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Operation Corporate
Background
Famous Quotes
Commanders
Ernesto Crespo
Henry Leach
Jeremy Moore
John Fieldhouse
Leopoldo Galtieri
Margaret Thatcher
Mario Menéndez
Sandy Woodward
Equipment
Aermacchi MB-339
Blowpipe
Canberra
Chinook
Dagger
Exocet
Gazelle
Harrier
Hercules
Learjet
Lynx
Mirage III
Neptune
Nimrod
Oerlikon 35mm
Pucará
Puma
Rapier
Roland
Scout
Sea Cat
Sea Dart
Sea Harrier
Sea King
Sea Skua
Sea Slug
Sea Wolf
Shrike
Sidewinder
Skyhawk
Skyvan
Stinger
Super Etendard
T-34 Mentor
Victor
Vulcan
Wasp
Wessex
Battles
Alférez Sobral
Belgrano
Black Buck
Bluff Cove
Goose Green
HMS Coventry
HMS Sheffield
Mount Harriet
Mount Longdon
Mount Tumbledown
Operación Azul
Pebble Island
San Carlos
Seal Cove
South Georgia
Two Sisters
Wireless Ridge
Aftermath
Books
Air War in the Falklands 1982
Amphibious Assault Falklands
Argentine Fight...
Battle Atlas...
Battle for the Falklands
Bomb Alley
Falkland Islanders at War
Falklands Air War
5th Infantry Brigade...
Forgotten Voices...
Four Weeks in May
Goose Green...
Hostile Skies
March on the South Atlantic...
Nine Battles to Stanley
One Hundred Days
Ordeal by Exocet
RAF Harrier Ground Attack...
Razor's Edge
Pebble Island
Sea Harrier Over...
Sink the Belgrano
Secret War...
Through Fire and Water...
Victory in the Falklands
Vulcan 607
Videos
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Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan was a massive subsonic delta-winged bomber that served with the British Royal Air Force (RAF).
The first prototype flew in
1952,
and the aircraft was in squadron service from
1956 to
1984
and carried out the Black Buck raids during the
Falklands War.
The aircraft was originally developed as part of the RAF's V-bomber
nuclear deterrence force against the Soviet Union, during the early part of the
Cold War. The aircraft also had a secondary role as a conventional bomber,
being able to carry up to twenty-one 1,000 lb bombs (it also served for
a period in a maritime radar reconnaissance role, and as a tanker - but
not in either role during the
Falklands War).
By the time of the
Falklands War, the Vulcan was preparing for retirement,
its role as part of Britain's strategic nuclear deterrent role
having long passed over to the Royal Navy's Polaris submarines.
Nevertheless, despite its age, the Vulcan remained capable of
delivering WE.177B freefall nuclear weapons, and continued to be available
to support NATO ground forces in a tactical strike role.
In preparation for the Black Buck raids, five Vulcans were selected.
Because of their age, many modifications were necessary. The aircrafts'
bomb bays were modified, the flight refuelling system (which had long been
out of operation) was repaired, the electronics upgraded, and the capability
of carrying an ECM pod and Shrike anti-radar
missiles added.
Vulcans were to carry out five raids
(out seven that were planned) during the war,
and bombed Port Stanley airfield, Argentine radar installations and
Argentine ground forces. The raids on Stanley airfield, cratered the runway
and forced
the Argentines to withdraw their fast jets (including
Mirage IIIs) back to the
Argentine mainland. Each of the raids was flown from Wideawake airfield
on Ascension Island over a a range of 3,380 nautical miles (6,300 kilometres),
making them the longest range air combat mission then carried out.
The Vulcan finally retired from RAF service in
1984.
Of the 134 aircraft that were originally built, 21 are currently on display in museums
Here is a summary of the Vulcan Mk B 2 technical specifications:
| Crew |
5 |
| Wingspan |
111 feet (33.8 metres) |
| Length |
99 feet 11 inches (30.5 metres)
105 feet 6 inches (32.2 metres) with refuelling probe |
| Height |
27 feet 1 inch (8.1 metres) |
| Wing Area |
3,964 ft2 (368 m2) |
| Maximum Take-off Weight |
204,000 lb (92,400 kg) |
| Cruising Speed |
Mach 0.86 - 610 mph (980 km/h) |
| Maximum Speed |
Mach 0.92 - 625 mph (1,006 km/h) |
| Range |
4,600 miles (3,995 nautical miles, 7,402 kilometres) |
| Service Ceiling |
60,000 feet (18,300 metres) |
There is an excellent account of the
first Black Buck,
and the background to the missions, in the book,
Vulcan 607.
Here are some other books about the Vulcan:
Disclosure: The following book(s) details and descriptions provided by Amazon.com Our company may receive a payment if you buy products from Amazon.com after following a link from this website.
