Ex Vulcan riggers/XM558 riggers

[Ancient Squipper]

During my time at Akrotiri (1972-1974) I serviced and repacked many LB54 Vulcan brake parachutes but as you know it was the job of you riggers to fit them to the aircraft .It had been the responsibilty of Safety Equipment Workers (SEW) (Now Suvival Equipment Fitters)to carry out this task . However due to restructuring of the SEW Trade in 1964 we no longer had the task of working on aircraft.
There had been a tragic accident (I think it was at RAF Waddington) a SAC had been helping to fit a chute and whilst attempting to close the spring loaded hatch by means of the approved closing tool. This tool comsisted of a threaded rod which had a hand wheel fitted to screw down the hatch until it locked shut. I was told that due to the fatigue failure of the tool attachment bracket the closing tool slipped or broke causing the hatch to spring open throwing the SAC to the ground when he later died from the resulting injuries.
I seem to remember that a rigger told me that the closing tool system had been replaced by a system which pulled the hatch closed by a cable system operated from beneath the aircraft. However I might be completely wrong as it was ove 40 years ago.
Could you guys please enlighten me Thanks in anticipation.

[Pontius Navigator]

AS, IIRC, he was sitting astride the Red Steer, facing forward and as you say was flipped off. In those days the safety harnesses were not routinely (if at all) worn. I think on that aircraft, in the open, there was no suitable sky hook for it.

[smujsmith]

AS I was a rigger, who did the Vulcan course at Waddo in 73, and, on posting to Akronelli, was ultimately employed on the Lightnings of 56 Sqn. We must have been there at the same time. Now, I do have some memory of being told of the incident you refer to. I understand it happened at Waddington, as I say, this was second hand info, but here goes. My understanding is that the braking parachute door was as you say, wound down to its closed position, against the door springs into its closed position where the latches were set. The tool used was basically a screw thread (of some substance) with a hook at the bottom which located on an aircraft mounted bar, the other end had a handwheel, which was used to screw down the door. There was little mechanical advantage with this tool, and, as the door neared its closed position, was extremely heavy going. The practice of sitting on the door was a way of taking spring force out of the work the handwheel was doing, unfortunately, on this occasion the tool slipped from one of its locating point, with the operator sat astride the door. ISTR being told on the course at Waddo, that the tradesman was thrown forwards into the trailing edge of the Rudder, causing severe head injuries, he the fell to one side and down to the ground, accusing further injury. Not a nice way to go I should think. Suffice to say that the story was passed to "riggers" on the course in the hope it would make them think before they bent any rules about operating the equipment. I can't help with any alternate methods of closing the brake para door as I was never ultimately employed on the Vulcan. Hope that helps, who knows, it may jog even more old riggers memories !!

Smudge

[ian16th]

Thread drift.
did the Vulcan course at Waddo in 73, and, on posting to Akronelli, was ultimately employed on the Lightnings Things don't change. In 1957 I did a Victor course at Gaydon, and was then posted to Transport Command :sad:

[ACW418]

On joining IX Sqn in 1964 one of the first things I was taught as a co-pilot was to replace the Tail Braking Parachute. It was about the only aircrew servicing we were qualified to do. It was necessary because it was a mandatory stream on runways of 7500ft or less and we always carried a spare chute in the bomb bay.

We were warned about the vagaries of the badly designed screw jack affair that was used to close the bay door after fitting the replacement - it was not wear as we were still receiving new Vulcan B2's at the time. We were told then that an airman had been killed sitting on the door to latch it shut when the screw jack slipped. We were also told that only way to get the door shut was to sit on it and bounce up and down!

ACW

[Pontius Navigator]

On joining IX Sqn in 1964 one of the first things I was taught as a co-pilot was to replace the Tail Braking Parachute. It was about the only aircrew servicing we were qualified to do. It was necessary because it was a mandatory stream on runways of 7500ft or less and we always carried a spare chute in the bomb bay.

