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To be honest, after a couple of G and Ts and ny advancing years I can’t remember ! However we did stand QRA for some time after the grounding. I recall getting back to Marham on Xmas night for QRA duty only to be told I was no longer required ! That said, I did a couple of years on Victor 1 tankers after the Valiant, after that the only time I went back to Marham was with a Canberra with a near total electrical failure. El Aden with grass is a bit unfair, quite a nice station really, with the delights of Swaffham and Norwich (Whites !) close by ! |
I was stationed at Marham as Assistant ATC from spring of 67 until early 69 and I'm sure I saw a Valiant from Boscombe Down doing a flypast. I recall it was white as well. I wonder if Boscombe Down would still have a have a record ?
Dave/5aday |
Originally Posted by 5aday
(Post 10285837)
I was stationed at Marham as Assistant ATC from spring of 67 until early 69 and I'm sure I saw a Valiant from Boscombe Down doing a flypast. I recall it was white as well. I wonder if Boscombe Down would still have a have a record ?
Dave/5aday I believe the last Valiant sortie's were actually on 9th December 1964, the sole complete example, XD818 now at Cosford making the final bomber sortie on that day, with XD812 making the final tanker sortie on the same day. |
GeeRam, I would have agreed though I believe it was said here that one was flying for a few years though not regularly.
I do know that one or two detached to RRE I believe were very low hours, less than 100, and it was hoped to keep them flying. A number of rivets were checked looking for crack propagation and none found. Then one more for luck and that was it. I believe they also found cracks in unused spars as well. |
Valiant Spars
Sorry for the slight creep but I recall seeing an in depth technical article about the alloy degrading in the spars, although it seems to have vanished from online.
It explained the concept of safe life as opposed to fail safe design and how the industry changed philosophy afterwards. I understand the only thing that kept a on wing on one jet was the steel cross-brace in the wheel well. Found one similar for those interested- https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1955/1955%20-%200807.PDF https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1951/1951%20-%202503.html |
Originally Posted by 5aday
(Post 10285837)
I was stationed at Marham as Assistant ATC from spring of 67 until early 69 and I'm sure I saw a Valiant from Boscombe Down doing a flypast. I recall it was white as well. I wonder if Boscombe Down would still have a have a record ?
Dave/5aday https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightP...20-%200866.PDF |
Originally Posted by Pontius Navigator
(Post 10286078)
GeeRam, I would have agreed though I believe it was said here that one was flying for a few years though not regularly.
I do know that one or two detached to RRE I believe were very low hours, less than 100, and it was hoped to keep them flying. A number of rivets were checked looking for crack propagation and none found. Then one more for luck and that was it. I believe they also found cracks in unused spars as well. And so have just found this :) June 1968 at Abingdon https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....3c71f9bef6.jpg |
Thank you Gentlemen. You have restored my faith in my brain cells.
I took a Valiant pilot to Downsview (De havilland Canada) to give me some light relief whilst ferrying a DHC Twin Otter back to the UK. We were delayed in Toronto whilst SOC GEN made a couple of Euros fiddling with the purchase price. His name - John Mitchell and he was my CAA Ops Inspector at the time. Lots of fun. |
A bit further digging, and it seems the flight into Abingdon for the 50th was its final flight and thus the final flight of the type, being broken up a few years later. The nose section only of XD816 survives at Brooklands.
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XD816 was a 214 Sqdn a/c. In GeeRams picture the 214 loggo on the fin is quite clear. Also visible on the black painted section of the nose are the Rebecca Mk X shark fin aerials. We used to tell visitors that they were a 'sight' to aid the inflight refuelling!
It spent a lot of time as the 'test bed' for Flight Refuelling to fit the 1st bomb bay mounted Hose Drum Unit. Because of this time as a 'hanger queen', its hours and cycles were low, and someone decided to keep and use it. After the scrapping of the rest of the Valiant's, XD816 spent time at Boscombe. I dunno what they used it for. |
It doesn't look quite the same without underwing tanks. Fuel capacity 12,500lbs each for those that do not know.
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Original comments include those by by Pontius Navigator, who should be able to elaborate..... https://www.pprune.org/military-avia...t-tankers.html XD816 went from 214 Sqd Marham (underwing tanks removed prior to transit flight at Marham) to Wisley 18 August 1964 for trial installation of rear spar repair scheme under KD/P/198/CB.5(c). Loaned to BAC Wisley 21 September 1964, At Wisley from 1 April 1965 - 26 November 1965 for re-spar & flight trials at that time had completed 2,012.05 flying hours & 829 landings. On 29 June 1967 passed to control of BAC (Operating) Ltd for fatigue flight trials, MOD loaned aircraft for display at Abingdon 23 April 1968, finally SOC 26 August 1970. According to the book, 816 flew on 28 Apr 1968 in a flypast to mark the disbandment of Bomber Command. |
Maybe the Valiant should have it's own thread in Aviation History and Nostalgia? ;)
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