Some kindly aircrew input is requested.
In the process of writing memoirs of my service on Line Squadron at Waddington in the mid-sixties and on the Vulcan B1As that we operated at that time, I remember being on one of the starter crews on the ORP during the Battle of Britain Open Day, (Sat 19th Sep 1964, according to an earlier post by “thing”). We had a dress rehearsal a day or so prior and in briefing us, the junior engineering officer in charge of our party wanted us to sprint smartly to the side of the dispersal and form up in a line after our particular aircraft’s engines had started and it was on its way out onto the runway. From our point of view, this was suicide because the jet blasts from the other scrambling aircraft washed over the whole of the ORP and if we had done what he wanted, we would have been bowled over like so many tenpins, (dressed up as we were, in white overalls, we would certainly have looked the part). Instead, we all dived for whatever cover was available, sparse as it was. He was apoplectic that we disobeyed his order and insisted that we comply during the actual scramble on Open Day. Of course, we didn’t obey then either and heard no more about it.
However, my question is – approximately what percentage throttle setting was used to exit the ORP during scrambles? I realize that it wasn’t full power because that was applied only after the aircraft had swung around and lined up with the runway, but it seemed to be more than was typically used for taxiing from a dispersal during normal operations.
Thank you in advance.