ACW

Except when there was a crosswind with the risk of weather cocking. Curiously there was invariably a crosswind :)

However our skipper, landing on 11,000 feet decided for no reason whatever to stream. The chute just shat out the back in a great brown splat. Another time, after the briefest of tugs the chute sailed away; the pin just bent.

[Ancient Squipper]

Smudge

Thanks for the very detailed description of the method that you were taught about Vulcan brake parachute fitting. It was very much I how understood it to be.
I have seen an old photo of a brake parachute being fitted out on the line with a riser and giraffe being used to gain access to the stowage. Laid out on the riser is the closing tool and grease that was used.
No sign of any safety precautions in those days.
Yes I would have been in the last year of my tour when you arrived at Akrotiri. I had been posted to Luqa Malta in Dec 1971 but then the British forces were chucked out by Dom Mintoff so subsequently I was posted to Akrotiri. Had a great tour until the Turkish invasion in 1974 eventually being repat and posted to Wattisham in November.
56 Squadron at Akrotiri always kept us very busy in the brake para bay I think that we averaged about 30 or more brake chute repacks a day.
Did you return with 56 Squadron when it relocated to Wattisham?
I had almost a 10 year association with 56 as well as my time in Cyprus I worked with both Lightnings and Phantoms at Wattisham spending most of my time as the squadron Squipper.(Flying clothing) until 1980.

Pontius
The pin that you mentioned was in fact a shear pin designed to break to prevent overstressing the aircraft if someone like your skipper landed a bit fast.

ACW418
An accident waiting to happen and it did!!

Squippers have told me that they often fitted a replacement chute just by themself, as a packed chute weighted 220 lbs there must have been a bit of a knack to it.

[FantomZorbin]

PN

The chute just shat out the back in a great brown splat

That reminds me of the occasion when our (particularly obnoxious) staish was on a land-away state-side, the same thing happened to him and drew forth the comment from ATC ...
"Say Capn. your aircraft just cr****d on ma runway!"

[Pontius Navigator]

FZ, ah, same controller or an SOP response.

In our case it was:

Hey lines, your bird's just c*****d on my runway

And that was 50 years ago. Never found out why he streamed.

[Pontius Navigator]

AS, you alleging my skipper did a hot landing? He denied it at the time and showed us the bent pin, clearly too weak for the job :}

[l.garey]

There was a nice photo of refitting a Vulcan chute a few years back:

http://www.pprune.org/5585119-post22.html

[salad-dodger]

In those days the safety harnesses were not routinely (if at all) worn. I think on that aircraft, in the open, there was no suitable sky hook for it.
So does anyone know about the skyhooks PN mentioned? Many people have gone in search of such devices over many years, but I don't recall anyone ever finding them. :confused:

S-D

[Exrigger]

Are what memories this brings back, especially the photo showing the safety raiser with no sides, we right handed bods found it easier from the port side as shown.

we had one near incident in 1970 winter time on the OCU at Scampton, the two of us went down in the land rover to squippers and picked up a packed chute, got back to the aircraft, lifted onto the Safety Raiser, positioned it and locked the feet down and then pumped it up to the height for us.

First thing was to connect the shackle and then the two of us lifted the pack up onto the slope of the tail with a view to sliding it into the hole, however at the 'heave' moment a gap opened up between the aircraft and Safety Raiser my oppo jumped onto the aircraft as he was sort of half on half off but I was not, tried to stop the chute pack falling between the gap but no joy and off it went pulling parts of the chute out as the pack fell to the ground.

I was stuck, stretched between the aircraft and raiser, but managed to get back onto the raiser got down the ladder and re-positioned it, my oppo had released the shackle and dropped it down to join the rest of the chute.

When explaining what happened our first words were the aircraft moved and then realized how daft that comment was, however after having the pan looked at it was noted that the raiser was on black ice and had slid about 2-3 feet, however explaining all this to the squippers when we took the chute back to get another one was fun.

