Vulcan 607

Product Information

The closest the Vulcan came to taking part in potential nuclear conflict was during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, where Bomber Command was moved to Alert Condition 3, an increased state of preparedness from normal operations; however, it stood down in early November. Avro had strongly recommended the name Ottawa, [N 1] in honour of the company's connection with Avro Canada. I hear that it went a bit quiet on his aircraft for a while, but being the professionals they were Martin just said ‘it looks like we’ve got a job of work to do’ and they proceeded southwards to complete their mission. During the early 1980s, British defence planning was focused on the Cold War confrontation with the Soviet Union. Presented to the Labrador Heritage Society Museum in 1983 but remaining at the airbase, which doubles as a civilian airport, it is still displayed in the open air.

The cause was due to arcing on the RAT's electrical terminals, burning a hole in an adjacent fuel pipe and setting the fuel on fire. Someone remembered that some had been sold to a scrapyard in Newark-on-Trent, and they were retrieved from there. Continuous airborne patrols proved untenable, however, and the refuelling mechanisms across the Vulcan fleet fell into disuse in the 1960s.Rolls-Royce pilots also carried out aerobatics, but Blackman speculates that Rolls-Royce did not know of the inspections, and VX770 may have already been severely structurally damaged. The two inner Conways were replaced with Rolls-Royce Speys, flying for the first time in this configuration on 12 October 1961. This wing modification resulted in the "phase 2" wing which was first investigated on Avro 707A WD480. In peacetime, this could be followed up by visual identification and photography of targets of interest at low level. The first surprise attack on the islands, on 30 April – 1 May, was the first significant offensive action made by British forces against the Argentine forces in the Falklands.

An electrical storm interfered with the last refuelling stop, an issue that almost jeopardised the entire operation. Squadron Leader Bob Tuxford,who piloted Victor XL189 – thelast Victor tankerto refuel the Vulcan prior to the raid, received the Air Force Cross. Two squadrons were also stationed in Cyprus as part of the Near East Air Force and assigned to Central Treaty Organization in a strategic strike role.All consideration at this point was about how it could be done; no targets were identified in the Falklands or Argentina. Fitting the phase 2 wing removed the buffeting and an auto-mach trimmer countered the high-speed dive. From 1962 onwards, two jets in every RAF bomber base were armed with nuclear weapons and on standby permanently under the principle of Quick Reaction Alert (QRA).

Authority to proceed with the operation, codenamed Black Buck, was given by the War Cabinet on 27 April. To supplement it until the Royal Navy took on the deterrent role with Polaris SLBM-equipped submarines, the Vulcan bombers adopted a new mission profile of flying high during clear transit, dropping down low to avoid enemy defences on approach, and deploying a parachute-retarded bomb, the WE. The Avro Type 722 Atlantic was a 1952 proposal (announced in June 1953) for a 120-passenger delta-winged airliner based on the Type 698. VX770 made an appearance at the 1952 Society of British Aircraft Constructors' (SBAC) Farnborough Air Show the next month when Falk demonstrated an almost vertical bank. With the HRS a navigator's heading unit was provided, which enabled the navigator plotter to adjust the aircraft heading, through the autopilot, by as little as 0.Sea Harriers of 801 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Beetham argued that the Vulcan threat would cause the Argentinians to retain fighters in the north of Argentina. XH498 flew to RNZAF Ohakea for a safe emergency landing on just the nose and starboard landing gear with little further damage. The captain ejected at a very late stage and only survived because his deploying parachute was snagged by some power cables.