped as everyone held their breath, then the V-bomber touched down onto the runway right at its threshold. The drogue chute was deployed and blossomed into a beautiful white halo behind the aircraft. The Vulcan steadily pulled up and stopped after only 2300ft of runway had been used. The crowd went wild cheering and applauding. The drogue chute was released and XM594 taxied slowly to the end of the runway. Almost immediately the aircraft and spectators were engulfed by snow. Squadron Leader McDougall had just beaten a blizzard to the field. He later said the snow had After a great deal of effort, Newark Air Museum’s new exhibit for 1983 was finally in place. started as he departed from Waddington and he had literally raced it to Newark. This was Nearly full power was needed to start the licensed airfield in the UK. Around 7000 to the reason for not displaying the aircraft over Vulcan moving again, but she quickly 8000ft is the normal runway length for a the field for longer. His timing and judgment transited the Trakway section with the Vulcan to land on, with 6000ft being had been impeccable and we had a lot to ground crew having to run to keep up with considered short. Pilots also normally thank him for. the aircraft. At the end of the Trakway, required special instruction on short field The ground crew soon connected their XM594 turned right and was skilfully parked landings before being allowed to make communication systems to the aircraft and in her final resting place. The engines were such arrivals. directed the steering from under the aircraft. closed down for the last time and the snow The aircraft was officially handed to Stuart Everything was proceeding correctly when quickly covered her tracks on the taxiway. Stephenson with dozens of photographers the Vulcan stopped as it turned on to the In the end, the whole event was over in just and autograph hunters in attendance to Trakway. A very slight misjudgment had put 30 minutes – the runway had stood up to the record and mark the handover. To honour the port main wheel bogie on track for a heap landing better than anyone expected, no one the occasion, a special ‘thank you’ party was of soil, just to the edge of the taxiway. was injured and no damage was done to held at the Lord Nelson public house in Five shovels were quickly found and about property or the aircraft. Squadron Leader Winthorpe village on Friday 11 February. To eight volunteers took turns to shovel the soil McDougall had successfully landed the first this, the crew and their wives were invited away. The noise from the engines above was jet and heaviest aircraft to arrive at Winthorpe, along with many of the people and beyond description and it was with great on a runway that had not been used officially organisations that had contributed equipment relief when the volunteers finally cleared the for over 30 years. In so doing, XM594 became and assistance in the preparations for the path for the wheels. the only Vulcan to be delivered into a non- Vulcan to arrive at Newark Air Museum. 

The aircrew who flew the Vulcan to Winthorpe pose with its new owners. Stuart Stephenson is standing in front of the crew access door.

84 aviationclassics.co.uk TRIBUTE TO THE V-FORCE

Newark Air Museum’s first ‘Tribute to the V-Force’ event was staged in 2004 in Two Avro bombers of conjunction with a team of former RAF different generations, officers. A similar event was organised as the Battle of Britain again in April 2010 with the stated aim of Memorial Flight’s bringing together as many former aircrew Lancaster I PA474 flies and ground support staff as possible that over the Newark flew or serviced Valiants,Victors and Air Museum. Vulcans. The aim was achieved magnificently with nearly 1000 people attending over the two days. The two-day event was open to the public and it featured a lot of visiting displays. These included aircraft parts, equipment, clothing and photographs relating to these iconic V-Force aircraft and the crews that operated them, plus a daily lecture on Air-to-Air Refuelling in the South Atlantic during Black Buck 1. Several individual crews used the event for ‘mini-reunions’, including the ex-50 Squadron crew who were based at RAF Waddington 30 years ago and who formed the Vulcan Display Team; they were photographed in front of XM594, which is displayed at Newark. The event drew a lot of positive feedback and preliminary plans were quickly formulated for a third ‘Tribute to the V-Force’ event, which will hopefully take place in the coming years. As a result of being displayed at the event, a selection of airframe panels recovered from a variety of V-bomber aircraft will form a central part of a new display at the museum. These panels are part of a significant private collection that has been loaned to the museum. The most significant items will be carefully weighed before being mounted on the hangar walls and interpretation displays will be prepared to record the individual histories of the panels and the aircraft they originated from.

Newark Air Museum, Drove Lane, Winthorpe, Newark, Notts, NG24 2NY Tel: 01636 707170 Email: [email protected] Website: www.newarkairmuseum.org

Avro Vulcan 85 National Cold War Exhibition A glimpse inside the superb collection at the RAF Museum Cosford, which is the only place in the world where all three types of the V-Force can be seen together.

ollowing almost six years of influence but to a very high and in some cases missiles, acting as a potent nuclear deterrent. devastating conflict, World War increasing measure of control from Moscow. Opened in February 2007, the RAF Two was ended in August 1945 “The safety of the world, ladies and Museum Cosford’s National Cold War when mankind demonstrated gentlemen, requires a unity in Europe, from Exhibition highlights the military strength of that it had the ability to obliterate which no nation should be permanently both sides, and because the story of the Cold itselfF when the first atomic bombs were outcast. It is from the quarrels of the strong War is so much wider than aviation alone, it dropped on Japan by Boeing B-29 parent races in Europe that the world wars also includes information and displays on the Superfortresses. However, a new conflict was we have witnessed, or which occurred in social history of the era, technological about to begin centred around such former times, have sprung.” achievements and the dissolution of the devastating weapons, and one which would There then followed over 40 years where Warsaw Pact. last for more than four decades. the East and West stood either side of an This recently constructed exhibition aims In his famous ‘Iron Curtain’ speech of ideological divide. Throughout this incredibly to educate present and future generations 5 March 1946, commented: tense period in history there was the about the immense threat posed to world “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the potential prospect of a nuclear holocaust peace. It includes 19 aircraft exhibits plus Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across where both sides had the capability to missiles and, as an example showing the social the Continent. Behind that line lie all the destroy each other with mass devastation in a and industrial aspect, vehicles of the era. Part capitals of the ancient states of Central and short period of time. of the educational features of the exhibition Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, That was the Cold War, and throughout it includes interactive kiosks which give visitors Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and military personnel and equipment were stood a chance to see what life was like behind the Sofia; all these famous cities and the at constant readiness. A significant part of restrictions of the ‘Iron Curtain’.  populations around them lie in what I must that readiness capability on the British side call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject, in during the early years of the Cold War was With many thanks to Royal Air Force Museum one form or another, not only to Soviet the Royal Air Force’s V-Force and ‘Thor’ Cosford Marketing Manager Karen Crick.

Two classic Cold War RAF jets, as Lightning XG337 forms a great backdrop to the nose of XM598 in typical Lightning pose – going vertical! Cosford’s National Cold War Exhibition is housed in a stunning piece of modern Clive Rowley architecture, seen here with Lockheed SP-2H Neptune 204 in the foreground.

86 aviationclassics.co.uk One of the three former V-Force types on display in the National Cold War Exhibition at Cosford is Vulcan B2 XM598. All RAF Museum Cosford unless noted

RAF MUSEUM COSFORD INFORMATION

Admission to the RAF Museum Cosford in the West Midlands is free, though a small car parking charge is now made. On display are 70 aircraft located in the War Planes, Missiles, Transport & Training, Research & Development collections and the National Cold War Exhibition depending on their relevance to each theme. RAF Museum Cosford, Shifnal, Shropshire TF11 8UP. Tel: 01902 376 200 (General Enquiries) Email: [email protected] For full opening times and further information visit the museum’s website: www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford

The Handley Page Victor was initially part of the V-Force bomber fleet, and although withdrawn from the bombing role in 1968, later conversion to tanker configuration RAF MUSEUM saw it remain in RAF service right up until 1993 having served in the Falklands and LONDON’S VULCAN the first . Cosford’s example is K2 XH672. The RAF Museum has another Vulcan on display at its London, Hendon, site. Located in the Bomber Hall is B2 XL318, seen on display with 21 1000lb bombs arranged under its forward fuselage. Jarrod Cotter

First of the V-Force aircraft was the Representing the West German motor Vickers Valiant B1, represented here vehicle industry is an example of the by XD818. iconic VW Beetle.

