Did You Fly The Vulcan?? (Merged)
Gnome de PPRuNe
Join Date: Jan 2002
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Oh yeah! Super!
You need to make 'em a bit smaller though, say 640dpi wide - that way they'll fit within the PPRuNe layout on most people's screens.
Cheers
Treadders
You need to make 'em a bit smaller though, say 640dpi wide - that way they'll fit within the PPRuNe layout on most people's screens.
Cheers
Treadders
Red On, Green On
Join Date: May 2004
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You need to make 'em a bit smaller though
remember when they dispersed to Leeming when I was at RN EFTS - living in the pre-fabs (SEECO huts in the trade) about 200m from the rway - what a spectacular noise.........
Gnome de PPRuNe
Join Date: Jan 2002
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Very true A_A, but unless you are running a much higher res screen, you have to scroll right to read the posts - very irritating! Particularly with the excellent quality of posts (and pics) on this thread!
Nopw, if you click on the pics to go full screen...
Nopw, if you click on the pics to go full screen...
Join Date: Sep 2003
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sorry about the size ( the number of times Ive said that in my life
!) I have no imaging software and so they're pretty raw scans off the scanner with a very limited range of functions.
noted.
!) I have no imaging software and so they're pretty raw scans off the scanner with a very limited range of functions.noted.
Gnome de PPRuNe
Join Date: Jan 2002
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No apology needed Hairy (I love your monika, me thinks it's tongue in... errr...) feel free to email them to me and I'll do the business. On Monday tho. I'll PM you my email address.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Mike Jenvey, yes Gan was with a full bomb load, kit for 7 and the COs golf clubs. He didn't take them out until we got to Butterworth.
Zero fuel weights were fascinating.
The lightest I recall was around XM597 at 96K. This then moved up to about 98K, probably with the first coat of green paint.
The weights in 1967 started to creep over the ton as the paint was changed to polyurethane. 8,000 square feet of wing, it added about 4,000lbs.
Then the TFR, X-Band Jammer and the IRD/RBW and still it increased. Once the big rivets started appearing on the wing and the extra reinforcement on the spars we started to get to 108k. The heaviest I recall in the early 70s was about 111K.
Chuck in 1,000 for the crew, 88K for a double drum fit, 7x1000 then your 204k would easily be exceed. But back in 64, a clean TOW was about 172k and pilots had to practise an occasional Max weight take-off at 178k when they added the YS2.
At that time the conventional loads were really only for the Mk 1s on the Sunspot. Come Malaysia however we then had max weights of 194k. Sitting in the middle of the apron at Khormaksar the 4 Vulcans, each with 21k of bombs, and in easy mortar range, sank gently into the tarmac. When we came to leave after a week we had 6 inch tarmac chocks and just about blew a hangar away <vbg>.
Hope that helps.
FJJP
I stand corrected but then again John Pack was something else again.
Two of walking out of STC when this staff car reversed smartly and JP wound the window down for a chat.
My first skipper had also been JPs copilot and JP was my stn cdr at ISK.
Zero fuel weights were fascinating.
The lightest I recall was around XM597 at 96K. This then moved up to about 98K, probably with the first coat of green paint.
The weights in 1967 started to creep over the ton as the paint was changed to polyurethane. 8,000 square feet of wing, it added about 4,000lbs.
Then the TFR, X-Band Jammer and the IRD/RBW and still it increased. Once the big rivets started appearing on the wing and the extra reinforcement on the spars we started to get to 108k. The heaviest I recall in the early 70s was about 111K.
Chuck in 1,000 for the crew, 88K for a double drum fit, 7x1000 then your 204k would easily be exceed. But back in 64, a clean TOW was about 172k and pilots had to practise an occasional Max weight take-off at 178k when they added the YS2.
At that time the conventional loads were really only for the Mk 1s on the Sunspot. Come Malaysia however we then had max weights of 194k. Sitting in the middle of the apron at Khormaksar the 4 Vulcans, each with 21k of bombs, and in easy mortar range, sank gently into the tarmac. When we came to leave after a week we had 6 inch tarmac chocks and just about blew a hangar away <vbg>.
Hope that helps.
