Vulcan Bomber

[ramjet]

The Vulcan bomber wing profile was also the template for the wings on the keel of the famous America's cup yacht Australia II. So it's famous for more than just being a great bomber.

Michael.

[Advantage]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8240500.stm?ls

[molemot]

I remember the fuss when General Paul Tibbets recreated his B29 Enola Gay attack on Hiroshima at a Confederate Air Force display years back...dropped a model of the Uranium bomb. I've found this on the web...

"The event was a Confederate Air Force Air Show in Harlingen, Texas in 1976. The show was ended with the B29 "Fifi" simulating the dropping of the bomb at Hiroshima by the Enola Gay. (The plane was flown by Gen. Paul Tibbets, the same pilot who flew the mission to Hiroshima.) It included a small ground charge which resulted in a small mushroom cloud. This caused an international incident, bringing diplomatic protests from Japan. Our liberal politicians and revisionist historians proceeded to kiss Japan's derriere with formal apologies while chastising and condemning the Confederate Air Force as a war-mongering extremist group. Neither the Japanese or the revisionist liberals mentioned the reenacted bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Confederate Air Force during the air show. (Funny how that was overlooked!) Since that time, bowing to pressure, the CAF does not do the bombing of Hiroshima anymore."

[TrapperJohn]

The Smithsonian Air&Space magazine had an interesting story about a Vulcan that made an emergency landing in Brazil after a Falklands mission. They were careful to land on the civilian airfield where they would be seen, instead of a nearby military airfield where they could have been interned for ages. Sorry, we don't have enough fuel to divert.

One of the Vulcan's Shrike antiradar missiles misfired when they tried to jettison it before landing. Caused a bit of a panic with the crew when they finally parked the Vulcan. Seems it was pointed right at the airport's radar antennae... fortunately, they were able to dismantle it before anyone else figured out what it was.

Speaking of the Smithsonian, there was a big flap when they finally put part of the Enola Gay on display. Originally, it was going to be a 'politically correct' apologist display. Head of the Smithsonian lost his job over that one, after the cries of outrage. Imagine the history of Trafalgar rewritten so as not to offend the Spanish and French...

[th4neuk]

I haven't read the whole thread but I gather it will be flying over for the Goodwood revival weekend.

My friend who races the 500cc F3 cars is heavily involved in the organisation of the vulcan. At some point I'm going to she if she can get to show me round it.

Awesome plane.

Cheers

[tinywillyuk]

Important not to forget that this project is largely funded by the public and a smattering of sponsors.

To see it again next year, XH558s 50th birthday year as I recall, people need to keep donating. I've donated for a long time and continue to do so, and the each of the 4 times I've seen and heard her this year, I know it was worth it.

Unless a large commercial sponsor is found, which I am sceptical about, its people power that will keep it howling around the skies.

[bingoking]

The RAF Leuchars Airshow is this weekend, Saturday 12th September and according to the airshow website the Vulcan will be putting in ana appearance.

Last year the weather was so awful that it only managed a fast taxi down the runway and didn't take off.

Hopefully the weather will be better this weekend and we will see this magnificent machine flying.

I remember seeing it in the late 60's/early 70's at Leuchars and for me it was the star of the show.

I haven't read the whole post so I don't know if anyone has mentioned the book Vulcan 607 by Rowland White. This is a fascinating book about the attack on the Falklands and goes into great detail about the logistics and the problems faced by the various crews involved. It is a miracle that they managed to find the Falklands never mind dropping the bombs and an ever greater miracle that they got back to Ascension Island.

[Jonathan]

BLOODY HELL THAT WAS CLOSE !!!!

Love the victor, would have been terrible to have seen that crunched !

[Loose Cannon]

Love the Victor too, used to love seeing them fly, and Shackletons, and Lightnings....airshows are so dull these days.

[Backmarker]

"haven't read the whole post so I don't know if anyone has mentioned the book Vulcan 607 by Rowland White."

Here's my review of the book Brian. I thought it was brilliant from cover to cover.

http://www.lotusespritforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=I

[73JPS]

BLOODY HELL THAT WAS CLOSE !!!!

Love the victor, would have been terrible to have seen that crunched !

What the heck was that all about?

[bingoking]

"haven't read the whole post so I don't know if anyone has mentioned the book Vulcan 607 by Rowland White."

Here's my review of the book Brian. I thought it was brilliant from cover to cover.

http://www.lotusespritforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=I

I eventually found your review and agree with your comments.

The thing that really amazed me about the whole thing was the fact that they had never done in-flight refuelling before!

[oneshot]

There was a TV programme about the whole business.

The logistics of getting the Vulcan there and back were enormous. They not only had to refuel the Vulcan but also had to refuel the Victors which were being used as refuelers!

They had to work out flying distances and fuel capacity. It took 14 Victors to get 1 Vulcan to the Falklands.

[bingoking]

On a wing and a prayer sprung to mind when I was reading the book!!!

[Backmarker]

Dave,

They also had to get the Vulcan back again!

They made a slight miscalculation in respect of fuel used and quickly realised they would not make it back to the first re-fueling Victor.

Luckily, the Victor was able to fly a few further miles south although by this time the Vulcan was running on fumes.

Wing and a prayer indeed

[Jonathan]

That was incredible that book - amazing that the 1st vulcan dropped out becuase of a small window got jammed open !

True sheer bloody mindedness - we as a nation always seem to do just about the bare minmum to get the job done and rely mainly on the grit of the people in the box to do the job.

If those guys had to get out at any one time they would have been dead to the elements. Remember they did it a few times after that too !

[Paul C]

I never carry a phone at weekends so i have no pics...

But the flying Vulcan is based at brize Norton this year (my doorstep, quite literally) and i felt i should post that while enjoying a pint in a beer garden in town earlier it flew right over the top of us, very loud and spectacular, to land at the base.

If any of you plane buffs are interested, it's 'in' time is between 4 and six on sunday afternoons, when it's on it's way back from the various european air shows that it flies out to during the summer, and if you have the patience and the sunday afternoon to wait around for a couple of hours (i don't!), then you can park at the runway lights on the brize-Bampton road and see every rivet (waynes world style) as it passes overhead just feet away from you to land.