The 'Avro Vulcan' was a
British delta wing subsonic
bomber, operated by the
Royal Air Force from 1953 until 1984. The Vulcan was part of the RAF's
V bomber force, which fulfilled the role of nuclear deterrence against the
Soviet Union during the
Cold War. It was also used in a conventional bombing role during the
Falklands conflict with Argentina.
Design and development
Design work began at
A. V. Roe in 1947 under
Roy Chadwick. The
Air Ministry specification B.35/46 required a bomber with a top speed of 500
knots (930 km/h), an operating ceiling of 50,000 ft (15,000 m), a range of 3,000
nautical miles (5500 km) and a bomb load of 10,000 lb (approx 4,550 kg); intended to permit delivery of nuclear missiles deep into Soviet territory. Design work also began at
Vickers and
Handley Page. All three designs were approved — aircraft that would become the
Valiant, the
Victor, and the Vulcan.
The 'Type 698' as first envisaged was a delta wing tailless, almost
flying wing design, as Avro felt this would be able to give the required combination of large wing area, sweepback to offset the transonic effects and a thick wing root to embed the engines; these were staggered in the wing with two forward and below and two back and above. Wingtip rudders gave the control. There were two bomb bays one in each wing. This design was reworked in light of Ministry comments and became more conventional adopting a centre fuselage with side-by-side engines and a tail.
As the
delta wing was an unknown quantity Avro began scale prototype testing in 1948 with the single-seater
Type 707 aircraft, and despite the crash of the first prototype on
30 September 1949 work continued. The first full-scale prototype Type 698 made its maiden flight (after its designer was killed in an unrelated aircrash) on
31 August 1952 shortly before appearing at the
SBAC Farnborough Air Show. Since the
Bristol Olympus engines were not ready it had been built with
Rolls-Royce Avons
[1]. The Vulcan name was not chosen until 1953 after the Valiant had already been named. The first prototype had a straight leading edge this was subsequently modified to have a kink further out towards the wingtip. The Vulcan bomber in service was not fitted with pure
delta wings; but the prototypes models were the first jet bomber design to use a wing of that shape, which was modified in development to give the service machines better flying characteristics than a pure delta can supply.
Testing the vehicle was relatively crude in those days, for example, recording the instrument readings involved filming the control panel and manually transcribing the results onto graph paper. As well, testing the brakes of the Vulcan included strapping the company photographer Paul Culerne to the front landing gear with the aircraft moving at full landing speed and photographing the brakes in operation.
[2]
Despite its large size, it had a relatively small radar cross-section (RCS). It is now known that it had a fortuitously
stealthy shape apart from the tail
fin.
Avro test pilot Wing Commander (retired) Roly Falk demonstrated the aircraft's high performance in the second production Vulcan, ''
XA890'', by performing a barrel-roll immediately after takeoff at the 1955 Farnborough Air Show.
[3]
The Vulcan used entirely powered control surfaces, this combined with the relatively small space for the pilots meant that a fighter-like stick could be used instead of a control column with the added benefit that ejection could be quicker in an emergency. Power was 100 volts DC electrical supplied from generators on each engine. Backup was from a set of batteries in series to supply the voltage if generators failed. These had little capacity in event of a power loss so the system was revised for the Mark 2 to use a Ram Air Turbine (RAT) that would operate at higher altitude and an Airborne Auxiliary Power Unit (AAPU) which could be started once the aircraft had reached a lower altitude (30,000 ft or less). At the same time the power system was changed to 200 volts at 400 HZ AC from constant frequency generators.
With no view to the rear from the cockpit and with the control surfaces (four
elevators and four
ailerons in the Mark 1,
elevons for the Mark 2) at the extreme rear of the aircraft there was a display board on the pilots control panel that showed the position of all eight so that any non-responding surface could be identified. The AEO also had a periscope that gave a view to the rear so that the bomb bay and the underside could be checked.
The two prototypes and some of the Mark 1 production were used to develop the systems and the improvements that led to the Mark 2
Operational history
Although the Vulcan had a normal crew of five (two pilots, two navigators and an Air Electronics Operator (AEO))
[4], only the pilot and co-pilot were provided with
ejection seats. This feature of the Vulcan has been the basis of significant criticism; there were several instances of the pilot and co-pilot ejecting in an emergency and the "rear crew" being killed because there was not time for them to bail out.
