Did You Fly The Vulcan?? (Merged)

[taxydual]

Another Heath Robinson compensating device was the ‘datum shift’ in the Gnat longitudinal control system which compensated for the landing gear extension forward CG movement through a piece of bike chain connected to the Hobson tailplane motor input. That gave another 3-ish degrees of TPI with the gear down. Simple, but effective!

BEagle, dear chap, are you making this up?!!!!!

[ChristiaanJ]

country call, BEagle,
Having worked for the competition, I wouldn't know about all this.

But did they hook up the rear door on the C130K to the same gubbins as the Bomb Door Compensator on the Vulcan?

Oh and BEagle, re the Gnat, I believe you entirely. In those days we still knew about KISS.

CJ

[sunshine band]

No, but my name will be on the bomb bay doors of XH558.

SB

[AARON O'DICKYDIDO]

interlink the bomb doors with the elevator circuit

I thought the mighty Vulcan had elevons instead of elevators/ailerons. Or am I being picky?

[Pontius Navigator]

Aarron, IIRC the Mk 1 had elevators and ailerons.

[50+Ray]

Belated response to Post 1273 about howl.
IIRC the 200 series produced the splendid noise when the throttles were pushed fully forward. 300 series engines in my time were restricted to the cruise(T/O cruise switch wire locked), 97%. This gave the same thrust as the 200s, but missed the howl. 300 max 104% with permitted overswing to 107.5%(?) was normally only heard on the ERP when the menders were beating crap out of them. Crew Chiefs were rumoured to supply new locking wire occasionally on suitably lubricated Rangers.

[Gainesy]

Aviation Video: UKs RAF Avro Vulcan | Patrick's Aviation

White B.1s Do your ears a favour and turn off your speakers though.

[lasernigel]

Unfortunately due to the lack of 'family closeness' these days. I have just been informed that my Uncle, Air Commodore(rtd) Joe Matthews passed away peacefully at his home in Salmon Arm in BC about 3 months ago.
I know from previous posts on this thread that he flew Vulcans before being grounded after the 'wing incident'.
I also know that his last posting was at SHAPE headquarters before his retirement from the RAF and subsequent employment with BAE. He then retired to Canada.
I did hear that he was CO at Medmenham before his last posting.
Can any of you fill in the gaps please?

PS I am 55 today not 12 and don't know how that happened.

[Wader2]

I knew Tiny Mathews when he was OC Bomber Wg at Akrotiri. I remember the wing incident

[lasernigel]

I seem to remember that it was Pontius Navigator who first brought this incident to light when the crew chief 'tripped over' what he thought was an air brake that hadn't retracted fully.
Know also of his re-fuelling exploits from the same source.
But would like to try and fill in gaps. Heard he was on the commissioning board at Biggin Hill for a posting but lots of blanks, and because of what I said before family ties unfortunately not as strong as they were.

[TheVulcan]

Thread query!!!!

Can anyone tell me what this thread is about and why Pprune keeps alerting me to the discussion?

[forget]

Can anyone tell me what this thread is about.

Go on, take a wild guess, you never know your luck.

[green granite]

And it alerts you cos you didn't tell it not to

[Gainesy]

What was the wing incident? (Or is buried somwhere earlier in this thread?)

[lasernigel]

Apparently according to an earlier post about 2 years ago he took off from Iran at MTOW and did some sort of rollover. On landing at Akrotiri the crew chief was doing an inspection and walking along the wing. He tripped over on what he thought was a not fully retracted speed brake. On closer inspection found that the wing was 'rippled' and bent. Tiny's flying days ended there!

[AndoniP]

syerston crash

hi all, i've just finished reading this entire thread after about a week, and i'm amazed at the tales of how it used to be back in the 50s-80s.

i thought i'd share this in case you hadn't seen it (which you probably have). video of the syerston crash.

YouTube - Conway Vulcan Crash 20th September 1958 - Keith Sturt

also, does anybody know who the crew members were and which aircraft were used when filming the live takeoff/flying sequences in thunderball?

one more thing, on this photo:



the entire back half of the wing surface and underside is painted white or silver, was this because it was a tanker?

thanks for the answers in advance.

regards and respect

andoni

[Vulcan 903]

Vulcan At Dunsfold this Sunday!

The UK has been feeling the full force of the 'Vulcan Effect' this summer, with the British public flocking to witness the return of one of its greatest heroes. In the past few weeks, the newly restored Avro Vulcan bomber, XH558, has made flying appearances at three major airshows, with each one subsequently boasting a record number of attendees as the result. With a combined viewing audience of a million people, it is clear that the Vulcan is breathing new life into air shows around the UK – already the second largest spectator events in the UK after football.

The latest stop on the ‘Vulcan Tour’ will be the ‘Wings and Wheels Show’ at Dunsfold in Surrey, where she is planned to appear on Sunday 24th August. This is the first time that the Vulcan has appeared at this event and there is a great deal of excitement and anticipation at the prospect of this iconic and venerable aircraft making a long awaited and much welcome visit to the County.

With a record 490,000 visitors at Lowestoft, at least 300,000 at Farnborough and 135,000 at Waddington, the Vulcan was the key attraction for many people eager to see her back in flight, following her successful £7m overhaul spanning the last three years. Members of the Vulcan to the Sky Trust (VTST) have spent the last decade dreaming of the days XH558 would fly once again in front of sell-out crowds.

Now they dream of continuing to showcase XH558 for the next decade, as VTST Chief Executive Dr Robert Pleming explains:

“It has been absolutely terrific to see the reaction of the crowds watching the Vulcan flying at airshows, and the sheer numbers of people who have turned up to see this much-loved and admired aircraft just shows how much XH558 is valued and remembered as a true icon of British aviation. The public seems to be taking the Vulcan to their hearts in the same way as Concorde was. Without the generosity of the public, and support from sponsors and the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Vulcan would have remained in early retirement. I just hope that now we will be able to bring the aircraft to many more shows and enable the younger generation to see not only a superb example of British engineering but a living part of our history. XH558 is the only Vulcan in the world that can fly, but it’s true that without sponsorship, this display may be one of her last, and millions of people will be denied the experience of seeing this amazing aircraft in the air!”


The Vulcan is also at the centre of an educational programme, explaining not only the history of the last half of the 20th Century and its relevance to today, but also the amazing design and engineering achievements that this 1950s-era aircraft represents. It is hoped that money to keep the Vulcan flying in shows in future years will be raised through commercial sponsorship as well as by continued public donations.

[Art Field]

Tiny Mathews was a Flight Commander on 214 Valiant Squadron in 1961, indeed I was his co-pilot for a year or so. His training technique was rather of the "don't do as I do" variety but we got on well enough. I believe he had something to do with a youth sailing organization and got into a bit of trouble with them, taking them into a storm or the like. Made the national press. Best described as someone of an impetuous nature.

[Gainesy]

Off Topic
Art, do you remember a Valiant co-pilot accidentally blowing the canopy?
(If it was indeed possible).

[Art Field]

I am afraid going back that far my memory is of a maybe, I could be confusing it with a Victor incident so better keep quiet. I do remember my next captain on Valiants broke two DV windows before he learned how to open them, ex Hunters don't you know. You had to be strong to fly the Valiant, you could fly it in manual below 250kts, indeed we had to when we had a double hydraulic failure between Singaporwe and Gan, Thank god for the all electric systems. How would a Vulcan faired?.