GrahamM376
Well-Known Member
I remember watching the first test flight of a Vulcan at Woodford, along with 3 other delta prototypes. As kids we used to spend hours near the end of the runway watching them, along with Shackletons, Yorks etc.
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I remember watching the first test flight of a Vulcan at Woodford, along with 3 other delta prototypes. As kids we used to spend hours near the end of the runway watching them, along with Shackletons, Yorks etc.
Seajet
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Zen Zero and GrahamM376,
the ' Delta prototypes' were almost certainly Avro 707's, virtually ' mini -Vulcans '.
On the old forum system I'd have put in a ************ photo !
Another British delta was of course the Fairey FD2 which got the speed record as first aircraft to sustain 1000mph, recounted in the book ' Faster Than The Sun '; I was lucky enough to work with designer Dennis Warren, who was on the project and much more importantly later sold me my first boat; the Fairey Delta 2 is now at Yeovilton museum, in a sadly familiar tale the British didn't do much with the research data ( for fighters, though it helped the Concorde programme a lot ) but in a sadly familiar tale the French took note and came up with the highly successful Mirage fighters as a result !
Troubadour,
sorry I thought you had worked on 558 ( for anyone who thinks that's code for a private forum, google ' Vulcan To The Sky ' ).
A book worth reading is ' Vulcan 607 ' about the Black Buck raids in 1982; in the preface by Jeremy Clarkson - who is not as much of a clown as he makes out and rather patriotic - he says " Did I like it ?! It could have been written especially for me ! "
I still wonder why we're discussing this on here, not the lounge...
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Plevier
Well-Known Member
Afraid not - but thanks for the book ideas.
I grew up a mile from Woodford and saw Vulcans there.
In the early 70s I saw a Vulcan in a display at Shobdon (where I was gliding). It did a low pass then stood on its tail with full power and reheat. The ground shook!
nimbusgb
Well-Known Member
Keep her under 45kt's and they were fine. Over that and you may as well stick your hand out the DV panel 
I believe there was a mod to fit a bottom brake panel but that was pushing things too far for my skills. After the winglets and root fairing 'CF' would trim out and climb 3 or 4 turns on her own.
I believe there was a mod to fit a bottom brake panel but that was pushing things too far for my skills. After the winglets and root fairing 'CF' would trim out and climb 3 or 4 turns on her own.
Seajet
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Troubadour,
sorry but no afterburners on the Vulcan, if the one you saw had its' arse on fire it was in trouble !
As for books, if you only get one soon please make it Don Middletons' ' Test Pilots ', there are usually copies available on Abe Books or Amazon - it has a chapter on Vulcans etc and ( unusually for the book as D.M. was a very tasteful chap, but it's relevant ) a photo of a Vulcan breaking up at high speed, low level over Syerston when the leading edges imploded - another nasty accident which could have been avoided...)
I'd love to try proper gliding sometime - our Dunsfold Test Pilot Bill Bedford held a few records, and my friends' Dad Robin Milne helped develop the Horsa in WWII - but the only brief gliding I've been along on was when the Cessna engines conked out...
Andy
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Plevier
Well-Known Member
Oh sorry. Know little about jets. It certainly looked bl**dy hot up the pipes as I recall! The noise was mindblowing.