Can't remember what the shear link was supposed to operate at - but it was quite a low speed.

A Vulcan was tasked to land and stream at sunny Scampton one fine day - for the benefit of some meeja luvvies filming it. Land, stream....nothing. OK, roll and have another go. Airborne.......then it decided to stream itself at about 1000ft before the shear link operated. Took ages for the thing to reach the ground again.

I belive it was the OCU CFI who was flying; we mere squadron rabble thought it was most amusing!

Just shows that the 'advertised' sheer speed was so much tosh.

Can you remember the official cross-wind limit for streaming?

As far as in-flight streaming we used to watch the B47s in the Fairford circuit with a chute streamed in flight. They needed to create the drag to keep the engines spooled up and out of a dead response zone. Spectacular and quite spooky in a way.

Now the B47 was a magic aircraft - so large, 3 man crew and a LABS attack. And 1600 of them. Awesome.

Sorry - don't remember the cross-wind limits.

Stream at 135KIAS or below, jettison at 55-60 to stop the shackle damaging the ECM cone.

I have an idea the X-wind limit was 20 kts so anything that was not steady above 15 kts was ample justification for not streaming. Above 20 kts there was a danger of weather cocking.

Incidentally, remember the VTTS TV with them wearing safety harnesses on the wing. I never saw anyone with any safety gear although I believe some harnesses where available. The problem was the lack of sky hooks to hang from. Anyway a rigger was killed reloading a TBC.

Accepted practise was to sit on th eback of the cone, facing forwards, and closing the door using the turnscrew until it latched (not sure the right terms there). Anyway it failed to latch or the latch failed and the door sprang open flipping the rigger off the tail to land head-first on the concrete. I think everyone was a bit more cautious after that fatal but I still do not recall seeing any safety gear.

From Vulcans in Camera.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2.../388stream.jpg

Or in oils - sorry BEagle,couldn't resist!

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...abyne/27-2.jpg

TBC stream above 135kts, meant inspection before repack, above 145kts meant scrap as I recall. Almost the only times I used it were after the Chief on crew in requested it because a repack was due. I never used it abroad, though there was a squadron detachment to Malta on the old short runway with the traditional crosswind when several sets of hot brakes might have been avoided. For those that have not been there that runway looked even shorter because of the hump in the middle.
Crosswind limit for the TBC was 20kts, with the expectation you might have to rapidly jettison after the initial almighty tug of deceleration because the beast was likely to weathercock in a big way and head for the grass.
Only time I used it in anger, 185,000lbs + after an engine wind down as I got airborne it stopped us very well, lots of runway left with very little need for brakes.

Great Reply
 

Just what I need to know for a talk I'm giving to-night! Thank you all for such rapid replies.

Pontius,

Yes, the safety harnesses are very fetching, are they not? :yuk: Sadly neccessary to comply with modern H&S guidelines and all part of the conditions for the CAA issuing a permit.

As for the brake para, as 50+ Ray correctly states that maximum stream speed is 135kts with anything up to 145tks requiring an inspection, chutes streamed above 145kts being scrap. As to the shear pin speeds, the pin was not designed to break at a specific speed, but upon being subject to a load of 103,000 lbs +/- 5%. Perhaps this explains why exact figures are hazy.

The death of the rigger, was apparently discovered to be a failure of the 'wind down' tool, which snapped, allowing the door to spring open and throw the unfortunate chap to his death. This led to the 'wind down' tools being quickly removed from service, with the door being pulled closed from below via cabling through the rearmost area of the ECM bay.


Flipflopman

Wind down tool. Vulcans in Camera- again.

http://www.avrovulcan.org.uk/vulcan_...ute_darwin.htm

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/cumpas/chute.jpg

Just to clarify, the normal stream limit was 135KIAS. However, in an emergency landing (ie high AUW) then you streamed at 145KIAS. Correct to say that streamed between 135 and 145 called for extensive checks, and stream above 145 was a scrap.

I'm still using brake para tape from a scrapped chute begged from the brake para section at Scampton in the late 70s! Makes a fantastic tow-rope and useful for anything else that needs a high breaking strain rope!

Incidentally, Jindabyne, who did the painting and can you get prints? Mike Rondot did a fabulous Vulcan and Victor set - limited edition prints...

Isn't it amazing how much corporate memory can be 'instantly' retrieved here in Prune and probably better than official service sources where there is a high turnover (relatively) and limited (in comparison) experience.

Forget, great photo. Now if you had asked me to do a scale drawing I would have made it much smaller.