FJJP
I stand corrected but then again John Pack was something else again.
Two of walking out of STC when this staff car reversed smartly and JP wound the window down for a chat.
My first skipper had also been JPs copilot and JP was my stn cdr at ISK.
Join Date: Oct 2001
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I have just found a letter in my fathers papers from a chap called Anthony L Blakeman who was an Experimental Test Pilot for AVRO at Woodford. The letter is dated 20-10-57 and refers to my fathers time as a Flight Test Observer on the Vulcan. It looks like a 'reference' type letter.
Can anyone tell me anything about Anthony L Blakeman?
Many thanks
Temps
Can anyone tell me anything about Anthony L Blakeman?
Many thanks
Temps
Join Date: Oct 2003
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Tony Blackman
Tony graduated on No 13 ETPS course in 1954.
Flew with him a few times on Vulcans at Boscombe Down circa 1956 before he left to go to Avro at Woodford.
Where are you now Tony?
Tony graduated on No 13 ETPS course in 1954.
Flew with him a few times on Vulcans at Boscombe Down circa 1956 before he left to go to Avro at Woodford.
Where are you now Tony?
Possibly the same Tony Blackman who flew the Blackburn B2 at a number of Air Shows in the '70s & '80s?
During that period, I believe he was Chief Test Pilot at Holme-on-Spalding Moor/Brough?
During that period, I believe he was Chief Test Pilot at Holme-on-Spalding Moor/Brough?
Join Date: Oct 2001
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Just checked the letter again and it is signed Anthony L Blackman and not Blakeman as I originally stated. Thanks for the responses, and the dates match.
Temps
Temps
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nearly up!
how tempting was it to just keep going!
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/608590/M/
vulcan at wellesbourne mountford 20 jun 04
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/608590/M/
vulcan at wellesbourne mountford 20 jun 04
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Allan907, it could be concrete dust. She certainly looks very clean. First flew in 655 on 8 Sep 65 from RAF Cranwell on Exercise Unison.
This was the big tri-service display. We did 4 hr 50 min and ended up diverting the Scampton having flow the main UK low level route through Wales and ending with a 2H attack at West Freugh.
The next day, 23 hours later, we flew 5 hr 15 min on a different exercise from Cottesmore. From this it suggests we would have had just 17 hours off. Still only managed 25 hours in 5 trips that month.
This was the big tri-service display. We did 4 hr 50 min and ended up diverting the Scampton having flow the main UK low level route through Wales and ending with a 2H attack at West Freugh.
The next day, 23 hours later, we flew 5 hr 15 min on a different exercise from Cottesmore. From this it suggests we would have had just 17 hours off. Still only managed 25 hours in 5 trips that month.
Back to the Top!
I was in the US on my hols last week and visiting some friends near Omaha. They suggested that I may like to visit the "Museum of the (what I thought) Plains" Having great admiration for all those who trekked across the plains in the 1800s, I agreed.
Anyway it was the Museum of the Planes! The SAC Air and Space Museum. Inside was Vulcan XM 573. The info said that it was delivered to 83 Sqn in March 1963, and flown to Offut in June 1982.
Anyone here who flew it?
Anyway it was the Museum of the Planes! The SAC Air and Space Museum. Inside was Vulcan XM 573. The info said that it was delivered to 83 Sqn in March 1963, and flown to Offut in June 1982.
Anyone here who flew it?
Join Date: Nov 2000
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I flew a check ride with Frank Bonfield's crew at Waddo on 2 October 1967. We did a practice double engine failure after take-off, 4 Type 5 attacks (whatever they were!), a Type 2J, some fighter affil and CT including 2 x ILS. They were probably the best crew on 50 Sqn at the time. That was my last trip in XM573. 
Cool Mod
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Mighty Gem
A picture would be good. Any chance of one? In the meantime I bet that there are one or two of the V drivers who will bring up some good memories.
A picture would be good. Any chance of one? In the meantime I bet that there are one or two of the V drivers who will bring up some good memories.
Thread Starter
Flew 570, 571 and 572, but never 573. I guess it was allocated to the Zimbabwe Air Legion when I was at Sunny Scampton on 35 from 1977-80!