V Bomber program (22/7/09)

[Argonautical]

V Bombers always seem to generate a lot of interest on PPrune so in case some ppruners were not aware of it, More4 tonight, at 10 PM, has a program called "Engineering Britain's Superweapons" which is all about the V bombers.

[mustpost]

:D Well spotted Sir.!

[wiccan]

Nowt about the Forgotten "Alternative" V Bomber, Though.....aka Sperrin

[Lancelot37]

Been searching, what is More4? Never heard of it.

[windriver]

Where's More 4? - This Depends on your TV provider eg Freeview - Sky Virgin etc check here for channel numbers More4 | Documentary | Channel 4 (http://www.channel4.com/more4/)

[BEagle]

Bit of a curate's egg.

Some good interviews and period film, interspersed with Bruntinghthorpe and Wellesbourne Mountford shots.

But the usual misunderstanding about the nuclear role of the Vulcan between 1969 and 1982.....

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

It really brought home just how much of our hard earned cash those cretins we call "politicians" can waste in playing space invaders with each other. Just imagine how much better off we would all be if the millions spent on the V-Force, which was only used a couple of times in anger, had been spent on better education, health, etc.

Think about it - Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, etc., didn't need nuclear deterrents and the Soviets didn't march through them.... or have I missed something?

As for the half-dozen or more refuelling exercises en route for the Falklands... Verey cartridges fired from tanker aircraft (fer Chrissakes!!!), and claiming to have come from "Huddersfield".... Well, I guess they were heroes in their time but it all looks terribly Fred Karno today....

I cheered the V-bombers at Farnborough in the 50s but now I'm an old man, looking back on such nonsense makes me sick.....

[VfrpilotPB/2]

Very good Docu, thought I saw my old Uncle climbing into a Vulcan, will have to try and get him to find the replay and look , that was in the days of me being a smallish boy who was impressed by such things as Uncles in big Jets,.... now I am significantly older and a little larger, I am WELL IMPRESSED!!:ok::ok:


PeterR-B
Vfr

[Lancelot37]

Where's More 4? - This Depends on your TV provider eg Freeview - Sky Virgin etc check here for channel numbers More4 | Documentary | Channel 4 (http://www.channel4.com/more4/)
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Thanks for that. Bought a Freeview box about three years ago but only switched it on twice as everything on there was rubbish. Stick to the four main channels and I watch about 3 hours of TV a week. Nothing of interest except Question Time and Univercity Challenge and Mastermind.

Thankfully we are old enough to not pay for a TV licence.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

Although rather overly harsh, that is a fair point. The success of the V Force was that they were never used in the N role. It’s called deterrence.

I can also never understand people who simply want to make money in a world run by foreigners.

H D. When you ask "have I missed something?" Yes, I believe you have.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Fishtailed... I welcome sensible debate and I readily accept that others may not agree with me, but rudeness is quite uncalled for.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

GBZ... If the UK needed a deterrent, how come the other countries I mentioned did not?

[Wander00]

Due to a domestic cock-up I missed it, and as as I live on the (European) mainland, I cannot i-player it. Coiuld anyone let me have it on a DVD for which I would happliy pay +postage, or e-mail me a file

Wander00

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

HEATHROW DIRECTOR. That is a fair question. Perhaps Switzerland and Sweden are happy to create money without bothering too much about who’s running the World for them. Say nothing, act casual, count the money and trust that one is sufficiently insignificant as to not antagonise any big boys. Denmark and Belgium seem to have a similar outlook but also have the advantage of being under the NATO “umbrella”. You could have added the cloggies to that list as well; and the Emerald Isle outside NATO. I suppose we could ask any one of those Countries that question, should they attend the next G8 Members Meeting.

[TURIN]

More here....Britains Cold War Super Weapons (http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/B/britains_cold_war_super_weapons/vbombers.html)

On 4OD here...Engineering Britains Super Weapons (http://www.channel4.com/programmes/engineering-britains-superweapons/4od)

In fact there are two more programs in the series coming up on 29th July and 5th august. Here! (http://www.channel4.com/programmes/engineering-britains-superweapons/episode-guide)

Good call, will set the video.:ok:

[Fareastdriver]

Think about it - Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, etc., didn't need nuclear deterrents and the Soviets didn't march through them.... or have I missed something?


That is something we will never find out. Thankfully.

[VfrpilotPB/2]

Thought I would share this with you all

After the Show on More 4 I contacted my old Uncle to tell him about the film, says that he watched it and it was V Good, but added

for the 1959 or 1960 Farnborough show they sent three teams, Valiant, Victors and the Vulcans, apparantly the three teams crews had a bet for a barrel of Ale as to who would be the fastest off the ground, the fourth Vulcan cleared the ground at 1min 18secs, all in the rain!!:eek: the Vulcan crews won the barrel.

