Did You Fly The Vulcan?? (Merged)
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Carrier ID
Milt
If you had looked at the carrier it had a very, very large letter painted on the flight deck and a big letter and number painted on the side of the Island, R38 being Victorious. That is the big lump of metal the obstructs the starboard (that is right) side of the flight deck (runway to you). Now if you or any of your many crew had taken note you would have known which carrier it was.
Is as suggested it was shooting (fire is something that burns) 3" guns then it would be Victorious who had USN radar controlled 3" guns fitted in the USA.
BobH
PS Milt were you flying the folding wing version of the Vulcan so it could have been struck down on the hangar deck?
If you had looked at the carrier it had a very, very large letter painted on the flight deck and a big letter and number painted on the side of the Island, R38 being Victorious. That is the big lump of metal the obstructs the starboard (that is right) side of the flight deck (runway to you). Now if you or any of your many crew had taken note you would have known which carrier it was.
Is as suggested it was shooting (fire is something that burns) 3" guns then it would be Victorious who had USN radar controlled 3" guns fitted in the USA.
BobH
PS Milt were you flying the folding wing version of the Vulcan so it could have been struck down on the hangar deck?
Last edited by BobHead; 2nd Oct 2008 at 15:56. Reason: Left PS out
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Perhaps more noticeable than the R38 number would have been the enormous T 984 radar head 
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R38
As both Hermes and Eagle had the 984 Dustbin fitted at some time during their careers we must return to the big letter or Pennant Number.
Bob
Bob
Last edited by BobHead; 2nd Oct 2008 at 16:22. Reason: spelling
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
R38
But Hermes was later. Contemporaneously Milt would have known of the Mighty Vic rather than Hermes.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
RodtheSod,
Was that the 44 and the westabout deployment? Joe Quinn went to Darwin and I was stuck in Ops at Tengah.
Was that the 44 and the westabout deployment? Joe Quinn went to Darwin and I was stuck in Ops at Tengah.
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Vulcan versus Carrier
Some comments
I do recall the odd effect on the approach angle when, as was my want, to stabalise on a 3 degree slope. With one's intended point of flare continuing to move away and having already allowed for wind effect I had to keep trying to regain that 3 degree approach angle.
Nor was I confident that all of the shooting had ceased or whether some gunner might mistake me for a target of opportunity. The last time I flew over an RN ship was off the coast of Korea and without any IFF in a Mustang I was greeted with a few rounds of AA. I got the message.
I know that the 4 ringer I had in the right seat was enjoying it all and looking forward to giving a broadside to their RN Lordships in London after RTB.
With restricted visibility from the Vulcan (XA892 I think) I was preoccupied in having enough clearance from the carrier's island and mindful of any vertical antennas to avoid. Consequently there was precious little time to get the intruder's ID and it was all over in a whoosh.
The three crew in the black hole behind had no outside vision and there may have been the odd intercom interrupt such as "what the hell's he doing now?"
but banter back and forth up front kept them in the picture.
I still wonder whether the ship had its 'landing on' cameras working. Must be someone out there who was on that carrier at the time.
Some comments
I do recall the odd effect on the approach angle when, as was my want, to stabalise on a 3 degree slope. With one's intended point of flare continuing to move away and having already allowed for wind effect I had to keep trying to regain that 3 degree approach angle.
Nor was I confident that all of the shooting had ceased or whether some gunner might mistake me for a target of opportunity. The last time I flew over an RN ship was off the coast of Korea and without any IFF in a Mustang I was greeted with a few rounds of AA. I got the message.
I know that the 4 ringer I had in the right seat was enjoying it all and looking forward to giving a broadside to their RN Lordships in London after RTB.
With restricted visibility from the Vulcan (XA892 I think) I was preoccupied in having enough clearance from the carrier's island and mindful of any vertical antennas to avoid. Consequently there was precious little time to get the intruder's ID and it was all over in a whoosh.
The three crew in the black hole behind had no outside vision and there may have been the odd intercom interrupt such as "what the hell's he doing now?"
but banter back and forth up front kept them in the picture.
I still wonder whether the ship had its 'landing on' cameras working. Must be someone out there who was on that carrier at the time.
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HAA Symposium, Brooklands, Sat. 15th Nov. NEW SPEAKER - VULCAN AEROBATICS -The Truth!
Apologies for the blatant plug for which I apologise, but we have a new speaker for the HAA Symposium at Brooklands which I know many who monitor this thread would wish to know about!
Joining the event on Saturday November 15th is former Avro Chief Test Pilot, now well-known author Tony Blackman. He's promised to 'spill the beans' on test flying the Vulcan .......and some of the 'unusual attitudes' activities!!
If you want to hear from the man himself, log onto www.haa-uk.aero for more information.
Other speakers include:
John Forbat on Dr Barnes Wallis and the Wellington;
Eric Verdon Roe, the grandson of British aviation pioneer A. V. Roe, will talk about the race for Britain’s first powered flight, one hundred years ago;
Captain Chris Orlebar one of the first BOAC pilots to be selected to fly Concorde is to chat on the trials, tribulations and triumphs of the early days of Concorde service and will give a new insight into the Brooklands’ prize exhibit.
