Misplaced Pages

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95-539: The Avro Atlantic (Avro 722) was a proposed civilian airliner version of the British Avro Vulcan strategic bomber . It was a response to a 1952 UK Ministry of Supply requirement for a new aircraft suitable for both military and civilian long-range roles. Civilian models of the Vickers Valiant and Handley Page Victor V-bombers were also planned for the same contract. The Vickers V-1000 won

190-591: A UHF transmitter-receiver (ARC-52). The initial B.2 radio fit was similar to the B.1A though it was ultimately fitted with the ARC-52, a V/UHF transmitter/receiver (PTR-175), and a single-sideband modulation HF transmitter-receiver ( Collins 618T). The navigation and bombing system comprised an H2S Mk9 radar and a navigation bombing computer Mk1. Other navigation aids included a Marconi radio compass ( ADF ), GEE Mk3 , Green Satin Doppler radar to determine

285-561: A V-class of bombers, and the Air Council announced the following month that the 698 would be called Vulcan after the Roman god of fire and destruction . In January 1953, VX770 was grounded for the installation of wing fuel tanks, Armstrong Siddeley ASSa.6 Sapphire engines of 7,500 lbf (33 kN) thrust and other systems; it flew again in July 1953. From 1957, VX770 was used as

380-477: A contract for the prototype SA.4 to the less-stringent Specification B.14/46. The SA.4, later named Sperrin, was not required. In April 1948, Vickers also received authority to proceed with their Type 660 , which, although falling short of the B.35/46 Specification, but being of a more conventional design, would be available sooner. This plane entered service as the Valiant. As Avro had no flight experience of

475-408: A conventional control wheel, was powered by four Rolls-Royce RA.3 Avon engines of 6,500 lbf (29 kN) thrust, its intended Bristol Olympus engines not being available. The prototype had fuselage fuel tanks but no wing tanks, so temporary additional tankage was carried in the bomb bay. VX770 made an appearance at the 1952 Society of British Aircraft Constructors' (SBAC) Farnborough Air Show

570-410: A dorsal spine; a new main undercarriage to carry an all-up-weight of 339,000 lb (154,000 kg); and reheated Olympus 301s of 30,000 lbf (130 kN) thrust. An amended proposal of October 1960 inserted a 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m) plug into the forward fuselage with capacity for six crew members including a relief pilot, all facing forwards on ejection seats, and aft-fan versions of

665-541: A heavy landing at Farnborough. It was repaired, fitted with Olympus 101 engines of 11,000 lbf (49 kN) thrust before resuming trials with Avro and the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) at Boscombe Down . While exploring VX777's high-speed and high-altitude flight envelope at the A&;AEE, mild buffeting and other undesirable flight characteristics were experienced while approaching

760-574: A maritime radar reconnaissance role and six for an airborne tanker role. An updated bomb rack assembly allowing the carriage of 30 1,000 lb bombs, up from 21 was demonstrated by Avro but was not introduced. The updated wing profile increased range to 4,000 nm (7,400 km). The Avro 718 was a 1951 proposal for a delta-winged military transport based on the Type 698 to carry 80 troops or 110 passengers. It would have been powered by four Bristol Olympus BOl.3 engines. The Avro Type 722 Atlantic

855-627: A new AC electrical system, XA893; ECM including jammers within a bulged tail cone and a tail warning radar , XA895: and for Blue Steel development work, XA903. The 46th production aircraft and first B.2, XH533, first flew in September 1958 using Olympus 200 engines, six months before the last B.1 XH532 was delivered in March 1959. The second B.2, XH534, flew in January 1959. Powered by production Olympus 201s with 17,000 lbf (76 kN) thrust, it

950-505: A practical refit scheme was rejected. A rudimentary sixth seat forward of the navigator radar was provided for an additional crew member; the B.2 had an additional seventh seat opposite the sixth seat and forward of the AEO. The visual bomb-aimer's compartment could be fitted with a T4 (Blue Devil) bombsight , in many B.2s, this space housed a vertically mounted Vinten F95 Mk.10 camera for assessing simulated low-level bombing runs. Fuel

1045-452: A pressurised cabin with an equivalent altitude of 8,000 ft (2,400 m) at 45,000 ft (14,000 m). The chief designer of Avro at the time, after Roy Chadwick 's death, was Stuart Davies . The Atlantic would have been powered either by Bristol Olympus or Rolls-Royce Conway engines. Artists illustrations at the time show passengers in a 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) diameter fuselage, seated in two rows, two-abreast, with

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1140-468: A prototype contract for its crescent-winged HP.80 B.35/46 tender in November 1947. Although considered the best option, the contract award for Avro's design was delayed while its technical strength was established. Instructions to proceed with the construction of two Avro 698 prototypes were received in January 1948. As an insurance measure against both radical designs failing, Short Brothers received

