Originally Posted by
The Oberon
I have wondered about this as well. I was demobbed a couple of years before GW1 and have heard stories about the Victors operating with a 4 man crew. Is this true? If so, which Nav was dropped and what kit did they have?
OSA How on earth did you find yourself on a long slot with only the standard kit? Surely not planned, attrition maybe?
When we went from 5 to 4 man crew on the Victor the nav plotters central position became the primary nav station, facilitated by a single sideways sliding seat to allow access to the starboard panels. The refuelling panel was repositioned on the opposite port side and operated by the AEO. A very short crossover course was given to the remaining navs, mainly nav plotters. The nav radars at the time were generally 1st tourists and more than ready for something new.
The H2S remained operational till the Victors demise in 1993. During GW1 it was used sparingly in the first few weeks when close to or over the Iraqi border and then in sector mode for maybe a few sweeps at a time to avoid detection. The nav kit was primarily a doppler fed GPI 4 , a Tacan, ADF, Omega and the H2s system supplemented with the good ole Mk1 eyeball.