By Kev Darling
The Crowood Press
Hardcover (216 pages)
 | List Price: $49.95*
Lowest New Price: $32.97*
Lowest Used Price: $25.00*
Usually ships in 24 hours*
*(As of 19:38 Pacific 30 Jul 2010 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description:
The Avro Vulcan is probably the most famous and best loved of the three V-Bombers that constituted the Royal Air Forces nuclear strike force during the 1960s. Immediately recognizable thanks to its huge delta wing, it was at the forefront of Britains strategic nuclear defenses for over a decade. |
|
By Alfred Price
Haynes Publishing
Hardcover (160 pages)
 | List Price: $34.95*
Lowest New Price: $23.07*
Not yet published*
*(As of 19:38 Pacific 30 Jul 2010 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description:
The awesome Avro Vulcan is an enduring image of the Cold War era when the world stood on the brink of nuclear annihilation. For many years the RAF’s delta-wing jet bomber was the cornerstone of Britain’s nuclear deterrent. Read about the Vulcan’s operational history and take a close-up look at its construction. Discover what it takes to own and fly the mighty V-bomber, and find out how engineers keep it airworthy. Centrepiece of the manual is Vulcan XH558 – the world’s only flying example of an Avro Vulcan. |
|
By Tim Mclelland
Crecy Publishing
Hardcover (368 pages)
 | List Price: $49.95*
Lowest New Price: $37.96*
Lowest Used Price: $31.56*
Usually ships in 24 hours*
*(As of 19:38 Pacific 30 Jul 2010 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description:
This iconic V-bomber was at the heart of Britain's Cold War nuclear force, and the story of the Avro Vulcan is as dramatic as the presence of the aircraft itself. Tim McLelland's Avro Vulcan is both a comprehensive work of reference and an authoritative history. It covers the origins of the Vulcan and delta-winged flight, details of every major production variant, and with newly released information, describes the aircraft's use as a test-bed for a variety of missile, engine, and equipment technologies. The book reproduces the Vulcan's declassified Aircrew Manual together with appendices on the fate of every Vulcan built. It also includes a wealth of information from former Vulcan air and ground crews, plus more than 250 photos, new scale drawings, and color profiles. |
|
By Tony Buttler
Specialty Pr Pub & Wholesalers
Paperback (144 pages)
 | List Price: $32.95*
Lowest New Price: $22.73*
Lowest Used Price: $28.61*
*(As of 19:38 Pacific 30 Jul 2010 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description:
The Avro Vulcan was one of three aircraft designed to form part of Britain's V-bomber fleet alongside the Valiant and Victor. The Avro Vulcan was perhaps one of the most iconic aircraft designed and built in the UK in the postwar years. Ironically, the type's most famous action did not involve combating the international communism threat, but rather the Argentinean invasion of the Falkland Islands in April 1982. In two of the most carefully planned and audacious aviation raids in history, Vulcans from RAF Waddington attacked the airfield at Port Stanley in early May 1982 in order to prevent Argentinean Air Force fighters from using the airfield. The success of the raids was an essential part of Britain's ultimate victory in the South Atlantic.
By 1982, the Vulcan design was already more than 30 years old and the newest aircraft was almost 20 years old. Between 1952 and 1964, 89 delta-winged aircraft were built and by the time of the Falklands War, the type was rapidly approaching withdrawal. The final examples of this highly regarded aircraft were withdrawn from Squadron service in 1984. It is a tribute to the popularity of the Vulcan among aviation enthusiasts that numerous examples survive in preservation both in Britain and overseas. |
|
By Philip Birtles
Specialty Pr Pub & Wholesalers
Hardcover (128 pages)
 | List Price: $32.95*
Lowest New Price: $23.59*
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The origins of the Avro Vulcan, which entered squadron service in 1956, go back to an Air Ministry requirement issued in 1947. The requirement called for a jet bomber capable of carrying a nuclear weapon, reaching a top speed of nearly 500 knots, flying at a height in excess of 50,000 feet, and a range of over 3,000 miles.
The Vulcan was the most famous of the three types of V-Bombers. Along with the Victor and the Valiant V-Bombers, the Vulcan helped maintain Britain's strategic nuclear deterrent during the early years of the Cold War. Initially finished in an all-over white color scheme to protect the aircraft and their crews from the heat and flash of a nuclear explosion, the V-Force's aircraft could be scrambled in minutes in response to any Soviet attack. V-Bombers and their crews stood on constant alert until 1969 when the V-Force handed over its nuclear deterrent role to the Royal Navy's Polaris submarines.
In all, 136 Vulcans were built by Avro, the last being completed in January 1965. After it lost its nuclear deterrent function, the Vulcan found other roles as a conventional bomber, a maritime reconnaissance aircraft, and as a tanker. Its only combat action was seen in the famous Operation BLACK BUCK raids during the Falklands Conflict. At the time, these were the longest bombing missions in the history of warfare, with the Vulcans covering some 8,000 miles in around 16 hours. The aircraft was finally withdrawn from squadron service in 1984.
This stunning pictorial tribute to an iconic British aircraft celebrates its return to flight and the 25th anniversary of its historic Falklands missions. |
|
By Stewart Wilson
Australian Aviation
Paperback (200 pages)
 | List Price: $24.95*
Lowest New Price: $72.12*
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The fifth volume in the Legends of the Air series, Vulcan, Boeing B-47 & B-52 examines in detail these three remarkable Cold War warriors which were aerodynamic pioneers of the era. It features around 70,000 words of text, hundreds of photographs, 48 specifically commissioned color sideview drawings, technical drawings, specification and production tables, and more. There had certainly never before been an aircraft of the design concept of the Vulcan with its incredible delta wing, aptly named the 'tin triangle'. Meanwhile across the Atlantic, Boeing had forged ahead with the then black art of high speed swept wing high altitude bomber design that culminated in the B-47 Stratojet, an aircraft that hopefully would be able to outfly the Soviet fighters of the time. Almost before the B-47 was fully operational though its successor, the incredibly long ranging eight engined B-52 was airborne and preparing to become one of the legendary aircraft of the modern era. In fact, on present plans, this multi war veteran should still be flying in 2030, three quarters of a century after the prototype appeared! |
|
By Andrew J. Brookes
Allan
Hardcover (128 pages)
| Lowest Used Price: $12.95*
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By Roger Chesneau
Ad Hoc Publications
Hardcover (56 pages)
| Lowest New Price: $44.92*
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By Robert Jackson
Patrick Stephens
Paperback
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By Christopher Chant
G T Foulis & Co Ltd
Hardcover (56 pages)
| Lowest New Price: $16.50*
Lowest Used Price: $2.00*
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