1235-486: A service name. For example, the 'Fairey 6/22' was built to meet the 6th specification issued in the year 1922; it was subsequently accepted as the Fairey Flycatcher . Later, a preceding letter was added to the specification number to identify the type of aircraft; e.g.: specification B.28/35 for a bomber was the 28th specification issued in 1935; in this case the specification was specifically written for

1330-583: A single central aisle, with the seats facing towards the rear of the aircraft for safety reasons. The aircraft was initially depicted in illustrations and 1/24-scale models using the original Vulcan wing planform with a straight-line, swept back leading edge, but a 1955 design revision showed the later Phase 2 'kinked' leading edge to overcome buffet during flight. It was anticipated that the Atlantic would be complete by 1958, and initial discussions were held with British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) regarding

1425-556: A wrap-around camouflage of dark sea grey and dark green because, during Red Flag exercises in the US, defending SAM forces had found that the grey-painted undersides of the Vulcan became much more visible against the ground at high angles of bank. The original Vulcan B.1 radio fit was: two 10-channel VHF transmitter/receivers (TR-1985/TR-1986) and an STR-18, 24-channel HF transmitter-receiver (R4187/T4188). The Vulcan B.1A also featured

1520-401: The Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment 's chief test pilot Squadron Leader Samuel Eric Esler, DFC, AE. The second low-speed 707, VX790, built with the still uncompleted 707A's nose section (containing an ejection seat ) and redesignated 707B, flew in September 1950 piloted by Avro test pilot Wg Cdr Roland "Roly" Falk . The high-speed 707A, WD480, followed in July 1951. Due to

1615-722: The British Empire , for example the Avro Lancaster and Fairey Battle (after Battle, East Sussex , the site of the Battle of Hastings ). With the introduction of helicopters, these were to be named after trees but only the Bristol Sycamore was named in this scheme. The name ('type name') of an aircraft type would be agreed between the Air Ministry or Admiralty and the manufacturer or importer when

1710-712: The First World War , aircraft types in British military service have generally been known by a service name (e.g. 'Spitfire'), with individual variants recognised by mark numbers , often in combination with a letter to indicate the role. This is in contrast to identification systems used in countries such as the United States , where an aircraft type is primarily identified by an alphanumeric designation. The British military aircraft designations (e.g. 'Spitfire Mark V' or 'Hercules C3') should not be confused with

1805-655: The Ministry of Defence in January 1982 stated that little prospect was seen of this happening without ascertaining the Argentine interest and whether such interest was genuine: 'On the face of it, a strike aircraft would be entirely suitable for an attack on the Falklands.' Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands less than three months later, after which a British embargo on the sale of any military equipment

1900-481: The Ministry of Supply distributed Specification B.35/46 to UK aviation companies to satisfy Air Staff Operational Requirement OR.229 for "a medium range bomber landplane capable of carrying one 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) bomb to a target 1,500 nautical miles (1,700 mi; 2,800 km) from a base which may be anywhere in the world." A cruising speed of 500 knots (580 mph; 930 km/h) at altitudes between 35,000 and 50,000 ft (11,000 and 15,000 m)

1995-713: The North American A-5 Vigilante , BAC TSR-2 , General Dynamics F-111 , had become available. Had the Australian government pre-ordered the TSR-2, several V-bombers, including Vulcans, would have been made available, for interim use by the RAAF; however, the F-111C was ordered. (The UK government almost followed that decision – after the cancellation of the TSR-2 – it was offered the similar F-111K .) In

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2090-620: The RAF Voyager is either designated as KC2, indicating two Cobham 905E underwing hose and drogue refuelling pods, whereas the KC3 indicates a total of three hose and drogue refuelling units (two underwing, and an additional centreline Cobham 805E Fuselage Refuelling Unit), there was never any 'mark 1' variant of the Voyager. The system has been largely unchanged since 1948, with the addition of more prefixes as new roles have arisen. For example,

2185-603: The Rolls-Royce-built ones , the Lancaster I became a Lancaster III. Otherwise, these two aircraft were identical in appearance and performance, and normally indistinguishable from each other but needed to be identified differently for maintenance. During the Second World War , as aircraft ordered for one purpose became adapted to a multitude of roles, mark numbers became prefixed with letters to indicate

2280-439: The groundspeed and drift angle , radio and radar altimeters , and an instrument landing system . TACAN replaced GEE in the B.1A and B.2 in 1964. Decca Doppler 72 replaced Green Satin in the B.2 around 1969 A continuous display of the aircraft's position was maintained by a ground position indicator. Vulcan B.2s were eventually fitted with the free-running dual-gyroscopic heading reference system (HRS) Mk.2, based upon

