A different QRA question
Thread Starter
A different QRA question
Been reading with interest the tales of fighter QRA.
My question is were any strike aircraft held on similar QRA after the Vulcan?
e.g. The Tornado GR1 or Bucc?
My question is were any strike aircraft held on similar QRA after the Vulcan?
e.g. The Tornado GR1 or Bucc?
I believe Buccaneers and Tornado'a held QRA in RAFG after the Jag, and shelter vaults for the WE 177 where built at Marham on 2 and 13 Squadrons HAS sites. Before anyone says about per sec, look in RAF yearbook about the latter.
Happy New Year to all.
Air pig.
Happy New Year to all.
Air pig.
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Also drawn in the dust.... Kicked a We177 at Elvington, got some looks from peeps and had to explain that in my day it was erm a bit verboten...
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
The V-Force ceased to provide QRA at midnight on 30 Jun 1969 target material was returned to the Vault at that time as that particular Oplan terminated at that time. The crews opted to remain available until 0800 the following morning when the weapons were made safe.
The Buccaneer force in UK had two sqns but these were not required to hold QRA. The Buccaneer and F4, and eventually the Jaguar, held QRA in RAFG. I don't know when that ceased.
The Buccaneer force in UK had two sqns but these were not required to hold QRA. The Buccaneer and F4, and eventually the Jaguar, held QRA in RAFG. I don't know when that ceased.
You had to be endorsed as a multi level secret squirrel to even look at the things in the old days. I was gobsmacked to see one on display* by the Tornado at Hendon a few years after I left. I didn't know they had been declassified by then!
*Training round - obviously!
*Training round - obviously!
You had to be endorsed as a multi level secret squirrel to even look at the things in the old days
As a Cold War Air Defender the first WE177 I ever saw (indeed the first special weapon I ever saw in the metal) was the one you describe on display at Hendon, some 20 years after I left the RAF.
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The Buccaneer and F4, and eventually the Jaguar, held QRA in RAFG. I don't know when that ceased.
. I was posted back to UK before QRA totally ended hence why I cant remember the exact date.
shelter vaults for the WE 177 where built at Marham on 2 and 13 Squadrons HAS sites.
Even wprking as a secret squirrel the only time I saw one was on a slide I found in an old cabinet ! Thought it looked like a funny fuel tank until my boss took it away and told me to forget what I saw. When I saw on in Cosford, just after they were declassified, I nearly had a fit but then read the display board next to it !!
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You had to be endorsed as a multi level secret squirrel to even look at the things in the old days
Obviously that would be a grey squirrel, red ones would be verbotten....
So I must have been vetted then...... never saw any James Herriot types about...
It was only in the last few years that the locals around Bruggen found out what used to be there, so we obviously kept the secret well...
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What follows may be complete bolleaux as I've signed a form where I declare that I've forgotten everything related to this topic.
The Laarbruch QRA aircraft (and I guess all the other Tornado bases that held Q) were loaded specific to the allocated potential mission, so number of shapes ranging from x-y. Bear in mind that the loaded aircraft only saw the light of day as the HAS door opened for access by the ground/aircrew for servicing, loading, acceptance, etc, so we all knew what was hanging on. Nevertheless, to protect further from prying eyes (inside the HAS, remember), hessian screens were erected around the under fuselage area. So it can only have been to stop the RAFP corporal, or his handler the dog, from having a sneaky peek at what was to be carried).
Obviously we never scrambled with a shape, but test callouts to time RS response were not infrequent (but generally not at weekends). Memory might be playing tricks here, but I think that occasionally an unloaded aircraft may have been allowed out to fly prior to a significant servicing interval; this would involve some well coordinated gate opening procdure and loads of rozzers.
As a fairly minor cog in the squadron wheel, I got preferential treatment by being allocated extra Q - much as all the other juniors when the seniors had more important things to do - which was actually not to burdensome as you could catch up on all sorts of trivia, eat well and not be bothered by the usual niff naff line of sight tasking outside the wire. Some keen young officers even took ISS study material with them, which boggered up the balance for the bridge/uckers schools.
Aaah, memories from the dark side, or the "good old days".
Mister B
The Laarbruch QRA aircraft (and I guess all the other Tornado bases that held Q) were loaded specific to the allocated potential mission, so number of shapes ranging from x-y. Bear in mind that the loaded aircraft only saw the light of day as the HAS door opened for access by the ground/aircrew for servicing, loading, acceptance, etc, so we all knew what was hanging on. Nevertheless, to protect further from prying eyes (inside the HAS, remember), hessian screens were erected around the under fuselage area. So it can only have been to stop the RAFP corporal, or his handler the dog, from having a sneaky peek at what was to be carried).
Obviously we never scrambled with a shape, but test callouts to time RS response were not infrequent (but generally not at weekends). Memory might be playing tricks here, but I think that occasionally an unloaded aircraft may have been allowed out to fly prior to a significant servicing interval; this would involve some well coordinated gate opening procdure and loads of rozzers.
As a fairly minor cog in the squadron wheel, I got preferential treatment by being allocated extra Q - much as all the other juniors when the seniors had more important things to do - which was actually not to burdensome as you could catch up on all sorts of trivia, eat well and not be bothered by the usual niff naff line of sight tasking outside the wire. Some keen young officers even took ISS study material with them, which boggered up the balance for the bridge/uckers schools.