Weather permitting there is to be a live demonstration of the 1908 Roe biplane replica during the lunch break too!
Joining the event on Saturday November 15th is former Avro Chief Test Pilot, now well-known author Tony Blackman. He's promised to 'spill the beans' on test flying the Vulcan .......and some of the 'unusual attitudes' activities!!
If you want to hear from the man himself, log onto www.haa-uk.aero for more information.
Other speakers include:
John Forbat on Dr Barnes Wallis and the Wellington;
Eric Verdon Roe, the grandson of British aviation pioneer A. V. Roe, will talk about the race for Britain’s first powered flight, one hundred years ago;
Captain Chris Orlebar one of the first BOAC pilots to be selected to fly Concorde is to chat on the trials, tribulations and triumphs of the early days of Concorde service and will give a new insight into the Brooklands’ prize exhibit.
Weather permitting there is to be a live demonstration of the 1908 Roe biplane replica during the lunch break too!
Vulcan - Victor Blue Steel launches 1967 ?
This thread has been the best read since Vulcan 607.
As a young J.T. I started life on the line at Wittering working on Victor - Blue Steel combinations. In about 1966 I remember that there were some live firing trials of Blue Steel. The rumour was that 4 Blue Steel airframes had become available and that 2 were allocated to Scampton and 2 to Wittering. There were several carry over flights before the deed was done, were any of you involved in the Vulcan launches ? It was also rumoured that there was a Lightening chase plane that filmed the launches, anyone seen it ?
As a young J.T. I started life on the line at Wittering working on Victor - Blue Steel combinations. In about 1966 I remember that there were some live firing trials of Blue Steel. The rumour was that 4 Blue Steel airframes had become available and that 2 were allocated to Scampton and 2 to Wittering. There were several carry over flights before the deed was done, were any of you involved in the Vulcan launches ? It was also rumoured that there was a Lightening chase plane that filmed the launches, anyone seen it ?
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Vulcan Wellington
Hi,
I found your post on this forum and thought I would get in touch.
The pilot of this plane was my father A.A Smailes, he's still around and I'm sure would be happy to discuss the incident.
My email should you wish to get in touch is [email protected]
Sincerely, Chris Smailes
I found your post on this forum and thought I would get in touch.
The pilot of this plane was my father A.A Smailes, he's still around and I'm sure would be happy to discuss the incident.
My email should you wish to get in touch is [email protected]
Sincerely, Chris Smailes
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
The Today piece was taken from a full 30 mins on Document about the UK level of alert during the Cuban Missile Crisis. That programme is online here but apparently only for seven days.
Features a visit inside a seemingly powered up Vulcan cockpit at Waddington. Surely not XM607. Perhaps recorded while XH558 was visiting - or maybe just sound effects for atmosphere.
Features a visit inside a seemingly powered up Vulcan cockpit at Waddington. Surely not XM607. Perhaps recorded while XH558 was visiting - or maybe just sound effects for atmosphere.
It was 558 at Brize.
Which, of course, we hope will continue to be true.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Will, a friend of mine said it smelt the same and sunded the same but 'fully functioning' it not quite true. True it flew but all the nav kit and ECM had been removed as redundant and unnecessary for it to fly.
Some other exhibits that can be powered up may be more representative of fully functioning. We have one locally that is, AFAIK, fully kitted and can be powered up but not engines started.
I had a little look inside a Yellow Sun last month, first time in 44 years. What was sad is that there were things inside there whose purpose was not known to the curator. It will be the same with the Vulcan and other old exhibits. "I wonder what that was" or how did it work? How did they ue it?
Some other exhibits that can be powered up may be more representative of fully functioning. We have one locally that is, AFAIK, fully kitted and can be powered up but not engines started.
I had a little look inside a Yellow Sun last month, first time in 44 years. What was sad is that there were things inside there whose purpose was not known to the curator. It will be the same with the Vulcan and other old exhibits. "I wonder what that was" or how did it work? How did they ue it?
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Chris Oerlebar
Chris Oerlebar flew me on a &£& out of Gatwick, he flew my parents in a similar manner and was completely non-plussed, as he came to offer his Concorde book, when my father informed him that he had controlled his father whilst Father was a controller at RAF Digby sector ops room during the war.
Ever see Oerlebar flustered?
Ever see Oerlebar flustered?
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
There is a programme on radio 4, 8pm Tuesday 2 Dec, that may be on interest
BBC - BBC Radio 4 Programmes - The Human Button
BBC - BBC Radio 4 Programmes - The Human Button
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HAL-26.........
Like many on this fabulous forum, I was unable to make the HAA Symposium at Brooklands to hear Tony Blackburn 'spill the beans' ref the unofficial aerobatics in the Vulcan. Is there any chance of the 'beans being spilled' on here so that we can all bathe in the glory of the Vulcan?
Many thanks.
Many thanks.
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Any takers willing to let us know what Tony Blackburn said about the 'unofficial' aerobatics flown by the Vulcan? The thread seems to have died since I asked the question so I wondered if I was being out of order requesting this information. If so, I'll STFU!
Last edited by Dundiggin'; 18th Dec 2008 at 03:38.