2375-564: The inertial platform of the Blue Steel missile, which had been integrated into the system when the missile had been carried. With the HRS a navigator's heading unit was provided, which enabled the navigator plotter to adjust the aircraft heading, through the autopilot, by as little as 0.1 degrees. The B.2 (MRR) was additionally fitted with the LORAN C navigation system. The original ECM fit of

2470-411: The interwar period , variants of each operational type were usually indicated by a mark number , a Roman numeral added to the type name, usually preceded by 'Mark', or its abbreviated form 'Mk.' or 'Mk', e.g.: Fury Mk.I. Mark numbers were allocated sequentially to each new variant, the new mark number signifying a 'major' change such as a new engine -type. Sometimes, an alphabetic suffix was added to

2565-506: The military aircraft registration (also known as its "serial" ) used to identify individual aircraft (e.g. XR220), nor with U.S. aircraft designations (e.g. C-5, C-17, MQ-9) or manufacturer's designations (e.g. Sikorsky S-58 , Jaguar B , WS-61 , AW139 , WAH-64 ), though mark numbers were used to indicate aircraft built for other nations e.g. Hawker Hunter Mk.58 was a Hunter F.6 for the Swiss Air Force. No designation system

2660-452: The 698's development. More influential than the Avro 707 in the 698's design was the wind-tunnel testing performed at RAE Farnborough . This necessitated a wing redesign incorporating a cranked and drooped leading edge and vortex generators to avoid the onset of compressibility drag, which would have restricted the maximum speed. This wing modification resulted in the "phase 2" wing which

2755-455: The A&AEE for trials for the type's initial Certificate of Airworthiness which it received the following month. (In 1956, VX777 was modified with the even larger phase 2(C) wing. Fitted with Olympus 104 engines, it became the aerodynamic prototype of the Vulcan B.2.) The first 15 production B.1s were powered by the Olympus 101. Many of these early examples in a metallic finish remained

2850-567: The Air Ministry introduced names with the initial letters relating to role, for example C for troop carriers as used by the Handley Page Clive . A further change was made in 1932 and 1939, to use more appropriate names. Fighters were to use "General words indicating speed, activity or aggressiveness", and trainer aircraft would be "words indicating tuition and places of education". Bombers were to be named after inland towns in

2945-426: The B.1A and B.2 was one Green Palm voice communications jammer; two Blue Diver metric jammers; three Red Shrimp S-band jammers; a Blue Saga passive warning receiver with four aerials; a Red Steer tail warning radar ; and chaff dispensers. The bulk of the equipment was carried in a large, extended tail cone, and a flat ECM aerial counterpoise plate was mounted between the starboard tailpipes. Later equipment on

Avro Atlantic - Misplaced Pages Continue

3040-583: The B.1As were not strengthened for low-level operations and all were withdrawn by 1968. As far back as 1952, Bristol Aero Engines had begun development of the BOl.6 (Olympus 6) rated at 16,000 lbf (71 kN) thrust but if fitted to the B.1, this would have reintroduced the buffet requiring further redesign of the wing. The decision to proceed with the B.2 versions of the Vulcan was made in May 1956, being developed by Avro's chief designer Roy Ewans . The first B.2

3135-560: The B.2 included: an L band jammer (replacing a Red Shrimp); the ARI 18146 X-band jammer; replacing the Green Palm; the improved Red Steer Mk.2; infra-red decoys (flares); and the ARI 18228 PWR with its aerials that gave a squared top to the fin. The aircraft was controlled by a fighter-type control stick and rudder bar, which operated the powered flying controls, which each had a single electrohydraulic-powered flying control unit, except

3230-420: The B.2) ejection seats whilst on the lower level the navigator radar , navigator plotter , and air electronics officer (AEO) sat facing rearwards and would abandon the aircraft via the entrance door. The original B35/46 specification sought a jettisonable crew compartment , but this requirement was removed in a subsequent amendment; the rear crew's escape system was often an issue of controversy, such as when

3325-729: The Bristol 142M, a modification of Bristol's Type 142 private venture civil aircraft ( Britain First ) for military use as a bomber, which would enter service as the Bristol Blenheim Mk.I light bomber. From about 1910, the largest single designer of aircraft for the British Army 's Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the Royal Aircraft Factory . The Royal Aircraft Factory designated its types according to either

3420-572: The MoS's Air Fleet on radio trials), amazed crowds at the Farnborough Air Show by executing a barrel roll on his second flypast in front of the SBAC president's tent. After two days of flying, he was called in front of service and civil aviation authorities and ordered to refrain from carrying out this "dangerous" manoeuvre. Now fitted with a phase 2 wing, XA889 was delivered in March 1956 to