The navigator plotter, navigator radar and AEO bailed out through the crew entrance door in the cockpit floor immediately ahead of the nosewheel, their parachutes opening automatically by static line. As the crew door was immediately forward of the front undercarriage, it was very important that the pilots retracted the gear before bail-out. The method of escape was practised regularly in ground rigs, and successfully used on more than one occasion, with all crew members surviving.
In September 1956, the RAF received its first Vulcan B 1, ''XA897'', which immediately went on a fly-the-flag mission to
New Zealand. On
1 October, while approaching
Heathrow to complete the tour, ''XA897'' crashed short of the runway in bad weather conditions, the two pilots ejecting successfully although the rear crew was killed. The aircraft Captain was Squadron Leader "Podge" Howard and the co-pilot was Air Marshal Sir Harry Broadhurst (an experienced but out of practice pilot). It appears that due to time delays in the rather primitive Ground-Controlled Approach (GCA) system of the time, the aircraft became too low on the approach without being warned by the GCA system and damaged its undercarriage in an inadvertent touchdown short of the runway threshold. Control was then lost during the subsequent overshoot (go-around).
The second Vulcan was not delivered until 1957, and the delivery rate picked up from then. The B 2 variant was first tested in 1957 and entered service in 1960. It had a larger wing with a different leading edge, and better performance than the B 1 and had a distinctive kink in its delta wing to reduce turbulence.
[5] In all, 134 production Vulcans were manufactured (45 B 1 and 89 B 2), the last being delivered to the RAF in January 1965. The last operational Vulcan squadron was disbanded in March 1984.
The undercarriage of a Vulcan made heavy contact with the runway during an air show for the opening of Rongotai (
Wellington) Airport
New Zealand in 1959. Despite one main undercarriage leg being non-functional the aircraft returned to Ohakea and landed safely, toppling onto the grass verge at the end of its run. There are claims the two ejector seats were inactivated by the other crew members during the flight from Wellington. There was a long delay while it was decided whether to scrap it, ship it back by sea, or repair it in situ. In the end, the aircraft was repaired by the
RNZAF - who helpfully applied
kiwi roundels. A display at the
Ohakea branch of the
Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum includes honeycombed skin from the damaged aircraft.
Nuclear deterrent
As part of Britain's independent nuclear deterrent the Vulcan initially carried Britain's first
nuclear weapon, the ''
Blue Danube'' gravity bomb. Blue Danube was a low-kiloton yield fission bomb designed before the United States detonated the first
hydrogen bomb. The British then embarked on their own hydrogen bomb programme, and to bridge the gap until these were ready the V-bombers were equipped with an Interim Megaton Weapon based on the Blue Danube casing and
Green Grass, a large pure-fission warhead of 400 kT yield. This bomb was known as ''
Violet Club''. Only five were deployed before a better weapon was introduced as ''
Yellow Sun Mk.1.''
A later model, 'Yellow Sun Mk 2' was fitted with ''
Red Snow'', a British-built variant of the US Mk-28 warhead. Yellow Sun Mk 2 was the first British thermonuclear weapon to be deployed, and was carried on both the Vulcan and Victor. All three V-bombers also carried U.S. thermonuclear bombs assigned to
NATO under the dual-key arrangements. ''
Red Beard'' (a smaller, lighter low-kiloton yield) bomb was pre-positioned in
Cyprus and
Singapore for use by Vulcan and Victor bombers, and from 1962, 26 Vulcan B 2As and the
Victor bombers were armed with the
Blue Steel missile, a rocket-powered stand-off bomb, which was also armed with the 1.1
megaton yield Red Snow warhead.
It was intended to equip the Vulcan with the American
Skybolt Air Launched Ballistic Missile to replace the Blue Steel, with Vulcan B 2s carrying two Skybolts under the wings (the last 28 B 2s being modified on the production line to fit pylons to carry the Skybolt
[6] ). It was also proposed to build a stretched version of the Vulcan, with increased wing span to carry up to six Skybolts
[7]. When the Skybolt missile system was cancelled by US President
John F Kennedy on the recommendation of
Robert McNamara in 1962, Blue Steel was kept on. To supplement it until the Royal Navy took on the deterrent role, the Vulcan bombers adopted a high-low-high mission profile using a rapidly introduced parachute-retarded "laydown" bomb; ''
WE.177B''. After the British Polaris submarines became operational, and Blue Steel was taken out of service in 1970, WE.177B continued in use on the Vulcan in a low-level tactical strike role in support of European NATO ground forces. It would outlive the Vulcan bombers, being used also on
Tornado and other low-level strike aircraft until retirement in 1998.
