Avro Vulcan

Avro Vulcan B1
Description
Role		Strategic nuclear bomber
Crew		5
First prototype flight		30 August 1952
First production flight		4 February 1955
Entered Service		20 July 1956
Manufacturer		A. V. Roe & Co., Woodford
Dimensions
Length	97 ft 1 in	29.6 m
Wingspan	99 ft	30.2 m
Height	26 ft 6 in	8.1 m
Wing area	3554 ft²	330 m²
Weights
Empty	83,573 lb	37,144 kg
Loaded	lb	kg
Maximum takeoff	170,000 lb	77,100 kg
Capacity
Powerplant
Engines
Power	hp	kW
Thrust	lb	kN
Performance
Maximum speed	Mach 0.95 at 12,000 m
Cruising speed	Mach 0.92 at 15,200 m
Combat range	miles	km
Ferry range	miles	km
Service ceiling	55,000 ft	16,750 m
Rate of climb	ft/min	m/min
Wing loading	lb/ft²	kg/m²
Avionics
Avionics
Armament
Guns
Bombs
Missiles
Rockets
Other
Avro Vulcan B2
Description
Avro Vulcan B.2 XH534
Description
Role		Strategic nuclear & tactical low-level bomber
Crew		5
First prototype flight		31 August 1957
First production flight		19 August 1958
Entered Service		1 July 1960
Manufacturer		A. V. Roe & Co., Woodford
Dimensions
Length	99 ft 11 in	30.45 m
Wingspan	111 ft	33.83 m
Height	27 ft 2 in	8.28 m
Wing area	3965 ft²	368.3 m²
Weights
Empty	lb	kg
Loaded	lb	kg
Maximum takeoff	204,000 lb	92,543 kg
Capacity
Powerplant
Engines	Four Olympus 201 (or 301) turbojets
Power	hp	kW
Thrust	4x 17,000 lb (201); 4x 20,000 lb (301)
Performance
Maximum speed	mph	km/h
Combat Range	miles	km
Ferry range	miles	km
Service ceiling	55,000 ft	16,750 m
Rate of climb	ft/min	m/min
Wing loading	lb/ft²	kg/m²
Avionics
Avionics
Armament
Guns
Bombs
Missiles
Rockets
Other

The Avro Vulcan was a British built jet engined, delta-winged subsonic bomber, once part of the RAF's V bomber force.

Design and prototypes

Design work began at A. V. Roe in 1947 under Roy Chadwick, the Ministry of Defence specification required a bomber with a top speed of 500 knots (930 km/h), an operating ceiling of 50,000 ft (15,000 m), a range of 3,000 nautical miles (5,500 km) and a bomb load of 10,000 lb (4,500 kg). It also held the distinction as the first fly-by-wire aircraft to enter service. Design work also began at Vickers and Handley Page, all three designs were approved - the Valiant, the Victor and the Vulcan.

Avro began scale prototype testing in 1948 with the single-seater Type 707, and despite the crash of the first prototype on September 30, 1949 work continued. The first full-scale prototype aircraft, the Type 698, was completed in August 1952 and made its maiden flight on August 31. The Vulcan name was not chosen until 1953.

Operational aircraft

In September 1956, the RAF received its first Vulcan B.1, XA897, which immediately went on a fly-the-flag mission to New Zealand. On October 1, while approaching London Airport to complete the tour, XA897 crashed short of the runway in bad weather conditions. The second Vulcan was not delivered until 1957, and the delivery rate picked up from then. The B.2 variant was first tested in 1957 and entered service in 1960. It had a larger wing and better performance than the B1 and had a distinctive kink in its delta wing to reduce turbulence. In all, 134 Vulcans were produced (45 B.1 and 89 B.2), the last being delivered to the RAF in January 1965. The last operational Vulcan squadron was disbanded in March 1984.

Nuclear deterrent

As part of Britain's independent nuclear deterrent the Vulcan initially carried Britain's first nuclear weapon, the Blue Danube gravity bomb. The bomb load was gradually updated to Yellow Sun and then Red Beard and from 1962 26 Vulcan B.2A were armed with the Blue Steel missile. When Blue Steel was decommissioned and the replacement program for the Skybolt ALBM was cancelled the bombers reverted to gravity bomb loads, despite the lack of credible deterrent value in this delivery method.

Conventional role

Vulcans were converted to a conventional bombing role in 1966, carrying 21 1000-lbs (454 kg) bombs. The only combat missions involving the Vulcan took place in the 1982 Falklands War with Argentina, when a number of Vulcans flew the 3,380 nautical miles (6,300 km) from Ascension Island to Port Stanley to bomb the occupied airfield there with conventional bombs as Operation Black Buck. By this date the number of Victors available for air-to-air refueling was extremely limited, so some Vulcan aircraft were adapted in just fifty days to fulfill that role during the conflict. Five Vulcans were chosen for the operation, their bomb bays were modified, the fuel systems replaced and the electronics updated. The first bombing mission was on April 30-May 1 and there were five further bombing missions. At the time these missions held the record for the World's longest distance raids.

Miscellaneous

• The Vulcan was the first jet powered bomber to use delta wings.

• The Vulcan was used as test-beds for the Concorde engine, the Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus and the Rolls-Royce Conway turbofan.

• A Vulcan featured in the James Bond film Thunderball. There are 21 Vulcans still relatively intact at air museums around the world.

Vulcan B1 specification

• Speed: Mach 0.92 (cruise)
• Ceiling:
• Range 2,607 nautical miles (4,800 km)
• Power: 4 Bristol Siddeley Olympus 101 turbojets at 195,700 N each
• Crew: 5 Pilot, Co-Pilot, Navigator Plotter, Navigator Radar and Air Electronics Officer

See also

• V-Bomber Force
• V-Bomber Dispersal Bases
• UK topics

External links

• Vulcans in Camera (http://www.avrovulcan.org.uk)
• Vulcan on display at Castle Air Museum, California (http://www.elite.net/castle-air/vulcan.htm)
• Vulcan history (http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/vulcan/history.html)
• Vulcan Restoration Trust (http://www.avrovulcan.com)

Avro Vulcan B.2 (XH558) in plan view

pl:Avro Vulcan