Were you ever on Victors (Merged - various)
 

I was one of the few at Elvington on Saturday 21/03/09 for the Victor Day/Night Shoot & thought it was a brilliant experience having never done night photography on Aircraft before.

We arrived at arond 13.30hrs so we could get some nice day shots which was brilliant as the sun shone all day, then the twilight shots of the sun setting over the victor was nice to see. The night shots were different to anything i had ever done before & with some advice from my Brother Brian & others present this is a few of my better shots.

Many thanks To Ollie Suckling & all the crew at Elvington for their fantastic hospitality & for letting us climb in thier nice Victor for some unique photo's.

On with the photo's;

1
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...vington057.jpg

2
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...vington082.jpg

3
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...vington151.jpg

4
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...vington197.jpg

5
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...vington201.jpg

6, Ollie Suckling kneeling for the front full flap shot.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...vington209.jpg

7
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...vington223.jpg

8
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...vington245.jpg

9
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...vington251.jpg

10
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...vington257.jpg

11
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...vington275.jpg

12
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...vington283.jpg

13
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...vington289.jpg

14 The Buccaneer
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...vington299.jpg


Hope you like my selection.

Trev

Excellent shots, particularly the night ones, very nostalgic. Thank you!

Great photos. Also nice to see the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington. I was driving past there a couple of months ago, saw a road sign for it and popped in on a whim. It's a great aircraft museum - not too flashy and just concentrates on telling you about aircraft. Well worth a visit just to see the Halifax.

Superb :ok::D

Yes, terrific photos - very nostalgic. As an old K1 hand I always thing it's a shame that one of those didnt survive (in this sort of condition anyway) but this is pretty close - thanks a lot.

Victor Tankers
 

Yes great pictures! I was there too but your pictures are high grade compared to my hand held - albeit with shake elimination!!

"Tanker Trash" was a nickname given to the Mk 1 guys who lived it up too well at Akrotiri in years gone by?? Right or Wrong? Anyway, as an ex-CFI on the K1/K1as at Marham, I had to smile when I saw it appear again....always keen to renew old acquaintances from Victor B1/B1A/K1/K1A/B2 and K2 days!!

I "Pilot" Victor XM 715 at Bruntingthorpe, and weather permitting, will be doing a taxy round and take-off run again on 3 May 2009. All welcome!!!

Great photos, the night shots especially. Brings back many memories of my time as a Crew Chief on 'Blue Spear Airways'. :ok:

Surely a finer looking beast than any tin triangle.

Must be awfully frustrating not to complete that take-off run.;)

"Must be awfully frustrating not to complete that take-off run.http://static.pprune.org/images/smilies/wink2.gif"

I've already dared him - watch this space! She wouldnt take much persuasion. After all if a rotten tin triangle can do it....

love number 6, (look, somebody's got to say it!!),
you cannot beat a (drum roll------),
FULL FLAP SHOT:E:E:E

Looks nice. In fact, it looks to be in better condition than when I last flew it! Not sure about the ARMED thingy over the fire buttons though.


"Tanker Trash" were alive and well right to the end of the Victor!

Flaps? FLAPS!!

How quaint. Not needed on the aerodynamically superior, infinitely more manoeuvrable and better-looking Avro design!

Good to note V-bomber banter is still aliVe and well! Amazing to reflect on the fact that, at its peak numerical strength some 46 years ago, the V-force consisted of no less than 22 squadrons.....:cool:

Great photos - and what an excellent museum the Yorkshire Air Museum is!!

Tanker Trash did not need to tell you they were operationally more productive, superior in effect and prettier, they just got on with it. They still do.

.....or, as Alastair S once said,.... 'we were lovers, not fighters'

Tanker Trash was the polite name for us!

Great Shots! probably in very difficult lighting conditions (Advo likes his cameras!)

As for Tanker Banter, I always enjoy the joke on a trail about, 'What are you having for lunch?' followed by loud slurpping....... 'We're having curry!!' If you are really lucky, a chap will wave his foil plate by a window, just so you can see that indeed they are. Great Fun.

Great. Nice One. Love That. .........

Advo

Seriously chaps, I am pleased to see so many guys on here who were members of that group of unsung heroes - the Victor tanker force. But let's not forget our less fortunate comrades who had to shoe-horn themselves into the tin triangle, or indeed our more venerable comrades who flew the stately Valiant and pioneered the art of probe and drogue (and even dropped atomic bombs!). They may all be interested in a forthcoming V Force reunion planned for 2010 at Newark Air Museum. The last one in 2004 was a great success, so lets hope this one is even bigger and better. All will be welcome, aircrew, crew chiefs, groundcrew, the lot, even hairy a**ed riggers! If you served on the V Force and are not already on my mailing list for this event, contact me by sending me a message on here and I will get you added.

Hear hear!!!! Tankertrash! Let re-unions press and continue. The 'spirit' of the 'old' would be well laid on the 'new'.

