Vulcan B2A - Olympus 301 or Blue Steel
Join Date: May 2005
Location: The Midlands
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Actually, this prompts me to ask if anyone saw the photo on page 120 of my old Vulcan Story book which shows XH558 at Woodford. The picture shows 558 shortly after completion, wearing full-colour markings. Most interestingly, the lower portion of the intake (and the side wall) is covered witha tarpaulin which suggest that some sort of work was being done on the area, post-completion.
I've often wondered whether the aircraft was originally completed with the smaller intake but modified shortly afterwards. Never seen any information to suggest that this happened (or that there would have been any point in doing it), but the photo does give you the impression that this may be what happened. Another mystery...
I've often wondered whether the aircraft was originally completed with the smaller intake but modified shortly afterwards. Never seen any information to suggest that this happened (or that there would have been any point in doing it), but the photo does give you the impression that this may be what happened. Another mystery...
Having carried out a fair amount of work on 558's intake area, I can confirm that it is all completely original and left the production line as it is today. There is no evidence whatsoever of any splicing, joins or any other repair technique which would have been necessary to carry out such a modification. Bear in mind also that the first aircraft to be fitted with 301 series engines was XH557, it is highly unlikely that larger intakes would have been 'retrofitted' to XH558 or others.
There are an awful lot of Hydraulic, Oxygen, Pneumatic and Fuel pipes that lie beneath those intake skins, which is why you'll find most of ours have been removed for access. I would venture to suggest that the tarpaulins perhaps covered a removed skin. The majority of skins in that area had been removed at least once, with very few solid rivets remaining. Most were Avdel replacements, with many oversize rivets suggesting several cack handed attempts at removal
Flipflopman
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That may indeed be the case - I've no idea what might have really happened but it always struck me as being odd that the intake was obviously receiving some major attention so soon after having left the production line. Judging by the age of the print, it may well have been taken before 558 was even delivered. Guess we'll never know what was going-on behind the mysterious tarpaulin!
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Oh Lord, here we go again...
Just thumbing-through the new Aerofax Vulcan booklet which was finally published last week.
What do I find on page 104? I quote...
Aircraft equipped to carry the Blue Steel missile with the Scampton WIng (which entailed much internal 'plumbing' and revised bomb doors to fit around the missile) were designated B2A
I wonder how many more times it's gonna get churned-out again?!
Just thumbing-through the new Aerofax Vulcan booklet which was finally published last week.
What do I find on page 104? I quote...
Aircraft equipped to carry the Blue Steel missile with the Scampton WIng (which entailed much internal 'plumbing' and revised bomb doors to fit around the missile) were designated B2A
I wonder how many more times it's gonna get churned-out again?!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
How about XJ823?
It was neither a 301 engined nor a Blue Steel ac!
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/sho...oto=nextoldest
It was neither a 301 engined nor a Blue Steel ac!
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/sho...oto=nextoldest
