Avro Vulcan B.2 (XL319)
NAHR category - Noteworthy
Aircraft History
The Avro Vulcan was a British delta wing subsonic bomber operated by the Royal Air Force from 1953 until 1984. The Vulcan was part of the RAF's V bomber force, which fulfilled the role of nuclear deterrence against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was also used in a conventional bombing role during the Falklands conflict with Argentina.
Design work began at A. V. Roe in 1947 under Roy Chadwick. The Air Ministry specification B.35/46 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 (5500 km) and a bomb load of 10,000 lb (approx 4,550 kg); intended to permit delivery of nuclear missiles deep into Soviet territory.
The Vulcan name was not chosen until 1953 after the Valiant had already been named. The first prototype had a straight leading edge this was subsequently modified to have a kink further out towards the wingtip. The Vulcan bomber in service was not fitted with pure delta wings; but the prototypes models were the first jet bomber design to use a wing of that shape, which was modified in development to give the service machines better flying characteristics than a pure delta can supply.
Despite its large size, it had a relatively small radar cross-section (RCS). It is now known that it had a fortuitously stealthy shape apart from the tail fin. Avro test pilot Wing Commander (retired) Roly Falk demonstrated the aircraft's high performance in the second production Vulcan, XA890, by performing a barrel-roll immediately after takeoff at the 1955 Farnborough Air Show. The Vulcan used entirely powered control surfaces, this combined with the relatively small space for the pilots meant that a fighter-like stick could be used instead of a control column with the added benefit that ejection could be quicker in an emergency.
XL319 History
XL319 was delivered to RAF Scampton for 617 Squadron (Dambusters) in an all white anti-flash colour scheme on 20th October 1961. It later served with 83 Squadron before the introduction of centralised servicing discontinued the allocation of individual aircraft to specific units put the aircraft under the control of Scampton Wing (27Sqn, 83Sqn & 617Sqn). When unit marks came back into vogue in 1969 the markings of 230OCU at Finningley appeared on the aircraft (the aircraft moved with the unit to Scampton). When 35 Squadron returned from Akrotiri, Cyprus in January 1979, XL319 was transferred to their charge. Prior to disbanding of 35Sqn on 28th February 1982, it was transferred to Waddington for use by 44Sqn, in whose markings it appeared in by 13th April 1982. 44Sqn disbanded on 21st December 1982. During the Falklands war in 1982 XL319 was one of three Vulcan's which embarked on a good-will tour of the USA, eventually returning home via Goose Bay, Canada. It was acquired by the museum for £5,000 and flown to Sunderland Airport by Sqn Ldr R J Reeve and Sqn Ldr N McDougall DFC on 21 January 1983 to join the NEAM and was the first of its type to be released to an independent collection in the UK.
XL319 history credit : Air North.
XL319 sitting in the Winter sun - Jan 2008
XL319 arriving at a RAF Germany base Credit : Lieuwe Hofstra