Avro Vulcan Missileer

[lenny100]

Well it been a while since i did a photo list of one of my builds so i thought my next plan would be a good subject.
Using Chris Gibsons excellent  book "Vulcan's Hammer" which is a must read for all, with some truly intresting ideas that you would not believe they even thought about, as inspiration


The Avro Vulcan Missileer was in fact seriously looked at in the early 1970's using  the air launched Sea Dart of which 8 could be carried, which was dismissed as the structural changes to carry the search radar and a large 16 foot diameter podded tracking radar caused a reduction in both operating range and speed,

in the latter part of the 70's a second option was looked.
The airframe of the F-14 tomcat was ruled out because of costs and its inadequate range to patrol the greenland UK gap with a usable defence to shoot down the hoard of Russian bombers at long range before the other fighters could get in range to form a second line  of defence, but the hughes AWG-9 radar and the AIM-54 Phoenix were studied and put forward


a total of 12 Phoenix could be carried and extra fuel tanks were to be placed in the now empty bomb bay. A new glass cover for the cockpit was also looked at to improve the visibility of the flight crew

now my model of this will have the glass cockpit cover and a revamped cockpit area giving the two rear seaters upward firing seats also and will show the awg-9 radar in place of the standard H2S radar with a removable chin radar cover

(Images removed)

[Army of One]

This looks great.....couldn't you get a few more under the belly as the bomb bay is now a fuel tank....?

[lenny100]

i am thinking that 12 shots at the same time was the limit of the power of the tracking/attack computers at the time.

[Hobbes]

The AWG-9 could track up to 24 targets at a time, the missile load would probably be limited by drag.

Nice project Lenny, I'm looking forward to seeing this finished.

[pyro-manic]

Interesting. Might I suggest tandem carriage of the missiles, rather than the side-by-side pylons shown in the illustration? Might be a bit better in terms of drag.

[GTX]

Interesting they don't use the bombbay for the missiles.  Carrying them on the wing in the open results in damage.  Better to put drop tanks on the wing I would have thought.

Regards,

Greg

[scooter]

Interesting concept.  Might I also suggest instead of gas in the bomb bay a carousel launcher.  Should be able to carry at least 6 to 12 more Phoenixes on it, and with IFR capabilities out of Keflavik with the USAF or locally with the RAF, gas shouldn't be a problem.

[kitnut617]

You might want to move all the groupings further outboard though, the inner most missile is right where the u/c bay door hangs when it's open.

See here.



As pyro' suggests, using the heavy stores pylon that was designed for the Skybolt missile you could place two pairs in tandem on that, then one more pair further outboard as you have it.  You could modify the under fuselage launchers from an F-14 into a fancy pylon mount.

[lenny100]

like the proposal by kitnut about moveing the aragment around a bit looked at my wifes "sunderland vulcan" and the inner pylon is just about were the door is situated but using the skybolt pylon can hold two pairs of missile with a second pair about half way between the outer pair in the diagram, as far the final finish goes it looks like it is a toss up between the gray phantom air defence sceam of the late 70s or the hemp of the nimrods, as for squadron markings that depends on what i have in stock!

[albeback]

Nice idea - I like this!

How about a tandem cockpit for the Pilot/RSO. My Vulcan B3 ( PHOTOS ATTACHED) was based on a 4 man crew with Pilot /RSO "upstairs" & the rear crew of 2 behind & on a lower level - with ejection seats this time exiting through a frangible roof panel.

Mine was not a missile carrier but had the option of total (internal and external ) load of 20,000 KG. Model is illustrated carrying 4 x 4500 kg Tallboy II deep penetration bombs

[kitnut617]

like the proposal by kitnut about moveing the aragment around a bit looked at my wifes "sunderland vulcan" and the inner pylon is just about were the door is situated but using the skybolt pylon can hold two pairs of missile with a second pair about half way between the outer pair in the diagram,

Something I was playing around with when I had my Mach 3 Avro Arrow on the bench, I was trying to figure out how to get as many missiles onto it as possible as internally was very limited.  The idea I came up with was to use a 600 Gal, F-15 tank and then make endentations into it that semi-recessed the Phoenixs, I found I could get three Phoenixs around it. Then I was going to use four 600 Gal tanks as I have moved the main undercarriage so they are fuselage mounted.  This way you had extra fuel as well. The Phoenix was usually ejected away from the aircraft before it lit up.

[lenny100]

i have already done the tandam cockpit on my stealth Vulcan and i think that doing this with a clear cokpit is worth doing just to show something that is more than a what if and more could of been

[Devilfish]

Clear cockpit like this?

[Army of One]

Oh wow...!!!! Is that from a Prowler..?? Anyhoo....Lenny....I have a 1/72 Revell B1B.....I can't remember if it has a rotary launcher....If it does you are more than welcome to it to butcher for a rotary AIM-54 launcher.....with some more AIM-54's if you want.....I agree with the other comments re missile stowage/pylons/in flight refuelling......if you want the stuff send me an addy by PM....can be in the post by end of the week....if the model has the launcher.....H

Just looked at an inbox review and it appears to have a molded in rotary launcher......shame.....I'll have a look anyway....offer still stands

[scooter]

Just looked at an inbox review and it appears to have a molded in rotary launcher......shame.....I'll have a look anyway....offer still stands

Hmm...35mm film canister and styrene?