Avro Vulcan 87

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Wing Commander JA ‘Robby’ Robinson RAF (Ret’d) describes the Vulcan in its final role, the K2 tanker.

he Falklands conflict made great demands on the tanker force. A typical Nimrod sortie required six Victor tankers and attacks such as the ‘Black Buck’ Vulcan raidT needed even more. The whole of the Victor force was in Ascension and was being augmented by C-130 Hercules that had been converted to the tanker role by Marshalls of Cambridge. Marshalls had done a superb job in a very short time, but the Hercules was only suitable as a tanker for the slower aircraft. Of course, back at home, the RAF still had to fulfil its NATO commitments which required tankers to support the Tornado squadrons. The VC-10 tankers had yet to enter service and there was no way to bring this forward. However, the Hose Drum Units A Vulcan tanker with Hercules XV201 as ‘trade’ on 31 July 1982. (HDUs) for the VC-10s were in store awaiting fitment and were thus available for use. What empty as the ECM gear that used to be in it Alan Clegg, our Chief Designer Military, the RAF did have was a surplus of Vulcans had been superceded by smaller equipment was given the task of designing the housing that were due to be phased out in 1983. The fitted elsewhere, but the wiring for power and quickly sketched an inelegant piece of kit famous telephone went again and we were supplies for the equipment was still in place. that immediately became known as the asked if it was feasible to make these aircraft It would be necessary to pipe fuel to the ‘Council Skip’. Alan was a charming but into tankers. Another crash programme on HDU but this was relatively simple, using the forceful northern man who bullied and top of that of the Nimrod was instituted. This already standard bomb bay overload tank as a pushed all around him. He was ideal for the one would take two and a half months. collector tank for the whole fuel system. The task. His council skip was made of angle iron The first phase of the programme was to main difficulty was to design and fit a housing and sheet aluminium. It had a moveable survey a Vulcan to see what areas of the for the drogue. The drogue on the end of the at the front to control the airflow and the airframe we could use to house the HDU. hose is the receptacle into which the pilot of traffic lights, red, amber and green, were Luckily, we had a static Vulcan of our own at the receiver aircraft pushes his probe to positioned either side of the rear aperture. Woodford, which enabled us to carry out a obtain his fuel. This needs to be housed in the The size of the throat in the skip was thorough survey and it was concluded that tanker aircraft in such a way as to control the critical and was arrived at empirically by the ECM (Electronic Counter Measures) airflow around it to let the drogue be blown carving large blocks of expanded foam into bulge on the fuselage tail was just large out of the housing when required. Once clear suitable shapes and sticking them to the enough to house an HDU. This bulge was of the housing, the airflow would continue to sides by double-sided tape. After each test drag the hose out against a brake to control flight these blocks would be modified, often the speed of its extension. There was also a with Alan’s penknife, and we would try again. need to provide traffic lights to signal to the I have an abiding memory of Alan in the receiver when he is clear to prod and when he middle of the night taking his ties off, must withdraw. I am sorry to have to explain measuring the throat with it and then the procedure in such sexy terms, but the running round the hangar calling for a tape truth is that it is all rather sexy. measure to check the size.

Vulcan B2(K) XH560 with ‘skip’ prominent at the rear of its fuselage. All Time Line Images Close-up of the ‘skip’ of a Vulcan K2.

REACQUAINTED WITH THE VULCAN I had not flown a Vulcan since 1963 and then only two or three times at Boscombe Down. We were lucky to have Al McDicken and Harry Nelson on the staff who were both ex-Vulcan Captains. However, I was determined not to miss this chance of renewing my acquaintanceship with this great aircraft. On 17 May, I flew the company Pup to RAF Waddington and underwent Vulcan simulator training, just four hours in the box and lucky to get it. I had to wait until 15 June before I was allowed to get my hands on an aircraft when Harry Nelson and I collected Vulcan B2 XH560 from Waddington and flew it to Woodford for modification. On 18 June, Al and I flew XH561 on the first flight of a Vulcan tanker. The flight was not completely successful as we had a power control failure due to my finger trouble, and Al had to land it with only partial control. He did this with great skill and we only suffered a scrape of the skip that was soon repaired. The aircraft was turned round and after repairs we flew it again that afternoon. On 22 June, I sat beside Johnny Cruse in Nimrod XV229 as he carried out the first flight-refuelling sortie against a Vulcan tanker. It was a complete success. It was agreed by all that the Vulcan made a superb tanker. The airflow behind it was smooth and the hose completely steady. On 13 July, I flew 229 with Wing Commander Ian Strachan, the boss of B Squadron Boscombe Down and an old student of mine, as he assessed the Vulcan’s suitability for service as a tanker. The first sortie was by day and we flew again to assess the night suitability some time near midnight on the same day. The aircraft passed with flying colours.  The refuelling equipment being installed on a Vulcan.

Avro Vulcan 91 XH560 with its hose deployed ready to accept ‘trade’.

LINING UP The markings under the Vulcan and the night lighting threw up some interesting aspects. I was asked to suggest what was necessary to provide markings to guide the receiver pilots. All tankers have such markings that indicate to a pilot when he is lined up with the drogue and to show the correct angle of approach. I quickly sketched how this could be done; a straight red line outlined in white ran up the centre of the skip and continued along the rear of the aircraft’s fuselage, and this provided line-up. Another similar line was drawn across the skip and when the receiver was approaching at the correct angle, this line joined up with two similar lines, one on each wing trailing edge. This all proved to be excellent in practice but the design process had its ridiculous side. Passers-by were highly amused by the sight of a group of middle-aged men in their business suits lying on the ground under the aircraft arguing about the correct placement of the lines. Night lighting involved a similar scenario. Good close-up of the Vulcan K2’s ‘skip’. Floodlights were set into either side of the

K2 XH560 about to refuel another Vulcan, XL426. XH560 refuelling an RAF SEPECAT Jaguar of 54 Squadron.

skip and these illuminated a white painted area under the trailing edge of each wing. It XH561 with its hose and drogue was necessary to see how effective this was deployed on the ground. on the ground before we involved a receiver aircraft in an airborne trial. One must remember that all this was being done in high summer and it was only truly dark after midnight. Also the lighting on the surrounding roads lit up the sky and made true blackness impossible. A telephone call was made to the local council and wartime necessity was quoted to ask them to turn off the street lights in the district. They co-operated readily and so the same group of middle-aged men was seen to be lying under the aircraft again as the floodlights and traffic lights were tried out and adjusted. The verdict of the RAF pilots who eventually flew behind the Vulcan tanker was that the markings and the lighting were the best of all the tankers. 

Reproduced with kind permission from the book Avro One, published in 2005 by Old Forge Publishing.

VULCAN TANKER FLEET

The Avro Vulcan B2(K), also known as the K2, only served with 50 Squadron at RAF Waddington from June 1982. Six airframes were converted to tanker status, namely XH558, XH560, XH561, XJ825, XL445 and XM575. Their main task was to ease the strain on the Victor tanker fleet following the liberation of the in June 1982. A continuous air bridge had been operating carrying supplies via Ascension Island and any additional tanker would make this task slightly easier for the busy Victor crews. The planned VC-10 tankers were still a couple of years away, so the arrival of these six Vulcans made a small but important contribution. By the time the RAF’s final Vulcan unit was disbanded on 31 March 1984, 50 Squadron had achieved over 3000 flying hours, mainly flying the South Atlantic runs.

Avro Vulcan 93 Vulcan Furnace No doubt those who selected the name for Avro’s Delta-wing bomber were thinking in terms of it dispensing flaming destruction elsewhere, but on 6 April 1967 the Roman god of fire struck rather too close to home for comfort. Robert Owen, official historian of the 617 Squadron Aircrew Association, tells the story.

n April 1967 RAF Scampton in were to be carrying an additional passenger, Lincolnshire was home to some 2000 17-year-old Cadet Sergeant Christopher RAF personnel, with a flying force of Woodman, of the Combined Cadet Force from three Vulcan squadrons – Nos.27, 83 Trinity College, Glenalmond, Perthshire, who and 617. The station had introduced was currently undertaking a Star Camp at theI Blue Steel missile into service in 1963, Scampton. For Cadet Woodman, who had and by this time was well versed in operating already won an RAF scholarship and was this sophisticated, if somewhat waiting to enter the RAF College Cranwell, temperamental, weapon. Lincolnshire, for pilot training that coming During the previous month, command of October, this would be his first experience of 617 Squadron had transferred to Wing flying in a Service jet. Bill ensured that Cadet Commander Robert Allen and the unit’s crews Woodman carried out full escape training in were settling down to the new regime. Among Scampton’s crew trainer and checked that his them was 31-year-old Flight Lieutenant Bill father had signed the necessary certificate of Taylor who had previously served as a rating indemnity, permitting his son to fly in a in the Royal Navy (with a period on board the Service aircraft. No.617’s Flight Commander, HM Yacht Britannia in 1955/56) before being navigator Squadron Leader Paul Newsome, commissioned in the . After also confirmed these actions and authorised leaving the Senior Service in 1958, he had the flight to take place. spent a brief period with the North Rhodesian The Scampton Wing comprised an Police Force before joining the RAF in 1961. establishment of 24 Vulcan B2s, 13 fitted with His first acquaintance with the Vulcan was Olympus 201 series engines and 11 with the with 230 Operational Conversion Unit at RAF more powerful 301 series. One of the latter Finningley, Yorkshire, in May 1963 and was was XL385. Originally built with Olympus followed five months later 201s it had been delivered to by a posting to Scampton. “SCAMPTON 8-5 ON IX Squadron at RAF Close-up of one of XL385’s After two and a half years Coningsby, Lincs, in April destroyed engines. as a co-pilot with 27 FIRE. ALL BUTTONS 1962. On 1 October 1963, it Squadron, passing the PRESSED. ABANDONING had returned to Woodford for permitting pre-flight programming of Intermediate Captaincy conversion to the Blue Steel apparent faults. They were also fitted with hot Course in July 1965, he AIRCRAFT.” role. This involved air control elements and a fire warning and had returned to modifications to the wing extinguishing system. Finningley in May 1966 for full captaincy spars passing through the bomb bay, While a number of training sorties were training on No.70 Vulcan Mk.2 Course. His swapping the bomb doors for a fairing to undertaken flying ‘wet’ operational rounds first flight as a solo captain took place on 27 accommodate the upper surface of the missile (with a dummy rather than nuclear warhead July, piloting the famous XH558. and replacement of the engines with Olympus pod), to simplify preparation for training Conversion complete, on 1 September 1966 301s, together with the installation of ECM sorties and also preserve the operational Bill and his crew, co-pilot Flying Officer Dick plates between both pairs of engines, in flight missiles’ fatigue life, most of the flying was Fenn, Nav Plotter Flight Lieutenant Brian refuelling probe and other ancillary undertaken using training rounds. For Flight Lewis, Nav Radar Flying Officer Rodney equipment. After a year’s major surgery, and Lieutenant Taylor’s planned routine high Richards and AEO Flying Officer Keith Carr- its former overall white ‘anti-flash’ scheme level Blue Steel training sortie XL385 had Glynn, were posted to 617 Squadron, almost now replaced by grey-green upper surface been prepared and loaded with Blue Steel immediately being attached on the four-day camouflage, XL385 was returned to service W103A training round No.T8. Blue Steel course at Lindholme, Yorks. Fully and delivered to Scampton on 9 October 1964. briefed on their new weapon they returned to Scampton had 28 operational Blue Steel RETURNED FROM MAINTENANCE the squadron. Six months later Bill had earned rounds and nine training rounds. The former To date XL385 had flown 1529 hours, 73 of a ‘White’ rating and his ‘Combat’ classified were ‘wet’ rounds containing the Stentor these since its last check. It was relatively fresh crew were well established and respected, propulsion system fuelled by High Test from significant maintenance, having been being one of four selected to represent the Peroxide (HTP) and Kerosene. The training declared Cat 3R on 1 March 1967, returning to squadron in the annual Bomber Command rounds, Avro designation W103A, were the Scampton Wing strength on 31 March after bombing and navigation competition. constructed of light alloy rather than the remedial work by 60 Maintenance Unit, stainless steel of operational weapons, with including a No.4 engine replacement. On 3 ROUTINE TRAINING no engine, propulsion system or controls. April, during a training flight flown by Flight WITH A CADET PASSENGER Weighing 16,000lb, they contained a Lieutenant Keith Walters and crew, the jet pipe During the morning of Thursday 6 April 1967, hydraulically driven electrical power unit temperature of No.1 engine had been indicating Bill and his crew began preparations for a (EPU), inertial navigator plus a simulator to 50 degrees Centigrade higher than the routine Blue Steel training sortie scheduled give the aircraft the same functional remainder at 95% power. A reduction of power for late that evening. On this occasion they indicators as the complete Blue Steel and still resulted in relatively higher temperature

