Although I didn't fly Vulcans I remember this............
In the late '50s/early '60s my mates and I used to watch the Farnborough Air Show standing on top of a disused wriggly tin stand (used in the Victorian era for the Aldershot Show) at the Laffan Plain end of the runway in the days when just about every aircraft at the Show was purely British and leading the World in cutting edge technology and design.
On this occasion I remember seeing and hearing (!) Roly Falk open up the Vulcan at the black sheds end, barrelling down the runway, hauling the thing vertical on takeoff up onto its' back and rolling off the top and disappearing the fix on full welly - what a sight!!! Whooooooooaaagh!
Incidentally, the prototype Victor (flown by the test pilot whose name was Blackburn I think) emulated the Vulcan's dynamic takeoff, went vertical, rolled and chased after it!!
Bloody brilliant!! The tin shack virtually shook itself to bits - but we lived to tell the tale!
Incidentally, Roly Falk used to fly solo in the Vulcan whilst wearing a suit and tie!!
Great thread Beags.......you couldn't make this stuff up.......