Avro Vulcan
The dramatic 'delta' wing silhouette accompanied by the roar of her Bristol Olympus engines marks the beginning of an impressive flying routine by the Avro Vulcan. This immense aircraft is flown with great precision by her crew, in a display sequence that showcases the agility and awesome power of the Avro Vulcan, to the delight of spectators watching.
What type of aircraft is the Vulcan?
The Avro Vulcan is a military aircraft that met an Operational Requirement specification for a high-altitude, long-range bomber. The aircraft needed to carrying a 10,000lb payload, with a top speed of 575mph, at a ceiling height of 50,000ft over a range of 3,000 miles.
Who designed and manufactured the Vulcan?
The Avro Vulcan was initially developed by a team at A V Roe (Avro) & Company Limited led by Roy Chadwick. Avro was founded in 1910 in Manchester by Alliott Verdon and Humphrey Verdon Roe. The company produced many well-known aircraft including the Avro Lancaster and Avro Lincoln bombers. Development was interrupted by the death of Roy Chadwick in a testing accident on 23 August 1947. Work on the Vulcan resumed under Stuart Davies; Davies joined Avro in 1936 and became chief designer at Avro. It was Davies who evolved and refined Chadwick's initial work on the Vulcan. Production took place at Avro's factory in Woodford, Cheshire, where the company had first set up a factory in 1924. In 1948 Avro began testing the Avro 707, essentially a scaled-down Vulcan, to prove the delta-wing concept destined for the Vulcan before production began. During development and testing Avro designated the aircraft Type 698. The prototype aircraft, VX770, first flew on 30 August 1952. In 1953 the aircraft was officially name the Vulcan.
What is the technical specification of the Vulcan?
The Avro Vulcan is a four-engined bomber, powered by Bristol Olympus 101 (and later 102 or 104) turbojets. The Vulcan has a distinctive shape, with a tail-less, delta wing configuration. The design allowed the cockpit and crew positions, engines, bomb-bay and undercarriage to be enclosed within the delta-wing shape. This reduced aerodynamic drag and vulnerability to detection by radar. 'B1' production aircraft included a 'kink' in the leading-edge of the delta wing. Later 'B2' models featured an enlarged tail-cone, housing Electronic Counter Measures equipment. The aircraft carried a crew of five: pilot, co-pilot, navigator, radar operator and Air Electronics Officer (responsible for the Vulcan's electronic systems).
What is the operational history of the Vulcan?
After extensive development and flight testing the first Vulcans were delivered to 230 OCU of the RAF. 83 Squadron, which was disbanded after World War 2, was reformed on 21 May 1957 and became the first frontline squadron to be equipped with the Vulcan. The first aircraft arrived at Waddington on 11 July. A further six squadrons were equipped with the Vulcan B1. The first B2 Vulcans entered service from July 1960. The Vulcan maintained Britain's nuclear deterrent, carrying the Blue Steel nuclear missile from 1963 to 1969. B1 aircraft were withdrawn from 1966 and B2 aircraft from 1981. However, in 1982 during the Falklands War five Vulcan aircraft, XM597, XM598, XM607, XM612 and XL391, were stationed on Ascension Island. In 'Operation Black Buck', four Vulcans (XL391 was kept in reserve), supported by 13 Handley- Page Victor air-to-air refuelling tankers attacked key targets in seven missions, including the runway at Port Stanley airfield. After the Falklands War a number of Vulcans were converted to air refuelling tankers. All aircraft were withdrawn from operational service by March 1984.
Why is the Vulcan an aviation icon?
In 1986 the RAF's last Avro Vulcan bomber was retired. The aircraft, XH558 continued as a display aircraft before being sold in 1993. For the next fourteen years she remained grounded. In 1997 an ambitious plan to return her to flight began. Ten year later, with over £7 million of funding, XH558 took to the sky. Today shes is the oldest complete Vulcan in the world and pays tribute to the aircraft's role in the Cold War and Falklands conflict.
Where can I see a Vulcan aircraft?
The world's only remaining airworthy example is Vulcan XH558. The aircraft is flown by the Vulcan to the Sky Trust. Flying displays are limited in number each year, as the airframe and engines have a limited lifespan. The Trust's website includes a calendar of flying displays which is regularly updated. A number of Avro Vulcans are maintained in taxiable condition, including Vulcan XM655 at Wellesbourne near Stratford-upon-Avon. The Vulcan Restoration Trust at Southend Airport is currently restoring Vulcan XL426 to taxiable condition. Static examples can be seen at the RAF Museum London, RAF Museum Cosford, Imperial War Museum Duxford and the Museum of Flight in Scotland.
Specification
| Manufacturer | A V Roe Ltd (United Kingdom) |
| Designer | Roy Chadwick/Stuart Davies |
| Aircraft type | Military heavy bomber |
| Length | 97ft 1in |
| Wingspan | 99ft 5in |
| Height | 26ft 6in |
| Weight | 83,573lb (empty)/170lb (loaded) |
| Speed | 607mph |
| Ceiling height | 55,000ft |
| Engines | 4 x Bristol Olympus 101 turbojets producing 11,000lb thrust each |
| Range | 2,607 miles |
| Crew | 5 |
Facts and Figures
- 136 Vulcan aircraft were built between September 1948 and December 1964
- Test pilot Roly Falk 'rolled' a Vulcan at the 1955 Farnborough Air Show
- The Vulcan was designed to carry up to twenty-one 1,000lb bombs
- Vulcan aircraft formed Britain's nuclear deterrent in the 1960s
- The only combat mission for the Avro Vulcan was the Falklands War in 1982
- Vulcan aircraft were used to test engines for the BAC TSR-2 and Concorde
- Restored Vulcan XH558 took to the skies again on 18 October 2007
- Britain had two other V-bombers - the Handley-Page Victor and Vickers Valiant