94 aviationclassics.co.uk Vulcan B2 with Blue Steel nuclear stand- off missile fitted. Time Line Images readings. The engine had been reduced to runway’s extension when Scampton had been idling power and the aircraft returned to base. remodelled to accommodate the Vulcan some Once in the circuit the engine was shut down, 12 years earlier – the old and the new road and the aircraft landed safely, despite the added plans providing the inspiration for Scampton’s complication of an apparent failure of the station badge. rudder-powered flying control unit, suggested It was now dark as XL385 reached the by a faulty warning light. south-western section of the perimeter track On examination no fault could be found and halted ready for final checks before, with the No.1 engine, and further investigation “Foxtrot 8-5, you’re clear to line up. Surface uncovered that a fault had caused a spurious wind 020 magnetic at 14 knots.” XL385 turned JPT reading. Accordingly the aircraft was onto the end of the runway. With clearance again declared serviceable and on 5 April obtained for take-off with normal climb out, the XL385’s burnt remains highlighting the Flight Lieutenant Ian Junor had flown it on a throttles were opened to 80% against the intensity of the inferno. All via Bill Taylor trouble-free five and a half hour training sortie. brakes. All instruments reading normal, JPTs unless noted showing 500 degrees, the brakes were ‘FOXTROT 8-5’ released and the throttles advanced to full rpm. there aren’t,” replied the co-pilot followed In the late dusk of 6 April, under a leaden sky At 21:00hrs Dick Fenn called “Rolling”, but immediately by the captain’s announcement and with slight rain falling, Bill Taylor and his barely had they begun to move when, after only that the aircraft was on fire and the co-pilot’s crew went out to ‘F’ dispersal to board XL385, about two seconds, a loud double explosion R/T call to this effect. callsign ‘Foxtrot November Whisky 8-5’. At shook the aircraft. A scan of the instrumentation 20:20 a Palouste air starter was used to start showed the rpm of Nos.1 and 2 engines RAPID EXIT No.1 engine that would supply air to the Blue unwinding in unison and the of both Flying Officer Richards immediately left his Steel for Flight Lieutenant Lewis to align the engines came off line, though there was no fire seat. Passing Cadet Woodman and telling him missile’s guidance system. By 20% indicated warning. Taking immediate action Bill Taylor to follow, he opened the cabin door and made rpm the engine start light had not extinguished cut the failing port engines and operated their him exit the aircraft while trying to undo his and this was cancelled by switching off the fire extinguishers, then called “Aborting” as oxygen connection. He failed to do so and the engine master switch, thereby proving the he brought the aircraft to a rapid halt using lead swung him onto his back across the door. system fit for flight. Twenty minutes later the the foot brakes. Realising that the port wing Taking his weight off the oxygen tube he Palouste was used to start the other three was on fire he warned the crew and ordered disconnected it and found himself on his feet engines and the crew ran through the them to abandon aircraft. Nos.3 and 4 engines beneath the aircraft. Looking around he saw remainder of their pre-taxi checks. All systems were closed down and their fire extinguishers the underside of the port wing a mass of indicated normal with JPTs at 475 degrees C. operated as a precaution, while Dick Fenn flames and told Cadet Woodman to run upwind The dispersal was cleared of ground informed Local Air Traffic Control of the away from the fire. Unfortunately the latter had equipment and after a short delay permission situation: “Scampton 8-5 on fire. All buttons omitted to disconnect his parachute static line was given for ‘Foxtrot 8-5’ to taxi to the pressed. Abandoning aircraft.” and his chute partially deployed as he ran from marshalling point for Runway 05. The brakes As the aircraft began to roll, the navigators, the aircraft. Richards caught up with him were released and with engines idling XL385 Flying Officer Richards and Flight Lieutenant telling him to pick it up and continue running. began to move slowly forward from its Lewis, both heard muffled bangs, “as if a tyre This he did: “All I wanted to do was get as far dispersal. With a strong northerly wind had burst” – a view reinforced by a lurch to away as possible from the aeroplane as fast as I gusting to 30 knots, take-off was to be towards port. They heard Bill Taylor’s immediate call could.” Flying Officer Richards then waited for the A15, the old Roman Ermine Street whose that two engines had gone, confirmed by the the four other crew members to exit before course had been diverted to permit the AEO. “Any fire warning lights?” asked Bill. “No continuing upwind for a safe distance. 