Conventional role
Although the primary weapon for the Vulcan was nuclear, Vulcans could carry up to 21 x 1000 lb (454 kg) bombs in a secondary role. The only combat missions involving the Vulcan took place in the 1982
Falklands War with
Argentina, when Vulcans, in the ''
Black Buck'' operations
[8][9] flew the 3,380
nautical miles (6,300 km) from
Ascension Island to
Stanley. There were three missions to bomb the airfield at Stanley; two to attack Argentine radar installations with missiles and two missions were cancelled.
Victor aircraft were used for
air-to-air refuelling in a complex scheme and approximately 1.1 million gallons of high octane fuel were used in each mission.
[9]
Five Vulcans were selected for the operation: their bomb bays were modified; the flight refuelling system that had long been out of use re-instated; the electronics updated; and wing pylons designed, manufactured, and fitted to carry an
ECM pod and
Shrike anti-radar missiles where the Skybolt hardpoints remained in the wings The engineering work began on
9 April with the first mission on
30 April–
1 May 1982.
The first raid cut the runway at Stanley with a single bomb hit (from the 21 bombs dropped, a maximum of two had any chance of hitting the runway because it had been decided to attack from an angle for a greater chance of success).
The second raid failed to arm the bomb load before release, so no damage was done.
The third raid missed the runway completely and did a small amount of collateral damage around the runway, blowing up a jeep and causing one or two casualties.
After this, there were three raids using Shrike missiles. The first fired missiles but the Argentine radar operators turned off their radars when they detected missile release and no damage was done. The second aborted on the return journey and landed in Brazil, while still carrying live munitions. The third fired and destroyed a single small anti-aircraft radar.
Each mission required use of the considerable numbers of Sea Harriers from the Hermes and Invincible, providing indirect escort and ground attack support, which added a significant strain to the badly over-stretched pilots for almost no military gain.
Royal Air Force Avro Vulcan XM607, Pictured at RAF Waddington
At the time these missions held the record for the world's longest distance raids. The planning and execution of the "Black Buck One" raid has been described in Rowland White's book ''Vulcan 607''
[11].
Maritime Radar Reconnaissance (MRR)
On
1 November 1973, the first of nine B 2 (MRR) aircraft was delivered to the No. 27 Sqn at RAF Scampton reforming for its main role of Maritime Radar Reconnaissance. The main external visual difference was the gloss paint finish and the lack of the Terrain Following Radar (TFR) "thimble" from the nose below the air-to-air refuelling probe. The gloss paint finish, which was always with the light grey undersurface, was due to the secondary role of Air Sampling. As both roles were high altitude the TFR system was removed.
Only five of the B 2(MRR)s were capable of the Air Sampling role, those that were included ''XH558'' and ''XH560''. These aircraft could be distinguished by the additional hard points outside of the Skybolt points. These additional points would sometimes carry redundant Sea Vixen drop tanks that had had the nose section replaced by a newer section of a larger diameter. Another external, but much smaller, piece of equipment was carried just outboard of the port undercarriage main door.
During the late 1970s some of the non-Air Sampling aircraft were exchanged with other Squadrons whose aircraft had a high fatigue usage.
All B 2(MRR) aircraft were equipped with Olympus 201 ECUs. Three of the aircraft, ''XH534'', ''XH537'' and ''XH538'' had the small Mk 1 style of engine air intake.
The B 2(MRR) was withdrawn from service on
31 March 1982, some of the aircraft going on to be converted for use as tankers.
Aerial refuelling role
After the end of the
Falklands War, the Vulcan was due to be withdrawn from RAF service. However, the disbandment of
57 Squadron and delays in the operational availability of the
Tristar left a gap in the RAF's air to air refuelling capability. As an interim measure, six Vulcan B 2s were converted into AAR tankers and commissioned into service with
50 Squadron from 1982 to 1984.
Experimental configurations
A Vulcan was used as a testbed for the
Concorde engine, the
Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus and the
Rolls-Royce Conway turbofan. In testing the Olympus, one engine was fitted to the bomb bay of a Vulcan. High level flight testing was carried out with the Olympus engine helping the Vulcan fly faster than with just its original engines. The Vulcan was hung on wires in a
hangar to allow access to the engine in the bomb bay.