3515-469: The Olympus 104 standard, ultimately rated at 13,500 lbf (60 kN) thrust. Rebuilding B.1s as B.2s was considered but rejected over cost. Nevertheless, to extend the B.1's service life, 28 (the surviving B1 aircraft fitted with Olympus 102/104 engines) were upgraded by Armstrong Whitworth between 1959 and 1963 to the B.1A standard, including features of the B.2 such as ECM equipment, in-flight refuelling receiving equipment, and UHF radio. However,

3610-480: The Olympus 301. To counter improving Soviet defences after the cancellation of Skybolt , Avro proposed a Vulcan with three Gnat fighters slung underneath. The Gnats were to have been released in enemy airspace to provide fighter cover, and they were expected to land "in friendly territory" or return to the Vulcan to replenish their tanks by means of a specially installed flight-refuelling drogue. Other countries expressed interest in purchasing Vulcans, but as with

3705-625: The RAF kept the name and it also has a single set of numbers. The post-1948 mark numbers are variously presented in full, e.g.: Hercules C Mk.3; or abbreviated, e.g.: Hercules C3 forms; and either with or without a full stop between the prefix and mark number. The use of the 'Mark' or 'Mk.' has gradually been dropped. From 1920 to 1949, most aircraft had an associated Air Ministry specification number . Prototype aircraft would be produced under contract, and would be referred to by manufacturer name and specification number. If accepted, they would get

3800-812: The RAF with these modifications. When the Mk.2 version of Blue Steel was cancelled in favour of the Douglas GAM-87 Skybolt air-launched ballistic missile in December 1959, fittings were changed in anticipation of the new missile, one under each wing. Though Skybolt was cancelled in November 1962, many aircraft were delivered or retrofitted with "Skybolt" blisters. Later aircraft were delivered with Olympus 301 engines with 20,000 lbf (89 kN) thrust. Two earlier aircraft were re-engined (XH557 and XJ784) for trials and development work; another seven aircraft were converted around 1963. The last B.2 XM657

3895-557: The Smiths Military Flight System (MFS), the pilots' components being: two beam compasses; two director-horizons; and an Mk.10A or Mk.10B autopilot . From 1966, B.2s were fitted with the ARI 5959 TFR, built by General Dynamics , its commands being fed into the director-horizons. The B.1 had four elevators (inboard) and four ailerons (outboard). In the B.2, these were replaced by eight elevons . The Vulcan

Avro Atlantic - Misplaced Pages Continue

3990-724: The Spitfire PR Mk.XIX became the PR Mk.19 after 1948. With this change, the Sea- variants were allocated their own range within one common series for all variants; e.g.: the Hawker Fury Mk.I was followed by the Sea Fury F.10, Sea Fury FB.11 etc. More recently, mark numbers have not always been used sequentially, but instead used to highlight differences in equipment installed. Specific examples include aerial refuelling tankers;

4085-518: The U.S. Atomic Energy Act of 1946 (McMahon Act) having prohibited exporting atomic knowledge, even to countries that had collaborated on the Manhattan Project . OR.1001 envisaged a weapon not to exceed 24 ft 2 in (7.37 m) in length, 5 ft (1.5 m) in diameter and 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) in weight. The weapon had to be suitable for release from 20,000 to 50,000 ft (6,100 to 15,200 m). In January 1947,

4180-667: The Vulcan was typically armed with nuclear weapons , it could also carry out conventional bombing missions, which it did in Operation Black Buck during the Falklands War between the United Kingdom and Argentina in 1982. The Vulcan had no defensive weaponry, initially relying upon high-speed, high-altitude flight to evade interception. Electronic countermeasures were employed by the B.1 (designated B.1A) and B.2 from around 1960. A change to low-level tactics

4275-501: The bomb bay. Despite being designed before a low radar cross-section and other stealth factors were ever a consideration, an RAE technical note of 1957 stated that of all the aircraft so far studied, the Vulcan appeared by far the simplest radar-echoing object, due to its shape; only one or two components contributed significantly to the echo at any aspect, compared with three or more on most other types. The two prototype Vulcans were finished in gloss white. Early Vulcan B.1s left

4370-427: The cabin and was fitted with Bristol Olympus 100 engines of 9,750 lbf (43.4 kN) thrust. At Falk's suggestion, a fighter-style control stick had replaced the control wheel. Like VX770, VX777 had the original wing with straight leading edges. VX777 was joined in formation by the first prototype VX770 and four Avro 707s at the 1953 Farnborough Air Show. During trials in July 1954, VX777 was substantially damaged in