Mind you, with so many Sqns closing and So many a/c being retired, one wonders whether there will be any 'new' to gain any benefit.

Probably not.

Still, there's always the 'Reds' or is there?

Advo

Art Field must be one of the few folk around to have had experience on all 3 V-bombers!

And the VC10 / VC10K.

And perhaps the Vimy? :p

Thanks for the kind words about our aircraft!

The event raised around £400 which is going towards our fuel fund to buy 10000 litres for the old girl, we currently have around 35,000lbs but don't really want to run her any lower than that so we can keep a good quantity of fuel in all the tanks.

The ARMED cover over the fire extinguisher buttons is to stop people from going "thats a nice button" and podging it. It would cause us a few small problems.....;)

Cheers

Ollie

Many thanks for all the comments about my photographs.
I have added them to my site now with loads more for you to see;

Lusty Lindy Day/Night Shoot Elvington :: Fotopic.Net

Thanks for looking.

Trevor

Were you ever on Victors
 

Hello all Victor lovers! Although there has been input from Handley Page Victor supporters in several threads over the years, since my inadvertant hop on 3 May 2009, it has become apparent there are a large number of ex-Victor aircrew and groundcrew, relatives of Victor people, and people with a general interest in the aircraft, World-Wide.

The Vulcan people have keep their thread active after many years, with news, views, questions etc, so I think the Victor deserves its own Victor "talk about anything" thread.

If this is to continue, it is up to you!! But for one, I would be very interested to hear from anyone at Gaydon or Cottesmore 1960/61.

Rgds to all, Bob

Hi Bob,
I just scrape into your time period. completed No22 Victor Course with John Beech, Nov 59 to March 60. then onto 57 Sqn. The QFI,s I remember,Sqn.Ldrs Wilmott and Hall plus Frank McClory,plus it was blxxdy cold!
Chris.

I served as a "Fish Fryer" in Cottesmore Armoury from Sep 61 to Nov 64 working on 10 and 15 Sqdn Victors. Hard work but good times especially Butterworth detachments

I was on K1 tankers from 1971-77 (went through the OCU with Victor Pilot in 1971, possibly the only course with 2 Jensen drivers on it, added a touch of class to the line-up outside the OCU hanger!). I think its a shame that no K1 has survived in any decent state of preservation, although I understand Duxford has one. The original B1 in white, before they started sticking bits and pieces all over it has to be the most elegant of the V Bombers. I loved my time on tankers, although it had its downside - 2 hours receiver training on Towline 2 wasnt anyone down the back's idea of fun!

Some great gallery pictures here on the V Force reunion website V-Force Reunion (just flick past the Valiants and tin triangles ;)).

John Symons
 

Although I never flew in a "Victor" I was luck enough to have "worked" on one when I left school and started work.
We lived near Watford at the time and my father worked at Radlett and so that's where I started out on life's great adventure. It was about 1955 or 1956.
My pals and I used to cycle out to the aerodrome when we were still at school as there was an asphalt road that went from the A5, up between two workshops and across a bridge over the railway line.
If you were lucky you could be on that bridge as the 1st prototype landed. It was fabulous as it seemed just above our heads with all the landing gear and flaps down. What a sight - and it was still "on the secret list" too!
When I started work there this aircraft had crashed and there was a mad scramble to get the second one ready for Farnborough - I'm not sure if they were trying to keep the crash quiet and pass this second prototype off as the first. Anyway it was a blazining hot summer and the crew section was crammed with bodies doing their jobs. I think they were fitting the seats in at the time, but it really was chaotic. If I'm not mistaken the aircraft was painted a pale blue colour.
Also at Page's the Hastings aircraft were re-fitted for the RAF and after the work had been done they were sent to the Flight Shed for air testing and accepting by the RAF.
One day there was bit of a commotion as we had a visit from MI5 because it was discovered that there had been a case of the the wiring looms in the aircraft being cut through to sabotage them whilst in the Flight Shed.

Gaydon 1961 to 63
 

Hi Bob, I was on "A" Squadron at Gaydon. I am in touch with Derek Powell and Sam Weller who were there too. After last year,s Christmas cards "Incident at Gaydon" I had phone calls from the ex Gaydon Groupie, Group Captain G.H. Everitt, and the Crew Chief of XA 941, Tom Swinburne.
While at Gaydon, I preflighted XA 934 [as did Sam Weller] on October 2nd 1962. It crashed at Combrook that night. I,ve been in touch with the survivor of that Crash, but he does not wish to be reminded of it.
A couple of years ago, wearing my "Vulcan to the Sky" Tee shirt, a chap said to me "Did you work on Vulcans?", I replied "Yes, but mostly on Victors". He had been a pilot on Victors. His name was Victor Pheasant. EX S.A.C. "Shingles" McVey.

bovingdonboy

You're right about the colour of the 2nd prototype Victor, it was blue.

Sadly the prototype HP.80 (Victor) WB771 crashed on 14th July 1954 during a low level calibration run over the runway at Cranfield when the tail ripped off and the aircraft crashed, killing the crew.