FJJP

The painting was done by myself earlier this year. It is still in my possession.
I offered it free of charge to the Vulcan 558 project for auction, with all proceeds going to the restoration. I also suggested a print run to them, with the majority of proceeds again going to the project. They felt unable to organise such a proposal, saying that it was easier to sell mugs, T-shirts etc. So in answer to your second question: there are presently no prints available, and without a sponsor/publisher, it is just too expensive to go it alone. Sorry.

Cracking job jindabyne:ok: :ok:

What size is your painting? Not that it matters much for a re-sizeable print run. I'll have one. Anyone else?

PS. Can you make the radome black? Like proper Vulcans.

PPS. And the roundels red white and blue.

...presumably you'll want it without a TFR pod...

...and with a Mark 1 wing...

..oh, and why not make it white whilst you're at it?

NO!! It's totally authentic as it is and is a superb work of art.

Oh dear, a bollocking from Mr B:uhoh: I'm all for authenticity, and red white and blue roundels, Mk 2 wings, black radome with a TFR pod.

Before your time perhaps:)

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2.../392goose3.jpg

Too late for a re-paint I'm afraid - has already been scanned in anticipation of possible printing. Size of image is 30x20" approx.

Forget, that's no good for you then with 301 cans and skybolt mount.

TBC
 

I remember a 'priceless' F700 deferred defect entry at Waddo, in 1968 I believe. "Tail Brake Chute shackle cracked - use TBC in emergency only!" Got it un-deferred while we forced ourselves to partake of another 'delay meal'.

I think somebody was slightly taking the mickey..... just look at the photo just above the painting.....

Maybe you should go into business... everybody obviously wants a pic of his "own" Vulcan :)

Waddington, around 1967. The latch attachment bracket rivets sheared and the latch broke free.

Poor chap was a safety equipper actually, not long married and his wife was pregnant. He wasn't wearing a safety harness. I watched the demonstration of the correct way to do the job for the BOI. One chap dropped a tool on purpose, then descended from the safety raiser while still wearing the safety harness - to show how useless it was. Didn't make any difference though, the widow didn't get any compensation. We had a whip round in Engineering Wing, but on the wages we got in those days it wouldn't have amounted to much...:(

We lost a young rigger the following year, pressure testing the escape trainer. Lord only knows why they'd want us to do that, it was a scrap cockpit section for goodness sake! His fiancee was one of the group who received the body at SHQ, but she didn't know it was him until the paperwork came along. What an awful thing to happen.

As I remember it, it wasn't a scrap cockpit but a compete aircraft in the AES hangar after a check. His name was Steve, good guy, and he was doing a leak check of the door seals. The two aft door pins were mis-rigged and let loose when he was stood, unfortunately, under the door. He wouldn't have seen it coming.

Forget, yes I remember that incident with the pressurisation check but not as clearly as the earlier one.

I found my book. It was, as I thought, Robert Jackson, Avro Vulcan, Patrick Stephens, 1984, ISBN 0-85059-630-0. This is his later book only covering the Vulcan rather than the V-Bomber Modern Combat Aircraft by Ian Allen Pub.

Of XH536 for instance he says Delivered 16 Dec 1959 9/12/35 Sqns Conngsby Wg. Flew into high ground at Fan-Bwlchchwtyth Heddi Senni, 20 miles NE Swansea during low level navigation exercise.

Jackson lists the date delivered and final disposal of every Vulcan.

The second aircraft was VX777 which was delivered in Sep 1953 and later converted in to a Mark 2 prototype when it made its first flight on 31 Aug 1957.

The other aircraft we have been talking about was delivered on 1 Jul 1960 and was the first Mk 2 delivered to the RAF. It was leter converted to a K2 tanker before ultimate disposal to Bruntingthorpe.

Some of the fine detail may be questioned as he attributes the last Mk 2, XM657 to delivery Dec 1964 to 35 Sqn when in fact the aircraft were part of a centralised wing. It ended its days at Manston in 1982, before the Falklands, for fire-fighting practice.

Jindabyne, pity about a print run. However, if you do manage it sometime, I will definitely have a copy. Brilliant work.

Forget, have you a date for 392 photo at the Goose?

Andy Leitch's site says only "Vulcan B2 XL392 of No 617 Squadron at Goose Bay circa 1974" - given the paint job this seems a bit late for me :confused:

Andy took the photograph so he may have something to say.

PS. Come to think of it - if he took the photograph he's probably right.

IIRC the tail art did not come in until about 1973-74. I have an etching, 1977, of a 35 Sqn Vulcan. In 1973 in Akrotiri we were still in a wing structure.

This suggests 1974 is about right.

