Victor
 

The front view of the Victor really does say I am the bringer of death. Nothing like looking mean.

And I know it's been said before here, but the Cosford Museum cannot be too highly recommended. All 3 "Vs" and lots more all looking pretty mean.

As is the Frightening hanging vertically from the roof, which reminds one of the day Stoney's burners were slow coming in as he beat up handbrake house at Gut.

Well, if you will let a Flying Officer take off in the last jet to leave......:E

(RIP Stoney :()

20+ years ago (1984 Ithink) I was fortunate enough to be deployed to the USAF bombing competition 'Prairie Vortex' with Tornado GR1s of 617 Sqn and Victor tankers of 57 (Bluespears?) in Rapid City SD. Once our electric jets had arrived and parked up on a typically huge American pan the Victors trailled in. This was I think the first squadron deployment of Tornado to the US and we clearly thought we were the best thing to happen to the place. The Americans had provided us with some 'minders' to ensure we didn't break their (to us) rather restrictive rules. However they all stared in awe as 'Those goddam Brit rocket ships' taxied into their slots on the pan. The Victors certainly attracted a lot more attention than the Tonkas (Well until 617 and their support tankers won 3 trophies and the bombing comp outright;))

I can help but think that the Victor was inspired by Flash Gordon.

The Victor never looked the same after they stuck that prod on the front!

Cliver

Stealth Tanker....
 

Did a static display with the Victor in the States at Moffett Field. This was in the days when the stealth bomber was known about but hadn't been seen by many; most of the questions from the public were asking if this was the British version of the stealth. They were greatly surprised that the old girl was 25 years old (at the time). It didn't help that I'd forgotten to bring the aircraft display board, giving the a/c type and details. Wish I had a pound for the times I was asked "what the hell is it?" :)

RFCC, yoU should have said Yessir, its the stealth tanker..... You developed the bomber, we built the tanker.

Over 50 years old.. magazines simply don't offer artwork as beautiful as this anymore. I was browsing earlier, and came across an ad with the same picture too. I like the way they make the pitch as well.. 'We invite enquiries for fuses, terminals, plugs and sockets and similar components.'.

Anyway, what a cover shot!! Who wouldn't want to pick that issue up off the newstand?


http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i2...mittetc002.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i2...mittetc001.jpg

I think the black and white pictures are so much more evocative than the full colour ones of today...

Al-R Nice picture... the fifties "Flights" are always great read.

Here's another one from 1953
http://www.aviationancestry.com/Airc...80-1953-1.html

tridit... we've probably met I was in MEAS at the time and was also involved in moving the Valiant. I seem to recall getting a look inside as well...

My only claim to fame with the Victor is being one of the chosen few to crawl inside the fuel tanks to carry out some long forgotten inspection... sadly I don`t think I`d fit now.

G_B_Z

That's the one, thought I'd been imagining it.

I think the early, clean Victor was the most elegant of the V-force.

Why can't we build aircraft like this today?

I have to say that I agree - cracking photo of a cracking aircraft. No pun intended.

The appearance of the Victor has always for me been a great contradiction. How can a design look so elegant and beautiful, and yet at the same time so sinister and brutal?

I'd like to repeat the earlier call - can anyone post a good (colour!) photo of WB771 in it's funky Farnborough colours, please?

There is a colour picture of the Victor with the black fuselage and red cheat line in Vulcan 607 by Roland White. The picture is copyright TRH Pictures, so I'm not going to scan it and post it. Buy the book!

Seem to rcall that during GW 1 a USMC Harrier pilot on arriving behind one for refueling asked "Say, who designed that, Jules Verne?"

Space age indeed.

They do not do shows or front covers like that anymore Mike. :D

And to refute the idea that one can sometimes get too much of a good thing, here she is again, looking even better than in the first one I posted.

http://www.centennialofflight.gov/es...e/Aero51G3.jpg

Nacluv,

http://www.raf.mod.uk/history_old/im...rprototype.jpg

That must have been stunning.

Reference the photo in message #36, the real star of the age is in the background............and no, I do not mean the Bev! :ok:


Ok, Ok, hat, coat, door...........

Y'know, I sometimes wonder how much it would cost to start building a few squadrons of Victors again, they'd probably be a damn sight better than FSTA...! :ok:

Was sent this link by my Dad (ex Victor pilot)

http://http://www.******************************/victor/history.html

Also some nice photo's on the Defence Image Database if you do a search.

http://http://www.defenceimagedatabase.mod.uk/fotoweb/

Sadly first link tells of the tragic demise of WB771.

RB

Re Victor escape procedures, the one at Cottesmore was 1500 on finals ,all the booster pumps cut out due to short on the fuel tray,all made it.Honington and Gaydon had bailouts as well.In my crew the AEO modded the pre-start checks to include his responsibility for withdrawing the safety pins after the pilots were seated and strapped in to include the following;

: Seat pins out and stowed.padlocks in,keys kept at the back;

Several visiting pilots went slightly crinkle chip on hearing this :confused::confused::p:p:p

Hi RB,

Welcome.

That first link was a little doolally. This it?

http://www.*************************...r/history.html

edit: :eek: Gadzooks, it has done it to me as well.

Ok, insert thunder-and-lightning.co.uk/victo where there are asterix and ellipses.