The latest update to the V-Force Reunion website has just gone online. The main news is that we are very pleased that Vulcan XH 588, which is is scheduled to fly its first airtest of the year on the 28th April, is planning to overfly the museum at some stage during the flight. No details of timings as yet, but if you want to see her in the air make sure you come along to the reunion. We're also getting a visit from the BBMF Dakota, and there will be scale flying models of all three V's doing a flying demonstration, so there will be plenty to see in the air as well as on the ground.

All you need to know is on the site, including how to book for the evening function, so don't delay, only a month to go now!

Me imposter.

Not on 'em - in 'em.

One feels that a Victor basket should be treated like a lovely woman.

Tickle the outside and then make a firm but gentle contact.....................

Keep an eye on the website LM (link on my previous post). Your nice piccy of a Victor and a 29 squadron Lightning with the Alps in the background will be going on the homepage on the final update in a couple of weeks - thanks for that. Sorry you can't come to our do, but you could always sit outside and we could pour booze down a hose leading through the window - just for old-times sake ;)

I probably now couldn't grab the hose!!!!!!!!!!

A wee dram will do fine.

Cuban Missile Crisis 1962

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The BBC regional programme 'Inside Out' are making a film to mark the anniversary, and with a view to talking to anyone who was involved at the time, Lucy Smickersgill of BBC Leeds will be attending the V-Force Reunion at Newark Aircraft Museum on April 28th. She would particularly like to talk to those who were on QRA at the time, as well as ground crews. If this is you and you are going to be at the reunion, send me a message via my link on the website, and I will forward your name to her if you would like to get involved.

Have a good one ttn. :ok:

And the Mk 1 was even prettier (see below) - but a bit before your time maybe, Pinkfin

Anyway, just to let you all know that the last update to the V-Force Reunion website has just gone online. Just one or two final details, one of which is to let you know we still have tickets left for the evening buffet, so act now if you'd like to come to what should be a very good evening.

The homepage features a very nice picture of a 29 Squadron Lightning and a 57 Squadron Victor K1a over the Alps taken by our very own Lightning Mate - thanks for that LM.

Did you go the reunion?
Can I make a request for all who attended the V-Force Reunion and who took photographs to submit some of them to the website for inclusion in a reunion gallery. The website manager's email address is at the foot of the gallery page. Obviously a lot of you will have taken shots of the Vulcan flypast, but we are just as interested in pictures of people at the event, either at the museum or at the evening do at Newark Golf Club. If you have any of individuals or groups we'd like those, but if at all possible could you identify people by name, as it makes the pictures that much more interesting. Thanks a lot.

Did you make it back in one piece? :E

Fantastic shot
 

Wonderful shot. Would like to use it in my new Victor book called Victor Boys coming out in October. Also picture of the K2 if I may,

Pjotos Pilots Panels B2
 

Can anyone help me? I'm just finishing a book called Victor Boys due out October. Collection of personal stories. Need a good picture of a B2 pilot panels. Can anyone help?

Pinkfin - nice pics mate. Had a trawl through your flickr site - a good way to spend an hour on standby. Thanks for posting them.

@ The Vulcan. I may have something which will help. PM me. (PS: nice idea - but wrong username!)

Victor Colour Schemes
 

Just picked up on an old post. For accuracy, I have it from those on the spot, Victors were never painted in desert camouflage. They remained in AD Hemp throughout Op Granby. In 2010,when stripping down 715 for a respray, some sandy coloured paint was revealed, and it was decided to replicate this for the respray. So 715 now looks like it is some sort of desert camouflage, but in fact I suspect the paint coat that was revealed was in fact an undercoat to the standard AD Hemp finish.

The hemp colour faded very quickly. On 55 we had aircraft recently out of deep servicing which had the yellow with a hint of green which could look a bit pink in some lights to almost White aircraft which hadnt been repainted for a while. The sand looking paint would have been faded hemp, as no aircraft were painted in the desert pink, which was a very different colour.

Flt Lt Euan Brown
 

I don't know if anyone remember Euan, he served on the Victors as a Nav Radar, on both bomber and tanker role. Euan left the RAF in around 74, to run a bar in Spain, the first of many ventures.
I met Euan when he visited our bar in France in 2004, and we became firm friends( i am an ex grd elect, Marham 79 -83)
Euan and his wife moved back to lincoln in 2011. Early in 2012 he was diagnosed with brain tumours, and passed away wednesday 19th September 2012. His funeral will take place on Friday 28th Sept at 13.50hrs at lincoln crematorium.
I would be interested to hear from anyone who served with Euan, I do know that my wife and i had a lot of good times with Euan and Maggie
George ( now back in Kings Lynn)

Back in this thread somebody mentioned that Victor K2s converted to single nav operation sometime in the mid 80s.

I've had a request for more info on this. Does anyone remember when the change was made? Also, what alterations were made to the nav fit? I had heard that the H2S/NBC system was removed. Was this the case, and if so what alternative navaids were fitted? On transatlantic flights we always suffered from the lack of any long range navaid - did the K2 ever get Loran for example?

Be interesting to hear from anyone who saw the K2 through its last half a dozen years or so who can provide some details.

They did indeed go single nav around 84/85, I do not recall how many were converted. The H2S remained as was but the NBS was inhibited (boxes left fitted for ballast) with a sliding seat to cover both crew stations. No additional nav kit was fitted as part of this, as far as I recall the only long range nav aids fitted were a few begged & borrowed INS fits (carosel?) that replaced the 6th seat and the old Omega system fitted for Op Corporate in 82/3. I left the type in 87 so others will tell if any decent nav kit got fitted for Granby.

Thanks for the info so far.

I'll be the first to admit that being a Victor tanker nav radar/refuelling operator wasn't the most arduous job in the RAF, although in fairness we did have to do regular stints as plotter, often on transits back from overseas where no refuelling was involved.

However it seems that at various stages of a refuelling sortie, for one guy to have to slide back and forth to operate and monitor the hoses and keep an eye on the nav at the same time must have been quite a work load. Plus I assume there must have been a mini-NBS course for new navs to learn the H2S side of things.

How did single nav work out in practice?

The two main changes in the four man crew configuration were the sliding seat for the Nav and the hose control panels moved to the AEO position. No extra nav kit - no obselete kit removed. Nothing extra for Granby.

One change was the quality of the Navs. The new recruits from Finningley had to be the best of the Group 2 stream - for the aircraft went from not having quite enough for two Navs to do, to having more than enough to keep one Nav very busy. I can't possibly cast aspersions on the Navs who left the fleet soon after the change, but I think there was a some amount of removal of 'dead wood'. The ones that stayed were the sharper tools in the box.

Perish the thought, Dan ;)

Fair comment about the respective workloads, though, and it's rather as I suspected.