This is what was bothering me. It must have been '74 when the (proper) roundels were being changed.

http://www.avrovulcan.org.uk/1_group...on/653gv74.htm

Blurb says - Avro Vulcan B2 XM653 of the Waddington Wing after the 1974 SAC Giant Voice bombing and navigation competition with the three trophies won by Vulcan crews. Though the picture is somewhat soft, the Union Jack can be seen on the fin and the 1 Group panther's head between the roundel and the engine intake. 653's markings are unusual in that it has gloss green/light sea grey topsides and white underside with red and blue roundels.

Does Air Power have a website? I tried searching for one but couldn't find it.

The reason I ask is that in 2004 I also did an MA dissertation on the V-Bomber force and I'd like to read the article mentioned above. Wonder how you go about submitting for publication as well. :lol:

Mine was titled, 'The Unsteady Sword: The RAF's Strategic Nuclear Deterrent and its Role in the Cold War World, 1947 - 1969'. Don't worry, despite the headline I gave it a positive review. ;)

Just wish I'd known about this thread and this forum when I was writing it...

Have to add that I'm another certain customer when that new book on the Vulcan that's being discussed is released.

Midwinter, plse check your PMs....

I've been reading this staggering thread for some hours now and have finally reached the end. My own experiences of the plane come from my earliest memories, so bear with me if I'm off a little.

My father is Flt Ltnt 'Taff' Williams who flew Vulcans at the height of the Cold War era (late 50's to '64) on 101 and 44 Sqns. We were at Waddington and lived on Tedder Drive. I was born in '58 and my earliest memories were of the landrovers driving around the OMQ's in the middle of the night and my Dad running down the stairs...

A particular memory that sticks in my mind as well is that a Waddington Battle of Britain display one year ended with a 'dummy' bomb being detonated and a 100th scale mushroom cloud rising above the base! As the years have gone by I had started to think I had dreamt this whole thing, however I recently asked my sister (3 years older than me) - she said she remembered it vividly and remembered being absolutely frightened to death by it......

I wonder who decided that was a good wheeze, bearing in mind that the appearance of real thing was a distinct possibility.

Only other thing to add - A while back some references were made to the low level flying in 'Thunderball'.

As I understand it, the pilot on that day was Flight Lieutenant Pat Whitelaw from Waddington. He, Al Shepphard and my Dad were big buddies. Sadly he's no longer with us, though Dad and Al are to be found regularly terrorising other golfers on the courses of West Oxfordshire.

Great thread chaps - your reminiscences make excellent reading from any perspective!

I remember NEAF Bomber Wing at Akrotiri changing from red/white/blue roundels to red/blue sometime in about the middle of my tour there (70-73).

Speaking of Roundels, not everyone connected with the V Force had an IQ up to the job. One morning at Cottesmore I was heading for QRA to gas up the ECM cans. One aircraft was getting some attention from an unusual group around the front end. It transpired that the previous nights plod guard had armed himself with a Webley air pistol and, having got bored with his dog's conversation, he’d used the Roundel for target practice. Next morning the Crew Chief noticed a few dozen dimples in the centre of the Roundel, and then the bent slugs under his feet. I imagine Mr Plod was fast asleep when he was dragged from his pit and I’d have given anything, anything, to see just how he was woken up.:uhoh: :uhoh:

I remember the Cottesmore air gun incident. There was a good one at Scampton too about the same time. RAFP said he needed to be taken off guard as he would shoot the Vulcan.

I believe he eventually convinced the wheels and was taken off guard. I am not sure of subsequent disposal.

Just doing a bit of research for another topic in some old Flight mags and came across an article "Bomex By Vulcan" - Flight 18th July 1958 - Correspondent C.M Lambert went along for the ride in XH749. Crew names and piccies + XA907 pictured next to Flights Gemini.

If anyones interested in a copy PM me and I`ll make a scan/ocr

As I was posting old pics in the "Uniform" thread and as XA 907 has just be mentioned thought that this might be interesting

BCDU (Bomber Command Development Unit), Finningley 1965 or 66

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c9...7/IMG_0004.jpg

The Steve in question at Waddo who sadly died, was engaged to the young lady (Jan) who was on duty medic the evening of the accident. Steves father was serving at Finningley and subsequent to the event presented a painting to the the Raven Club in memory of him.

BEagle, FJJP, Forget

Thinking of doing another couple of Vulcans - wrt your previous comments, wonder what paint schemes you might suggest?

Good news Jindabyne, and thank you for asking. In my opinion there is only one:ok: :ok:
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2.../392goose3.jpg

Same colour scheme but without TFR. Taken by me at RAAF Darwin, 1969. The black bits at the top are prop tips of a C-130.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...610_darwin.jpg

How about a white B.1?