4465-598: The contest over the Atlantic, but ultimately none of these designs would be built. In early June 1953, Sir Roy Dobson C.B.E., then Managing Director of A.V. Roe and Company , revealed that the company was working on a project for a 100-ton airliner based on the Vulcan. The aircraft as initially envisaged, would have carried a flight crew of five (pilot, co-pilot, navigator and two engineering officers) as well as between 76 and 113 passengers in one of three separate configurations (luxury, basic and tourist) at speeds in excess of 600 mph (520 kn; 970 km/h) or Mach 0.9 in

4560-509: The control column had to be pushed rather than pulled to maintain level flight. This artificial pitch-up made the Vulcan handle more like other aircraft as its speed increased. The first production B.1 XA889 first flew in February 1955 with the original wing and joined the trials in June. In September 1955, Falk, flying the second production B.1 XA890 (which had remained at Woodford as part of

4655-469: The delay of the 707 programme, the contribution of the 707B and 707A towards the basic design of the 698 was not considered significant, though it did highlight a need to increase the length of the nosewheel to give a ground incidence of 3.5°, the optimum take-off attitude. The 707B and 707A proved the design's validity and gave confidence in the delta planform . A second 707A, WZ736, and a two-seat 707C, WZ744, were also constructed, but they played no part in

4750-456: The delta wing, the company planned two smaller experimental aircraft based on the 698, the one-third scale model 707 for low-speed handling and the one-half scale model 710 for high-speed handling. Two of each were ordered. The 710 was cancelled when it was considered too time-consuming to develop; a high-speed variant of the 707 was designed in its place, the 707A. The first 707, VX784 , flew in September 1949, but crashed later that month, killing

4845-528: The early 1980s, Argentina approached the UK with a proposal to buy a number of Vulcans. An application, made in September 1981, requested the 'early availability' of a 'suitable aircraft'. With some reluctance, British ministers approved the export of a single aircraft but emphasised that clearance had not been given for the sale of a larger number. A letter from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office to

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4940-437: The early aircraft were retained for trials, and the 12th B.2, XH558, was the first to be delivered to the RAF in July 1960. Coincidentally, XH558 was also the last Vulcan in service with the RAF, before being retired in 1992. The 26th B.2, XL317, the first of a production batch ordered in February 1956, was the first Vulcan, apart from development aircraft, capable of carrying the Blue Steel missile; 33 aircraft were delivered to

5035-448: The factory in a natural metal finish; the front half of the nose radome was painted black, the rear half painted silver. Front-line Vulcan B.1s had a finish of anti-flash white and RAF "type D" roundels . Front-line Vulcan B.1As and B.2s were similar, but with pale roundels. With the adoption of low-level attack profiles in the mid-1960s, B.1As and B.2s were given a glossy sea grey medium and dark green disruptive pattern camouflage on

5130-563: The first Lockheed Hercules variant in Royal Air Force service was the Hercules C.1 ('Cargo, Mark 1'). A single example was adapted for weather monitoring purposes and became the Hercules W.2. The fuselage-lengthened variant became the Hercules C.3. For aircraft with a long service life, as their function evolves over time, the designation letters and sometimes the mark digit will change to reflect this. The practice of restarting

5225-497: The flying testbed for the Rolls-Royce Conway by-pass engine. It crashed at a flying display at RAF Syerston in September 1958. The second prototype, VX777, first flew on 3 September 1953. More representative of production aircraft, it was lengthened to accommodate a longer nose undercarriage leg to increase the angle of attack of the wing, shortening the take-off run. It featured a visual bomb-aiming blister under

5320-596: The formation of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in April 1918, the Ministry of Munitions introduced a new system as Technical Department Instruction 538 . They mainly followed the February 1918 scheme, but certain names already used for engines were excluded, for example birds of prey were used by Rolls-Royce for their aero-engines. The names related to zoology , geography , and mythology were withdrawn in 1927, and

5415-545: The introduction of the Avro Blue Steel stand-off missile , then in development. To develop these proposals, the second Vulcan prototype VX777 was rebuilt with the larger and thinner phase-2C wing, improved flying control surfaces, and Olympus 102 engines, first flying in this configuration in August 1957. Several Vulcan B.1s were used for the development of the B.2: development of the BOl.6 (later Olympus 200), XA891;

5510-544: The last time in October 2015 and is also being kept in taxiable condition. XM612 is on display at Norwich Aviation Museum . The origin of the Vulcan and the other V bombers is linked with early British atomic weapon programme and nuclear deterrent policies. Britain's atom bomb programme began with Air Staff Operational Requirement OR.1001 issued in August 1946. This anticipated a government decision in January 1947 to authorise research and development work on atomic weapons,