While testing the Bristol Olympus for the
TSR-2, the engine disintegrated, setting the Vulcan on fire and also the fire tender in attendance. The crew escaped unhurt.
Restoration to flight of Vulcan XH558
The engineering staff of a professional company called the "Vulcan Operating Company" are working very hard to return Vulcan ''XH558'' to flight; they are hoping to have the plane ready for a test flight in early 2007. In this, they are supported by the "Vulcan to the Sky" club (or VTSClub), a supporters and fund raising organisation. Though the website carried an announcement on
1 August 2006 that the project was in imminent danger of being abandoned due to lack of finance,
[12] the target of raising the remaining £1.2m was achieved on
31 August, thanks to a high-profile publicity campaign orchestrated by the supporters club, Vulcan to the Sky Club (formerly Club Vulcan 558 Club). Time had almost run out for XH558 when Sir
Jack Hayward, a British philanthropist, donated £500,000, which topped off the £860,000 already raised by VTSClub and the VTST Friends. Although the aircraft restoration was nearly complete, the aircraft was not ready for the flypast down the Mall in London for the 25th Anniversary of the Falklands conflict on
17 June 2007 or the
RAF Waddington Airshow and the
Royal International Air Tattoo ( RIAT).
[13]
The company has recently mentioned that the return to flight may be delayed by corrosion issues, although this is now no longer the case. The delay has mainly been due to delays in the return of refurbished flight-critical components, which caused the aircraft to miss the flypast for the 25th Anniversary of the Falklands conflict and the previously advertised flying appearance at the
RAF Waddington Airshow.
As of August 2007, XH558 was still awaiting her first test flight. The VTS Team recently confirmed that they expect the Vulcan to fly at at least one UK airshow during the 2007 season.
[14]On
14 August 2007 a
NOTAM was issued by the
CAA, to notify interested aviation concerns that:
"Vulcan Test Flight will be undertaken at
Bruntingthorpe airfield on AUG 20-24, 28-31, SEP 03-07 0900-1500
E)RESTRICTED AREA(TEMPORARY) FOR VULCAN TEST FLYING AT BRUNTINGTHORPE. RESTRICTION OF FLYING REGULATIONS MADE UNDER ARTICLE 96 OF THE ANO 2005."
This may now prove to be slightly premature, due to the uncertain time frame between completion of final engine checks and
United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority approval dictating the test flight schedule.
On
16 August 2007 the aircraft commenced engine testing on the airfield at
Bruntingthorpe and it is hoped that the first test flights will begin within a few weeks. On
17 August 2007, XH558's No.3
Rolls-Royce Olympus 202 jet engine was successfully ran for the first time in over 20 years. Although it is worth mentioning that this is a different engine to that used by XH558 during her final seasons with the
RAF's Vulcan Display Flight in 1992. All four of the Vulcan's old Olympus engines have been replaced with unused variants which had been stored since
1982, thereby getting the maximum future life span possible from each engine. The VTS Team also has another four of the type as backups.
Another significant milestone in the restoration project was achieved on
22 August 2007, when all four of XH558's
Olympus engines were ran flawlessly at nearly full power settings, for short intervals. So far all engine testing has been fault-free. A short video clip of this event is available on
YouTube.