Avro Vulcan 95 Dick Fenn had notified ATC that they were on fire, but after receiving no reply, called again and replaced the safety pin in the face blind handle of his ejection seat. Releasing his harness, dinghy lanyard and personal equipment connector, he got up, squeezing between the pilot’s seats. As he did so, he noticed either a wing or bomb bay fuel fire warning light ignite. Finding that the ladder providing access to the cockpit had been slid to port ready for take-off, he got one foot onto a rung and jumped down into the well. Moving the ladder to its correct position he then slid down the open exit door (its ladder also having been stowed for take-off). Landing on the runway he found a fierce fire blazing near the port undercarriage leg, burning fuel on the runway and flames licking along the underside of the port wing. It looked as though the underside of the wing had been torn, allowing fuel to escape. Seeing other crew members running upwind, he followed in hot pursuit. The crew of XL385 formed part of No.51 Blue Steel Course. Keith Carr-Glynn had been watching the electrical control panel as full power was seats were still ‘live’. The crew made their burned the hair off the back of Sub-Officer applied. There were two muffled explosions way some 50 yards upwind of the burning Draper’s hands as he approached. and immediately No.1 ‘A’ breaker aircraft and sat on the grass, watching events After a short while, Station Officer John light illuminated, followed instantly by No.2. unfold. Meanwhile another 617 Squadron Russell from Lincoln took over control of Switching off both failed alternators as the crew captained by Flight Lieutenant Don operations until the arrival of the Deputy captain confirmed “Fire” he continued to Exley airborne on a Blue Steel high-level Chief Fire Officer of Lindsey, Eric Whittaker, switch off Nos.3 and 4 alternators, sortie in XL425 was diverted and instructed to who was assisted by Divisional Officer Clark simultaneously transferring all electrical loads return to Waddington. and Station Officer Russell of Lincoln. to the Auxiliary Air Power Pack (AAPP), Eventually eight civilian appliances were in which was already running, thus permitting CIVILIAN HELP attendance as well as water tenders from the co-pilot to make his emergency calls. Then After take-off approval, the Runway Saxilby, Market Rasen and Kirton-in-Lindsey, closing down the AAPP he kept the battery Controller, Corporal James Carnegie, in the together with a pump escape and water switched on to provide lighting for the rear control caravan to the north of the runway tender from Gainsborough, which joined crew to leave. After shouting “Has everybody threshold, had heard two loud bangs and Scampton’s fire crews. At 21:33 Waddington gone?” and receiving no reply he switched the seen a sheet of flame appear from beneath the was asked to send all available foam trucks. battery off and left the aircraft. The three rear port wing outboard of the undercarriage, All told, 100 firemen were fighting the crew, cadet passenger and co-pilot, had all left followed by what appeared to be fuel pouring blazing aircraft. Despite their efforts, the the burning aircraft within 30 seconds. out of a burst tank or pipe. Receipt of Dick blaze could not be contained. Each time they Last to leave was Bill Taylor, pausing to Fenn’s message and visual observation by the appeared to be winning the battle, the fire switch off all systems and ensuring all HP and airfield controller triggered crash action; would flare up again as fresh fuel ignited. LP cocks were closed, again operating the fire Scampton’s emergency services sprang into The port undercarriage had collapsed and extinguishers before making good his exit, action and the Lincoln Fire Brigade was also the aircraft canted onto its port wing. The leaving the parking brake off. It was not a alerted. The station’s fire and ambulance aircraft had been fuelled with AVTUR to 98% moment too soon. The entire port wing was crews were at the scene within three minutes, main tankage and after about an hour the fire now ablaze, burning fuel from ruptured tanks but already the aircraft was well ablaze. reached the 1430 gallons of fuel contained in lying on the ground and spreading under the Two hundred pounds of dry powder the additional A and E tanks in the bomb bay, nose of the aircraft, singeing his helmet and extinguisher was immediately discharged onto which exploded. The wing root gave way and flying boots as he vacated the entrance hatch. the source of the fire. Fed by water from dual the Blue Steel fell onto the runway in a Immediately making contact with the purpose tenders, Scampton’s Mark 5 and 6 shower of sparks. Now nothing could be emergency services he used their R/T to foam tenders attacked the fire burning in the done to save the main section of the aircraft. inform Air Traffic Control that the entire crew lower port wing and port undercarriage, but At 21:50 crash crews were again advised by had evacuated the aircraft safely and without the foam tenders only carried sufficient radio that the ejection seats were ‘live’ and that injury (although in the confusion it was not foaming agent for two and a half minutes’ nobody was to enter the cabin. Efforts were noted that the aircraft had been carrying a six operation and a delay in collecting additional then concentrated on cooling the cockpit area man crew). He also informed Sergeant Sidney supplies allowed the fire to take an even to prevent the detonation of the seat cartridges. Hadaway of the RAF fire crew that the ejection greater hold. Further assistance was requested As the conflagration spread rapidly to the from neighbouring civilian fire services. starboard wing, the starboard undercarriage The first of these to arrive at 21:20 were a collapsed and the nose compartment broke water tender and an emergency tender from away near the rear bulkhead. Lincoln City Fire Brigade, under the Despite the arrival of a further tender from command of Sub-Officer Thomas Draper, Waddington, two more from Binbrook and a along with a water tender with its crew of six foam vehicle from Finningley, it would take belonging to a unit of the Auxiliary Fire nearly two and a half hours to bring the fire Service who fortuitously had been training at satisfactorily under control. At 22:44 Warrant Lincoln Fire Station. On reaching the aircraft Officer Woods of Scampton Fire Section they found it an inferno with debris and reported that the fire was nearly out, although A scene from the night of 6 April 1967 as burning fuel being scattered about by minor some parts of the wreckage would continue to a firefighter approached the nose of explosions and blazing fuel all over the burn until dawn. By 23:03 Scampton’s fire XL385, by then covered in foam. ground beneath it. The heat was so intense it vehicles were back at .

96 aviationclassics.co.uk CIGARETTE AND A COFFEE The Vulcan’s crew had retired after about 40 minutes, going to operations to give a report of events. After a cigarette and a cup of coffee, they changed before adjourning to the Mess bar which had been re-opened for them. Chris Woodman was allowed a brief phone call to his mother. His guarded message to her, tempered by understatement, was that there had been a “slight accident”, but that he was safe and everything was all right. The following day he would depart from Scampton to attend RAF Arbroath for a three-day gliding course. The incident had by no means dampened his enthusiasm for flying and he would go on to enjoy a successful career in both military and civil aviation. Also breathing a sigh of relief were two service policemen, SAC Keith Leedell, on detachment from RAF Digby, and dog handler LAC Derek Huckvale, who had been sitting in their Land Rover at the north taxiway traffic lights, waiting for the Vulcan to depart. They had seen a shower of white sparks come from the port side of the aircraft and felt an impact behind them. Although they saw nothing at the time, half an hour Bill Taylor in the cockpit of a Boeing 727 in January 1984. later they discovered that some large object, presumably debris from the aircraft, had turbine shaft. Fragments of the disc had No.1 engine had been run for a total of 700 sliced through the rear of their Land Rover punched through both the port wing fuel tanks hours at the time of failure, but this was not missing them both by only a foot or so. Even and No.2 engine HP turbine casing. One excessive, with some 100 engines having disc more fortuitous was the fact that LAC was found in a field outside the lives of between 600-1800 hours. In seeking Huckvale and ‘Airdog’ Rex had not been in airfield boundary beyond a crash gate. Fuel further cause for the failure it was discovered their usual positions in the rear of the vehicle. leaking onto the ground beneath the aircraft that ‘swirler’ vanes in one of the engine’s The following had been ignited by a hot combustion chambers had become detached morning, the full extent “DESPITE THEIR EFFORTS, piece of turbine disc and and that clamps at the rear of the flame tube of the incident could be THE BLAZE COULD NOT BE escaping engine exhaust had cracked, permitting part of the tube to seen. Of XL385 only the gases. The damage to break away. This had obstructed the gas flow crew compartment and CONTAINED. EACH TIME THEY No.2 engine set up a and set up a resonance on the HP turbine nose remained. Rolling APPEARED TO BE WINNING severe imbalance that in turn had led to the disc failure. drunkenly to port on causing it to shed some As a result a non-destructive testing the runway, its exit THE BATTLE THE FIRE WOULD of its turbine blades, programme using gamma radiography, hatch agape was ahead FLARE UP AGAIN AS FRESH shearing the HP turbine already in place for the combustion of the mass of ash and shaft and disc chambers, was accelerated pending the refit molten metal that FUEL IGNITED.” attachment bolts as it too of modified chambers. Following these initial formed a perfect delta exploded. The freed checks engines were to be inspected at outline on the concrete. Though seemingly No.2 engine disc, acting as if a circular saw, intervals of 100 flying hours and instructions little damaged, the cockpit area had suffered had cut its way through the top of the wing were issued that attention be paid to the jet badly from smoke and the intense heat. and travelled some 500 yards, passing efflux at take-off point and engine shut down Among the smouldering remains only the through the RAF Police Land Rover, to embed for any sign of sparks which might be engines and the two bomb bay fuel tanks itself in a field to the left of the runway. The indicative of internal break-up. The incident were readily identifiable. No.2 engine LP disc was found some 20 yards also served as a catalyst to intensify efforts to With its single runway blocked, behind the Vulcan, having sliced its way develop an effective containment shield to Scampton’s flying status was declared ‘black’ through the underside of the aircraft. prevent any future case of engine explosion pending removal of the Vulcan’s remains, while a Such had been the heat that 1000 square having such a catastrophic effect. Board of Inquiry was convened and the No.1 yards of the runway had been damaged to a Today, in retirement, Bill Taylor retains his Group Senior Engineering Officer along with a depth of two inches. Some 1500ft at the 05 end scorched bone dome and XL385’s control team from the Accidents Investigation Branch had to be made sterile while repair work, column as mementos of the incident. He began their painstaking sift of the wreckage. estimated to cost between £5-10,000 and which continued to serve with 617 Squadron until Months of further analysis and a strip inspection would take from one to two months to May 1969, and finally left the service in 1975, of the Olympus by Engines complete, was put in hand. In the meantime to pursue a successful career in civil aviation, under AIB supervision would enable the Branch aircraft were permitted only to take off from initially joining Dan Air. After transferring to to piece together in minute detail the sequence of Scampton at a restricted all up weight. As a Kuwait Airways, he was approached on behalf events as the throttles were opened for take-off. result aircraft tasked for longer sorties, such of the Kuwaiti Royal household, and for 12 as Ranger Flights, would have to re-position to years captained their luxuriously appointed REASONS stations such as Waddington, Finningley and aircraft – a far cry from the cramped confines Spinning up to 100% power, the initial failure Wittering, in order to take on sufficient fuel. of the Vulcan with its thermos flask and soup had occurred with No.1 engine HP turbine The engine failure was the first of its kind, warmer. Even so he retains endearing disc which disintegrated, bursting through the and was described as a ‘one in a million’ memories of the Vulcan: “I loved it. The casing, the inner portion of the disc and its occurrence. Nos.1, 2 and 3 engines had only Vulcan was the most exciting aeroplane I have retaining bolts remaining attached to the HP been run for 73 hours since their last check. ever flown. It was a four-engined fighter.” 

Avro Vulcan 97

Silver Deltas

Early Vulcan B1s had a ‘silver’ finish, as illustrated here.

