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melodysparks
Length: 30.50.m (100ft 1in)
Wingspan: 33.83m (111ft)
Height: 8.29m (27ft 2in)
Power Plant: Four Rolls Royce (Bristol
Olympus 301 turbojets) each rated at
20,000lb thrust
Maximum Speed: 645 mph
Service Ceiling: 19,812m (65,000ft)
Range: 5,500km (3,450 miles)
History of the Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan was part of the ‘V’ bomber force that along with the Vickers Valiant and the Handley Page Victor was designed to deliver the British nuclear bomb during the Cold War period in the late 1950’s and 1960’s.
Few aircraft have ever turned heads like the prototype Vulcan, known initially as the Avro Type 698. On its maiden flight from Woodford, it literally stopped the traffic in the towns and villages on the Cheshire plain.
In 1952 Avro’s chief test pilot, Roly Falk, amazingly performed a perfect barrell roll with the giant delta wing bomber over Avro’s production factory at Woodford!
In the late 1950’s the aircraft underwent a complete wing redesign resulting in the final development of the Vulcan – the B.MK2. Painted in a dramatic anti flash white paint the ‘V bombers’ were on a four minute warning with crews stationed very near the aircraft, many of which were in the Midlands.
From the mid sixties the Vulcan excelled in several new roles including low level flying, nuclear strike and maritime reconnaissance resulting in a move to the camouflage paint scheme. In 1969 responsibility for Britain’s
nuclear deterrent was handed over to the Royal Navy’s Polaris Submarines.
During the Falklands campaign in 1982 a specially adapted Vulcan, with in-flight refuelling capability, flew the famous ‘Black Buck’ mission, bombing Argentinian held Port Stanley airfield. This became the longest ever non-stop bombing mission from the RAF base on Ascension Island.
The Aeropark Vulcan
XM575 was the second Vulcan B2 Blue Steel aircraft to be fitted with upgraded Olympus 301 engines. It was delivered to No 617 (Dambuster) Squadron in May 1963 which then became part of the Sccampton Wing.
The aircraft was converted to free-fall mode in the autmun 0f 1969 and returnd back to squadron. During 1970 XM575 was stationed at Waddington then returning to S617 squadron at Scampton.
In March 1974 the aircraft was moved to Waddington and allocated to Squadron 101 in May 1975 and then to No. 50 Squadron. In June 1978. XM575 was moved for the last time when it joined the No 44 Squadron and it’s their colours the aircraft displays today.
On the 28th October 1982 XM575 was honoured by being asked to take part in the Falklands Victory fly-past over London. Three months later the aircraft flew its last flight, landing here at the Airport in 1983 and was given the civil registration G-BLMC.
