View Full Version : Are any Victor tankers still airworthy?
Rocky Rhodes
11th Aug 2006, 02:58
Just curious to know if there are any old Victors still flying or capable of doing so. With the Vulcan hopefully about to take to the sky again, it would be nice if the old crescent wing beauty could keep it company occasionally.
Mike51
11th Aug 2006, 04:09
And perhaps they could use all the leftover money to get the Cosford Valiant flying too!
No, no Victors airworthy for the past 10 years or so I'm afraid. Nice thought, though.
A2QFI
11th Aug 2006, 05:07
If you check the Vulcan thread within this forum you may come to the conclusion that it isn't going to fly again either, I am afraid.
South Bound
11th Aug 2006, 07:07
No, no, no, don't be so negative, you will upset them all. Better to say that there is a titchy tiny chance if we all mortgaged our homes and gave the money (because we should and lots of people flew it and it is an essential part of our heritage don't you know) that it might fly again one day...
GeeRam
11th Aug 2006, 07:28
Well there's a taxiable Victor at Bruntingthorpe that could fly again with a large injection of Lottery cash...............:E :E
The trouble with trying to fly a kite on this forum, is that someone will say it'll cost at least £1m to get it airborne....... :}
spekesoftly
11th Aug 2006, 09:24
At least £1m ? We need a more detailed breakdown ! ....... :E
Art Field
11th Aug 2006, 09:51
It is a good thing there is no attempt to get a Mk1 Victor airborne, in the early days it was almost impossible even with the full might of V bomber support. I believe the hydraulic system was the main problem, especially the leading edge flaps. They were subsequently fixed in position but the hydraulics were always tricky, peaking pumps came the cry.
Yes it would be great to get a Victor airborne again but CAA and insurance?????.
The Helpful Stacker
11th Aug 2006, 10:21
There's a Victor sat on Marham's car park, anyone want to come and see if we can get it going?
I've got some jump leads if anyone has got a bit of Avtur spare....;)
ExAvio
11th Aug 2006, 10:25
You'll be lucky!
That one!s only a shell with a badly fibreglass repaired hole just under one of the engine intakes!
The Helpful Stacker
11th Aug 2006, 10:46
You'll be lucky!
That one!s only a shell with a badly fibreglass repaired hole just under one of the engine intakes!
Alright then, what about the RAF Museum, they've got one haven't they?
foldingwings
11th Aug 2006, 10:52
Only the front end from wing root at Hendon!
GeeRam
11th Aug 2006, 10:59
Alright then, what about the RAF Museum, they've got one haven't they?
Victor survivors list here to take your pick from.....
http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/victor/survivors.html
She still does her power runs courtesy of an enthusiastic private owner.
http://www.lustylindy.co.uk/ fairly new website with background to the machine and the work the team do.
Even if she could be made to fly the runway is no longer long enough to get the old girl in the air.
H1HU
ExAvio
11th Aug 2006, 12:39
Forget Cosfords's one, its another cut & shut job!
The best we can get is a model:
http://www.largemodelassociation.com/gordon_nichols_victor.htm
dakkg651
11th Aug 2006, 12:54
Elvington runway not long enough?
I flew into there late last year and it seemed like ten thousand feet ought to be sufficient for anything including the space shuttle.
as I understood it, a large swathe of land furthest away from the museum had been sold off along with the runway on it, thus reducing the amount of runway available.
Only going on what has been told to me by those on the ground involved with the Victor.
H1HU
MikeeB
11th Aug 2006, 15:45
as I understood it, a large swathe of land furthest away from the museum had been sold off along with the runway on it, thus reducing the amount of runway available.
Only going on what has been told to me by those on the ground involved with the Victor.
H1HU
Well, the website says McLaren are due to test on the "runway" next month, and of course the airshow is next weekend, so I suspect it is still currently available.
Don't they normally run the Victor down the runway at the airshow?
Yes they do do power runs at various events, and rather costly it is too.
I've spoken to them on several occassions and I know that if the Victor was airworthy they would have flown out of Elvington by now and found a new home for her. But they have always said that there isn't enough runway for them to do it.
I can only go on what I have been told, but if you know something that Lusty's crew don't know I'm sure they'd be delighted to hear from you.
H1HU
peppermint_jam
16th Aug 2006, 20:40
If memory serves the last flight by a Victor was made in 1993 by XH672 into RAF Shawbury, she was then transfered by road to Cosford. I believe this was the last flight made by any V-Bomber too. Until they get 558 into the air again that is! Not given up hope yet.
Nigel North
16th Aug 2006, 20:51
As far as I know all of the surviving "whole" Victors are airframe life expired or very close to it. My memories of the Victor go back to my Marham days in the 70's and they were a fantastic sight at night they almost looked like a flying Christmas tree.
Foxcounty
16th Aug 2006, 21:59
Victor XM715 "Teasin' Tina" will be part of the Bruntingthorpe Open Day where she will be doing a fast taxi up to 135 knots all being well. Come on down to hear those Conways roar!
