Vulcan at Halton?
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Vulcan at Halton?
In this month's Flypast, there is a picture of a Vulcan B1 XA892 at RAF Halton. Living close by, and knowing that there is no paved runway there, I was just wondering how this aircraft got there? Would it have landed on the grass, or been brought in by road?
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Not sure if it's the same tail number but I watched a Vulcan land there in '67. It was shepherded by a small twin (Beagle 206?).
There's more information somewhere in the Pprune archives.
There's more information somewhere in the Pprune archives.
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Thowman,
Aircraft-Photos.net have information for you (with photographs)
Click on the above.
EDIT - Jamesdevice beat me to it. END EDIT
Aircraft-Photos.net have information for you (with photographs)
Click on the above.
EDIT - Jamesdevice beat me to it. END EDIT
sua cuique voluptas
If I recall correctly from a recent book about a test pilot of the period the three V-bomber specs were altered quite late on in development to allow grass strip operations. The designers must have loved that......
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The Vulcans were indeed flown in, and I believe there are pictures in the relevant local paper 'The Bucks Herald' at the time. I was a Staff Cadet on 613 Gliding School when John Cunningham came along to inspect the grass runway surface before bringing the Comet in.. Basically, I saw him stick his heel in occasionally, and then he said 'fine, I'll bring it in on Monday' or whatever day it was. At a B of B day later, a Blackburn Beverley landed to pick up the RAF Falcons, which it had previously disgorged, leaving massive ruts which seemed to last forever.
There was an Argosy at RAF Halton until the mid 90s...
Plus many Hawker Hunters (1 still gate guardian), many Folland Gnats (1 still in the station museum), many Jet Provosts (1 is now a horse jump on the airfield perimeter), Javelins, Sea Vixen, Scimitar, Chipmunks (there are at least 3 still flying on the airfield), AVRO Lincoln to name but a few. There was even a MkIX Spit in one of the hangars until about 2005.
The Vulcans landed with little gas, chutes trailing and were kept moving until on the hard standing. The Comet only just made it with Cats Eyes standing on the brakes and the nosewheel stopping in the overrun hedge!
Halton is still cleared as a TLZ practice strip for C130 - its in either GASOs or JSP554; I can't remember. Chinooks, Puma and Merlin make the odd visit as well.
LJ
Plus many Hawker Hunters (1 still gate guardian), many Folland Gnats (1 still in the station museum), many Jet Provosts (1 is now a horse jump on the airfield perimeter), Javelins, Sea Vixen, Scimitar, Chipmunks (there are at least 3 still flying on the airfield), AVRO Lincoln to name but a few. There was even a MkIX Spit in one of the hangars until about 2005.
The Vulcans landed with little gas, chutes trailing and were kept moving until on the hard standing. The Comet only just made it with Cats Eyes standing on the brakes and the nosewheel stopping in the overrun hedge!
Halton is still cleared as a TLZ practice strip for C130 - its in either GASOs or JSP554; I can't remember. Chinooks, Puma and Merlin make the odd visit as well.
LJ
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The Vulcans and the Comet were the preserve..in the main..of the "super techs" for EGR's although one was so badly corroded it was a miracle it survived any wind speed above 5kts.
The venerable Piston Provost was also used not only for basic airframes, but also for marshalling training...along with a camouflaged Whirlwind from Benson?? which would lob in for about 30 mins.
There was also the remains of a Beaufighter, or rather the fwd. fuselage and wings / engines with a little hut next to it again, in theory used for EGR's but I never heard or saw it used. It was located at the rear of the hangars, near to the little path over the stream that leads to the OM..more or less...and where some elderly Gp. Capt took exception one summers day to 6 apprentices having an impromptu " R n R" in the sun....some people have no sense of priorities.
No idea what the eventual fate of the Beau was however.
The venerable Piston Provost was also used not only for basic airframes, but also for marshalling training...along with a camouflaged Whirlwind from Benson?? which would lob in for about 30 mins.
There was also the remains of a Beaufighter, or rather the fwd. fuselage and wings / engines with a little hut next to it again, in theory used for EGR's but I never heard or saw it used. It was located at the rear of the hangars, near to the little path over the stream that leads to the OM..more or less...and where some elderly Gp. Capt took exception one summers day to 6 apprentices having an impromptu " R n R" in the sun....some people have no sense of priorities.
No idea what the eventual fate of the Beau was however.
Given that the RAF didn't retire its last Beaufighter until as late as 1960, it would perhaps be natural to assume that the Halton engine running rig was one of those last TT10s.
Not so!
In fact it was part of a very early Beaufighter Mk1F. X7688 was built in 1941, and later became maintenance airframe 3858M - here's a photo I found on the Internet; it was taken 'in the 1950s':
3858M was subsequently registered as G-DINT to a private owner at an address near Sandy, Beds., although it was de-registered by the CAA in Mar 2010. Hopefully it's still at his farm?
Not so!
In fact it was part of a very early Beaufighter Mk1F. X7688 was built in 1941, and later became maintenance airframe 3858M - here's a photo I found on the Internet; it was taken 'in the 1950s':
3858M was subsequently registered as G-DINT to a private owner at an address near Sandy, Beds., although it was de-registered by the CAA in Mar 2010. Hopefully it's still at his farm?
Last edited by BEagle; 17th Aug 2011 at 08:13.
Not a grass strip admittedly, but there is an interesting account by Victor QFI Tony Cunnane of delivering a Victor to Catterick (3,300') for use by the fire school there.
Final flight - XA939
There was a Valiant at Catterick when I was there in 1965, which had also been flown in.
Final flight - XA939
There was a Valiant at Catterick when I was there in 1965, which had also been flown in.
XL321 aka Rusty Bin was sent to Catterick, along with another of 50(B) Sqns finest heaps. IIRC the Yorks Police closed the road in time for the a/c to land without disrupting the A1 traffic. Pity the Police used Local and the RAF used Zulu, fancy wanting to close a road 1 hour after the aircraft landed.
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Halton is still cleared as a TLZ practice strip for C130 - its in either GASOs or JSP554; I can't remember. Chinooks, Puma and Merlin make the odd visit as well.
Thanks for the info on the Vulcan. I went to a couple of airshows in the 80s, and didn't remember seeing them there then - but my question has been answered. Best memory is of a Lightening doing a display in the mid 80s in low cloud, and doing a steep climb into the clouds. I guess the Heathrow traffic was kept well away that day.
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