5605-505: The layout of the aircraft or its role; e.g.: Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 , the 'S.E.' prefix representing 'scouting experimental'. In practice, successful Royal Aircraft Factory designs were largely built by other manufacturers, though still known by the Royal Aircraft Factory designations. Some examples of manufacturers designations and the corresponding service designations are shown below: For some aircraft types in

5700-426: The limiting Mach number, including an alarming tendency to enter an uncontrollable dive . This was judged unacceptable for an unarmed bomber. Fitting the phase 2 wing removed the buffeting and an auto-mach trimmer countered the high-speed dive. The latter applied up-elevator as the speed critically increased. This up-elevator force was greater than the force required to counter the dive. Consequently, as speed increased,

5795-496: The mark number to indicate a minor change, e.g.: Bulldog Mk.IIA. Occasionally, this letter indicated a change in role, e.g.: the Blenheim Mk.I bomber was adapted to the Blenheim Mk.IF long-range fighter . Sometimes a minor but otherwise significant change in an aircraft would necessitate a new mark number, e.g., when the Lancaster I was fitted with Packard-built Merlin engines, which used a different make of carburettor from

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5890-646: The mark numbers for the naval variant where the name was changed continued; e.g., the naval version of the Hawker Siddely Harrier , the BAe Sea Harrier , marks started again at FRS Mk.1, whilst variants where the name was unchanged for the naval version such as the Lynx have a single set of numbers for both land and naval variants. In the case of the Sea King , which began as a naval aircraft,

5985-411: The next month when Falk demonstrated an almost vertical bank. After its Farnborough appearance, the future name of the Avro 698 was a subject of speculation. Avro had strongly recommended the name Ottawa , in honour of the company's connection with Avro Canada . The weekly magazine Flight suggested Albion after rejecting Avenger , Apollo , and Assegai . The chief of the air staff preferred

6080-543: The order was placed. Names generally followed one or a number of patterns: The systems began to change in the immediate post-Second World War period, with the V bombers and types such as the Supermarine Scimitar . The RAF's three post-war jet-engined , swept wing strategic bombers were given names beginning with 'V' – Vickers Valiant , Avro Vulcan , and Handley Page Victor (the V bombers ). Role prefixes used at various times comprise: Starting in

6175-657: The other V-bombers, no foreign sales materialised. As early as 1954, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) recognised that the English Electric Canberra might soon become outdated. Potential replacements, such as the Boeing B-47 E, Handley-Page Victor and Vulcan were considered. Political pressure for a Canberra replacement came to a head in 1962, by which time agile, supersonic bombers/strategic strike aircraft , such as

6270-421: The property of the Ministry of Supply, being retained for trials and development purposes. Those entering RAF service were delivered to No 230 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), the first in July 1956. Later aircraft, painted in anti-flash white and powered by the Olympus 102 with 12,000 lbf (53 kN) thrust, began to enter squadron service in July 1957. The Olympus 102s were modified during overhaul to

6365-459: The prototype), the Type 732 showed its Vulcan heritage. In 1960, the Air Staff approached Avro with a request into a study for a patrol missile carrier armed with up to six Skybolt missiles capable of a mission length of 12 hours. Avro's submission in May 1960 was the Phase 6 Vulcan, which would have been the Vulcan B.3. The aircraft was fitted with an enlarged wing of 121 ft (37 m) span with increased fuel capacity; additional fuel tanks in

6460-408: The role of that variant. Aircraft of the same mark that were adapted for different purpose would then be differentiated by the prefix. For instance the Defiant Mk.I was adapted to a night fighter , the Defiant NF Mk.II, some of which were later converted to target tugs as the Defiant TT Mk.I I . Where there was a Sea- variant, this would have its own series of mark numbers, e.g.: the Seafire Mk.I

6555-423: The rudder, which had two, one running as a back-up. Artificial feel and auto stabilisation in the form of pitch and yaw dampers were provided, as well as an auto Mach trimmer. The flight instruments in the B.1 were traditional and included G4B compasses; Mk.4 artificial horizons; and zero reader flight display instruments. The B.1 had a Smiths Mk10 autopilot. In the B.2, these features were incorporated into

6650-402: The specification. No worthwhile information about high-speed flight was available from the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) or the US. Avro were aware that Alexander Lippisch had designed a delta-wing fighter and considered the same delta configuration would be suitable for their bomber. The team estimated that an otherwise conventional aircraft, with a swept wing of 45°, would have doubled

6745-437: The upper surfaces, white undersurfaces, and "type D" roundels. (The last 13 Vulcan B.2s, XM645 onwards, were delivered thus from the factory ). In the mid-1970s, Vulcan B.2s received a similar scheme with matte camouflage, light aircraft grey undersides, and "low-visibility" roundels. B.2(MRR)s received a similar scheme in gloss; and the front halves of the radomes were no longer painted black. Beginning in 1979, 10 Vulcans received

