Vulcan bomber info

[Eric Mc]

Not the Heathrow crash?

[aeropilot]

Eric Mc said:

Not the Heathrow crash?

Wasn't being flown by TP's....


My guess its more likely the loss of XH535 in 1964 while being operated by A&AEE from Boscombe Down.

[Eric Mc]

A number of Vulcans were lost through landing short and heavy and then crashing trying to go around.

[andymadmak]

Purosangue said:

From the losses register

The XA894 fire report is correct? I didn't think Vulcans had reheat??

[spitfire-ian]

andymadmak said:

Purosangue said:

From the losses register

The XA894 fire report is correct? I didn't think Vulcans had reheat??

It was a testbed for the TSR2 engine and that is what went bang.

[Hill92]

andymadmak said:

Purosangue said:

From the losses register

The XA894 fire report is correct? I didn't think Vulcans had reheat??

Vulcans didn't but TSR2 and Concorde did. XA894 was used as flying testbed with a fifth Olympus underlying in a pod to test the TSR2 version with reheat.

[Yertis]

LB14 said:

A sadly departed family friend was a test pilot for the Vulcan.

He was involved in an accident during a flight, he ejected but 3 crew couldn’t eject and were lost. He never got over it and couldn’t talk about it even decades later.

It was quite something to witness 558’s last flight with that story in mind.

My Air Cadet squadron was affiliated with Flight Refuelling Ltd, who were next door, and therefore we had a more 'camps' (ie week or two-week visits) to Marham and the Victors than anywhere else. One of the things we got to do was do the 'how to get out of a Victor in an emergency' drill. Obviously the pilots just ejected, but the chaps in the back had an optimistic system where (from memory) they were propelled towards the door using a pneumatic system, like sort of airbag under the seat. I wonder if the Vulcan had a similar contraption? We did once meet a Victor captain who'd ejected from a Victor after a collision and was grounded by his spinal injuries.

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/22796

[Purosangue]

Tony1963 said:

davidexige said:

I also found it interesting that the Mach meter goes up to 1.3.

But the aircraft doesn’t?
Well, maybe in a vertical dive at max thrust?

Vulcan XA 892 tried this it ended with damage to the rear bulkhead




In 1957, a Vulcan B.1 XA892 attached to the A&AEE at Boscombe Down for acceptance testing was unintentionally flown to an indicated Mach number (IMN) above 1.04, alerting the crew that it had reached supersonic speed. XA892's commander, Flt Lt Milt Cottee (RAAF), and co-pilot, Flt Lt Ray Bray (RAF), were tasked to fly at 478 mph (769 km/h) and 0.98 IMN, taking the aircraft to a load factor of 3 g. It climbed to 35,000 ft (11,000 m) and then dived, intending to reach the target speed at 27,000 ft (8,200 m). Approaching the target altitude, the throttles were closed and full up-elevator applied, but XA892 continued to pitch nose-down. Cottee contemplated pushing forward to go inverted and then rolling upright; instead, he opened the speed brakes. Although the airspeed was above their maximum operating speed, the speed brakes were undamaged and did slow the aircraft, which came back past the vertical at about 18,000 ft (5,500 m) and levelled off at 8,000 ft (2,400 m). No sonic boom was reported, so a true Mach number of 1.0 was unlikely to have been reached.[N 10] Afterwards, a rear bulkhead was found to be deformed

[Tony1963]

Purosangue said:

Vulcan XA 892 tried this it ended with damage to the rear bulkhead




In 1957, a Vulcan B.1 XA892 attached to the A&AEE at Boscombe Down for acceptance testing was unintentionally flown to an indicated Mach number (IMN) above 1.04, alerting the crew that it had reached supersonic speed. XA892's commander, Flt Lt Milt Cottee (RAAF), and co-pilot, Flt Lt Ray Bray (RAF), were tasked to fly at 478 mph (769 km/h) and 0.98 IMN, taking the aircraft to a load factor of 3 g.

I’d have thought maybe 578 knots IAS would be closer to M0.98, at that altitude?

[hurstg01]

spitfire-ian said:

This book looks to have the information you’re after, maybe see if you can get hold of a copy.

Just bought this off eBay given your recommendation. £9 plus postage 😎

[eccles]

aeropilot said:

And 426, which was the Vulcan used by the VDF displays from 1984 through to end of 1986, before retirement when 558 took over the VDF display duties from 1987 season until end of the 92 display season.

Ah, that's interesting. It will be 426 that I refuelled then, whilst working on VAS at Valley in the summer of '85 or '86.. I'd always assumed it was 558

I have fond memories of ATC summer camp at Scampton in the summer of 1981. There were definitely lots of Vulcans there. I remember being very impressed when we drove under the wing of a Vulcan whilst being sat in the back of a light weight landrover.

Our affiliated RAF station was St. Athan and we used to get to clamber around Vulcans and Victors whilst they were under going Major servicing. I seem to recall I could stand up in the intake of a Vulcan.

[hammo19]

davidexige said:

I think we've drifted enough from the original post that I can post this picture without feeling guilty now. Took it a couple of years ago at Solway aviation museum, we were lucky on the day we were there you could do the cockpit tour. I also found it interesting that the Mach meter goes up to 1.3.

Yes I am a volunteer at Solway and do the Vulcan cockpit tours along with a number of our ex service volunteers too. There’s no extra charge for the tour it’s included in the entry price. We’re a friendly and knowledgable bunch so we would love to see you there.

[Tony1963]

XM612 at Norwich now has new fleece covers on its seats