Avro Vulcan

[Maverick]

Spare a thought for your antipodean cousins... $70 AUD!!

It's a pretty little plane, but not that pretty.

Regards,

Mav

[jcf]

Mini-me Vulcan? 

Dr. Frank Mitchell did a beautiful 1/32 scale scratch-build of the N.20:

http://hsfeatures.com/features04/n20fm_1.htm

[Mossie]

V Bomber related question.  The V bombers received Dark Green/Medium Sea Grey uppers when the anti flash was replaced.  This was in contrast to other aircraft receiving Dark Green/Dark Sea Grey uppers around the same time.  Can anyone tell me why this was?  I'm sure I've read it somewhere but I've forgotten why and where I read it.

[DarrenP]

Vulcan firebomber would be interesting

[PR19_Kit]

Vulcan firebomber would be interesting

But you could get more water aboard a Victor....

[Weaver]

Vulcan firebomber would be interesting

But you could get more water aboard a Victor....

But you wouldn't rip the wings off a Vulcan in a tight pull-out.....

[PR19_Kit]

Vulcan firebomber would be interesting

But you could get more water aboard a Victor....

But you wouldn't rip the wings off a Vulcan in a tight pull-out.....

I doubt you would in a Victor either, the wing spar depth of a K2 is truly awesome. And I'm the guy who's looked after airframe structural test rigs remember............ 

[kitnut617]

But you wouldn't rip the wings off a Vulcan in a tight pull-out.....

Apparently you can if you try hard enough, there's a Vulcan (XL361) at the airport in Goose Bay, Labrador which was ""officially"" presented as a gate guardian to Goose Bay.  Asking around why Goose Bay got a Vulcan when other places seemed to be more likely to receive a Vulcan as a gate guardian, I was told it was actually a 'write-off'.  The pilot of the aircraft had put on such an enthusiastic flying display while there that he bent the main spar and it was deemed 'unrepairable' and 'un-flyable'.  The end result was the RAF left it there until some arrangement could be made over it, which ended with it being given to Goose Bay

[Weaver]

But you wouldn't rip the wings off a Vulcan in a tight pull-out.....

Apparently you can if you try hard enough, there's a Vulcan (XL361) at the airport in Goose Bay, Labrador which was ""officially"" presented as a gate guardian to Goose Bay.  Asking around why Goose Bay got a Vulcan when other places seemed to be more likely to receive a Vulcan as a gate guardian, I was told it was actually a 'write-off'.  The pilot of the aircraft had put on such an enthusiastic flying display while there that he bent the main spar and it was deemed 'unrepairable' and 'un-flyable'.  The end result was the RAF left it there until some arrangement could be made over it, which ended with it being given to Goose Bay

Oh I know, I was only giving the perennial Victor-vs-Vulcan handbag fight an extra stir........

In fact, VX770 tragically proved that you could indeed rip the wing right off one when it did just that at a display at Syerston in 1958. The aircraft had been flown outside it's g/speed limits, which were a lot more restrictive that people think:

[Mossie]

I've found reference that there were plans to fit the Vulcan with the same De Havilland Spectre RATOG pods as trialed on the Victor.  I've attached a Flight article on it, it also gets a mention in the Aerofax guide on the Victor that trials on the Vulcan only got as far as ground firing on a structural test rig.
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1958/1958%20-%200170.html
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1958/1958%20-%200171.html

Have a look at the Victor thread on pages four and six for pictures of the rocket pod:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,12733.45.html
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,12733.75.html

[PR19_Kit]

I love the bit in the double linked Pathe News film about the Spectre fitted to a dummy SR53 rear end.

There's two of the test crew standing about 3 FEET from the rocket's exhaust with their fingers in their ears! A lot of good that'll do them at those sound levels!!! 

[KJ_Lesnick]

Dr. Frank Mitchell did a beautiful 1/32 scale scratch-build of the N.20:

WHOAH!  I sense an awesome design -- imagine the following

1: Same basic fuselage and wing
2: 2 engines instead of four and twice the thrust


BTW: What problems were there early on with the L-1000 turbojet (I know later on it became overly complicated with hydraulic clutching and twin-spools)?

1: Early on it had an axial compressor with a reciprocating compressor which Lockheed engineers could not find any flaws in early on
2: Wright Patterson felt there were various issues with the design, Lockheed felt the problems and fixes were fairly simple
3: I don't know the exact layout of the reciprocating compressors, but...
-A: They did have higher pressure ratios than a centrifugal flow compressor
-B: They did not require combustion to occur inside the cylinders which could make them lighter

[PR19_Kit]

Found an interesting snippet in a Vulcan book today, could make a good pub quiz question. 

Question : How many guns did a Vulcan have?

Answer : Two 27 mm Mauser cannon.................. 

Actually only ONE Vulcan had the twin Mauser fit, it was the engine test bed they used for the RB199 Tornado engine and it had the cannon fitted to see if firing affected the airflow into the engine and they actually fired the darn things over a range to test them out. That must gave beeen worth watching!

[pyro-manic]

There must be footage (or there must have been at one time) of that, surely...?

[Mossie]

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Vulcan and especially whiffery:

The Avro Type 698 Vulcan; The Secrets Behind it's Design and Development by David W. Fildes


It concentrates on the development of the Vulcan and is chock full of proposed developments, many that haven't been published before.  A must if your whiffing the Vulcan.

Thanks to Thorvic for recommending it to me at Telford.