Vulcan where it shouldn't be

[Dr Jekyll]

A website for US Vietnam veterans - the 'GameWardens Association' features this picture. Supposedly taken in the Mekong Delta in 1965.



Presumably it was taken somewhere else entirely. But is it conceivable that a Vulcan deployed to say, Singapore, would cut through Vietnamese airspace at low level in the middle of a war?

Does anyone know the true location of the picture?

[Largechris]

Early B2 or waverider prototype?

[Digger]

Not much to go on . . .

[dvs_dave]

It’s obviously a Vulcan. But as to the veracity of the time and location the photo was taken, it’s basically “some bloke said”. There’s absolutely nothing to prove otherwise. So in short I’m calling BS.

[sherman]

A practice run for the refueling strategy to get to the falklands almost 20 years later?

[Simpo Two]

Dr Jekyll said:

But is it conceivable that a Vulcan deployed to say, Singapore, would cut through Vietnamese airspace at low level in the middle of a war?

A Vulcan at low level would be very vulnerable to ground fire.

[macp]

Interesting thread but shame its not verifiable.

[Eric Mc]

I saved the picture and then enlarged it as best I could.

It definitely looks like it's sporting the first of the camouflage schemes worn by the B2s i.e. gloss white undersides with gloss grey/green upper surfaces. It also seems to have a standard RAF roundel under the port wing - so that would place the picture in the 1965 to 1970ish time period.

Edited by Eric Mc on Thursday 13th January 08:43

[Whatsmyname]

Anyone checked the exif data?

[spitfire-ian]

Whatsmyname said:

Anyone checked the exif data?

[lufbramatt]

Features in this lecture at 41 ish minutes in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soMNBdOajMA

[s p a c e m a n]

Just to make it easy to find the original and look at the posters other uploads..

http://www.tf116.org/vgallery1.html#Arrans

[FourWheelDrift]

s p a c e m a n said:

Just to make it easy to find the original and look at the posters other uploads..

http://www.tf116.org/vgallery1.html#Arrans

It's flying very low here.

[aeropilot]

Eric Mc said:

It definitely looks like it's sporting the first of the camouflage schemes worn by the B2s i.e. gloss white undersides with gloss grey/green upper surfaces. It also seems to have a standard RAF roundel under the port wing - so that would place the picture in the 1965 to 1970ish time period.

I don't recall (and can't find any photo in a search) that RAF Vulcans EVER carried a roundal on the undersides, for either the all-white anti-flash schemes, later white underside/camo uppers, and later light grey undersides/camo upper seen in the later 70's...??

There were Vulcan detachments to Singapore pretty much full time (rotated between squadrons) between 1963 and 1966 during the Malaysian-Indonesian confrontation, but I'd be very surprised if any ever ventured that close to Vietnam war zone?
Maybe taken a lot further out to sea, or when the guy was on a RnR trip to Singapore?

One for posting on PPrune, as there's still a fair few ex-Vulcan crew from that time that post there.

Edited by aeropilot on Thursday 13th January 12:21

[FourWheelDrift]

aeropilot said:

I don't recall (and can't find any photo in a search) that RAF Vulcans EVER carried a roundal on the undersides, for either the all-white anti-flash schemes, later white underside/camo uppers, and later light grey undersides/camo upper seen in the later 70's...??

Well if it is Vietnam it might be special to those operations to stop the yanks shooting at it.

[Eric Mc]

It looks like its got two black panels under each wing - which could be shadows.

[Eric Mc]

I know it's artwork rather than a photo but this scheme does have underwing roundels -

[aeropilot]

None of the comprehensive collection of photo's in the Kev Darling book on the Vulcan show any Vulcan with underwing roundels in any of the schemes between 1960 and the change to warp-around camo in the late 70's.

I've also had a quick look through a lot of the old Xtradecal & Aeroscale sheets and can't see any of those with any underwing roundels either...?

[Eric Mc]

Might be duff artwork.

The prototypes DID have underwing roundels - at least for some of their careers.
Obviously, the "Vietnam" Vulcan won't be a prototype.

[Yertis]

dvs_dave said:

It’s obviously a Vulcan. But as to the veracity of the time and location the photo was taken, it’s basically “some bloke said”. There’s absolutely nothing to prove otherwise. So in short I’m calling BS.

I don't think flying a Vulcan over what was still (technically) a friendly country to be all that implausible.