Also agree that health and safety would never allow us to do things that way now as I also remember of the two of us one sat on the door and both wound the door closing tool to make it a tad easier.

[Pontius Navigator]

S-D, I believe the sky hooks were eventually found in stores and handed lock stock and barrel to the VTTS as any photo of 558 in the shed shows all properly equipped riggers.

On safety raisers, we also used them as aircrew to reach the H2S air valves and the copilot to inspect the intakes.

One Scampton co, at Akrotiri on a ranger, jacked the platform to the right level (rails down as it wouldn't fit otherwise) and pushed it up to the intakes. As the jack access door was open he sliced a neat cut in the intake lip.

Nowt said, bodge tape applied, and sortie flown. A skin repair and paint job and no one any the wiser back at Scampton.

[Wensleydale]

The film "Delta 8-3 shows chute deployment etc....it is in two parts here.


LiveLeak.com - Delta 8-3 A story Of A Vulcan Aircraft And Its Crew.1960. Documentary.Part 1 of 2.


LiveLeak.com - Delta 8-3 A story Of A Vulcan Aircraft And Its Crew.1960.Part 2 of 2.




The film gets an airing in the cold war room at Waddington Heritage Centre where it plays on a loop.

[Ancient Squipper]

Pontius

After working for/with aircrew for 28 years how could I ever suggest such a thing :confused:

[dragartist]

PN,
I think the skyhooks were on the shelf in stores next to the datum chord, long weight and spare bubbles for spirit levels.


It was not until the mid 90s that I ever saw a safety harness with a wire attached to the hangar roof trusses. I had a few scary moments at the top of Victor and Nimrod fins without being tied on. I was young then and had hair.

[Pontius Navigator]

Seriously I believe there were harnesses at Cottesmore in 1965. There was actually a mountain of kit in the Vulcan inventory that was never used.

We had engine blanks that were only used in adverse weather. Jet pipe covers even less. There were also 'spats' to cover the wheels. When we took an aircraft to Bitteswell they would become agitated if we didn't have all the kit. Of course we never did.

[Ancient Squipper]

Pontious

Thread drift but I don't care.

You mentioned Biteswell (Lutterworth) in your last post.
As a Leicester lad and as a school boy in the 50's I often used to cycle to the airfield as a young lad it was magic As I am sure you know it was where Armstrong Whitworth assembled aircraft and tested its engines. Sea hawks Hunters Wyverns and all sorts of experimental stuff. Sapphire powered Canberra with reheat. Lancasterian with a Viper ? engine in the tail. The Blackburn YB1 (like a Gannet but with a V shaped tail) The Prone Meteor which I believe was on the 'Secret list then' sure that I have missed a few All assembled aircraft had to be taken across a public road in order to gain access to the airfield. Sadly the site is now a massive Asda distribution warehouse.
Still see the Prone Meteor whenever I take any of my visitors to tha RAF Cosford Museum.

[Ancient Squipper]

I.garey

Thanks for the great photo.

All looks a bit dodgy to me.

[Pontius Navigator]

AS, last time I was there we had landed in the venerable Shackleton, can't remember why. The inimitable John Elias shut down and we enjoyed a picnic lunch in the lush grass outside the shed.

After lunch we departed but had an oil leak when in the vicinity of Wittering. Once ATC elicited the facts, like we had no civvies, we were told we would not be allowed in the mess and would have to stay down town in Stamford. We divert ed to Cottesmore instead.

Cottesmore allowed us in the mess but tried to banish us to a scruffs bar. Instead we joined the Germans in the main bar as they were in flying suits, unlike the brits in jacket and tie.

[smujsmith]

Ancient Squipper,

Sorry for the delay in responding. On return from Akrotiri after the Coup and the Turkish invasion, I was not sent to Wattisham with 56, but enjoyed a 3 year holiday at Cranwell, home of the brave, and the trainee pilots. JP5 & 3s, and Morelands were to become my acquaintance, and I learned to play Bridge. With respect to Akrotiri, I was on holiday at six and a half mile beach (Kyrenia) when the coup happened, and we managed to drive back to Limassol the day before the Turks invaded. Their marines landed on six and a half mile beach ! Sometimes you get lucky, other times you get posted to Cranwell.

