Did You Fly The Vulcan?? (Merged)
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Thanks
PN, Padhist, thanks for your replies, will check on google padhist !
YS, Got Pm and replied thanks very much, look forward to hearing from you again !
Kind regards
Nick
YS, Got Pm and replied thanks very much, look forward to hearing from you again !
Kind regards
Nick
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Another SLF here and long time lurker who just finished sitting still for 3 hours reading this fascinating thread........
I was an armored officer in the Canadian army from 1976-1983 and one of my old friends and fellow zipperhead lieutenants in our regiment was a chap named Bernie Kennedy, who had recently remustered and joined our unit in 1981 as a medical washout from flight training. Seems he ended up getting a really bad chronic sinus problem under pressurization well into his final months of the course.....to bad for him......but I digress.
He was training to be a back seater (WSO) with 416 Cougar squadron in the CF-101 Voodoo.........based out of CFB Chatham in New Brunswick, just a hop, skip and a jump (in jet terms) from Goose Bay, Labrador. Reading this thread jogged my memory regarding a story he once told me were they had just finished a Genie shot at a Vulcan sitting around FL 550, and they were trying to climb back up to altitude after rolling out inverted and running away to avoid the blast that would have occurred with a war shot.........
Seems the Voodoo was a real handful over FL 500, it just didn't like to fly level, if at all when that high, and was not much of a candidate for snap up attacks because of it's well known and documented pitch up problem, and subsequent departure from controlled flight. So they were trying to get back as high as they could and as level as they could without losing it, and maintain their flight attitude for the 45 or so seconds it took the fire control system to cool the Falcon missile seeker heads, and lock on to the target.
Seems the tin triangle as you call it (great name BTW !!) once it knew they had company, would merely either climb higher, and or, bank steeply one way or the other, out turning the Voodoo easily and breaking the lock, with the Voodoo unable to follow the maneuver.
There was nothing they could do but wave, or shake their fists at it, as they always lost their shot........he said the 3 times he flew against them they could never claim a succesful splash. The Americans B-52's were down under 500' all the time, and the Vulcans would also fly low as well, but the trips "up there" to check on your high altitude visits were the only time the Voodoo boys seemed to get any really enoyable AI fun in his words.
I was an armored officer in the Canadian army from 1976-1983 and one of my old friends and fellow zipperhead lieutenants in our regiment was a chap named Bernie Kennedy, who had recently remustered and joined our unit in 1981 as a medical washout from flight training. Seems he ended up getting a really bad chronic sinus problem under pressurization well into his final months of the course.....to bad for him......but I digress.
He was training to be a back seater (WSO) with 416 Cougar squadron in the CF-101 Voodoo.........based out of CFB Chatham in New Brunswick, just a hop, skip and a jump (in jet terms) from Goose Bay, Labrador. Reading this thread jogged my memory regarding a story he once told me were they had just finished a Genie shot at a Vulcan sitting around FL 550, and they were trying to climb back up to altitude after rolling out inverted and running away to avoid the blast that would have occurred with a war shot.........
Seems the Voodoo was a real handful over FL 500, it just didn't like to fly level, if at all when that high, and was not much of a candidate for snap up attacks because of it's well known and documented pitch up problem, and subsequent departure from controlled flight. So they were trying to get back as high as they could and as level as they could without losing it, and maintain their flight attitude for the 45 or so seconds it took the fire control system to cool the Falcon missile seeker heads, and lock on to the target.
Seems the tin triangle as you call it (great name BTW !!) once it knew they had company, would merely either climb higher, and or, bank steeply one way or the other, out turning the Voodoo easily and breaking the lock, with the Voodoo unable to follow the maneuver.
There was nothing they could do but wave, or shake their fists at it, as they always lost their shot........he said the 3 times he flew against them they could never claim a succesful splash. The Americans B-52's were down under 500' all the time, and the Vulcans would also fly low as well, but the trips "up there" to check on your high altitude visits were the only time the Voodoo boys seemed to get any really enoyable AI fun in his words.
Last edited by CariocaCanuck; 23rd Jun 2009 at 17:56.
A fine nav plotter
Nick_Me
I well remember your father as an excellent plotter on a very good crew - one that would doubtless have shone on GV 1972 had it not been cancelled. I recall Gus Gillies (RIP) telling me that Chris's logs and charts were the most beautifully produced and meticulously kept he had ever seen: high praise from another very accomplished plotter of the same vintage.
Barksdale Boy
I well remember your father as an excellent plotter on a very good crew - one that would doubtless have shone on GV 1972 had it not been cancelled. I recall Gus Gillies (RIP) telling me that Chris's logs and charts were the most beautifully produced and meticulously kept he had ever seen: high praise from another very accomplished plotter of the same vintage.
Barksdale Boy
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What a great thread. I bring nothing to this other than fond memories of watching Vulcans fly around Offutt AFB during the late 70s/early 80s. Any of you do the Offutt airshow in the Vulcan? Best airshow performer to this day IMHO. Also one time it was probably late 70s, I saw two Vulcans in a vee formation with a B-52 near Offutt, probably 3000 feet msl or less. I wish I had a picture of that.
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Great thread, very informative. Question: does anyone remember this painting and, maybe, the artist? It was given to me by the widow of Peter Sidebotham -Reed who served on Waddo at that time. I also believe that the painting was displayed at a pub, that Peter ran, close to the airbase. I have attempted to enlarge the signature,it reads JR Jordon.
