Did You Fly The Vulcan?? (Merged)
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
The Shiraz one would have been OK if they had told the crew about the ditch. The ditch was only on one side!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Spekesoftly, thank you for the link. Very good, shame the obituary writter had such a tenuous grasp of the technical aspects of the aircraft.
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Exercise Moonflower
I was so interested to read this article. My father was Denis Mountford. I remember him returning from the trip. He had obviously enjoyed the exercise.
J Hodson
J Hodson
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
I remember Dennis Mountford though I did not know him well. Which article about Exercise Moonflower?
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Xm599 (August 1979)
I would like to be put in touch with any of the crew of XM599 from 1979. I have the names, but in the interest of confidentiality, I am only providing the initials here.
I'm not positive who the Captain was, possibly Flt.Lt WHG, but the Co-Pilot was Flying Offr. JBC and the Nav was Flt. Lt. JRN
If anyone is in touch with these people, please pass on my email address, joe.mcgonagle(at)ntlworld.com. I have something which may possibly interest them.
Regards,
Joe McGonagle
I'm not positive who the Captain was, possibly Flt.Lt WHG, but the Co-Pilot was Flying Offr. JBC and the Nav was Flt. Lt. JRN
If anyone is in touch with these people, please pass on my email address, joe.mcgonagle(at)ntlworld.com. I have something which may possibly interest them.
Regards,
Joe McGonagle
Last edited by joemcg; 19th May 2007 at 13:50.
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Xl321 26may77
I am trying to contact members of the crew on a mission which took them over the bay of Biscay on 25/26 May 1977. The a/c was XL321 and the crew surnames (initial only) were as follows:
Co-Pilot: Flt Lt D. 230 OCU
Capt: Flt Lt E. 230 OCU
Nav Plotter: Flt Lt D. 230 OCU
Nav Radar: Flg Offr D. 230 OCU
AEO: Flt Lt S. 617 Sqn
I do have the relevant surnames, but I am using initials only for reasons of confidentiality.
Regards,
Joe McGonagle
Co-Pilot: Flt Lt D. 230 OCU
Capt: Flt Lt E. 230 OCU
Nav Plotter: Flt Lt D. 230 OCU
Nav Radar: Flg Offr D. 230 OCU
AEO: Flt Lt S. 617 Sqn
I do have the relevant surnames, but I am using initials only for reasons of confidentiality.
Regards,
Joe McGonagle
Ah, good old XL321, AKA Rusty Bin.
I was (un)fortunate enough to see her off on her final flight to catterick along with another aircraft.
Should have been a straightforward flight, with the North Yorks Police closing the A1 to allow the 2 kites to land as close as possible to the start of the short runway.
The only thing that marred the whole plan, was that the times the Police were given, were in Zulu, and they turned up at Local time, to see a bit of a traffic problem as the aircraft had already landed and cars had stopped to get a better view.
IIRC '321 was the highest houred Vulcan on the fleet.
I was (un)fortunate enough to see her off on her final flight to catterick along with another aircraft.
Should have been a straightforward flight, with the North Yorks Police closing the A1 to allow the 2 kites to land as close as possible to the start of the short runway.
The only thing that marred the whole plan, was that the times the Police were given, were in Zulu, and they turned up at Local time, to see a bit of a traffic problem as the aircraft had already landed and cars had stopped to get a better view.
IIRC '321 was the highest houred Vulcan on the fleet.
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Xj 824
BEagle
We flew it back from Barksdale to Waddington via Goose Bay 14-16 November 1979. That's the only time I flew it; it had been one of our 4 Giant Voice '79 a/c, but was ferried home after the semi-final as it wasn't one of the best. We had to leave our far nicer XH538 for another crew to fly.
Hmm ,not so about this. This was a 44(R) Sqn jet. I was a Crew Chief at the time and I have it in my little book that I flew down to Barksdale with Dion H***** and crew in 824 on the 12 nov 79. I think we used the aircraft to ferry some vital GV spares. For some strange reason we went via Gander. We had real trouble trying to get off the next day, it had rained overnight and by morning the aircaft looked like an ice cube. Oh boy what joy! So 824 never to part in GV thank goodness, she really was a bit of a monster, the fuel sytsem was really touchy, during refuel you had to watch it like a hawk otherwise she'd be on her arse. IIRC we took of on the 14 Nov for Goose planning to leave there on the 15 Nov but got stuck for a day due to a "White Out". We took off again on the 16 Nov and landed at Waddo. So BEagle am I correct in thinking that you were on 35 Sqn?
We flew it back from Barksdale to Waddington via Goose Bay 14-16 November 1979. That's the only time I flew it; it had been one of our 4 Giant Voice '79 a/c, but was ferried home after the semi-final as it wasn't one of the best. We had to leave our far nicer XH538 for another crew to fly.
Hmm ,not so about this. This was a 44(R) Sqn jet. I was a Crew Chief at the time and I have it in my little book that I flew down to Barksdale with Dion H***** and crew in 824 on the 12 nov 79. I think we used the aircraft to ferry some vital GV spares. For some strange reason we went via Gander. We had real trouble trying to get off the next day, it had rained overnight and by morning the aircaft looked like an ice cube. Oh boy what joy! So 824 never to part in GV thank goodness, she really was a bit of a monster, the fuel sytsem was really touchy, during refuel you had to watch it like a hawk otherwise she'd be on her arse. IIRC we took of on the 14 Nov for Goose planning to leave there on the 15 Nov but got stuck for a day due to a "White Out". We took off again on the 16 Nov and landed at Waddo. So BEagle am I correct in thinking that you were on 35 Sqn?