Smudge :ok:

[Ancient Squipper]

Smudge

61/2 mile beach is now the Acapulco Hotel and Water Park but in our day there was just a few NAAFI caravans belonging to Akrotiri and a small restaurant/ shack. Always went to 6 mile beach as for a few pounds guys from the section would hire you their tent for the week that was permenanty pitched by the shoreline. It also had a restaurant of sorts with the advantage of a toilet block and showers. My children were straight in the sea as soon as it was light enough which was about 5am. What wonderful memories. Sadly it is now out of bounds as it is a Turkish army camp.

Paradise lost I think.

[haltonapp]

As an ex flat iron rigger, one of C/T "Topper" Browns lads at Waddo, I don't get all misty eyed on seeing a Vulcan flying, it was not an easy aircraft to maintain. Wing fuel tank bag change springs to mind, window box change on the line in a snowstorm, sweeping snow off the wing with no safety harness, (no hard points for a harness), air leaks from the ducting in the nose wheel bay, brake unit change on the taxy-way after the two winged master race overheated them on landing and caused them to weld together! We had a good laugh though when we saw the RCDS flypast with one aircraft the crew door open instead of the bomb doors! There was an airman killed by the crew entrance when it blew open when the aircraft was being pressurised in the hangar as he was checking for leaks around the door. So not my favourite aeroplane, much preferred the Hunter, and I don't mean the mighty one.

[dkh51250]

Steve Chapple RIP. Can you remember what year that happened Haltonapp? I recall his parents coming down to Waddo from Finningley, to present the Raven Club with a painting in his memory. During a visit some years ago I went looking for the painting, not a sign of it. Most likely cast aside by someone who was unaware of its significance.

Did you work for Fat Mac before Topper took the reins?

[alisoncc]

As an ex flat iron rigger, one of C/T "Topper" Browns lads at Waddo, I don't get all misty eyed on seeing a Vulcan flying, it was not an easy aircraft to maintain. Thought the Vulcan was a magic aeroplane, fresh out of Locking Sept '63.

Mind you as an Air Radio Fitter getting to play with the avionics which were the cutting edge of technology back then was something else again. I can well understand the grunts from Halton doing it tough. But hey that's life. :D

I believe XH558 was one of ours on 230 OCU B Sdrn at Finningley early '60's. So nothing new, got to play with her already.

[Pontius Navigator]

window box change
Were you there in 68?

Operational generation, not a Mick, when every single window load out was wrong and hopper quantities unknown. The bay had to empty and reload a set, taken out to an aircraft already on state and crew in attendance, drop and reload.

Back to the bay and start again. 11 or 12 aircraft and IIRC each large box contained 1024 bundles. I think it took about 16 hours.

I had played a minor role in the cock up. The wing AEO hadn't told the engineers and i hadn't thought to ask the wing AEO. Similarly eng plans had never asked the AEO either. Complete c&c snafu.

[goudie]

sweeping snow off the wing with no safety harness

I was on 617 when the Vulcans were white. On nightshift, if there was no flying or after flying had finished we lineys had to form up line abreast on each wing, in the kneeling position, and polish them with 'wadpole'. Polishing them underneath was even worse.
Morale was fairly low at Scampton anyway mostly thanks to an over zealous SWO, who held a parade every Friday at 5PM on the square for an hours drill,
for those who had had their name taken by him or one of his corporals during the week for some minor misdeed.
I enjoyed the techie work (instruments) on the Vulcan and went on some excellent detachments with 617
but after 2 years I wasn't sorry to leave Scampton.

