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Military Aircraft







Weststander

Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Aug 25, 2011
64,401
Withdean area
Invicta said:
Interesting, hadn't heard about that either. The first of the V bombers, saw the other 2, the Victor and Vulcan flying but the Valiant way before my time.
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The first prototype according to wiki flew in 1951, just 6 years after WW2, the era of Wellingtons/Lancasters (I realise B29’s too)!! Post war technology advanced at an incredible rate. A bit of a space age looker for a bomber imho.

E1C31D4B-7E54-4644-B2A0-D926A24EE1EA.png
 






Frutos

Frutos

.
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
May 3, 2006
35,651
Northumberland
Weststander said:
A story I was previously unaware of, involving an RAF Valiant bomber.

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/19540487.new-light-cast-1956-southwick-nuclear-bomber-disaster/
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I wasn't aware of this either, thanks for sharing!

The Valiant only had a fairly short service life after cracks were found in the wing spars of them. There's now only one intact one left anywhere in the world, in the RAF Museum at Cosford.

As a side note, the Valiant was the only V-Bomber to do (only in tests, thankfully), what they were originally designed to do - drop a live nuclear weapon. The one that did it, XD 818, is the one preserved at Cosford.
 




Lethargic

Lethargic

Well-known member
Oct 11, 2006
3,466
Horsham
Frutos said:
It really did - only 11 years seperated the first flight of an Avro Lancaster from the first flight of an Avro Vulcan.
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You should also add the TSR2 into the conversation although it was cancelled before it could get into service. It was light years ahead of the game.
hush_tsr-2001.jpg
 








Happy Exile

Happy Exile

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Apr 19, 2018
1,889
Lovely to see these photos. In the 80's as a history-obsessed teen I did a bit of voluntary work at a site that had some old Vickers-Armstrong and BAC documents. As part of sorting things out saw some blueprints and concept art from the 1950s and 60s of aircraft that were never built but looked amazing - early Concorde type passenger aircraft, some spacecraft concepts, some military jet concepts. All incredible.

Met some fascinating people too, including working for a few days with Norman Boorer who was described to me as an aviation artist, and his paintings are fantastic, but I only discovered after his death he had been one of Barnes Wallis's team of 3 designing the bouncing bomb too. I remember him as a very humble man, generous with his time. Odd to think that was nearly 40 years ago.
 
















Stat Brother

Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,870
West west west Sussex
I have spent my break being buzzed by a Spitfire. (Goodwood).



Which is nice.
 




wunt be druv

wunt be druv

Oh bugger..!
Jun 17, 2011
2,150
In my own strange world
IMG-20220611-WA0035.jpg
I spent my Saturday afternoon flying in the back of this bad boy, I apologise for the noise over Peacehaven at around 15:45-ish as we did a victory roll over Wunt be Druv heights! A wonderful birthday gift from Mrs. Wunt be Druv for a "significant" birthday
 






Madafwo

Madafwo

I'm probably being facetious.
Nov 11, 2013
1,591
wunt be druv said:
View attachment 148871
I spent my Saturday afternoon flying in the back of this bad boy, I apologise for the noise over Peacehaven at around 15:45-ish as we did a victory roll over Wunt be Druv heights! A wonderful birthday gift from Mrs. Wunt be Druv for a "significant" birthday
Click to expand...

The fact that you waited until I wasn't in Peacehaven to witness this is incredibly selfish. I suggest you do it again next week so I can see and hear it.
 




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