Above: Vulcan B1 XA895 – in overall silver finish – photographed on a test flight soon after build in 1955. Via François Prins

Right: XA897 was the first Vulcan to undertake a flight from the UK to Australia and , leaving Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, for Aden on 9 September 1956. Staging through Singapore, once in Australia it stopped at Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. From Adelaide it travelled to Christchurch on New Zealand’s South Island on 18 September, making the short trip to RNZAF Ohakea the following day. On the 22nd it headed back to Australia travelling first to Brisbane, then Darwin. On the return leg it again stopped in Singapore, then Negombo and Aden. Unfortunately, after what had been a successful proving flight for the type, on its return to the UK XA897 crashed on landing in poor weather at on 1 October 1956. The two pilots escaped by ejecting, though sadly the four other crew members, including an Avro representative in addition to the three RAF aircrew, were all killed. Juanita Franzi/Aero Illustrations © 2010

Bottom: Vulcan B1s in-build at Avro’s Woodford factory in 1955. The second production aircraft, XA890, is nearest the camera. This bomber was demonstrated at the SBAC show at Farnborough that September. Via François Prins

Avro Vulcan 99 XH558 breaks from the camera ship during an air-to-air sortie in July 2010. On its nose the Vulcan wears the inscription ‘the Spirit of Great Britain 1960 – 2010’ marking XH558’s 50th anniversary. Luigino Caliaro

Still in service

A selection of photographs showing the five former Vulcan squadrons which are still operational RAF units.

No.617 Squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland is one of the RAF’s most famous units as a result of the wide knowledge of it carrying out the ‘Dams’ raid of 16/17 May 1943. This unit now flies the Panavia Tornado GR4, a type which is currently on operations in Afghanistan. Geoffrey Lee/Planefocus Above & below left: Tail marking of a 617 Squadron Vulcan B2. Note that it is comprised of a white diamond with blue outline, yellow ‘dam walls’, red flashes signifying the strike and blue ‘waves’ representing the gush of water released by the breached dam. Time Line Images

Line up of 617 Squadron Vulcan B2s at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire, circa mid- 1970s. This base was the home of the ‘Dam Busters’ when the unit was formed in 1943 for the famous . Time Line Images

No.617 Vulcan B2 XL320 taxying in at RAF Scampton after a sortie in August 1962. During the early era of the Vulcans, when they were painted in anti-flash white, the unit’s aircraft had three pale pink ‘lightning flashes’ denoting their 617 ownership. Time Line Images

Avro Vulcan 103 B2 XL425 of 617 Squadron wearing the Vulcan’s darker grey camouflage paintwork. Time Line Images

An earlier form of the IX Squadron bat badge is applied to tail of Vulcan B2 XM646 in this view. Time Line Images

Nowadays 12 Squadron is another of the three former Vulcan units flying the Tornado GR4, and along with 617 is based at Lossiemouth. Here a Tornado takes off from the former Vulcan base at RAF Waddington during the base’s 2010 International Air Show. Jarrod Cotter Vulcan B2 XM606 of 12 Squadron, RAF Coningsby, Lincs, c1963. Note the unit’s fox head insignia applied to the tail. Juanita Franzi/Aero Illustrations © 2010

Formed on 14 February 1915, in 2005 12 Squadron celebrated its 90th anniversary, denoted here by a special fuselage flash wearing the years either side of the fox head. Matt Jamieson

IX(B) Squadron is now based at RAF Marham in Norfolk and also flies the Tornado GR4. The unit’s bat emblem is applied to the tail of one of its Tornados here. Matt Jamieson

Avro Vulcan 105 No.27 Squadron’s current mount is the Boeing Chinook HC2, with which it is based at RAF Odiham, . Chinooks are a major part of the RAF’s current operations in Afghanistan. Jarrod Cotter

Vulcan B2 XH534 wearing 27 Squadron’s elephant badge, this version in the form Disney’s flying Dumbo! Time line Images

106 aviationclassics.co.uk No.101 Squadron is the last operational RAF unit to fly the stalwart Vickers VC-10. The type is appropriately seen here in formation with Vulcan B2 XH558 flying over 101’s base at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire during June 2009. Neil Jones

Vulcan B2 XM605 wearing 101 Squadron’s badge on its tail. The latest form of 101 Squadron’s badge on the tail of one of Inside the red ‘101’ is the unit’s lion atop a castle tower emblem. its VC-10s, taking the form of the Roman numerals ‘CI’ for 101 Time Line Images surrounding the lion in the castle tower. Matt Jamieson

Avro Vulcan 107 Vulcan to the Sky’s XH558 caught in a beautiful setting above the clouds. John M Dibbs/Plane Picture Company

New memorial for post-war ‘Dam Busters’

Plans to honour those 617 Squadron personnel who have died serving their country since 1945.

n the centre of Woodhall Spa, Planning permission has been obtained Lincolnshire, wartime home of 617 and the No.617 Squadron Aircrew Squadron Royal Air Force, the ‘Dam Association launched a public appeal on 5 Busters’, stands an impressive November 2010 to raise the £25,000 required memorial in the form of a breached to bring this project to completion. Donations dam.I This commemorates the names of those may be made to ‘No.617 Squadron Aircrew members of the squadron who gave their Association’ and sent to: lives during World War Two. Group Captain DG Robertson, Since the end of that conflict more than 30 Chairman, former members of 617 Squadron have died 617 Squadron Aircrew Association, serving their country. To commemorate 8 Thorold Way, these post-World War Two servicemen, the Harmston, No.617 Squadron Aircrew Association has Lincoln LN5 9GJ decided to erect a second memorial adjacent to their wartime one. The existing 617 Squadron memorial This will be a three-metre high black in Woodhall Spa is situated in the granite pyramid, its form echoing the shape of centre of the Lincolnshire village. the wings of two of the aircraft types flown No.617 Squadron operated out of post-war by the unit – the Vulcan and Tornado. RAF Woodhall Spa from January 1944 A projecting triangular pediment will carry the to May 1945 and the village’s famous 617 Squadron badge and the inscription ‘In Petwood Hotel was requisitioned to memory of all members of No.617 Sqn RAF act as the Officer’s Mess. The existing who gave their lives since 1945 in the service 617 memorial structure takes on the of their country. We will remember them’. form of the breached Möhne Dam. The polished side faces of the pyramid will At the top are the words: ‘They died contain inset red glass lightning flashes, the for your freedom’, with the names of symbol still carried today on the unit’s ‘Dam Busters’ personnel who were Tornados. Additionally it will be inscribed killed in World War Two listed on the with the squadron’s more recent Battle No.617 Squadron Vulcan B2 XL317 with walls. Centrally there is a Honours of ‘Gulf 1991’ and ‘ 2003’. Blue Steel nuclear stand-off missile fitted. representation of water pouring The memorial’s proposed form has been The ‘Dam Busters’ became the RAF’s first through the breach and on that is created by Sylvia Waugh, a local Lincolnshire Vulcan unit to get operational engraved the squadron’s badge and designer who was the winner of a competition capability with Blue Steel in September wartime Battle Honours. The post-war organised for final year students by the 1962, forming a major part of the memorial will complement this University of Lincoln. It will be constructed by V-Force and so the UK’s nuclear tribute perfectly. Jarrod Cotter a Lincolnshire-based monumental mason. deterrent. Time Line Images

Two artists’ impressions of how the 617 Squadron Post-War Memorial will look when it is constructed adjacent to the present structure in the centre of Woodhall Spa. CAD Visual Imaging/Donnas H Peterson At high altitude the Vulcan, with its low wing loading, could out-turn all the current UK fighters if the crew could determine when to turn by using the on-board radar threat receivers. Luigino Caliaro Vulcan versus Lightning “At its operational height the Vulcan can outfly and outmanoeuvre any fighter in squadron service today.” Air Ministry Press Release (1958)

