Just a photo. But what a photo.
 

Handley Page HP 80 Prototype!!!!

Isn't she stunning?

I have a load of 'The Aeroplane' issues from the 1950s which I found at auction, bought as a gift for a friend. But the artwork in them is so fantastic, I still have 'em!

Isnt there a static one at Marham?

Aw, man, she's beautiful...

Unfortunatly in Hemp and Mildrew Green.

I'm surprized the SWO hasn't arranged for a pressure wash. Marham however sits on a class 1 aquafier, so that is propably the reason why....

And BAE have spent all the ...


:{

Still one of the most space-age-looking jets around.

Are there any around?

Any around?
At Cosford, Duxford and Elvington, to name but three!

Wasn't there a plan to make an airliner variant?

Does anyone have any pictures of the Colour scheme for the Prototype Victor at Farnbourough? (Silver wings, matt black fuselage with red cheatline).

I've always thought they looked kinda evil, but in a really really good kinda way, if you know what I mean - sorry.....:ouch:

A great blast from the past photo!

In the days when had both a world-leading aircraft industry and a reasonably sized Air Force with up-to-date equipment.....:{

Was allowed to clamber through one waaaay back when during one of the Victor's (I think) rare visits to Ozmate. A seriously beautiful aeroplane to look at, even sitting on the ground - and mean, with that dark green upper fuselage and duck egg blue underside.

However, we were all more than a little intrigued by the bail out provisions made for the three back seaters - out through the nosewheel well... But no one said how they were supposed to jump at who knows how many hundreds of knots and remain clear of the rather substantial nose wheel strut immediately aft of the hatch (if the gear was down), or get out at low level.

Still, it had the desired effect of giving us yet another reason for wanting to pass pilot's course. The pilots had bang seats, the navs whatever they called the electronics operators down the back, a hole in the floor. Not that a single one of us thought then that it should be any other way. :)

I seem to remember them teling us that the output of the genes (that ran all the electronic wizardry on board) was as much power as was needed to power the City of Bristol.

I wonder if you're thinking of the Vulcan? I thought that Victor rear crew had to escape through the crew door, situated rather close to the engine intake!

There's an excellent book out written by an ex Victor Crew Chief, Roger Brooks, with plenty of photos and technical detail. Mine only arrived this morning so I can't give any more info on it - haven't had time to read it yet.

Hope this doesn't count as advertising, Mods.

As S S said, it was a port side entrance door. There was a flat shroud on the leading edge to give the backseaters some dead (ish) air to get them under the mainplane.


http://www.wingweb.co.uk/img/os/V_bo...seview_arp.jpg

Yes the Victor rear crew escaped through a side door, it did have a shield fitted on the side near the engine. But the door was just at the right angle to give you a nasty dent on your head if you were not careful.
Also was that not a Valiant at Marham, on Static near what now would be the Avionics shops, sure it was when I was there (1967)

Still looks the business. Using it as my screen saver.
Re. crew door, were there any successful escapes using it?

Yes it was a Valiant and still there in mid 70's. I towed it into hangar for repaint. It had oleos fillrd with concrete.

A successful escape
 

14 Jun 62 - 5 miles North East of RAF Cottesmore XH613 Victor K1A 15 Sqn

"Whilst approaching RAF Cottesmore at the end of the sortie, all four engines ran down because the electrical connectors became disconnected on the throttle box. On the order to abandon the aircraft, it is believed that the rear crew left the aircraft in less than half a minute and, although one man left the rubber of his flying boots along the fuselage, the entire crew survived."




(From an earlier post by mikebennett)

Shaft109. The proposed airliner was the HP 111.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94...r/96950ec7.jpg

Unlike its paper rival, the AVRO Atlantic, the HP111 was conceived primarily as a transport for Transport Command.