The
Avro Vulcan was the worlds first delta winged heavy bomber. the first
prototype flew on the 30th August 1952 and the first production Vulcan
flew in February 1955. The first Avro Vulcan's arrived for service
with the Royal Air Force with 230 operational Conversion Unit (OCU) at RAF
Finningley in May 1956. with the first squadron to receive the Vulcan in
July 1957 was 83 squadron. In April 1968 Bomber Command merged into
the Newly created Strike Command with eight Squadrons being equipped with
Vulcan's. A terrain Hugging variant was introduced (the Vulcan SR2)
in 1973 to all squadron except no. 27 squadron (Flying Elephants) which
was a maritime reconnaissance squadron (also named Dumbo which the squadron
was given permission by Walt Disney to use the badge) The Last Major role
for the Avro Bomber was the bombing of Argentinean Airfields in the
Falkland Islands During The Falklands Conflict.
The Avro Vulcan high Altitude Bomber
with a crew of five. Top Speed 650 mph with a ceiling of 60,000 feet.
maximum range of 5750 miles (with in flight refuelling). with a
conventional bomb load of 21 x 1000 lb bombs.
RAF Vulcan MKB2 by Barry Price
Royal Air Force subsonic bomber the Vulcan last used in the bombing
of Goose Green during the Falklands War.
Lone Ranger by John Young. Sorely missed on the air display circuit, this Vulcan is pictured
flying high over Niagra Falls. Used as a heavy bomber and particularly
in the Falklands War of 1982, just the sound of the engines and the
vibrations of the ground announced its arrival. Rumour had it that this
magnificent aircraft might make a return at some time to the air display
scene but this seems to be increasingly unlikely as time passes.
Deterrent at Dawn by Keith Woodcock A Vulcan Mk B2 of 44 sqn lifting off into the dawn sky during the cold
war. 44 sqn were the first equipped with these aircraft in 1960, initially
receiving the earlier Mk 1As passed on from 83 and 617 sqns who had
upgraded to the B2 as the Mk 1A was phased out. It was in fact the last
squadron to use them, seeing active service in the bombing of Port Stanley
during the Falklands war and finally relinquishing them in 1984.
Black Buck One by Keith Woodcock The longest ever bombing mission, 30th April - 1st May 1982. Vulcan B2
XM607 of 44 sqn prepares to refuel from Victor K2 XH672 of 57 sqn on its
return from bombing Port Stanley Airport on the Falklands.
Delta Lady by Philip West Moments after take off, the mighty Avro Vulcan XH558 bomber begins her
majestic climb through storm clouds, out over the British countryside
towards the North Sea. A masterpiece of British engineering 'excellence',
she acted as a nuclear deterrent throughout the Cold War until the arrival
of Polaris. Prior to her retirement in 1993 she had thrilled many in air
displays nationwide. XH558 has been restored to fly in display flight in 2002 to celebrate the
50th anniversary of the first flight of the Vulcan.
Vulcan XH558, The Loved One by Michael Rondot
"The noise was fantastic. The earth moved and shook as a huge
trumpeting roar set off all the car alarms. The hairs on the back of my
neck stood on end; everyone stood still and listened and then it appeared.
I fell in love and I knew I would never forget my first Vulcan
display." Few aircraft have evoked such strong emotions with the
airshow going public as Vulcan XH558, the subject of Michael Rondot's
painting. Climbing almost vertically, with black smoke pouring from its
thundering engines at full power, the Vulcan could bring any airshow to a
complete standstill. Crowds watched in awe as the majestic delta-winged
bomber created a deafening roar of smoke and noise, the sight and sound of
its display an emotional and unforgettable experience for those who
witnessed it. Signatories: MRAF The Lord Craig of Radley, Sqn Ldr Martin Withers and
Sqn Ldr David Thomas.
Heyday by Steve Gibbs The retirement of the mighty Vulcan from the Royal Air
Force with all its attendant publicity tends to make us forget the heady
days when even the smaller At Home or Station Air
Day could rely on the Vulcan as one of its star attractions. In this
picture artist Steve Gibbs has tried to create something of that simple
carnival atmosphere of the provincial show by showing the scene at an Open
Day at RAF Swinderby in Lincolnshire during the early 1980s. Avro Vulcan
B2 XM575 does a dramatic touch-and-go in front of the distinctive hangers
of the well-known former airfield. As the pilot applies full power, the
smoke from the Olympus engines begins to build as the magnificent delta
thunders into the air to demonstrate its astounding agility to a totally
enthralled crowd of onlookers.