Squadron Leader Clive Rowley We were grateful that we had his assistance and engines were smoky. I called “Judy” on the MBE RAF Ret’d recounts the that the Vulcan crew were not allowed to ‘jam’ radio, to inform the GCI controller that I was story of one occasion when two the R/T frequency on this exercise, as their taking over control of the intercept and Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) required no further assistance from him, icons of the jet age – the Vulcan equipment potentially enabled them to do. aware that the Vulcan was on the same and the Lightning – met in We easily gained radar contact on the frequency and would be using the simulated aerial combat with Vulcan even with our puny AI 21 radar sets; it controller’s commentary to work out where an unexpected outcome for the was, after all, a pretty large radar cross-section we were coming from. We turned in behind, target and it appeared at the maximum range in wide ‘battle’ formation planning to take fighter pilots. of the radar display – 28 miles. The Vulcan was simulated Firestreak air-to-air missile shots heading towards us at quite a decent speed, and that’s when the fun started! n my Pilot’s Flying Log Book there is somewhere around M0.9, the same speed we an entry for 13 April 1976 which were cruising at, giving a closing speed of 18 ‘FREE AND ENGAGED’ shows that I flew Lightning F2A miles per minute. Of slightly more concern, it The Vulcan rolled on an apparent 90 degrees XN731 (a 19 Squadron aircraft coded was flying at 40,000ft. The Lightning was of bank and turned like the proverbial ‘Z’ for ‘Zulu’ on the fin) on a sortie famed for its high level capability and had a ‘dingbat’, presenting a plan view in no time at detailedI only as “Exercise Cold Cape versus ceiling similar to the Vulcan. (Both aircraft all and creating an angle-off-the-tail well Vulcan”, a flight which lasted 55 minutes. were officially limited to a service ceiling of beyond the limited 30 degree capability of That is all the detail my logbook gives but, as 56,000ft, because the aircrew equipment our Firestreak missiles before we could take is often the case, there is much more of a assemblies and oxygen systems would not the shots. We both engaged full reheat and story behind that brief record. This was a keep the crews alive at heights above that in attempted to turn with him, hoping to lag his sortie that still lives in my memory today, the the event of a cabin depressurisation). turn (in truth there was no alternative!) and only time I ‘fought’ against a Vulcan at high The problem for us was that in order to fly a wider, faster turn, to reduce the angle altitude on what was actually a 2v1; two manoeuvre hard at high levels the Lightning off. Pulling as hard as we could, we both flew Lightnings versus a single Avro Vulcan. I took really needed to be supersonic (it could pull through his turn to the outside of his turn off from RAF Gütersloh, in Germany, that day +5G in a hard turn at M1.3 above 36,000ft), circle and just as it began to look as if I might thinking it was going to be easy – it wasn’t! but the turn radius was, inevitably, very large solve the angle-off problem he reversed his I don’t remember my wingman and I at these speeds and it would be very difficult turn back toward us and as we merged we spending much time briefing the sortie, or to get a shot against a hard-turning Vulcan. In were head-on. This wasn’t going well! considering the capabilities of the opposition or any case, we were not allowed to go Calling my wingman on the radio, I said, our own tactics. Air Defenders routinely flew supersonic on this sortie in this overland “I’ll stay engaged. You go free”. ‘Free and sorties that were not planned, tackling location. The Vulcan, with its huge 3964ft² of Engaged’ tactics were something that we whatever opposition came along using ‘SOPs’ wing and a wing loading less than half that of practised regularly and routinely employed (Standard Operating Procedures). We gave the Lightning, would be able to turn well and against fighter opposition. I had not expected some brief thought, perhaps rather at much lower speeds than us at these sorts it to be necessary against a single bomber!  overconfidently in retrospect, as to how we of altitudes, giving it a significant turn rate were going to visually range the gun sight and radius advantage over our Lightnings. It against such a large target (the Vulcan B2 had appeared that this Vulcan crew knew their a wingspan of 111ft). We decided that we business and were not planning to be the would set the distance between the Vulcan’s ‘sitting duck’ we had expected. outboard jet pipes on the wingspan setting of Radar jamming wasn’t part of this exercise the sight and match the stadiametric diamonds so the Vulcan crew was not able to hamper our to that rather than to the entire wingspan. radar intercept as I’m sure they would have We launched, climbed to our typical attempted to do ‘for real’. Not that this Lightning cruising altitude of 36,000ft in a mere particularly mattered, as we gained visual ‘tally’ 3½ minutes and cruised out towards our ‘target’ on him not long after getting radar contact. at nine miles per minute. We received vectors The Vulcan’s low-level grey/green Vulcan Air Electronics Officer using Red (headings to steer) and information on the camouflage scheme employed at this time Steer fighter intercept warning radar. target from a German GCI fighter controller. was not ideal for high levels and its Olympus Via author

Avro Vulcan 113 The concept was that the engaged fighter As my wingman re-engaged from outside topped tail fin, was giving the Air Electronics would keep the ‘bandit’ tied up and keep it the turn, the Vulcan suddenly broke off his Officer (AEO), who was also in effect the predictable – turning in a constant direction – pursuit of me, reversed his turn towards the aircraft’s Officer, while the free fighter disengaged, gained new threat and negated my wingman’s indications of where the fighters were energy and re-committed to the fight in an missile shot with angle-off. This ‘cat and coming in from. We worked this out fairly advantageous position, ideally unseen and mouse’ game continued for several iterations quickly, and ‘strangled’ our by turning with low angle-off for a missile shot. as we switched ‘free and engaged’ roles. With the transmitters off so that there would be no My turn rate was considerably worse than no rearwards view from the Vulcan cockpit RWR indications in the Vulcan for them to the Vulcan’s and my turn radius was larger as and limited visibility across the circle in a work with. We did not need our radars in any I tried to maintain my speed at M0.9. Starting steeply-banked turn, how did he know where case, as we could take visually-ranged shots if from opposite sides of the circle, the Vulcan we were coming from and when to reverse only one of us could get into a firing position. was actually gaining on me. I think he was his turn? Perhaps some more detailed target What I had not appreciated at the time was beginning to enjoy this! At least I was study may have been a good idea. that the Vulcan AEO also had the benefit of a keeping him predictable in a left hand turn rearwards looking radar, codenamed ‘Red while my wingman re-positioned, but it was FULL USE OF ECM Steer’, mounted along with other components becoming increasingly embarrassing and it The Vulcan B2 had a sophisticated self- of the Vulcan’s ECM suite in the B2’s enlarged was just as well that the Vulcan was not defence and ECM suite and this crew was tail cone with its prominent radome. Red Steer equipped with any forward-firing armament, working incredibly well together and was a fighter intercept warning radar, actually as he was now almost in gun range behind apparently making full use of it. The ARI derived from a Meteor night-fighter radar. The me! In my mind I can still see that huge 18105 Blue Saga radar warning receiver AEO was the operator and had the display and shape closing behind me in a left hand turn. (RWR), fitted in the Vulcan B2’s square- control in front of him. The Red Steer 2 was able to scan the sky behind the Vulcan to +/- 70 degrees horizontally and +/- 20 degrees Lightning F2A XN789 climbs vertically. It could actually detect and remain for height. Via author locked to a target at least as well as our Lightning F2A’s AI 21 radar. When it was anticipated that the fighter was in the launch bracket the radar could be switched to narrow scan +/- 5 degrees. In this mode it could theoretically detect an air-to-air missile separation from the launch aircraft, prompting the firing of the appropriate decoys – infra-red flares and/or – to break the fighter’s radar lock. Remembering that this was 40 years ago, this was pretty advanced technology. Finally, the AEO had a periscope that gave a view to the rear, mainly so that the bomb bay and the underside could be checked, but I suspect that he was making use of this against us too. The lack of a rearwards view from the Vulcan did not seem to be inconveniencing this crew at all as they utilised all the equipment at their disposal and, no doubt, some excellent crew co-operation to negate every attack we attempted. SWITCHING TO GUNS The overall result was that, even 2v1 and using our best co-ordinated tactics, it took us an inordinately long time to achieve a dubious ‘kill’ against this squirming, well- flown Vulcan. In fact, we were never able to achieve low enough angles-off for a Firestreak missile shot. In the end, just before we became ‘Bingo’ for fuel, I finally got into a position for a simulated guns shot, which took some doing as the sheer size of the target was daunting and pressing in to guns range at 500 yards took some determination. Inevitably, in order to maintain my best possible subsonic turn rate, my speed was significantly higher than that of my target, and I had considerable overtake when I briefly managed to match my turn circle to that of the Vulcan for a few seconds, enough for a quick snap shot. Then we were out of fuel and it was time to go home. When we later ran my gun film in the ‘cine room’ back at the squadron to assess my guns kill claim, it was very short (definitely not a feature length film!) but still impressive as the target practically filled the screen! It is “In my mind I can still see that huge shape closing behind me in a left hand turn.” Mark Meades

“…THIS VULCAN SURVIVED WELL OVER 30 MINUTES OF PERSISTENT ATTACKS BY TWO LIGHTNINGS.” a matter of conjecture as to whether my quick burst of cannon fire would have been sufficient to prove fatal to such a large aircraft even with the hitting power of 30mm high-explosive shells. Two young Lightning pilots (both first- tourists) learned some lessons that day. The Vulcan had turned out to be a much tougher opponent than either of us had ever expected. Its turning capability and sheer performance at 40,000ft were extraordinary. Flown as well as this one was, with the AEO utilising the aircraft’s self-defence equipment as far as he was allowed to within the limitations of the exercise, this Vulcan survived well over 30 minutes of persistent attacks by two Lightnings. There is no reason to expect that it would have fared any worse against the Warsaw Pact fighters of the era ‘for real’ and in most cases attacking fighters probably would not have had the same persistence as we did having taken off full of fuel specifically for this exercise. I don’t know who that Vulcan crew were, as I was not able to debrief with them after the sortie, even by telephone, but I take my hat off to them! I was most impressed; the Vulcan went up in my estimation no end after that fight and I have never forgotten it. The last word should perhaps go to John Reeve, a Vulcan pilot with many hours on type who said: “At high altitude, the Vulcan was a delight to fly. She needed strange handling techniques – lots of rudder and very little aileron – but with a low wing loading she could out-turn all the current UK fighters if you could determine when to turn by using our radar threat receivers.” At its operational height the Vulcan was claimed to be able to outmanoeuvre any I can’t argue with that!  fighter in squadron service of its day. Luigino Caliaro

