Originally Posted by
Fareastdriver
Herod.
We picked up a 543 Sqn Valiant in about 1963 and it was on the line as a tanker within a week.
For the Vulcan that flew none-stop from Scampton to Sydney, 214 had to put Valiant's in Cyprus-Karachi-Singapore. We didn't have enough a/c, so we borrowed one from one of the other Marham Sqdn's, it was fitted with a HDU very quickly.
So as FED says, the basics must have been fitted earlier.