Vulcan !!!!!!

[gbb]

the entire V bomber force did indeed have fatigue limits on the airframes, they were originally developed for a high level bombing role, however they switched to low level flight part way though their service which causes more stress on the structure of the plane.

the Valiant was the first of the three to break up in flight, breaking the main spar of the wing, due to fatigue, at which point they put a fatigue limit on them.

Told this in a previous topic so forgive me those that remember...my dad was instrumental in finding the fatigue damage in the Valliants....
No-one was aware there was a problem, he was doing some routine maintenance which involved getting access through a hatches and inspection covers etc. He got out and reported a problem he'd seen to his immediate superior. Within minutes it was going up and up the chain of mcommand. Bigwigs, suited inspectors, people from the Ministry, all progressively looking more and more worried. Within hours or days it was grounded, within weeks, the decision was taken to scrap the lot....indeed, the fatigue may have occurred anyway, but the change to low level flying accelerated its demise.

Co-incidentally, my dads twin brother was a crew chief in Vulcans (sounds awesome, can you imagine !!!!!!), and he was telling Dad on return from a training mission in the States, they'd done sone REAL low level bombing runs, comparing how the British compared with the Americans....apparently the plane bucked and jarred and shook like nothing on earth while it was at low level at high speed....the buffeting from the shock waves hitting the ground under the aircraft was frightening.

A sobering thought, as crew chief, escape from a stricken Vulcan for the crew chief was extremely hazardous, apparently the only 'safe' escape was when the plane was upside down.

Saw theRed Arrows yesterday in Peterborough. They were due 40 miles away in Duxford 5 minutes later....5 minutes, what a way to get around.

 

[NotthatJasonKenny]

They fly 7 ship for displays this year, and 9 for flypasts (like this afternoon). The reason they are a 7 this year is not just because of the lost pilots last year, but because their female pilot grounded herself toward the end of the training season and it was too late to reintegrate any of last years reposted crew.

Yeah? There was only seven on Saturday tho? I read that about the female pilot being grounded by stress. Not really surprised given recent events.

 

[Black Sheep]

Co-incidentally, my dads twin brother was a crew chief in Vulcans (sounds awesome, can you imagine !!!!!!), and he was telling Dad on return from a training mission in the States, they'd done sone REAL low level bombing runs, comparing how the British compared with the Americans....apparently the plane bucked and jarred and shook like nothing on earth while it was at low level at high speed....the buffeting from the shock waves hitting the ground under the aircraft was frightening.

A sobering thought, as crew chief, escape from a stricken Vulcan for the crew chief was extremely hazardous, apparently the only 'safe' escape was when the plane was upside down.

Saw theRed Arrows yesterday in Peterborough. They were due 40 miles away in Duxford 5 minutes later....5 minutes, what a way to get around.

Sounds like the bombing and combat competitions in the states, we often used to scare the americans with what we'd do with a bomber,

one Scotish F4 pilot got a bit upset with someone dropping onto his tail that instead of just accelerating and climbing away as was the norm, he hit full thrust, spun round and went head to head with him - Rowland White, Phoenix Squadron.


escape from a stricken Vulcan I believe involved ejector seats for the flight deck, the other three crew members were down in the belly of the aircraft, they had assistance chairs that helped push the occupant forwards where they would then drop through a hatch in the belly.

It was widely believed that the assistance chair would simply pin the navigator between chair and plotting table.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Slightly off-topic, but I once sold a bass guitar to an Italian pilot and after dropping the bass off at Gatwick for him he took this very awesome photo:



Full story here http://lawsie.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/fender-precision-bass-guitar.html

 

[Herr-B]

Am I right that the Vulcan has an hours-flown fatigue limitation on the airframe - once that's reached, no more flying however much money they raise? Does anyone know how close that limit is?

At the AGM a couple of months ago it was announced that there was approximately 80 hours left in the airframe - that's about two full seasons. There is a possibility of a modification to the leading edge to enable another couple of years after that. Coupled with the loss of two engines earlier this season I don't expect to see her in the air after 2017, if not before.

 

[Herr-B]

Sounds like the bombing and combat competitions in the states, we often used to scare the americans with what we'd do with a bomber

A friend of mine who flies Hercs showed me some US footage from an anti-air emplacement during a Red Flag exercise of an RAF Herc all over the shop, really low. A lot of expletives from the yanks as they couldn't lock on to it. The final comment is, 'wow, we've got to send the Brits this footage'. They did.

 

[Christopher]

I really do not like this thread. The Vulcan might be an impressive aircraft but it is a bomber, whose only use is to kill. Sooner it's made into Coke cans the better.

 

[Cheddar George]

I really do not like this thread. The Vulcan might be an impressive aircraft but it is a bomber, whose only use is to kill. Sooner it's made into Coke cans the better.

I'm really enjoying it.

Other threads are available.

 

[Herr-B]

The Vulcan has never killed anyone in anger, but by my quick reckoning (and a bit of Googling) 56 crew members have died in accidents since the mid-'50s. It's not a bomber anymore, it is a fantastic piece of engineering heritage that displays for tens or hundreds of thousands of people when it can. If you don't like the thread, don't read it.

And finally, we don't need more coke cans - we just need to recycle all the existing ones.

 

[ASC1951]

I really do not like this thread. The Vulcan might be an impressive aircraft but it is a bomber, whose only use is to kill. Sooner it's made into Coke cans the better.

I don't know about Coke cans, but I've never understood how some blokes (and I assume it always is blokes) get such a rush out of military hardware. And not just hardware - the fringe TV channels and the shelves in W H Smiths are full of pseudo-authentic Battle Porn from whichever overseas quagmire we have got ourselves into.
This sort of stuff stopped interesting before I was 12, but each to his own.

 

[green1]

Am I right that the Vulcan has an hours-flown fatigue limitation on the airframe - once that's reached, no more flying however much money they raise? Does anyone know how close that limit is?

In theory they could do a complete strip down inspection, replace fatigued sections and rebuild it but someone with very deep pockets would have to step in.

 

[Cyclist33]

You should have seen it cruising at low level down the Mersey Estuary on Sunday, that was something else altogether!

Stu

 

[Cyclist33]

I don't know about Coke cans, but I've never understood how some blokes (and I assume it always is blokes) get such a rush out of military hardware. And not just hardware - the fringe TV channels and the shelves in W H Smiths are full of pseudo-authentic Battle Porn from whichever overseas quagmire we have got ourselves into.
This sort of stuff stopped interesting before I was 12, but each to his own.

So what incredibly grown-up interests do you have nowadays?

 

[Cheddar George]

I don't know about Coke cans, but I've never understood how some blokes (and I assume it always is blokes) get such a rush out of military hardware. And not just hardware - the fringe TV channels and the shelves in W H Smiths are full of pseudo-authentic Battle Porn from whichever overseas quagmire we have got ourselves into.
This sort of stuff stopped interesting before I was 12, but each to his own.

I don't get it either. I love the experience of the Vulcan in the same way as steam trains or heavy industry, i think a lot of the guns & ammo type programs are bought cheaply from the USA by the fringe TV channels. On the upside there is more and more industrial/engineering heritage stuff being made for TV these days.

 

[green1]

I really do not like this thread. The Vulcan might be an impressive aircraft but it is a bomber, whose only use is to kill. Sooner it's made into Coke cans the better.

Like it or not vast amounts of everyday items can trace their technological roots back to military hardware. It was designed as a deterrent and thankfully never had to drop its bucket of sunshine, therefore it did it's job.