Avro Vulcan 115 Waddington’s Displayed alongside the A15 is Vulcan B2 XM607, which gained its place in history by participating in three of the RAF’s Black Buck raids Warrior during the Falklands War. ravellers going up and down the Squadron. XM607 went onto the strength of concentrations around Port Stanley during A15 just south of Lincoln each the latter unit, before later joining 44 the final stages of the hostilities. day can’t help but notice RAF Squadron. It was with 44 that the aircraft No.44 Squadron was disbanded on 21 Waddington’s ‘’ participated in the Falklands conflict. December 1982, and the three-raid veteran aircraft, Vulcan B2 XM607. This XM607 was the reserve aircraft for Black Vulcan was allocated for gate guard duties at preservedT V-bomber has found a most Buck 1 which took place on the night of 30 its Lincolnshire base the following year. It appropriate home at the Lincolnshire air April/1 May 1982. En route to Port Stanley was displayed within the station grounds, and base, which was home to Vulcans for many primary aircraft XM598 developed a fault so initially joined by Victor XL189 to represent years and it was there that XM607 was based XM607 took over. Going with the Vulcan on the historic Black Buck raids. Unfortunately when it was prepared for its participation in the last outward leg before the bomb run was the tanker was scrapped in September 1989. the Falklands War. Victor K2 XL189. The Vulcan succeeded in In later years XM607 was moved from its XM607 was first flown in November 1963, dropping its 21 1000lb bombs on the airfield display position and moved around the base then delivered to the RAF by year’s end and – and thus achieving the farthest reaching for various appearances at the annual first went into service with 35 Squadron at bombing raid ever carried out. International Air Show. Then, in 2007, a RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, in January For Black Buck 2 on 3/4 May 1982, permanent hard-standing for the Vulcan to be 1964. A few years later the V-bomber moved XM607 was the primary aircraft and again displayed on was constructed on to RAF Cottesmore, Rutland, before arriving dropped 21 bombs on Stanley. It was Waddington’s far side adjacent to the A15. at Waddington in early 1968. RAF Waddington allocated as primary again for Black Buck 3, There it is seen by passers-by every day and has been its home base ever since. though the mission was cancelled due to foul acts as a reminder of the type’s participation At the time of XM607’s arrival the weather. It was next in action for Black Buck in the complex Black Buck raids, which Waddington Wing comprised 44, 50 and 101 7 on 11/12 June 1982. On this final Vulcan proved to the Argentine forces that they were Squadrons, and was later joined by IX attack of the war it was tasked to bomb troop not out of the reach of the RAF. 

Left: XM607 as seen from the A15 on display at RAF Waddington. The Vulcan proudly wears the badge of 44 Squadron and the City of Lincoln crest on its tail. Jarrod Cotter

Main Picture: On Thursday 3 July 2008, XH558 arrived at Waddington to carry out its display authorisation ready for its appearance at the Waddington International Air Show the following weekend. It is seen here in the skies above XM607. Howard Heeley/Down To Earth Promotions The Vulcan that took part in Black Bucks 1, 2 and 7, XM607, was allocated for ‘gate guard’ duties at RAF Waddington with its supporting Victor XL189. This picture shows both aircraft; the Victor was scrapped in September 1989. François Prins

XM607 seen soon after being placed on permanent display within the grounds of RAF Waddington alongside the A15, where it would be easily visible to the countless travellers going up and down this busy road just south of Lincoln. Howard Heeley/Down To Earth Promotions

Avro Vulcan 117 Superbly caught in the skies above during July 2010,Vulcan B2 XH558 ‘the Spirit of Great Britain 1960 – 2010’ is the most powerful symbol of a tense period in British history when this aircraft and its sister ships stood at constant readiness as a deterrent to all- out nuclear war. Luigino Caliaro

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Photocopies of this form are also acceptable. For the Falklands War of 1982, five Vulcans were converted back to the conventional bombing role.Vulcan B2 XM599 is seen here dropping its payload of 21 1000lb bombs (one is out of shot), representing exactly what was carried out on Black Buck 1 and 2. Time Line Images ‘Black Buck’

Built as a Cold War nuclear bomber, the Vulcan saw action only at the very end of its service life. François Prins has the story of its use in the Falklands.

lthough the three V-bombers – Valiant, Vulcan and Victor – were intended to counter the A threat by the former , two of the trio found fame a long way from Europe when they took part in operations to retake the Falkland Islands in 1982. One as a conventional bomber, the other as an aerial tanker. Argentine armed forces invaded British Sovereign territory in March 1982 when they decided that the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic were theirs for the taking. However, the Prime Minister of the day, Margaret Thatcher, thought otherwise and backed by the government and most of the House of Commons, a task force was assembled to retake the British dependency. Operation Corporate was fought 8000 miles from the UK by land, sea and air elements. XM607 and XM598 at Wideawake airfield on Ascension Island before Black Buck 1. What concerns us here is the use of two David Oliver former RAF nuclear V-bombers – the Avro Vulcan, operating as a conventional bomber, reinstate the in-flight refuelling system, which PREPARATIONS and the Handley Page Victor, supplying the had been discontinued some years previously, Ten aircraft drawn from 44 and 50 Squadrons tanker element. By March 1982, only three to 10 Vulcans. Although the refuelling probes were surveyed at RAF Waddington and squadrons of Vulcans remained operational and plumbing were still in place on most restored to full operational status. Of these, and they were scheduled to be withdrawn by aircraft, the years of inactivity had caused the five – XL391, XM597, XM598, XM607 and June 1982. Already most of the Vulcan force system fixtures to deteriorate and they XM612 – were selected for conversion back had been declared surplus and sold off or needed to be renewed. Added to this, probes to the conventional bombing role. They were relegated to museums and scrap or fire dumps. had been removed from many Vulcans and the only Vulcans that remained in service On 5 April, all this changed when RAF been fitted to Nimrods and Hercules for long- which had complete Skybolt attachment Waddington personnel were instructed to range operations in the South Atlantic. points and the associated ducts for routing cables to underwing hardpoints. Given the operation codename ‘Black Buck’, the aircraft were made ready to carry 21 1000lb HE bombs. They were also fitted with a Carousel INS inertial navigation system and underwing pylons to carry Westinghouse AN/ALQ-101 ECM pods. These were usually to be found on Buccaneers and had to be quickly adapted for the Vulcan. Five crews were selected for Black Buck and training for aerial refuelling commenced on 14 April. Normally such training is carried out over several months, but now the crews were given just 13 days to master the skill. Although the refuelling probes had been serviced, they had suffered through lack of use and when initial link-ups were made, the probe did not lock in correctly, with the result that fuel spilled and washed over the Vulcan’s windscreen, obscuring the pilot’s vision – not to be recommended at this crucial stage. A quick modification was made by fitting two rows of flat plates directly ahead of the cockpit which directed the fuel spill from the Detail of the hastily fitted Shrike missile rails under the wing of Vulcan XM598. David Oliver windscreen. Not ideal, but it worked. 

Avro Vulcan 123 Night refuelling practice was started on 15/16 April, which was important for the Victor tanker crews too, as they had not carried out this operation at night either. Training sorties continued by now down to 200ft with the crews growing in experience and confidence. It had been hoped that a political solution, rather than a military option, could be found for the Falklands crisis, but the Argentine martial government showed no interest in the discussions. On 29 April, Vulcans XM607 and XM598 took off from RAF Waddington en route for Wideawake Air Base on Ascension Island; XM597 also departed as a reserve aircraft but later returned to Waddington. The two Vulcans were supported by Victor tankers and made the 4100 mile journey to Ascension with no technical problems. When the crews arrived at Ascension, they had taken part in only one night-refuelling exercise. BLACK BUCK OPERATIONS Shortly before midnight on 30 April 1982, the two Vulcans, XM598 as the primary aircraft with XM607 as reserve, taxied out to the runway at Wideawake on Black Buck 1, accompanied by four Victor tankers. Ahead lay their target, Stanley airfield on the Falkland Islands some 3400 miles away. Each Vulcan carried a full bomb and fuel load taking the maximum all-up weight to 210,000lb. At one-minute intervals with navigation lights off and in total radio silence, the aircraft took off; they were followed by a second wave of seven Victor tankers. Once airborne, the V- bomber fleet climbed to 27,000ft and turned south. Unfortunately, XM598 reported problems with cabin pressurisation and XM607, captained by Flight Lieutenant Martin Withers, took over as the primary aircraft. On board with Withers were Flying Officer Peter Taylor (co-pilot), Flight Lieutenant Gordon Graham (navigator), Flight Lieutenant Bob Wright (radar plotter), Flight Lieutenant Hugh Prior (air electronics The bomb bay of the Vulcan was restored to carry 21 1000lb HE bombs – this shows officer) and Flight Lieutenant Richard Russell the bombs in place on XM607 before the first raid. David Oliver (air-to-air refuelling instructor).