Thread Starter
Yes, I was indeed on 35 Sqn and we flew that heap home in the period to which I refer. Or so my logbook says. Pete D**k*n was the captain. Perhaps it was flown down with spares, as you say? Next time I bump into Dion, I shall ask him to dig out his logbook!
We came very close to aborting at Barksdale due to a JPT gauge which went from normal to zero to full scale deflexion to normal again just before Decision speed.........
And whichever of the 44 (Zimbabwe) groundcrew pinched my 'dragon' glove puppet (used to stick it out of the DV when taxying to amuse people), please return it!
We came very close to aborting at Barksdale due to a JPT gauge which went from normal to zero to full scale deflexion to normal again just before Decision speed.........
And whichever of the 44 (Zimbabwe) groundcrew pinched my 'dragon' glove puppet (used to stick it out of the DV when taxying to amuse people), please return it!
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Has the Vulcan thread finally run out of steam? Surely not!
I've just about finished my book so it should be out around Christmas time. I believe there's another three Vulcan books appearing before then but whether they'll be good, bad or indifferent I don't know!
I've just about finished my book so it should be out around Christmas time. I believe there's another three Vulcan books appearing before then but whether they'll be good, bad or indifferent I don't know!
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Brilliant! Brilliant! Posted last month. 9 minutes of the best Vulcan/Victor footage I've ever seen. 
( No doubt I'm the last in the world to have seen this.
)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO-KaDtzmcU
( No doubt I'm the last in the world to have seen this.
)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO-KaDtzmcU
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Ballistic Films
Can anyone remember the Bomb types that matched particular ballistic film numbers?
Bomb type Zero of course was easy. What about the 1000lb bomb, 28lb bomb etc?
Bomb type Zero of course was easy. What about the 1000lb bomb, 28lb bomb etc?
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TL, close on the type 40, I had in mind a 41 or 41A, maybe one for the Calc 3 the other for the 3a.
As for setting the FT manually, that would apply to all weapons dropped from below 7200 feet, Mark 1 and Mark 2 post-circa 1968, and 17200 feet (Calc 3a and Mark 2 aircraft pre-1968).
IIRC the setting for the 950 was 450 yards but for the 1000lb and 28lb considerably further than this.
The real hit/miss was the 28lb dropped from the 2J pop-up. A real
as the pilots needed to fly an accurate g/s and height to match the pre-calculated forward throw.
As for setting the FT manually, that would apply to all weapons dropped from below 7200 feet, Mark 1 and Mark 2 post-circa 1968, and 17200 feet (Calc 3a and Mark 2 aircraft pre-1968).
IIRC the setting for the 950 was 450 yards but for the 1000lb and 28lb considerably further than this.
The real hit/miss was the 28lb dropped from the 2J pop-up. A real
as the pilots needed to fly an accurate g/s and height to match the pre-calculated forward throw.
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LowObservable,
I haven't had the chance to see the video yet but I suspect the answer was probably not.
I once watched a Vic 3 attack Akrotiri. It was a text book example of how not to do a Vic 3 attack.
An RV was set up (sort of) over the sea off Famagusta. Two aircraft were from one sqn and one from the other. They did not have a formation leader nor did they have a common RT frequency.
They attacked from the east, over Limasol Bay at 300 feet, 350 kts. They had 3 different aiming points. One was the runway, one the ATC and one the Med Centre. While these three targets ranged north to south the right-hand, northern aircraft made for the middle target crossing over the one going for the runway.
The only good news was their cross-over manouevre meant the Bloodhounds would probably only have got 2 kills.
I haven't had the chance to see the video yet but I suspect the answer was probably not.
I once watched a Vic 3 attack Akrotiri. It was a text book example of how not to do a Vic 3 attack.
An RV was set up (sort of) over the sea off Famagusta. Two aircraft were from one sqn and one from the other. They did not have a formation leader nor did they have a common RT frequency.
They attacked from the east, over Limasol Bay at 300 feet, 350 kts. They had 3 different aiming points. One was the runway, one the ATC and one the Med Centre. While these three targets ranged north to south the right-hand, northern aircraft made for the middle target crossing over the one going for the runway.
The only good news was their cross-over manouevre meant the Bloodhounds would probably only have got 2 kills.
As a Spacey, I used to spend some of my spare time watching the F4s going round and around and around strafing the float off Cowden.
One quiet afternoon, I looked south towards Donna Nook and spotted something heading up the coast. Lo and behold, one Vulcan, bomb doors open, running in at what seemed cliff-top height.
Imagine the excitement, soon to turn to disappointment at the sight of what must have been the tiniest of practice bombs, which barely caused a ripple as it missed the float by a fair distance.
One quiet afternoon, I looked south towards Donna Nook and spotted something heading up the coast. Lo and behold, one Vulcan, bomb doors open, running in at what seemed cliff-top height.
Imagine the excitement, soon to turn to disappointment at the sight of what must have been the tiniest of practice bombs, which barely caused a ripple as it missed the float by a fair distance.
Cunning Artificer
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at the sight of what must have been the tiniest of practice bombs, which barely caused a ripple as it missed the float by a fair distance.
"This is not good" I thought as the aircraft approached, trailed at a respectable distance by a convoy of fire trucks. Knees knocking I waved him in and stopped him as far as possible from our precious buildings. The DV window opened and a finger beckoned me closer. "Who me?" I questioned pointing at my chest. There wasn't another soul within a thousand yards, so I walked over and opened the hatch. Whereupon the navigator sprang out, dashed off under the wing and emerged with a 28 pounder practice bomb tucked under his arm. Close the hatch, fire up the starboard engine and he was off again.
Call that thing a bloody bomb?
"Old Yeller" - now there was a proper bomb.