Silly Old Git
I did an IR test at Stanstead winter 1979 in a Piper Apache . One of my fellow sufferers was an ex Vulcan driver. We nearly died of exposure in the god awful digs we were in.
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IX Squadron 1965
Yes Indeed. I was on IX Squadron from mid 1965 for about three years. I was a young Nav Radar on my first Squadron. Did the Singapore detachment in 1966 and then later, 44 and 101 Squadron in "the Lincolnshire Air Force."
How did I get to this site? I am sitting in bunkered-down Kabul, having had to wear a tie and suit to visit a Minister and, the tie I selected was the 230 OCU tie. As I was tying it, I realised it had started to fray and, because it was the only blue tie I had and I only had one dark suit with me, I decided that, tonight, I would see if I could source a new one. After all, I did buy it in 1965. You should understand that I am a Scot!!
So, I googled 230 OCU and found this site and, despite the fact that I should have been working for the last few hours, I have thoroughly enjoyed myself, immersing myself in nostalgia. What a pleasure.
I am actually here (from Australia, my home), writing a new generation of USAID health programmes, which do not exclude the PRTs and other military counterinsurgency activities. Interesting, but...
I intend to attend the Vulcan reunion either later this year or next year. We "Defenders of the Realm of Yesteryear" need to reinvigorate ourselves from time to time.
How did I get to this site? I am sitting in bunkered-down Kabul, having had to wear a tie and suit to visit a Minister and, the tie I selected was the 230 OCU tie. As I was tying it, I realised it had started to fray and, because it was the only blue tie I had and I only had one dark suit with me, I decided that, tonight, I would see if I could source a new one. After all, I did buy it in 1965. You should understand that I am a Scot!!
So, I googled 230 OCU and found this site and, despite the fact that I should have been working for the last few hours, I have thoroughly enjoyed myself, immersing myself in nostalgia. What a pleasure.
I am actually here (from Australia, my home), writing a new generation of USAID health programmes, which do not exclude the PRTs and other military counterinsurgency activities. Interesting, but...
I intend to attend the Vulcan reunion either later this year or next year. We "Defenders of the Realm of Yesteryear" need to reinvigorate ourselves from time to time.
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I posted this a couple of years ago but it may be worth another look, and also for those who missed it. Tatjana van Vark, runs her own working NBS; in her kitchen apparently. And for BEagle there’s a working Calc 3.
Beautifully mad! The world needs more Tatjanas
Tatjana van Vark ~ Navigation and Bombing System NBS
Beautifully mad! The world needs more Tatjanas
Tatjana van Vark ~ Navigation and Bombing System NBS
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
I have corresponded with Tatjana thorough a 3rd party as she is not into the internet! She would be delighted to meet with anyone who can tell her at first hand how the system worked and was used.
Cunning Artificer
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Tatjana has revealed why our NBS was so secret in those days. The RAF was at pains not to let the Russians know that we were using equipment salvaged from WW2 Lancasters, mated with a few dustbins full of cog-wheels (mechanical computers) to navigate to the targets and drop a big bomb. Meanwhile the Russians were at great pains not to let us know that they were using equipment they had built from copies of our own drawings, but manufactured to lower tolerances by conscripted farmers wives. Such was the mad, mad world of mutually assured destruction.
At Nagasaki, Fat Boy detonated over two miles away from the intended ground zero, so getting within a mile with a Yellow Sun would probably have been good enough.
At Nagasaki, Fat Boy detonated over two miles away from the intended ground zero, so getting within a mile with a Yellow Sun would probably have been good enough.
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Hi all, long time since i've been back to this thread! Just thought i would post again asking if anyone knew my father, Trevor Jackson. Flew Vulcans for a fair few years, 101 squardon i think. I am interested in any info/stories! Cheers!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Sarah Bennett
I had an email from a Sarah Bennett who had a photo of her father in gan but couldn't find Gan on a map. I tried to reply to the pprune address but that mail box was closed.
I replied by email about 2 weeks ago - zilch. Anyone know Sarah?
As for Trevor Jackson, the name is sort of familiar. I have the impression of a youngish copilot on Mk 1s around 1967.
I replied by email about 2 weeks ago - zilch. Anyone know Sarah?
As for Trevor Jackson, the name is sort of familiar. I have the impression of a youngish copilot on Mk 1s around 1967.
Trevor Jackson was a co-pilot on Viv W*rr***t*n's crew on 101 sqn c1968-70. I think he was then posted to CFS. He used to run the Waddo mess disco - The Gas Tomato.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
BB, ah, he of the Rolls Royce fans.
Obviously TJ was Mk 2 not Mk 1, but there had been a very high turnover of crews when I got there and 101 was the last to convert.
Obviously TJ was Mk 2 not Mk 1, but there had been a very high turnover of crews when I got there and 101 was the last to convert.
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You're correct about Stephen C
Yes, the Vulcan was in three hangar, and as you said Steve was testing for leeks from the door seal. And yes his financee was working in sick quarters, and she did not recognise his body. I recall the incident well as I was working in the Hydraulic and Tyre Bay when the accident happened - on night shift on 17 September 1969. I thought one of the hydraulic jacks I had serviced recently had blown, when I heard the noise. Steve was an SAC and only 20 years old at the time. He was a good mate of all the riggers in the hangar. A very sociable young man. He is buried in Haycombe Cemetery in Bath, Somerset.