I cant get my house locked and car started in that sort of time, never mind leave the end of the drive.

Peter R-B
Vfr

[windriver]

1min 18secs

There's an hilarious account by Air Cdre Bonnor in the latest issue of The Victor Association Newsletter describing how 100 Sqdn laid on a 4 Victor QRA scramble at a Wittering Families Day in 1964...

"... 16 Conways .. aircraft went to full power.....airborne in 2 mins... There was chaos, screaming children, distraught mothers many in a state of shock." :ok:

He went on to say they didn`t repeat the trick the following year...

[kiwibrit]

the fourth Vulcan cleared the ground at 1min 18secs, all in the rain!!http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/eek.gif the Vulcan crews won the barrel.Wouldn't have been allowed for the last couple of years of the Vulcans' life at Waddo. Too much fear of FOD being kicked up by the aircraft ahead.

[DC10RealMan]

I believe that 10 years separates the design of the Avro Lancaster and the Avro Vulcan complete with slide rules and drawing offices. Somehow I cant imagine that happening nowadays.

[mustpost]

As I have repeated, perhaps ad nauseum, I can well remember bairns bawling at Turnhouse in the (very) early 60's on the Vulcan flyover; probably 'cos I thought I was too big for that..(aged 8) scared, me...?:ooh:

[windriver]

mustpost scared, me...?

Yes and me probably too ... but as I understood it the idea of Families Day was to show the family what one did at work.

Ten years later when I joined up, families day was little more than 'hook the duck' - 'lob a wet sponge at the padre' and the hydraulic bay Scottish Dancing team...

[Fareastdriver]

At the squadron Xmas party for the kids Santa Claus would be flown in as well.

[Marham69]

UK TV Channel 'More 4' (freeview Ch 14) has recently telecast a 3 part series on Britain's Engineering exploits of the 1950s with particular reference to the RAF and strategic missile/nuclear weapons matters.

It may be of interest that they are re-telecasting the complete series on Saturday 8th August from 2100 Hrs BST - 3 hours worth.

1 - The V-Force - design and development of the Valiant, Vulcan and Victor and their operational service with the RAF

2 - Nuclear Weapons Testing - Operation Grapple - Valiants generating some 'instant sunshine'

3 - Blue Streak

Cameo appearances from amongst many others - some real stalwarts of the Valiant/Victor 1 era - Dick Russell. Alan Pringle, Derek Tuthill.

Tin Triangles do NOT rool OK. :-)

[Tankertrashnav]

Great news - I was really disappointed to miss the first episode first time round- must set my digi thingy to record it all this time.

I think Alan Pringle is the only man ever to have dropped two nuclear weapons, because after his "turn" a pilot on a later flight went sick and Alan had to stand in for him. Bit hazy on my facts but I think Alan was the man concerned.


Tin Triangles do NOT rool OK. :-)


Agreed :ok:

[Lightning Mate]

I missed it too.

Thanks for the heads up.

This is what we used to carry:

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu82/Lightning_29/we177.jpg

[Al R]

This programme is being repeated twice tonight on More 4 (mid evening) and then again early morning (0300 ish). The other two progs in the series about British wpns engineering in the 50s and 60s will also be showed.

[Data-Lynx]

Watched it tonight for the first time. Total respect to the crews, especially the back seat crews in the Vulcan, the maintainers and the families.

[Warmtoast]

I recorded these programs and have only now got round to viewing them and fascinatng viewing they are.

Re the second video and detonation of Grapple X, the UK's first H-bomb. The 'sniffer' Canberras that entered the cloud to collect samples appear to be coated with what looks like the grease that channel swimmers daub on themselves.

I assume this coating was something that could be easily be washed off as part of the decontamination process once they returned to Christmas Island.

Any thoughts as to what this coating is or was for?

[Blacksheep]

Wouldn't have been allowed for the last couple of years of the Vulcans' life at Waddo. Too much fear of FOD being kicked up by the aircraft ahead.B1As had electric start and required a "Simstart Trolley" for QRA & demo scrambles etc. When doing a B1A demo scramble from the Waddington ORP in '66 I was on the No.3 aircraft and was forced to bail out of the 'wheel dancing' when the aircraft began to move while I was still pulling the port Simstart cables out. The aircraft dragged the trolley out onto the runway and made a complete balls-up of the demo. Those demo scrambles with the white overalls and polished tyres were a bit of nonsense anyway; ORP scrambling from dispersed airfields on a Micky Finn was more like the real thing and just like a normal, measured, everyday QRA "Zero-two"

[VictorPilot]

New thread "Were you ever on Victors" open now.