[15]
Accidents and incidents
★ On
30 September 1958, a Rolls Royce test pilot was authorized to fly VX770 on an engine performance sortie with a fly past at
RAF Syerston Battle of Britain "At Home" display. The briefing was for the pilot to fly over the airfield twice at 200-300 feet, flying at a speed of 250-300 knots. The Vulcan flew along the main 25/07 runway then started a roll to starboard and climbed slightly. Very shortly a kink appeared in the starboard mainplane leading edge followed by a stripping of the leading edge of the wing. The starboard wingtip then broke followed by a collapse of the main spar and wing structure. Subsequently, the Vulcan went into a dive and began rolling with the starboard wing on fire and struck the ground at the taxiway of the end of runway 07. Three occupants of a controllers' caravan were killed by debris, a fourth being injured. All the crew of the Vulcan were killed. The cause of the crash was pilot error; the captain flew the aircraft over the airfield at 410-420 knots instead of the briefed 250-300 knots he had also descended to a height of 65-70ft. Rolling the Vulcan to starboard while flying at this speed, the aircraft was rolled at a rate of 15-20 degrees/second while pulling up into a 3,000ft a minute climb imposing a strain of between 2-3g where it should have remained below 1.25g. The VX770 was a prototype and was not as strong as later production models, indeed buckling of the leading edge in this plane was a known problem and was the primary reason for low flight performance limits being imposed.
[16]
★ On
1 August 1956 Vulcan B1 ''XA897'' crashed at
London Heathrow Airport after an approach in bad weather. The Vulcan was the first to be delivered to the RAF and was returning from a demonstration flight to Australia and New Zealand. The pilot and co-pilot ejected and survived but the four other occupants were killed.
[17]
★ On
14 October 1975, Vulcan B 2 ''XM645'' of
No.9 Squadron out of
RAF Waddington lost its right undercarriage and damaged the airframe when it undershot the runway at
Luqa airport in
Malta. The pilot decided to do a circuit to crash land on runway 24 after it was covered with fire prevention foam. As the aircraft was turning inbound for the landing, it broke up in mid-air over the village of
Zabbar, killing five of its seven crew members. Only the pilot and co-pilot escaped, using their ejection seats. Large pieces of the aircraft fell on the village. One woman (Vincenza Zammit, 48), who was shopping in a street was hit by an electric cable and killed instantly. Some 20 others were injured slightly.
[18]
Survivors
★ ''XH558'' Vulcan B2 - (Registered G-VLCN) on restoration to fly at
Bruntingthorpe, England.
★ ''XJ823'' Vulcan B2A - On display at
Carlisle Airport, England.
★ ''XJ824'' Vulcan B2A - On display at the
Imperial War Museum,
Duxford Aerodrome, England.
★ ''XL318'' Vulcan B2 - On display at the
RAF Museum, Hendon, England.
★ ''XL319'' Vulcan B2 - On display at the
North East Aircraft Museum, Usworth, England.
★ ''XL360'' Vulcan B2 - On display at the
Midland Air Museum,
Coventry, England.
★ ''XL361'' Vulcan B2 - On display at
CFB Goose Bay, Canada.
★ ''XL426'' Vulcan B2 - (Registered G-VJET) preserved in taxiable condition at
Southend Airport, England.
★ ''XM573'' Vulcan B2 - On display at
Strategic Air and Space Museum,
Ashland, Nebraska,
USA.
★ ''XM575'' Vulcan B2A - On display at the
East Midlands Airport Aeropark, England.
★ ''XM594'' Vulcan B2 - On display at the
Newark Air Museum,
Newark-on-Trent, England.
★ ''XM597'' Vulcan B2 - On display at the
National Museum of Flight, East Fortune, Scotland.
★ ''XM598'' Vulcan B2 - On display at the
RAF Museum, Cosford, England.
★ ''XM603'' Vulcan B2 - Preserved at
Woodford Aerodrome, England.
★ ''XM605'' Vulcan B2 - On display at
Castle AFB, California, United States.
★ ''XM606'' Vulcan B2 - On display at
Barksdale AFB, United States.
★ ''XM607'' Vulcan B2 - On display at
RAF Waddington, England.
★ ''XM612'' Vulcan B2 - On display at
City of Norwich Aviation Museum,
Norwich, England.
★ ''XM655'' Vulcan B2 - (Registered G-VULC) preserved in taxiable condition at
Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield, England.
Operators
;
★
Royal Air Force
★
★
No. 9 Squadron RAF
★
★
No. 12 Squadron RAF
★
★
No. 27 Squadron RAF
★
★
No. 35 Squadron RAF
★
★
No. 44 Squadron RAF
★
★
No. 50 Squadron RAF
★
★
No. 83 Squadron RAF
★
★
No. 101 Squadron RAF
★
★
No. 617 Squadron RAF
★
★ No. 230 Operational Conversion Unit
Variants
;Prototypes
Two prototypes were built and subsequently modified for development, gaining the Mark 2 wing and testing engines. They differed in several ways from the later production aircraft. Smaller nose (No H2S radar fitted) and no Flight Refuelling Probe (FRP). ''VX770'' did not have the bomb aimer's blister. Both aircraft had a longer nose undercarriage leg than production aircraft.