FCWhippingBoy
16th Aug 2006, 22:07
She still does her power runs courtesy of an enthusiastic private owner.
http://www.lustylindy.co.uk/ fairly new website with background to the machine and the work the team do.
Even if she could be made to fly the runway is no longer long enough to get the old girl in the air.
H1HU
Blimey ... That just sparked some memories from the dim and (not so) distant past!
I can remember visiting Marham post GW1 and being shown round Lindy undergoing servicing in the hanger! I was also at Elvington, as a spotty 18 year old Spacey, for her last flight!
Ho Hum!
Alex Whittingham
16th Aug 2006, 22:17
No, no no. Cut them up, melt them down. The Victor was a horrid old queen - difficult to fly, cramped cockpit, bang seats, immersion suits, the MFS, five crew doing what could have been done by two, crystals in the ILS, crap nav kit, crewed by the detritis of 1GP (present company excepted), controlled by 1 GP. Sometimes you should let go.
GlosMikeP
16th Aug 2006, 22:51
No, no no. Cut them up, melt them down. The Victor was a horrid old queen - difficult to fly, cramped cockpit, bang seats, immersion suits, the MFS, five crew doing what could have been done by two, crystals in the ILS, crap nav kit, crewed by the detritis of 1GP (present company excepted), controlled by 1 GP. Sometimes you should let go.
D'ya know that's exactly what I'd have written about the Shack, only it was 11 Gp, no bang seats and 10 crew. Hell's teeth it was awful...there was no problem letting go! The only thing worse would have been the cramped space of a Victor; at least we had a galley.:p
MrBernoulli
17th Aug 2006, 08:52
Oh dear, Alex, you have cut me to the core! I'm injured! My beloved Victor! :{
Ah well, thanks for getting me through the ATPL subjects all those years ago. :ok:
Art Field
17th Aug 2006, 10:14
Alex
Whilst agreeing with you about most of your points, perhaps that may be why some people have an affection for the beast, it was always a challenge, I can not let you get away with detritis for the crews. Rogues and vagabonds they may have been as you well know, but certainly in the Tanker time they were as professional a team of operators as any in the Air Force and a lot more professional than some I could mention.
Alex Whittingham
17th Aug 2006, 11:13
Ah well, it was slightly tongue in cheek, I'll take the rap and go with rogues and vagabonds. I'll always the remember the flight commander on his IRT who applied three times the variation on the outbound leg... he got a Master Green for that..
A2QFI
17th Aug 2006, 12:21
SFAIK the Bruntingthorpe runway is 10,000 ft long, I don't know if it is all useable. This is easily enough to get any Victor airborne; it wouldn't be legal or safe, but it could be done!
Art Field
17th Aug 2006, 13:12
Remember taking a K2 to Finningley for B-o-B, got airborne with transit to Marham fuel just behind an early Jag. He followed curvature of earth flightpath, we were almost airborne by the upwind end VASIs. Do not think Bruntingthorpe would be a problem.
Foxcounty
18th Aug 2006, 21:02
SFAIK the Bruntingthorpe runway is 10,000 ft long, I don't know if it is all useable. This is easily enough to get any Victor airborne; it wouldn't be legal or safe, but it could be done!
It is all useable so it's a perfect place for XM715 to play.
On the second fast taxi run of the 2005 Open Day our pilot, with 20 years experience flying Victors, had the nose wheel off just before throttling back.
buoy15
19th Aug 2006, 14:40
Foxcounty
Ah yes! I remember it well
That resonance and drone during taxy (especially at night), same as the Javellin
I was told at the time the donks were Saphires - did they change them?
Regards B15
MrBernoulli
19th Aug 2006, 16:25
B1s were Sapphire powered I seem to recall. K2 was RR Conway powered.
Victor231
22nd Aug 2006, 08:18
Hi,
Just to confrim some things! The runway at elvington is long enough...waaay long enough to take off! As for previous sattements about certain unreliablities, all of lindys MFS (Mystery Flight System:) ) is still operational, in addition to this every system bar the HDU is operational. This includes all the nav kit, radio gear (RT1 and RT2, VHF and UHF), green satin, the H2S radar etc. On our runs this weekend our nav radar was getting strong cloud returns and crystal current, which is good! The only reason the HDU is not operational is because the RAF nicked it!
We believe that XL231 would be perfectly fit for flight duew to there being little or no corrosion on the airframe and a full RAF maintenance schedule has been followed for the 13 years the ol girl has been on the ground.
However, flying is a pipedream as the CAA would never allow one to fly again, which is a bummer. Oh well, 120kts down the runway with chute billowing will have to do!
Cheers
Ollie
whitworth
22nd Aug 2006, 08:48
If memory serves me, we had a hell of a problem with the engines just prior to the disbandment of 55. Something to do with the combustion chambers cracking. At one point, I seem to remember, we were down to 2 fully serviceable aircraft, and 3 spare engines. So, unless RR can supply new cans for the Conways, getting one flying again is a non-starter. This is apart from the airframes being out of fatigue life