Did You Fly The Vulcan?? (Merged)
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
FJJP, if you look at the picture you will see not striker.
This came after our boss dropped it in in 1964 at Butterworth. Wouldn't have worked anyway as the striker arm was only about 8 inches long and he dropped it from 30 feet.
Same boss, post-mod with, I think, Ricky Crowder as P1, landed, pulled the nose up and got the first light on. Kept light 1 on and 2 off until the speed decayed.
"How was that then?" <g>
"Are you sure light 2 bulb is working?"
This came after our boss dropped it in in 1964 at Butterworth. Wouldn't have worked anyway as the striker arm was only about 8 inches long and he dropped it from 30 feet.
Same boss, post-mod with, I think, Ricky Crowder as P1, landed, pulled the nose up and got the first light on. Kept light 1 on and 2 off until the speed decayed.
"How was that then?" <g>
"Are you sure light 2 bulb is working?"
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 1,777
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
1 light = 'The strut has made contact with the ground and has moved from the parked position'.
2 lights = 'The strut has reached the end of its travel. Any further movement will result in damage to the ECM cone'.
2 lights = 'The strut has reached the end of its travel. Any further movement will result in damage to the ECM cone'.
Thread Starter
Yes - that's what was supposed to happen. But most people who saw one light very soon saw both - and then had a fair bit of explaining to do!
Extreme aerodynamic braking wasn't really that necessary in any case.
Extreme aerodynamic braking wasn't really that necessary in any case.
On the K2, the striker was repositioned under the 'skip' and was about 2 feet longer. To stop the constant illumination of the lights in the cockpit, it was wirelocked in the forward position to prevent the airflow from making the switches. An aerodynamic landing would just snap the locking wire. The only problem it caused was when pushing the kite into one of the hangars (either 3 or 4 south end), where the slope would try to rip the striker off if it was not held in the fully up position.
As long as the crew remembered they were in a K2 and not a B2 on landing they were OK.
As long as the crew remembered they were in a K2 and not a B2 on landing they were OK.
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 154
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have received a photo of the Martin-Baker rear crew ejection system rig:
The hatch was under the canopy that had to be blown first. The plotter went out first vertically. Nav rad and AEO seats have hinges at the bottom of the seat rails. The tops of the seats rotated inwards along the top rail and fired at an angle through the opening - first the radar then the AEO.
I understand the sequence was started by the co-pilot after the canopy had been blown - the handle being hidden before that. The pilots' seats were only armed after the AEO had left as I recall.
More at Vulcans in Camera.
Contributions welcomed.
The hatch was under the canopy that had to be blown first. The plotter went out first vertically. Nav rad and AEO seats have hinges at the bottom of the seat rails. The tops of the seats rotated inwards along the top rail and fired at an angle through the opening - first the radar then the AEO.
I understand the sequence was started by the co-pilot after the canopy had been blown - the handle being hidden before that. The pilots' seats were only armed after the AEO had left as I recall.
More at Vulcans in Camera.
Contributions welcomed.
A date for your diary: Discovery Wings, 25th May, 7pm and 10pm, "Vulcans, Victors and Cuba".
We have a photo, here at work, of a Vulcan doing a low pass, at what looks like Waddington, with several other Vulcans on the pads. No ID marks on the flyer apart from a white shield with a red cross on the fin. Was anyone here flying it?
We have a photo, here at work, of a Vulcan doing a low pass, at what looks like Waddington, with several other Vulcans on the pads. No ID marks on the flyer apart from a white shield with a red cross on the fin. Was anyone here flying it?
Do a Hover - it avoids G
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Chichester West Sussex UK
Age: 91
Posts: 2,206
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
MightyGem
Thanks for the reminder. If only all aviation related progs were of the quality of this one. As TV documentaries go it is top of my list.
Thanks for the reminder. If only all aviation related progs were of the quality of this one. As TV documentaries go it is top of my list.
Dir. PPRuNe Line Service
The longest nonstop Vulcan flight was by XH481 on 20th June 1961 from Scampton to Sydney. The flight took just over 20 hours.
The aircraft was "borrowed" by 617 squadron from 101 squadron for the flight as it had the best servicabilty record at the time. 101 squadron didn't know at the time why 617 squadron wanted that particular aircraft! My dad in particular was extremely pissed off as he was the crew chief of XH481... and anyone who knew my dad would understand why XH481 was such a good aircraft.
The aircraft was "borrowed" by 617 squadron from 101 squadron for the flight as it had the best servicabilty record at the time. 101 squadron didn't know at the time why 617 squadron wanted that particular aircraft! My dad in particular was extremely pissed off as he was the crew chief of XH481... and anyone who knew my dad would understand why XH481 was such a good aircraft.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Despatcher
and 21 years later what seemed a pointless exercise requiring probably the majority of the Valiant tanker force became an operation.