6840-435: The viability of the proposal. Avro is reported to have considered a civilian version of the Vulcan as 'inevitable' in 1954–55, and insisted on an initial order of at least 25 aircraft before it would commence production; these orders were not forthcoming. Avro Vulcan The Avro Vulcan (later Hawker Siddeley Vulcan from July 1963) is a jet-powered , tailless , delta-wing , high-altitude, strategic bomber , which

6935-416: The weight requirement. Realising that swept wings increase longitudinal stability, the team deleted the tail ( empennage ) and the supporting fuselage , it thus became a swept-back flying wing with only a rudimentary forward fuselage and a fin ( vertical stabilizer ) at each wingtip. The estimated weight was now only 50% over the requirement; a delta shape resulted from reducing the wingspan and maintaining

7030-449: The wing area by filling in the space between the wingtips, which enabled the specification to be met. Although Alexander Lippisch is generally credited as the pioneer of the delta wing, Chadwick's team had followed its own logical design process. The initial design submission had four large turbojets stacked in pairs buried in the wings on either side of the centreline. Outboard of the engines were two bomb bays . In August 1947, Chadwick

7125-434: The wing transport joints; the intakes and centre fuselage ; the front fuselage, incorporating the pressure cabin ; the nose; the outer wings; the leading edges; the wing trailing edge and rear end of the fuselage; and a single swept tail fin with a single rudder was on the trailing edge. A five-man crew was accommodated within the pressure cabin on two levels; the first pilot and co-pilot sitting on Martin-Baker 3K (3KS on

7220-482: Was a 1952 proposal (announced in June 1953) for a 120-passenger delta-winged airliner based on the Type 698. The Avro 732 was a 1956 proposal for a supersonic development of the Vulcan and would have been powered by 8 de Havilland Gyron Junior engines. Unlike the proposed Avro 721 low-level bomber of 1952 or the Avro 730 supersonic stainless steel canard bomber dating from 1954 (cancelled in 1957 before completion of

7315-614: Was adopted for the Canadian-designed de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk , where the sole British service variant was designated Chipmunk T.10. Up until the end of 1942, the RAF always used Roman numerals for mark numbers, sometimes separated from its 'mark' abbreviation by a period (full stop). 1943 to 1948 was a transition period, during which new aircraft entering service were given Arabic numerals for mark numbers, but older aircraft retained their Roman numerals. From 1948 onwards, Arabic numerals were used exclusively. Thus,

7410-472: Was also fitted with six electrically operated three-position (retracted, medium drag, high drag) airbrakes , four in the upper centre section and two in the lower. Originally, four lower airbrakes were used, but the outboard two were deleted before the aircraft entered service. A brake parachute was installed inside the tail cone. The main electrical system on the B.1/B.1A was 112 V DC supplied by four 22.5 kW engine-driven starter-generators . Backup power

7505-418: Was anticipated to be around the 45th aircraft of the 99 then on order. As well as being able to achieve greater heights over targets, operational flexibility was believed to be extended by the provision of in-flight refuelling equipment and tanker aircraft. The increasing sophistication of Soviet air defences required the fitting of electronic countermeasure (ECM) equipment, and vulnerability could be reduced by

7600-466: Was carried in 14 bag tanks, four in the centre fuselage above and to the rear of the nosewheel bay, and five in each outer wing. The tanks were split into four groups of almost equal capacity, each normally feeding its respective engine, though cross-feeding was possible. The centre of gravity was automatically maintained by electric timers, which sequenced the booster pumps on the tanks. B.2 aircraft could be fitted with one or two additional fuel tanks in

7695-405: Was considered too exacting. Six companies submitted technical brochures to this specification, including Avro. Required to tender by the end of April 1947, work began on receipt of Specification B.35/46 at Avro, led by technical director Roy Chadwick and chief designer Stuart Davies ; the type designation was Avro 698 . As was obvious to the design team, conventional aircraft could not satisfy

7790-467: Was delivered in 1965 and the type served until 1984. Whilst in service, the B.2 was continuously updated with modifications, including rapid engine starting, bomb-bay fuel tanks, wing strengthening to give the fatigue life to enable the aircraft to fly at low level (a tactic introduced in the mid-1960s), upgraded navigation equipment, terrain-following radar , standardisation on a common weapon ( WE.177 ) and improved ECM equipment. Nine B.2s were modified for

7885-461: Was derived from the Spitfire Mk.V. Occasionally, other 'minor' but nonetheless important changes might be denoted by series numbers, preceded by 'Series', 'Srs.', or 'Srs', e.g.: Mosquito B Mk.IV Series I / B Mk.IV Series II – the different series number denoting the introduction, after a few initial production aircraft, of extended engine nacelles to eliminate buffeting. This design change

