V Force Operational Readiness Platforms?
Filton could and should have been the Bristol airport, especially being so close to all necessary transport links. But when did that ever aid decision making. As for that ridiculous Lulsgate place, foggy on Hill, less said. Big opportunity completely wasted!
I seem to recall that someone said on PRUNE that no V Bomber had ever flown with a bomb loaded, except for the Valiants in Operation Grapple.
If the above is true, not that I doubt it, the question must be asked how did the required weapons get to the dispersal airfields? It is a long journey by lorry to some of the dispersal sites.
Of course I understand that a Bucaneer was seen flying with a loaded weapon.
If the above is true, not that I doubt it, the question must be asked how did the required weapons get to the dispersal airfields? It is a long journey by lorry to some of the dispersal sites.
Of course I understand that a Bucaneer was seen flying with a loaded weapon.
It was called LML, last minute loading, and were trained to do it at Marham.
In my day the Valiants on QRA, assigned to SACEUR, were loaded with American weapons and never left the QRA compound.
Of course, being a mere FG OFF. Co pilot I may not have had the full story, and it is over 50 years ago!
Last edited by RetiredBA/BY; 24th Feb 2018 at 09:05.
Filton could and should have been the Bristol airport, especially being so close to all necessary transport links. But when did that ever aid decision making. As for that ridiculous Lulsgate place, foggy on Hill, less said. Big opportunity completely wasted!
I lived in Bristol when Lulsgate reopened at the end of the fifties; the story from people at Filton was that the Council had not approached Bristol Aeroplane Company to use Filton. The Council bought Lulsgate from Ministry ownership. But, yes, it was an awful place in its pre-ILS days, and I remember a few SRA approaches there to minimums with little affection.
On the other hand: the Brabazon/Britannia/Concorde Assembly Hall (pick your own decade) infringed the clearance plane for the main runway - and the runway profile was such, with its significant gradients, that I'm told it did not meet the requirements for Group "A" performance.
Probably, also, there was not enough land for terminals, car parks, et al within the then boundaries of Filton.
So, a bit of a mixed bag
Last edited by kenparry; 23rd Feb 2018 at 09:11. Reason: Previous Lulgate ownership corrected
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So far as I know apart from Grapple no V ever flew with a live weapon. In the event that aircraft were to be dispersed for real, and British weapons loaded, an element of the weapon was removed before flight, making it inert so nuclear reaction in the event of a crash, and replaced on arrival at the disposal airfield.
It was called LML, last minute loading, and were trained to do it at Marham.
In my day the Valiants on QRA were loaded with American weapons and never left the QRA compound.
Of course, being a mere FG OFF. Co pilot I may not have had the full story, and it is over 50 years ago!
It was called LML, last minute loading, and were trained to do it at Marham.
In my day the Valiants on QRA were loaded with American weapons and never left the QRA compound.
Of course, being a mere FG OFF. Co pilot I may not have had the full story, and it is over 50 years ago!
Implicit in what I am saying I suppose is that during a dispersal exercise, the UK's available response was dramatically reduced as many of the V Force would have been in the air and whilst having weapons on board, these weapons were not live.
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...during a dispersal exercise, the UK's available response was dramatically reduced...
Dispersal was meant for an escalating situation, where international tensions might reach a point that the aircraft were bombed up and sent to dispersals - effectively placing the whole of Bomber Command on QRA. Our 'Exercise Micky Finns' were logged by the opposition as they were meant to, keeping them aware of our continuing ability to generate a complete force, ready to go. Exercises are not simply practice, they are demonstrations of force capability and were an essential part of the mutual posturing that was 'The Cold War' in action.
I seem to recall that someone said on PRUNE that no V Bomber had ever flown with a bomb loaded, except for the Valiants in Operation Grapple.
If the above is true, not that I doubt it, the question must be asked how did the required weapons get to the dispersal airfields? It is a long journey by lorry to some of the dispersal sites.
Of course I understand that a Bucaneer was seen flying with a loaded weapon.
If the above is true, not that I doubt it, the question must be asked how did the required weapons get to the dispersal airfields? It is a long journey by lorry to some of the dispersal sites.
Of course I understand that a Bucaneer was seen flying with a loaded weapon.
I believe that during dispersal the aircraft dispersed with a real weapon which wasn't armed.
At the dispersal airfield, refuelling and arming took place. Aircraft only had sufficient fuel to get to their dispersals.
I believe I had this same conversation with Beagle a while ago. IIRC he described it as the weakest point of the whole plan, as you could theoretically get stuck on the ground refuelling and arming a weapon when the balloon went up.