;B.1
The initial production aircraft, with the straight wing leading edge, with wide undercarriage track and four underwing airbrakes. Early examples finished in silver, later changed to "anti-flash" white.
;B.1A
The B.1 with an
Electronic countermeasures (ECM) system in a new larger tail cone
;B.2
Developed version of the B.1. Larger, thinner wing than the B.1 and fitted with Olympus 201 or 301 engines. Terrain following radar in nosecone and passive radar warning in tail fin giving it a square top from mid-1970s . Uprated electrics with Airborne Auxiliary Power Unit and emergency Ram Turbine generator.
Smiths Military Flight System (MFS). Originally white "anti-flash" finish, from late 1970s dark all over camouflage finish.
;B.2A
Also known as B.2BS. B.2 with Olympus 301 engines to carry Blue Steel in recessed bomb doors. A & E bomb bay tanks only. After the withdrawal of Blue Steel converted back to B.2
;B.2 (MMR)
Nine B.2 converted to Maritime Radar Reconnaisannce. given high gloss protective paint to protect against sea spray effects. No Terrain Following Radar (TFR) but given
LORAN navigation aid. Five aircraft further modified for Air Sampling Role taking over from
543 Sqn. Victor SR 2. Retained gloss finish with light grey underside when B 2 given matte all surface camouflage
;K.2
Six B.2 converted for air-to-air refuelling with Mark 17 hose drum below tail cone. ECm removed. Could be fitted with three bomb bay drum tanks (for self-use or tanking)
Specifications
Specifications (Vulcan B.1)
Comparison of variants
| B.1 | B.1A | B.2 | B.2A (B.2BS) | B.2(MRR) or (K) |
|---|
| Wingspan | 99 ft | 111 ft |
| Length | 92 ft 9 in | 99 ft 11 in [19] | 99 ft 11 in | 99 ft 11 in | 99 ft 11 in |
| Height | 26 ft 6 in | 27 ft 1 in |
| Wing area | 3,554 sq ft | 3,964 sq ft |
| Maximum takeoff weight. | 190,000 lb | 204,000 lb |
| Cruising speed | Mach 0.86 (610 mph) | |
| Maximum speed | Mach 0.93 (632 mph) | Mach 0.92 (625 mph) | ||
| Range | 3,910 miles (3,395 nm, 6,293 km) | 4,600 miles (3,995 nm, 7,402 km) |
| Service ceiling | 55,000 ft | 60,000 ft |
| Engines | 4x Bristol Siddeley
Olympus 101, 102 or 104 | 4x Bristol Siddeley
Olympus 201,202, 203 or 301 | 4x Bristol Siddeley
Olympus 201,202, 203 | 4x Bristol Siddeley
Olympus 201,202, 203 |
| Fuel capacity (Avtur/Mains only) | 9,250 Imp. Gal. | 9,260 Imp. Gal. |
| Armament | nuclear bomb armed with a thermonuclear warhead
''or'' 21 x 1,000 lb bombs | 1x Blue Steel nuclear missile ''or'' 21 x 1,000 lb bombs
| None
|
Crew (All Mks):
Pilot, Co-Pilot, Navigator Plotter, Navigator Radar and Air Electronics Officer
(two extra seats could be fitted for Crew Chiefs if required, for a total of seven crew).
Note: Fuel capacity and range are for main tanks only. Various combinations of extra bomb bay tankage (A, E or Drum) could be fitted dependent on the aircraft sortie requirements.
★ 'B 1 (early production): ' --- (included in build total below)
★ 'B 1 (later production) ' --- '45 built'
★ 'B 2 ' --- '89 built'
★ 'B 1a' (B 1 converted to B 2 Spec internally.) '28 converted from B 1'
★ 'B 2a' --- 'B 2 conversions'
★ 'B 2 (MRR)/SR 2' --- '11 converted' (only 9 in existence at any one time.)