The second HP.80 Victor prototype WB775 had its tail fitted using four stronger bolts and flew on 11th September 1954, appearing at the Farnborough SBAC show during its first flight.

A week later it participated (flew past) at the 1954 Biggin Hill Battle of Britain display on Saturday 18th September when I took these two photos.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...PVictor1-1.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...PVictor2-1.jpg

Actually Shingles, Vic was an AEO and was AEO leader on 214 Victor K1 tankers when I was on the squadron. Really nice chap, hoping to see again him at the reunion in April at Newark in April.

Lovely pictures Warmtoast - thanks for sharing. I think I'm right in saying that the protypes were a few feet shorter than the production aircraft, but nevertheless those pics bear out my remarks above about what an elegant aeroplane the Mk 1 was :ok:

Victor Pheasant
 

Sorry about that, I get more senile by the day. I,d also forgotten about the reunion at Newark.Shingles

John, similar story my end, I remember the prototypes well and also doing the cycle bit from Edgware up to Radlet, a neighbour worked on the production line. Must admit the Victor has always been my favourite V Bomber.

Will the event be open to non serving types?

Flame Out, the reunion is being organised for all who served on any of the three aircraft in any capacity, aircrew or groundcrew. However last time we had a chap turn up who had worked for HP at Radlett, so we reckoned as he had helped build the Victor we could hardly turn him away. However, if you dont qualify in any of these ways there is nothing at all to stop you coming along as a member of the public, as the museum remains open to the public over the weekend. I'm sure you'd find a lot to interest you.

I'm looking for someone who was on Victor Bomber (B1 or B2) or SR to help run a reception table at our reunion V-Force Reunion next April. If you served on these types in any capacity, aircrew or groundcrew, and would be willing to lend a hand at the reunion, please make contact by private message. We already have the tanker table covered, so just bomber or SR please.

the event is in the diary already, already.:ok:

Old Hairy
 

Hi Chris, You just beat me to it as I arrived at Gaydon Sep 60. I did the groundschool, but there was no co-pilot slot available - so I slipped a course and made coffee in the groundschool for about three months! Then all of a sudden, it was get your kit on P/O Prothero, we are going flying! Des Hall was the Victor Boss, Frank I remember, and I flew with Ron Sharpe - landing on my second trip in thick fog - about 300 yds I would guess. I remember Ron saying "just fly the ILS until I take over" and the altimeter was very close to zero when he said "I have" and "Slow cut!!" Pete Nelson was another QFI. I went to Cottesmore to join 15, but they did not want me so I ended up on 10 Sqn - good move, good captains, and then to No 1 Victor 2 Course. Des Frank and Pete were around Victors for years, but not sure what happened to Ron.

I ended up flying the Victor marks until 1980 (or 2009!) and am compiling a book about those days, and the 60s in particular. There is a lot of material to cover: burnt brakes, brake chute slips, nose flaps, position of the u/c and flap selectors, SOPs, etc, and "I learnt about flying from that" stories - quite apart from the nuclear stuff. If you can contribute, or anyone else, please PM me. Very grateful for any input. All the best, Bob

Ozleckie
 

Hi, You escaped a long way from Cottesmore!! Have you got any stories about Cottesmore in those days, or any pics?

WB 775
 

I was pretty young when I saw 775 at Farnborough. I managed to cadge 3 trade tickets that year, and took some pics with a box camera. I seem to remember that the scheme was matt black with a red cheat line, but guess it might have been dark blue. When I saw the aircraft, I never imagined I would end up flying them just about all my flying career!! Great memory jogging pics, I must try and find mine and scan them. Your pics show clearly how much shorter the front fuselage was on the prototypes compared with the later production model. Bob :ok:

Vic Pheasant
 

Had lunch with him yesterday at No 139(J) Sqn reunion - he has not chnaged one bit!!

Radlett Peeps
 

John, Flame Out, et all.

I visited Radlett several times in the period 1962 to 1966. Apart from the small size of the airfield, I remember being amazed that aircraft could be built in "Fred's tiny shed"!! The aircraft were crammed in like jigsaw pieces, and I was told the night shift just moved the bits and pieces around to get them in the right places!! There must be many stories about how they were assembled, the ups and downs, and changes over the years until the company were forced to close their doors. I would be very interested to hear any stories from the factory floor if you can help. I guess I should address that to the Handley Page Association too? Bob

Marham mid-late 80,
 

Hi, Mig15, You will have seen my posts here and there, and perhaps gathered that I am researching for a book on the Victor. One area I am keen to explore is what was done after the Falklands to keep the aircraft flying, bearing in mind their fatigue consumption had been very severe for several months. I believe some additional aileron up-rigging was done to extend the fatigue life, but when? Looking at 715, it appears that there is about twice the upset I remember from 1980. I wonder if any airframe mods were done - strengthening plates for example. Any information you can give me would be gratefully received, as would any stories of your time at Marham, or even pictures. All the best. Bob