Even with the gap of 21 years and the upgrade to the Mark 2 I am sure the lessons learnt were applied. Even if the only lesson was that we could fly a Vulcan for 20 hours.
and 21 years later what seemed a pointless exercise requiring probably the majority of the Valiant tanker force became an operation.
Even with the gap of 21 years and the upgrade to the Mark 2 I am sure the lessons learnt were applied. Even if the only lesson was that we could fly a Vulcan for 20 hours.
Beags,
Might not have been necessary, but was jolly good fun.
I recall that 1st light meant contact, 2nd light meant that the little stick thingy had been pushed up into its housing, any more back pressure was optional and may cause damage.
Nothing matters very much, most things don't matter at all.
Might not have been necessary, but was jolly good fun.
I recall that 1st light meant contact, 2nd light meant that the little stick thingy had been pushed up into its housing, any more back pressure was optional and may cause damage.
Nothing matters very much, most things don't matter at all.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Yes it was Vulcan's and I was stuck in Singapore. ASAIK they were based at Darwin and flew some cracking exercises there. I think they went down to Perth that time.
In UK the bombers used to fly 'fighter rules' ie simulating the enemy bombers. Not too high, not too low, and nice and level.
In Oz, totatally unrealistically for the OZ jets, we were able to fly bomber rules. Not too low, about 55K plus was comfortable, not too high, less than 300 feet was perhaps not unheard of. Plenty of open air space to no jammer restrictions.
Flying above the contrail level and jamming the height finders was great. The fighter controllers could 'see' all the bombers but they were 'invisible' to the fighter jocks as they were simply looking in the wrong place.
When you are capping at 30-35k it is a long way up to 55k.
In UK the bombers used to fly 'fighter rules' ie simulating the enemy bombers. Not too high, not too low, and nice and level.
In Oz, totatally unrealistically for the OZ jets, we were able to fly bomber rules. Not too low, about 55K plus was comfortable, not too high, less than 300 feet was perhaps not unheard of. Plenty of open air space to no jammer restrictions.
Flying above the contrail level and jamming the height finders was great. The fighter controllers could 'see' all the bombers but they were 'invisible' to the fighter jocks as they were simply looking in the wrong place.
When you are capping at 30-35k it is a long way up to 55k.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
V-Force reunion at Newark Air Museum on 22/23 May. Interesting who went. About a third of my first sqn 14 out of 55 or so were there but it seemed a very generational thing.
Crews from 1966 and earlier were thick on the ground but those from 1967 onward were scarce. There was however a recently retired AVM from the 70s V-Force.
The evening function also seemed to attract an older group. Amazing though, QFIs who in the 60s looked 40 odd looked hardly a day older 40 years on. Even Wally George and John 'Willie' were unchanged. Wally with his teeth and John with his foghorn voice from Lincolns.
Thanks to Don Chadwick and his small team for organising it.
Crews from 1966 and earlier were thick on the ground but those from 1967 onward were scarce. There was however a recently retired AVM from the 70s V-Force.
The evening function also seemed to attract an older group. Amazing though, QFIs who in the 60s looked 40 odd looked hardly a day older 40 years on. Even Wally George and John 'Willie' were unchanged. Wally with his teeth and John with his foghorn voice from Lincolns.
Thanks to Don Chadwick and his small team for organising it.
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hopefully it hasn't come up in this thread so far (32 pages!?), but Phoenix Simulation Software (http://www.phoenix-simulation.co.uk/ ) have a superb model of XH558 for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002/2004. Cost is £20, half of which goes to the fund to get it flying again (http://www.tvoc.co.uk/).
Bought mine yesterday, first shot climbing out of Gibraltar:
http://www.btinternet.com/~nick.evan...tar_Vulcan.jpg
Engine noise is spot on, at least as far as I remember having seen it many years ago at airshows. Black smoke out of the engines at full throttle looks good as well.
Bought mine yesterday, first shot climbing out of Gibraltar:
http://www.btinternet.com/~nick.evan...tar_Vulcan.jpg
Engine noise is spot on, at least as far as I remember having seen it many years ago at airshows. Black smoke out of the engines at full throttle looks good as well.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
I don't believe a Vulcan ever flew in to Gibraltar let alone out again.
The obvious reasons were the undershoot and overshoot and also the long straight in approach for 27 <g>.
Diversions were also a bit thin on the ground. The problem was the high, normal max landing weight, coupled with the lack of fuel dump.
Several times the aircraft would be too heavy for the short field landing and too remote for a diversion when the weight was right. I believe I mentioned this earlier in the thread when we went to Gan and had to land at 140,000lb which left us only about 17,000 lbs of fuel.
