View Full Version : The Valiants Are Coming
CoodaShooda
4th Aug 2005, 01:38
Not sure whether to post this snippet here or in AH&N.
Hot off the press in today's Northern Territory News
"A VALIANT, one of Britain's new V-bombers, left England on Sunday for Woomera, where it will carry out extensive bomb trials. The huge swept-wing jet will try to break records on the London-Baghdad and Singapore-Darwin legs of the flight. The trials are necessary because of the Valiant's greater speed and height ceiling compared to other aircraft. The Woomera area is most suitable because of the the clear skies and good visibility. An Australian aircrew will take over the plane for the trials, which are expected to last six months."
And no, it didn't appear in the history section. It was reported as a current item. :ugh: :E
Anyone have the story of the real trip, all those years ago?
And how are the lads making out at Mafeking?
allan907
4th Aug 2005, 06:05
Extract from NT News website:
One mental patient a week escaping from ward
04 August 2005
More than one involuntary patient a week runs away from Darwin's mental health ward, a coronial inquest was told yesterday.
They are obviously ending up in the editorial offices of the NT News and gaining employment as journos.
Mafeking??? Didn't even know that there was bother there - at least the lads at Ladysmith will be OK.
Pontius Navigator
4th Aug 2005, 07:07
Any no alien crews either.
That Valiant didn't go to Woomera except airborne.
Home base in Oz was Edinburgh.
Flew it a bit renewing instrument ratings for the pilots.
Then there was a photo recce Valiant on TDY from Boscombe Down. Peter Bardon was the captain.
Blacksheep
5th Aug 2005, 05:39
Darwin is so laid back it isn't surprisiing to find fifty year old news just arriving there. I mean, they haven't heard about Australia winning the test match yet. They'll be right amused to hear about us burning the stumps and putting the ashes in a silver cup... ;)
CoodaShooda
5th Aug 2005, 07:54
Oi Blacky
'Twas an Australian colonial lass wot burned the bails and presented the urn to Ivo Bligh.
Admittedly she then changed sides by becoming Mrs Bligh......but I digress.
Thanks Milt. At least we can rest assured there was some substance to the NT News article. (Makes a nice change from its usual standards.)
antipodean alligator
7th Aug 2005, 02:22
There is a nice painting of a Valiant and other sundry 60's RAF types on what is now the ARDU/92WG hardstand up on the wall in the Edinburgh O's Mess
Anyone know the tail numbers of the Valiants and the other Vs that were based at RAAF Edinburgh.
I never did bother to always record the letters which preceded the numbers. Those which I flew at EDN were 204 and WH565.
Vulcan was XH539.
Art Field
8th Aug 2005, 08:34
I do not have 204 in my log book but I have WP210 so I think WP would be a good guess for your Valiant Milt. I reckon it must have been from an early batch since most seem to be XD 800 something, maybe that's because they were tankers.
Jackonicko
9th Sep 2005, 14:59
WP209 was operated by No.2 ATU at Edinburgh from July '55 until November 1960.
1321 Flight at Edinburgh had WZ366 and 367 initially. These transferred to No.138 Squadron when it was decreed that an op. Squadron would drop the bomb, and then to No.49.
'366, captained by S/L EJG Flavell dropped the bomb at Maralinga on 11 October 1956.
I suspect you're referring to the later Blue Steel Valiant trials at Edinburgh however.... which ran from 1957-1963.
(Op Grapple also involved 49 Squadron, and Hubbard used XD818 to drop the first H bomb off Malden Island on 15 May 1957, and a second on 31 May. 49 dropped seven bombs, in all.)
Valiant '204 would have been WP204, which was one of the Blue Steel aircraft at Edinburgh. As were WZ370, 373, 375, and WP204. Another jet, WP206, was involved, but didn't have Blue Steel mods.
WH565 was not a Valiant - in fact NO Valiant used the last three '565'.
Farmer 1
9th Sep 2005, 15:52
In the RAF Museum in Hendon there is (or was several years ago)a Valiant that was employed in the nuclear bomb trials. Could this be the one, I wonder.
Hendon, should have XD818 (Delivered into service 8-9-56) which IIRC is the only British aircraft to have dropped two Atomic bombs, one being the first British H Bomb.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/ZH875/valiantbk1.jpg
This aircraft has now been dismantled and transported to the RAFM Cosford.
With the building of a new Cold War Building at RAFM Cosford, RAFM Hendon's Valiant XD818 is planned to join Vulcan XM598 and Victor XH672 in a unique triple 'V' Bomber display at Cosford.
RubiC Cube
9th Sep 2005, 20:32
Never trust a pilot! I knew they were lying when approaching Darwin and said we had to set our watches back by ten years. Now we know they really meant 50!
Valiant and Blue Steel
One of the Valiants at Edinburgh Oz did carriage trials with a Blue Steel.
Does anyone please have a photograpgh of the combination to post or send by email?