Did You Fly The Vulcan?? (Merged)
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Mighty Gem
I also flew a handful of sorties in XM 573 during 78/9 while she was on the ZAL fleet.
There are a number of pictures of her on Andy Leitch's excellent website: www.avrovulcan.org.uk/andy_leitch_vol2/index.htm
The 16Th (?) picture down even has a potted history of the jet.
I can commend the site to all who have an interest in the Vulcan
I also flew a handful of sorties in XM 573 during 78/9 while she was on the ZAL fleet.
There are a number of pictures of her on Andy Leitch's excellent website: www.avrovulcan.org.uk/andy_leitch_vol2/index.htm
The 16Th (?) picture down even has a potted history of the jet.
I can commend the site to all who have an interest in the Vulcan
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Flatus Veteranus,
Agreed. Did you know that Frank Bonfield's crew always deployed on Micky Finn with DJs? They would have been the best dressed crew in the POW camp.
DEFATO. Type 5 was the T4 Bombsighte Visually aimed attacks. The 2J of course was the NBS LL pop-up to 2,500 feet. Below SAM 2 and above the frag damage level for the unretarded 1,000lb - they said!!!!!!!!!!!!
BTW Frank's Nav Radar is still at Strike and drops in here from time to time. He sussed my nom de plume.
Agreed. Did you know that Frank Bonfield's crew always deployed on Micky Finn with DJs? They would have been the best dressed crew in the POW camp.
DEFATO. Type 5 was the T4 Bombsighte Visually aimed attacks. The 2J of course was the NBS LL pop-up to 2,500 feet. Below SAM 2 and above the frag damage level for the unretarded 1,000lb - they said!!!!!!!!!!!!
BTW Frank's Nav Radar is still at Strike and drops in here from time to time. He sussed my nom de plume.
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Pontius Nav
Please give him my best regards when next you see him, and ask him to pass them on to the rest of the crew if he is still in contact. Being a relative newboy, I probably ousted the Co fom his seat to see how a really crack crew did it They had been part of the Giant Voice team, If I recall. It was quite an education. Everything very relaxed but a minimum of chatter. No first names, only crew positions used (which may have been due to my presence!). Frank, although quiet, was firm when needed. I believe the story about the DJs. I cannot remember their dispersal base, but they were a very social bunch on detachment.
Captaincy I thought was an odd phenomenon. There was one crew with a weak captain (good pilot but lacking personality) which was effectively being captained by the AEO. It worked OK so I let it alone!
Please give him my best regards when next you see him, and ask him to pass them on to the rest of the crew if he is still in contact. Being a relative newboy, I probably ousted the Co fom his seat to see how a really crack crew did it They had been part of the Giant Voice team, If I recall. It was quite an education. Everything very relaxed but a minimum of chatter. No first names, only crew positions used (which may have been due to my presence!). Frank, although quiet, was firm when needed. I believe the story about the DJs. I cannot remember their dispersal base, but they were a very social bunch on detachment.
Captaincy I thought was an odd phenomenon. There was one crew with a weak captain (good pilot but lacking personality) which was effectively being captained by the AEO. It worked OK so I let it alone!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Flatus Veteranus,
The dispersal was Manston. I do not have to pass one your regards as the AL has sussed your nom de plume and lurks here from time to time.
As for professionalism, I used to run the targetting quiz. As crews could do an hours worth of target study with 2 crew members it follows they could answer the quiz with just two as well. "I'm airframes" didn't wash.
In Frank's case they very rarely turned out with less than a five-man crew for TS.
The dispersal was Manston. I do not have to pass one your regards as the AL has sussed your nom de plume and lurks here from time to time.
As for professionalism, I used to run the targetting quiz. As crews could do an hours worth of target study with 2 crew members it follows they could answer the quiz with just two as well. "I'm airframes" didn't wash.
In Frank's case they very rarely turned out with less than a five-man crew for TS.
50+ RAY - Which seat did I sit in? Well, I seem to remember spending a lot of time in the one by the uckers board, and almost as much in the one by the window in the feeder. As for in the aircraft; "the Nav Radar is the one who turns a 4 engined transport into a weapon of war" Quiz for all, where was that slogan displayed?
50+RAY - Which seat did I sit in? Well, I seem to remember spending a lot of time in the one by the uckers board, and almost as much in the one by the window in the feeder.
As for the aircraft "The nav radar is he who turns a 4 engined transport into a weapon of war"
50+RAY - Which seat did I sit in? Well, I seem to remember spending a lot of time in the one by the uckers board, and almost as much in the one by the window in the feeder.
As for the aircraft "The nav radar is he who turns a 4 engined transport into a weapon of war"
Thread Starter
But only if you could wake the bugger up between fixes!