★ 'B 2 K' --- 'six converted' – from three B 2 & three B 2(MRR)
★ 'Total build 136'
Popular culture
★ The Vulcan bomber was featured in the 1965
James Bond movie ''
Thunderball''. Agents of
SPECTRE hijacked a Vulcan bomber in order to use its two nuclear bombs for a ransom plot against the US and Britain. In the original novel, the bomber is known as the (fictional) ''Villiers Vindicator''.
★ In the 1965 Cold War novel ''The Penetrators'' by
Hank Searls (writing as Anthony Gray), an RAF officer leads nine Vulcans in a maverick mock attack against the USA in order to prove that the manned bomber is a more flexible deterrent option than ballistic missiles.
★ Parts from two scrapped Vulcan bombers were used to make the set of the spaceship Nostromo from
Ridley Scott's 1979 film ''
Alien''.
★ The spaceship HMS Camden Lock in the BBC2 comedy series
Hyperdrive bears the serial number ''XH558''. The set and prop designer, model maker Andrew Glazebrook is quoted that, "Its registration number ''XH558'' is actually that of the Royal Air Force's 'Avro Vulcan' bomber and was suggested by the show's writers, Andy Riley and Kevin Cecil." This direct involvement with the Avro Vulcan and its role as a military aircraft is clearly connected to its science-fiction counterpart.
References
1. These would be replaced with Armstrong Siddeley Sapphires before the Olympus were ready
2. Vulcan history
3. The roll is performed while gently climbing so that a positive g-force is maintained and stresses reduced.
4. The AEO was responsible for all electrical equipment in a role similar to that of flight engineer on earlier propellor aircraft
5. The leading edge was forward of the spar and changes were easily incorporated into the production
6. Laming 2002, p. 88.
7. Laming 2002, p. 89.
8. Falklands Vulcan
9. Falklands
10. Falklands
11. White 2006
12. Vulcan to the Sky Club
13. BBC News
14. TV News
15. "Vulcan XH558 Testing all 4 Engines"
16. National Archives: Ref no. BT 233/403
17. National Archives: Ref no. AIR 20/12396
18. V-Force XM645
19. 105 ft 6 in with refuelling probe
----
★ Arnold, Lorna. ''Britain and the H-Bomb''. Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2001. ISBN 0-333-94742-8 (outside North America), ISBN 0-312-23518-6 (North America only).
★ Holmes, Harry. ''Avro: The History of an Aircraft Company''. Wiltshire, UK: Crowood Press, 2004. ISBN 1-86126-651-0.
★ Jackson, A.J. ''Avro Aircraft since 1908, 2nd edition''. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1990. ISBN 0-85177-834-8.
★ Laming, Tim. ''The Vulcan Story 1952-2002, Second Edition''. Enderby, Leicester, UK: Silverdale Books, 2002. ISBN 1-85605-701-1.
★ ''Vulcan B.Mk.2 Aircrew Manual (AP101B-1902-15)''.
★ White, Rowland. ''Vulcan 607''. London: Bantam Press, 2006. ISBN 0-593-05391-5 (cased), ISBN 0-593-05392-3 (pb).
★ Wynn, Humphrey. ''RAF Strategic Nuclear Deterrent Forces: Origins, Roles and Deployment 1946 - 1969''. London: The Stationery Office, 1994. ISBN 0-11-772778-4.
Video of the Avro Vulcan
★
video of the Vulcans and Avro 707 in flypast and Vulcan doing a roll at Farnborough in 1955
★
Video of 'XH558', the last flying Avro Vulcan
★
Avro Vulcan at an airshow in 1983
★
Video #1 of an Avro Vulcan
★
Video #2 of an Avro Vulcan
★
Video #3 of an Avro Vulcan
★
Video #4 of an Avro Vulcan
External links
★
Avro Vulcan Information
★
Vulcan to the Skyand
[1] Company heading restoration to flight of Vulcan XH558 at Bruntingthorpe UK.
★
Vulcans in Camera
★
Vulcan on display at Castle Air Museum, California
★
Vulcan history
★
Vulcan Restoration Trust
★
Avro Vulcan V-Bomber on WingWeb.co.uk
★
Aircraft.co.za - Avro Vulcan
★
Aerospaceweb.org - Information regarding the Avro Vulcan
★
V-Bomber History
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