The Avro Vulcan
The second of the Royal Air Force’s “V bombers,” the Vulcan, together with the Valiant and Victor, contributed to Great Britain’s nuclear deterrent force for fifteen years until the Polaris submarines of the Royal Navy assumed that role in 1969.
On August 30, 1952, the B1 prototype took off; four years later, the development of a better B2 design started. The Vulcan B2 was perfect for modification to carry the Blue Steel nuclear standoff bomb because of its improved performance. This weapon allowed the aircraft to launch its attack from outside the immediate missile defenses of a target, extending the effectiveness of the Royal Air Force’s airborne deterrent.
By 1966, Vulcans had shifted from high-level penetration to low-level penetration due to the effectiveness of Soviet missile defenses. After leaving the nuclear deterrent in 1970, Vulcans began supporting NATO forces in Europe by serving as conventional bombers.
In-flight refueling, which was employed so successfully in the long-range attacks on the Falkland Islands from Ascension Island in 1982, could significantly extend the Vulcan’s range. The last Vulcans retired from operational service in 1984.
VX770 disintegrating
The Vulcan proved to be a very reliable aircraft, enjoying an excellent safety record, probably as a direct result of Avro’s adherence to design simplicity and reliability.
Nevertheless, as the tragic video in this post shows, some doubt had certainly been cast over the Vulcan’s safety when the prototype 698 (VX770) was destroyed at Syerston near Nottingham on Sep. 20, 1958. As explained by Tim McLelland in his book The Avro Vulcan Revised Edition, the airframe broke up during a fast pass over the airfield during a Battle of Britain display in front of a crowd of horrified spectators.
An investigation found that the accident was caused by a structural failure of the wing, but a more thorough analysis showed that the aircraft had been flying outside of the safe speed and “g” flight envelope. This means that the design of the aircraft was clearly not at fault, and the pilot’s over-exuberance was the primary cause of the accident. Despite its incredible maneuverability, it was all too easy to forget that the Vulcan was a large, heavy, four-engine bomber rather than a fighter and that it could only be flown safely within limits, just like any other aircraft.