Draw overlay, find same responses on radar screen. Say "Go to Bomb, advise demand". Make all sorts of warlike noises whilst pilots use 50 thou map and stopwatch to get a decent score. Go back to sleep. Wake up when nudged by a Plotter too stupid to use TACAN for GPI fix. Go back to sleep. Wake up when jet lands, bull$hit rest of crew in pub about self-importance.....
Draw overlay, find same responses on radar screen. Say "Go to Bomb, advise demand". Make all sorts of warlike noises whilst pilots use 50 thou map and stopwatch to get a decent score. Go back to sleep. Wake up when nudged by a Plotter too stupid to use TACAN for GPI fix. Go back to sleep. Wake up when jet lands, bull$hit rest of crew in pub about self-importance.....
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
The navigator radar is that member of aircrew that turns a four-engined transport into a weapon of war was at the Bomber Command Bombing School in Lindholme.
It was actually 'borrowed' as I believe it was originally attributed to bomb aimer and furthermore I believe of US origin, Army Air Corp most likely.
It was actually 'borrowed' as I believe it was originally attributed to bomb aimer and furthermore I believe of US origin, Army Air Corp most likely.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Jackinoko was asking about the ceiling of the Tornado. I posted the following there:
I take John Farley's point about aircraft performance and release to service.
On the Vulcan Mk 2 we had boming kit that could reach 60,000 feet agl. We had oxygen kit that was cleared to 56,000 feet until someone discovered aerodynamic suck.
We had crews that flew at over 60,000 feet but whether agl or sps I am not sure. What I do know is that the turn circle was 24 miles with 15 AOB.
The ISA was down at the bottom and the IMN up at the top. Thing is though this was in stable flight.
When it came to planning a long range cruise with a take-off weight of 190,000 lbs and ground temp of 35 C and unrestricted take-off power the ODM showed that the most economical profile was a max rate climb to 470 and cruise climb thereafter.
I take John Farley's point about aircraft performance and release to service.
On the Vulcan Mk 2 we had boming kit that could reach 60,000 feet agl. We had oxygen kit that was cleared to 56,000 feet until someone discovered aerodynamic suck.
We had crews that flew at over 60,000 feet but whether agl or sps I am not sure. What I do know is that the turn circle was 24 miles with 15 AOB.
The ISA was down at the bottom and the IMN up at the top. Thing is though this was in stable flight.
When it came to planning a long range cruise with a take-off weight of 190,000 lbs and ground temp of 35 C and unrestricted take-off power the ODM showed that the most economical profile was a max rate climb to 470 and cruise climb thereafter.
Thread Starter
And if you want to see a Vulcan fly again, time to get your donation/pledge off to http://www.tvoc.co.uk/index2.htm !!
There are some 77638 views on this thread. How many of you have done anything to get 558 airborne again?
Glad to see that this is page 35 of the thread. A fine sqn was 35 - it was my first experience of the real RAF!
Edited - it's now 77666!
There are some 77638 views on this thread. How many of you have done anything to get 558 airborne again?
Glad to see that this is page 35 of the thread. A fine sqn was 35 - it was my first experience of the real RAF!
Edited - it's now 77666!
Last edited by BEagle; 12th Sep 2004 at 22:23.
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Milt & Temps
Tony Blackman is alive and well and resides in Hampshire UK and Florida during the hurricane closed season. When he is in UK I drink with him quite regularly.
He has some epic dits on displaying the Vulcan at Farnborough in the 50's. I believe he did a lot of test flying work on the wing modifications for the Vulcan.
I have posted this link to him so maybe he will get in touch with you or better still add one of his rich experiences to this thread.
Cheers
Wunper
Tony Blackman is alive and well and resides in Hampshire UK and Florida during the hurricane closed season. When he is in UK I drink with him quite regularly.
He has some epic dits on displaying the Vulcan at Farnborough in the 50's. I believe he did a lot of test flying work on the wing modifications for the Vulcan.
I have posted this link to him so maybe he will get in touch with you or better still add one of his rich experiences to this thread.
Cheers
Wunper
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My Grandad's cousin was a pilot of the Vulcan.
His name was Francis Clapp I think and he was killed after he kept the aircraft from crashing into a school in Belgium or Holland.
The story goes that he ordered the rest of the crew to get out of the stricken jet whilst he stayed in it.
It would be great to hear of more about him if anybody has further info about this. He grew up in Fleetwood Lancs.
Gaz.
His name was Francis Clapp I think and he was killed after he kept the aircraft from crashing into a school in Belgium or Holland.
The story goes that he ordered the rest of the crew to get out of the stricken jet whilst he stayed in it.
It would be great to hear of more about him if anybody has further info about this. He grew up in Fleetwood Lancs.
Gaz.