A sketch made by artist Tim O’Brien of Martin Withers and XM607 to commemorate the Black Buck operations. Tim O’Brien

124 aviationclassics.co.uk Two Shrikes in place on one of the Black Buck Vulcans. Time Line Images

The formation climbed to 33,000ft and would have to reverse roles, with XH669 settled on a speed and altitude that was suitable refuelling XL189 and for Tuxford to support for both types of aircraft. It had been estimated the Vulcan. It was an awkward moment and the that the Vulcans would have to refuel five times mission could have been called off, but on the way to Stanley, but in the event they Tuxford made the decision to proceed. needed six transfers from the Victors. Biglands transferred what fuel he could spare As they flew south, the weather and retained sufficient to get back to deteriorated but the formation continued Wideawake, as with the broken probe he could towards their objective. After each refuelling, not be refuelled. Tuxford refuelled XM607, the Victors turned for home and eventually just enabling Black Buck 1 to continue, but this left two tankers (XH669 and XL189) remained with him with insufficient fuel to reach Ascension XM607. As they neared the Falklands, the without a further in-flight refuelling. weather got worse with gusting winds; By now the other Victors had landed at Squadron Leader Bob Tuxford in Victor XL189 Wideawake and one of them was quickly refuelled the Vulcan for the last time and then refuelled and launched to get to XL189 before it got ready to refuel the other Victor (XH669) was too late. Tuxford continued his flight back flown by Flight Lieutenant Steve Biglands to Ascension and was 600 miles away – with before turning for home leaving XH669 to just 30 minutes of fuel remaining – when he make the final refuelling before the attack. saw the welcome sight of a Victor tanker out of In appalling weather, Tuxford readied to Wideawake ready to refuel his aircraft. They refuel the second Victor, but the basket was locked on and a successful transfer of fuel was weaving all over the sky making it difficult for completed to allow XL189 to make a safe Rather modestly painted on the nose Biglands to lock on; he did so but the probe landing at Ascension. That was not the end of of XM607 were three mission symbols broke and the fuel transfer was not completed. the mission as the Victor tankers were now denoting Black Buck 1, 2 and 7. There was only one alternative; the aircraft ready to launch to bring the Vulcan back.  David Oliver

Black Buck 5 was carried out on the night of 30/31 May 1982, when XM597, armed with Shrikes, was tasked to take out Stanley airfield’s radar. Juanita Franzi/Aero Illustrations © 2010

Avro Vulcan 125 It must be stressed that all the air-to-air refuelling was carried out in total radio silence and transfers were made using three sets of lights: red – not ready or emergency; amber – tanker ready; and green – fuel flow. Had Bob Tuxford not made the decision when he did then the mission would have been aborted. STANLEY BOMBED Flight Lieutenant Martin Withers continued on the sortie to drop the 21 1000lb ‘iron’ bombs on Stanley’s runway from 8000ft at 04:38hrs local. As the Vulcan neared the islands, Withers descended to 300ft to evade radar before using the established ‘pop-up’ manoeuvre to climb to height for the bombing run. Although the aircraft was picked up by Argentine radar, the on-board ECM units were switched on and contact was lost. Withers took the Vulcan diagonally across the runway to ensure that at least one bomb would hit the concrete; five seconds was all it took to drop the 21 bombs. At 07:46 Zulu the codeword ‘Superfuze’ was Vulcan XH558 and a Victor K2 re-enact a Black Buck sortie for the cameras. Cliff Knox sent to RAF Strike Command at High Wycombe. It meant the Black Buck 1 had The intention of the raid had been to deny 3 on 16 May, planned as another been successful and that the Vulcan was on the use of the runway to halt Argentine bombing mission. its way back. It also signalled to the Dassault Mirage, Dassault Super Etendard During the next few weeks, Royal Navy Sea Argentine government that Britain was not and Douglas Skyhawks being deployed. In Harriers fought the and about to let the Falkland Islands go. It further the event, reconnaissance photographs Armada (Navy) in the air while British troops demonstrated that if the Vulcan could reach revealed that one bomb had struck the gained a foothold on the Islands supported by the Falkland Islands, it could easily reach runway cutting it in half making it unusable RAF Harrier GR3s, some of which used ‘smart’ itself. by fast jets. laser-guided bombs (LGB) for the first time. Due to the weather conditions and the fuel On the night of 3/4 May, a second Vulcan Black Buck 4 was planned as the first anti- burn, the Vulcan had used more than raid on Stanley, again using ‘iron’ bombs, was radar attack to be flown by Vulcan XM597 planned, but Victor tankers were standing by mounted with the same aircraft now armed with AGM-45A Shrike anti-radiation and a transfer took place off the coast of captained by Squadron Leader R Reeve (with missiles, carried on underwing hardpoints. . In all, XM607 was air-refuelled 17 crew: Flight Lieutenant DT Dibbins, Flight Squadron Leader Neil McDougall’s crew was times by Victor K2 tankers and was airborne Lieutenant MA Cooper, Flight Lieutenant J briefed to attack Argentine air defence for 15 hours 45 minutes to complete the Vinales, Flight Lieutenant P Standing and radars, but the mission was aborted following (then) longest bombing mission on record. Flight Lieutenant Barry Masefield) which tanker problems. Vulcan XM607 touched down at Wideawake made a safe return to Ascension to complete It was not until the night of 30/31 May at 14:52 Zulu. This attack was followed at Black Buck 2. The bombs did not hit the that a third Vulcan sortie, codenamed Black dawn by a low-level attack on the airfield by runway but caused extensive damage to Buck 5, was successfully launched from Royal Navy Sea Harriers operating from other parts of the airfield and to the Ascension when Vulcan XM597 armed with HMS Hermes. Withers was awarded the Argentine forces stationed there. two Shrikes attempted to take out Stanley Distinguished Flying Cross and Tuxford the Bad weather and strong headwinds en airfield’s radar. Squadron Leader McDougall Air Force Cross. route led to the cancellation of Black Buck had to orbit the Falkland Islands for almost

Pilot’s eye view of a Victor with refuelling line extended – on Black Buck raids the refuelling was done in the dark and with radio silence. François Prins

126 aviationclassics.co.uk The complicated refuelling plan that was devised to support Black Buck 1 – it worked exactly as planned and made the mission a success.

an hour before the Shrikes locked on to a TPS-43 surveillance radar aerial. The raid proved only a partial success with the Argentine radar back in operation within 36 hours of the attack. One advantage of the anti-radar missions was that due to the reduced weapons payload, XM597 could carry extra fuel in the bomb bay tanks and would only require four air-refuelling sectors en route to the target. A WEEK IN RIO A second Vulcan anti-radar attack, Black Buck 6, was mounted on the night of 2/3 June, but was frustrated by the Argentines shutting down their radars before the missiles could lock on to any emissions. The crew had to tempt the Argentines to turn Vulcan XM607, which took part in three Black Buck missions, seen on take-off. their gun-laying control radar back on by Cliff Knox flying directly over Stanley airfield. The ploy worked and two Shrikes were launched, destroying a Skyguard radar. Due to its low fuel state, XM597 egressed the target area and headed for the tanker rendezvous. However, the crew were to have more problems on the return flight following damage to the Vulcan’s refuelling probe, and were forced to divert to , Brazil, after firing one of the two remaining Shrikes, the other failed to launch. Here the aircraft was impounded, the remaining missile confiscated, and the crew held for a week before being released to fly XM597 back to Ascension on 10 May.  Vulcan fitted with four Shrike missiles. Time Line Images

Avro Vulcan 127 Excellent study of a Handley Page Victor K2 taken in 1990. Cliff Knox

Bad weather during early June slowed the to be committed to Operation Corporate. On 20 British advance to Stanley and another April, a Victor K2 flew from Ascension to make Vulcan raid was called for. The last heavy a radar search over 150,000 square miles of the bomber raid of Operation Corporate, Southern Atlantic around South Georgia. The codenamed Black Buck 7, was also the last flight lasted 14 hours 45 minutes, then the ever RAF heavy bomber sortie. The raid on longest operational reconnaissance mission in the night of 12/13 June with XM607 and the history. The Victor tankers were to fly a total of same crew as Black Buck 1, with XM612 as 600 sorties, operating from the first day of the reserve, saw anti-personnel air-burst bombs conflict to the last. dropped on Stanley airfield. In XM607’s Although the Vulcan raids, carried out in bomb bay were 1000-pounders and fused anti- almost total radio silence, had done little personnel weapons to be used in support of permanent damage to the airfield and air the British troops now making their way defence radars, it must be remembered that across the island for a final showdown. they were carried out at extreme range by only The following day, some 11,000 Argentine a single aircraft. Nevertheless, it should also be troops surrendered to British forces. During recognised that the Black Buck raids had a the eight-week conflict, Royal Navy Sea profound psychological effect on the Argentine Harriers had borne the brunt of the air troops occupying the Falklands, who for the offensive, shooting down 20 enemy aircraft first time were made to realise that they plus a number of probables, while RAF would have to fight if they hoped to retain Harriers flew more than 120 the Malvinas, as they called the Islands. sorties, losing four aircraft to ground fire. Six months later, 44 Squadron, the While only five Black Buck raids were last to operate the Vulcan bomber, successfully carried out, the record of its sister disbanded, although a few Vulcans that V-bomber, the Victor, must be acknowledged. had been converted to tankers remained in Following the Argentine invasion of the service until March 1984. The Victor tanker Falklands and nearby South Georgia on 2 would survive another decade of service, and April, an RAF Victor was the first RAF aircraft another conflict – the first Gulf War. 

For his part in Black Buck 1, Flt Lt Martin Withers was awarded the DFC.

“IT FURTHER DEMONSTRATED THAT IF THE VULCAN COULD REACH THE FALKLAND ISLANDS, IT COULD EASILY

A busy scene showing 13 Victors at Wideawake in support of the Black Buck operations, REACH ARGENTINA ITSELF.” plus three Nimrods and two Harrier GR3s. RAF Cottesmore via David Oliver

128 aviationclassics.co.uk

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