7980-587: Was first delivered to the RAF in 1956; deliveries of the improved Vulcan B.2 started in 1960. The B.2 featured more powerful engines, a larger wing, an improved electrical system, and electronic countermeasures , and many were modified to accept the Blue Steel missile. As a part of the V-force , the Vulcan was the backbone of the United Kingdom's airborne nuclear deterrent during much of the Cold War . Although

8075-429: Was first investigated on Avro 707A WD480. This modification was too late to be incorporated on the two prototype 698s and the first three B.1 aircraft before their first flights. (The B.1s were quickly retrofitted). Painted gloss white, the 698 prototype VX770, with its pure delta wing, flew for the first time on 30 August 1952 piloted by Roly Falk flying solo. VX770, fitted with only the first pilot's ejection seat and

8170-415: Was introduced during World War I that covered more than the products of a single manufacturer. The Admiralty frequently referred to designs by the serial of the first aircraft of that type to be accepted for service. In this system, which has been used since the end of World War I, each aircraft designation consists of a name, (sometimes) a role prefix, and a mark number. A unified official naming system

8265-541: Was introduced in February 1918 by the Ministry of Munitions , the scheme would use classes of names related to the role. Fighter aircraft were to be animals, plants or minerals; bomber aircraft were to have geographical names; and 'heavy armoured machines' would be personal names from mythology . The classes were further divided by size of aircraft and land or sea-based, for example a three-seater sea-based fighter would be named after shellfish . Italian towns were to be used for single-seat land-based bombers. Following

8360-494: Was killed in the crash of the Avro Tudor 2 prototype , and was succeeded by Sir William Farren. Reductions in wing thickness made incorporating the split bomb bays and stacked engines impossible, thus the engines were placed side by side in pairs on either side of a single bomb bay, with the fuselage growing somewhat. The wingtip fins gave way to a single fin on the aircraft's centreline. Rival manufacturer Handley Page received

8455-547: Was made in the mid-1960s. In the mid-1970s, nine Vulcans were adapted for maritime radar reconnaissance operations, redesignated as B.2 (MRR). In the final years of service, six Vulcans were converted to the K.2 tanker configuration for aerial refuelling . After retirement by the RAF, one example, B.2 XH558 , named The Spirit of Great Britain , was restored for use in display flights and air shows, whilst two other B.2s, XL426 and XM655 , have been kept in taxiable condition for ground runs and demonstrations. B.2 XH558 flew for

8550-500: Was made standard on all subsequent production Mosquitoes. The series number denoted a revision during the production run of a particular mark. This again could then have an additional letter-suffix; e.g.: the Halifax Mk.II Series IA. Export variants of British military aircraft are usually allocated mark numbers (sometimes without a role prefix) from a higher range of numbers, usually starting at Mark 50. A converse convention

8645-440: Was more representative of a production aircraft, being fitted with an in-flight refuelling probe and a bulged ECM tail cone. Some subsequent B.2s were initially lacking probes and ECM tail cones, but these were retrofitted. The first 10 B.2s outwardly showed their B.1 ancestry, retaining narrow engine air intakes. Anticipating even more powerful engines, the air intakes were deepened on the 11th (XH557) and subsequent aircraft. Many of

8740-436: Was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A.V. Roe and Company ( Avro ) designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46 . Of the three V bombers produced, the Vulcan was considered the most technically advanced, hence the riskiest option. Several reduced-scale aircraft, designated Avro 707s , were produced to test and refine the delta-wing design principles. The Vulcan B.1

8835-405: Was provided by four 24 V 40 Ah batteries connected in series providing 96 V. Secondary electrical systems were 28 V DC, single-phase 115 V AC at 1600 Hz, and three-phase 115 V AC at 400 Hz, driven by transformers and inverters from the main system. The 28 V DC system was backed up by a single 24 V battery. British military aircraft designation systems Since the end of

8930-410: Was quickly imposed. Despite its radical and unusual shape, the airframe was built along traditional lines. Except for the most highly stressed parts, the whole structure was manufactured from standard grades of light alloy. The airframe was broken down into a number of major assemblies: The centre section, a rectangular box containing the bomb bay and engine bays bounded by the front and rear spars and

9025-441: Was specified. The maximum weight when fully loaded should not exceed 100,000 lb (45,000 kg). Alternatively, the aircraft was to be capable of carrying a conventional bomb load of 20,000 lb (9,100 kg). The similar OR.230 required a "long-range bomber" with a 2,000 nautical miles (2,300 mi; 3,700 km) radius of action with a maximum weight of 200,000 lb (91,000 kg) when fully loaded; this requirement

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