[smujsmith]

Goudie, did they issue magnetised knee pads for polishing the underside of the wing :eek: I'm sure, having polished many a Lightning, I can't see the point of using Wadpol on a painted aircraft, apart from removing dried flies. Perhaps Scampton had some sort of Lightning envy ! And having looked on line, I have to apologise as it seems that ;

Wadpol Aircraft Polish

Wadpol is a highly effective impregnated wadding that cleans and polishes weathered or corroded aluminium and painted surfaces, giving a smooth finish and lasting protection thanks to its built-in corrosion inhibitors. It is widely used by airlines for polishing leading edges, and efficiently removes stains and exhaust emission deposits from engine cowlings.

As for the drill etc, I'm very glad I never served at Scampton. I know for sure, I would have enjoyed putting the Vulcan Q-AVUL-A qualification to use, some bloody good blokes on the squadron ground crews.

Smudge :ok:

[oldmansquipper]

Ancient Squipper...We spoke! - I trust you are well:)

OK OK...I admit to a little poetic licence when talking of fitting one `on my own`. But it went a bit like this:

1. OOP chute change due on `X` jet whilst on Micky Finn deployment.. (Not streamed on landing - I guess aerodynamic breaking was simple into the teeth of a Brawdy gale).
2. SAC Me - summoned by the Crew Chief (Robbo the Screaming Skull??) and told to get it done.
3. Crew chief details A N other to help.
4. We get the new chute from the nose, We put it up on a raiser and he goes off to supper.
5. I get the door open, disconnect the shackle etc and push the old chute out of the stowage by increment until gravity takes over and the whole lot drops to the ground on the other side of the ECM bay. The shackle bounces off the duct on the way past changing the duct shape only slightly..
6. I drag new chute strop and shackle into chute bay, motor the hook shut and then start snaking the big brown slug into position. (At this point I cant remember the exact sequence and point at which I had to check the dolls eye indicator) but anyway....
7. I remove the door tool so I could swing into the bay kicking the big slug into an `S` shape
8. I fit the door tool back in position and close the door making sure the latch/lock had closed (This may have been when the dolls eye was checked, and if incorrect, the crew chief was summoned to poke a broom handle up through the ECM bay to gently thump the microswitch `helping the travel` of the latching system)
9. When all the hard work was done A N Other returns from supper and..if I am lucky helps me lift the old chute back into the cockpit....
10. If I am not lucky, the old chute remained on the pan and is probably still there..

If the jet streamed on landing ignore step 1

So; Not entirely on my own...but blo*dy nearly!;)

[oldmansquipper]

Riggers? Who needs em?

[Ancient Squipper]

Sounds like you had a bundle of fun Old Man. When you were bashing bits off tin triangles with that monster of a shackle I was at Barkston Heath and later Syerston and Hullavington during that time, All very low tech compared to you. Piston Provosts, Varsity and Valettas and J/Ps and lots of U/T baby Pilots and Navs.
Did you look at the Vulcan Video not like any LB54s that I have ever seen unless there was an earlier version?.

Never got the answer that I was looking for but not to worry the videos and the photo were a great bonus.

Regards Ancient.;)

[Evanelpus]

We had engine blanks that were only used in adverse weather. Jet pipe covers even less. There were also 'spats' to cover the wheels. When we took an aircraft to Bitteswell they would become agitated if we didn't have all the kit. Of course we never did.

Wasn't a problem for me. I used to service the Vulcan hydraulics so I was constantly working on the brake units etc. We used to have our own covers which (if memory serves me well) I used to keep underneath my toolbox.

[thing]

Things don't change. In 1957 I did a Victor course at Gaydon, and was then posted to Transport CommandDid the Bucc Q course at Honington early 80's and was promptly posted to Lightnings (and another course.) In my 22 years I worked out that I spent around 4 years in classrooms.

Apologies for thread drift.

[haltonapp]

I only remember "Topper" Brown, I arrived at Waddo in June 69, and left in October 70. Great memories of the Raven Club, the place to be in Lincoln on a Saturday night, and Sunday night with the pig and piglet of the week competition was always a hoot! The fatal incident with the door was in that period.