Entry in preparation. Last visited 16/03/09

Britain's V-bomber force, consisting of the Vickers Valiant, Handley-Page Victor and Avro Vulcan was created during the 1950s to counter the nuclear attack capability of the former Soviet Union during the 'cold war'. These swept-wing jet-engined aircraft replaced the four-engined Stirlings, Halifaxes and Lancasters of the 1940s, which had gas-turbine propulsion.

Indeed, by 1952, Britain had developed its own nuclear capability with a 25-kiloton bomb called Hurricane, which was tested off Trimouille Island, Australia. However, this weapon required a delivery system – a means to get the bomb to its target. The slow, heavy bombers of World War II were, by now, obsolete, and Britain had a requirement for a new, fast, jet-powered heavy bomber. Thus, the call went out, and three manufacturers replied with designs that were to become collectively known as the 'V-bomber' force.

The Vickers Valiant first flew in May 1951 although, as an insurance policy against possible failure, a more conventional straight-wing aircraft, the Short Sperrin, was also commissioned. In the event, the Valiant was a success and saw action during the Suez campaign of 1956.

The Victor made its maiden flight in December 1952 and had a crescent-shaped wing for greater efficiency. This was later used for reconnaisance purposes and as a flying tanker.

Short Sperrin

Vickers Valiant

The first of Britain's V-Bomber fleet, the Vickers Valiant first flew on 18 May 1951 although, as an insurance policy against possible failure, a more conventional straight-wing aircraft, the Short Sperrin, was also commissioned. In the event, the Valiant was a success and saw action during the Suez campaign of 1956.

Valiant's were grounded for good in 1964, and later decommissioned following an incident which occurred following a switch to low-level operations. A crew were lucky to escape with their lives when an aircraft suffered cracking to a rear wing spar. Examination of the rest of the Valiant fleet showed that all bar one had signs of similar stress failure.

Being suddenly without its airborne tanker fleet Handley-Page Victors were hurriedly adapted for service in this role.

Handley-Page Victor

The Victor made its maiden flight in December 1952 and had a crescent-shaped wing for greater efficiency. This was later used for reconnaisance purposes and as a flying tanker.

Avro Vulcan

Chronologically the third of the RAF's V-bombers, the Vulcan was actually the second of the trio to fly, in August 1952¹, and it became operational in 1957.

Bill Gunston, writing in the October 1980 issue of Aeroplane Weekly, wrote the following:

At Farnborough in September 1952, a prototype, then called the Avro 698, in the hands of Roly Falk, put on a flying display that remains in my memory more vividly than any other. The aircraft was new, having first flown only two days before the show opened² It was, like so many other British aircraft at the time, highly secrete. It was a dramatic new shape that even people totally disinterested in aviation knew was called a delta. It was impressively large; Avro announced that its skin plating would cover a football pitch...

Thus, the Vulcan was the first and largest aircraft of its type to feature a delta wing, and it was ordered in quantity to replace the piston-engined Lincolns and Washingtons of Bomber Command. Indeed, the RAF had 136 Vulcans between 1967 and 1984, but most were retired by the mid-eighties.

This strategic aircraft at one time carried Britain's nuclear deterrent - the thermonuclear-warheaded Hawker Siddeley Blue Steel air-to-surface stand-off missile, and thus spearheaded RAF Bomber Command. Alternatively, each aircraft could carry a single nuclear bomb.

Once the Royal Navy took over responsibility for Britain's nuclear deterrent in 1970, in the shape of the Polaris submarine fleet, the role of the Vulcam bomber changed. The aircraft's huge bomb bays were adapted to accommodate 21 conventional 1000lb bombs, known as 'iron bombs'.

The Vulcan bomber has a range of over 4000 miles at nearly the speed of sound at high altitude. Most were modified for low-altitude bombing where they are less susceptible to missile attack; and so Vulcan bombers famously took part in record-breaking 8000 mile flights from Ascension Island and back to bomb Port Stanley's runway, during the 1982 Falklands Islands campaign. Argentine supply aircraft landed at Port Stanley airport, and so a raid on this airport was considered vital, but the distance involved was immense. Here a single Vulcan bomber was used for the final attack. This had a modified airframe to accommodate larger fuel tanks. This aircraft required 17 in-flight refuelling sessions using Victor tanker aircraft.The 4,000 mile journey from Ascension Island to Port Stanley was the longest in bombing history.

Two years after the end of the Falklands conflict, No. 50 Squadron, RAF, the last squadron to operate Vulcan bombers, was disbanded. Most Vulcan bombers have now all been scrapped or are part of static museum displays. However, the aircraft, Serial Number XH558, built in 1960, carried on with airshow duties until 1992 when it was bought by David Walton, owner of Bruntingthorpe airfield in Leicestershire. It was later sold to the 'Vulcan to the Sky Trust' and has recently been restored and made airworthy at a cost of £6million.

Livery

For low-level tactical operations, the Vulcan bonber was painted in camouflage colours of medium grey and dark green on the upper surfaces. When it was armed with an A-bomb, camouflage was white with roundels in pale blue and pink. Scientists believed that light colours would reflect any radiation after it had dropped its bomb. Dark colours, on the other hand, would absorb any radiation. Fortunately, it was never necessary to put this theory to the test.

Vital Statistics

Wingspan 111ft (Biggest bomber to have a delta design).

Max Speed: 645 mph

Range: 4600 miles

Crew: 5

Fuel: Burns 5 tons/hour