Aaah, memories from the dark side, or the "good old days".
Mister B
Hello, Mr. B. Haven't seen you around for a while. Happy New Year!
Look away now.
WE177
As it happens, Wikipedia has quite a good article on it. As for types, they list the following:
Intended clearance by 1970 for other types of aircraft and delivery methods included:
There, it's all declassified now.
Look away now.
WE177
As it happens, Wikipedia has quite a good article on it. As for types, they list the following:
Intended clearance by 1970 for other types of aircraft and delivery methods included:
- Handley Page Victor Mk.2 - WE.177A/B - Laydown, Ballistic, Retarded.
- Avro Vulcan - WE.177A/B - Laydown, Ballistic, Retarded.
- Vickers Valiant Mk B.1, P.R., K.1., P.R.K.1 - WE.177A - Laydown, Ballistic, Retarded.
- TSR-2 - WE.177 A/B - Laydown, Ballistic, Retarded, Loft, Dive Toss.
- Canberra Mk.B.15 & B.16 - WE.177A - Laydown, Ballistic, Retarded, Loft.
- Blackburn Buccaneer Mk.2 - WE.177A - Laydown, Loft, Retarded.
- Sea Vixen MK.2 - WE.177A - Laydown, Loft, Retarded.
- Wasp - WE.177A - Depth Charge.
- Wessex HAS.3 - WE.177A - Depth Charge.
- Wessex HUS - WE.177A - Depth Charge.
- Ikara - WE.177A - Depth Charge.
- P.1154 - WE.177A - Depth Charge. (RN)
- P.1154 - WE.177A - Laydown, Loft, Dive Toss. (RAF)
- Nimrod - WE.177A - Depth Charge.
- Panavia Tornado - WE.177 A/B/C - Laydown, Loft, Retarded
- SEPECAT Jaguar - WE.177A - Laydown, Loft, Retarded
- Harrier and Sea Harrier - WE.177A - Laydown, Loft, Retarded
There, it's all declassified now.
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I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Courtney, the B-model was actually the first and biggest. The yield was IRO 450kt. (new source)
Last edited by Pontius Navigator; 4th Jan 2012 at 19:51.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
The first public appearence of the WE177 was at RAF Finningley, probably around 1968-69 at a BoB day when they displayed a trials round, but painted white overall, standing on its nose in the hangar. It was titled the 'new nuclear age' or some such.
Obviously you had to be a secret squirrel to actually know what it was. It was an instrumented round from Trial 505.
There was hell to pay
Obviously you had to be a secret squirrel to actually know what it was. It was an instrumented round from Trial 505.
There was hell to pay
Thank for correcting me, PN. It wasn't a field I was ever involved with. Although I do recall one interesting story from the 80s involving one F4 crew, night flying, chasing hours for the Boss and very bored. In three tank fit, the F4 told you that it was sensing the centreline external fuel tank by illuminating the TK light.
The jets still had all the "special weapons" kit in them even though it hadn't been serviced or used for years. So, our bored crew decided to pretend to be a nuclear bomber crew and made all the switches (as they imagined they should be made) including the "consent" switch in the rear cockpit.
As pilot approached his imaginary release point and "pickled" there was a dull thud from the bottom of the jet and the TK light went out. So, if you tell the old girl she's got a bomb on the centre station and tell her to drop it, don't be surprised if she does.
Imagine the fun they had explaining that when they got home.
The jets still had all the "special weapons" kit in them even though it hadn't been serviced or used for years. So, our bored crew decided to pretend to be a nuclear bomber crew and made all the switches (as they imagined they should be made) including the "consent" switch in the rear cockpit.
As pilot approached his imaginary release point and "pickled" there was a dull thud from the bottom of the jet and the TK light went out. So, if you tell the old girl she's got a bomb on the centre station and tell her to drop it, don't be surprised if she does.
Imagine the fun they had explaining that when they got home.
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Hello Courtney - Happy New Year to you (and all other prunes of course). I was busy over Christmas being crawled over by grandchildren, so not much time for the essentials of life (such as trying to find more info on when and where the next major conflagration will take place - might find the answer in M2's book...or maybe SAM ex 15 is digging out the current intel).
So that's what a nuclear bomb looks like. I used to keep my eyes tight shut whenever I got near one, cos they were very secret back then (and even more secret when I flew in Vulcans); it made getting the SEF key in the right hole a bit tricky, though.
Mister B
So that's what a nuclear bomb looks like. I used to keep my eyes tight shut whenever I got near one, cos they were very secret back then (and even more secret when I flew in Vulcans); it made getting the SEF key in the right hole a bit tricky, though.
Mister B
WE 177 series
Courtney,
Wiki is as (in)accurate as usual, this site is far better researched. For those who wish to delve into associated areas you may wish to peruse The Royal Air Force Historical Society journals 20, 22A, 26 and 33.
Incidentally, the Nimrod was never scaled for the WE177, it used the US B57 weapon. Anyone feeling nostalgic about it may acquire a model here!
YS
Wiki is as (in)accurate as usual, this site is far better researched. For those who wish to delve into associated areas you may wish to peruse The Royal Air Force Historical Society journals 20, 22A, 26 and 33.
Incidentally, the Nimrod was never scaled for the WE177, it used the US B57 weapon. Anyone feeling nostalgic about it may acquire a model here!
YS
Last edited by Yellow Sun; 4th Jan 2012 at 15:01.