The obvious reasons were the undershoot and overshoot and also the long straight in approach for 27 <g>.
Diversions were also a bit thin on the ground. The problem was the high, normal max landing weight, coupled with the lack of fuel dump.
Several times the aircraft would be too heavy for the short field landing and too remote for a diversion when the weight was right. I believe I mentioned this earlier in the thread when we went to Gan and had to land at 140,000lb which left us only about 17,000 lbs of fuel.
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Lichfield UK
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Like the Phantom thread, my memories are mainly from being deafened at countless airshows, particularly by 4 ship scrambles in the 70s & 80s. My only regret is not seeing one "down on the deck".
In the UK where did the big birds fly at L/L?
I have a copy of the video of the same name about low flying in Canada, fan-bloody-tastic!!
I can only add a few images as my recollections......
In the UK where did the big birds fly at L/L?
I have a copy of the video of the same name about low flying in Canada, fan-bloody-tastic!!
I can only add a few images as my recollections......
Gnome de PPRuNe
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,644
Received 300 Likes
on
168 Posts
Hairy, cant see your pics, think you might want to add a "www" into the links - can't wait to see 'em!
Treadders
Treadders
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Glorious Devon
Posts: 721
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Pontius Nav
The "hairiest" Vulcan diversion I ever heard of was a Mk 1 of, I think, the "squadron with a hole in the middle". It was during an Adex that was the central feature of Exercise SUNSPOT deployments to Luqa. There was the usual queue to recover into Luqa after the grand finale raid. The Lightnings naturally had priority - they were, after all, in a fuel emergency as soon as they tucked their wheels up! Then there were a few civil movements , and finally the Vulcans. The last of the Vulcan stream was usually stretching it to make its Plan 1 to Sigonella (sp?) in Siciily. On this occasion the penultimate Vulcan blew the tyres on one bogey on touch-down and obstructed the runway. The final Vulcan on go- round announced that he had "lost" his alternate and declared an emergency. ATC and the Station Commander wanted to tow the obstructing Vulcan onto the grass which would probably have damaged the U/c. The DCF (Bootsie I think) persuaded the staish to hold off, phoned Halfar, where there was still a RN presence, and asked them to lay out some goosenecks (dusk was drawing in). I am not sure how long the runway was at Halfar, but the threshold was on the edge of the cliff - sheer to the sea about 100 ft below. I think it was considerably less than 6,000 ft because it used to give us pause for thought in a heavily laden Meatbox. The overrun, as usual, consisted of stone walls. All went well (the brake chute deployed OK this time!) and no one was scratched.
The "hairiest" Vulcan diversion I ever heard of was a Mk 1 of, I think, the "squadron with a hole in the middle". It was during an Adex that was the central feature of Exercise SUNSPOT deployments to Luqa. There was the usual queue to recover into Luqa after the grand finale raid. The Lightnings naturally had priority - they were, after all, in a fuel emergency as soon as they tucked their wheels up! Then there were a few civil movements , and finally the Vulcans. The last of the Vulcan stream was usually stretching it to make its Plan 1 to Sigonella (sp?) in Siciily. On this occasion the penultimate Vulcan blew the tyres on one bogey on touch-down and obstructed the runway. The final Vulcan on go- round announced that he had "lost" his alternate and declared an emergency. ATC and the Station Commander wanted to tow the obstructing Vulcan onto the grass which would probably have damaged the U/c. The DCF (Bootsie I think) persuaded the staish to hold off, phoned Halfar, where there was still a RN presence, and asked them to lay out some goosenecks (dusk was drawing in). I am not sure how long the runway was at Halfar, but the threshold was on the edge of the cliff - sheer to the sea about 100 ft below. I think it was considerably less than 6,000 ft because it used to give us pause for thought in a heavily laden Meatbox. The overrun, as usual, consisted of stone walls. All went well (the brake chute deployed OK this time!) and no one was scratched.
Last edited by Flatus Veteranus; 11th Jun 2004 at 19:38.
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 1,777
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Pontius, wrong about Gib I'm afraid. When Johnny Pack was AOGib he persuaded MOD to donate a Vulcan to be 'gate guard'. It was parked on the town side of Spanish Road beside the stadium. It became quite dangerous as the salt air rotted the structure. An ex 617 crew chief became OC VAS, and not long into his tour he had the unenviable task of arranging to tow the beast over to the dispersal, where it languished for many more months before being broken up. I can testify to its poor condition - I actually pushed a finger through the skin under the wing!
The Vulcan was never required to fly into Gib because Gib was en-route to nowhere as far as Vulcan ops was concerned; Johnny just loved the ac and wanted one near...
The Vulcan was never required to fly into Gib because Gib was en-route to nowhere as far as Vulcan ops was concerned; Johnny just loved the ac and wanted one near...