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Post by whitstabletangerin on Nov 18, 2010 10:23:22 GMT 1
What era of Bomber command are you interested in?
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Post by Tangerine Sherlock on Nov 18, 2010 10:27:44 GMT 1
Two periods mainly 1937-1946 and 1961-1972
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Post by whitstabletangerin on Nov 18, 2010 10:48:13 GMT 1
The 2nd part of your interest follows the V bomber's from their high flying exploits up to 1962 and then their low attack role from 62 onwards, the phasing out of the Valiant from bomber to tanker during the Cold War era.
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Post by Tangerine Sherlock on Nov 18, 2010 11:27:54 GMT 1
I thought it was the Victor that was mainly used as a tanker due to its bad performance at low level suffered from the same problems as the Valiant, stress fractures but i could easily be confused not had enough coffee yet
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Post by whitstabletangerin on Nov 18, 2010 11:55:33 GMT 1
The Valiant did indeed suffer stress to its wings flying at low altitude following the change in operations due to the increased Soviet missile threat in 1962. It was ok flying at higher altituded and they were converted to tanker aircraft for their remaing few years, to be replaced by the Victor in the tanker role about mid 60's.
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Post by Tangerine Sherlock on Nov 18, 2010 12:15:22 GMT 1
where you civil air traffic controller or military whitstabletangerine I sadly watched the vulcan decay over the years at Blackpool airport was a crying shame. On a plus note when they have the blackpool air show my house is right on the flight path or holding pattern so i get to see most things up close like the pic below taken very quickly on my mobile camera phone
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Post by whitstabletangerin on Nov 18, 2010 12:48:17 GMT 1
ATC civil, Speke and Heathrow Air ministry, specialist telecoms with Valiants 59-62
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Post by Tangerine Sherlock on Nov 18, 2010 13:31:56 GMT 1
Just a real pity they canceled the TSR.2 money pinching sods, would have kept us leaders in the area of light bombers/strike aircraft for years to come
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Post by whitstabletangerin on Nov 18, 2010 13:49:18 GMT 1
I am not sure but believe the thinking at the time was that for future deliveries of WMD's to the target areas was by missile rather than fixed wing aircraft.
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Post by yenilira on Nov 18, 2010 21:52:54 GMT 1
Interesting thread, lads.
Like Sherlock, I'm into the bombers but the 39-45 era and the 60s.
'Men and their magnificent flying machines' springs to mind.
Keep the posts flowing. YL
p.s. Will the ok work? :-)
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Post by yenilira on Nov 18, 2010 21:56:22 GMT 1
Ooops! Aaaaarh! Sorry about that. Tried an <ok> as in 606 but with the : :
Didn't work, did it? Can it be cancelled or modded? Thanks.
YL.
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Post by roadchefourstands on Nov 19, 2010 0:51:16 GMT 1
Vulcan for me chaps, not only did I see it do a fly past at promenade level in 1977, I also lived until recently,very close to Bruntingthorpe in Leicestershire where the last flying one lives. The Vulcan to the Sky project has been amazing to follow, and I was working nearby on the day of the first flight. The website crashed within minutes as the usual 15 viewers increased to 20k plus within 1/2 hour. Luckily one of the cams was fed by a different server, and then 10 minutes later the bugger flew over me majestically with the sound following as usual.
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Post by whitstabletangerin on Nov 19, 2010 14:23:33 GMT 1
Fourstands, your thinking re the VULCAN is widely recognised, probably due to its unique shape, but my favourite is the Valiant having flown in one, so I am somewhat biased. Prior to the U2 incident the V bombers were happily carrying out their high altitude flying role untroubled, but then a rethink took place as the possibilyt that surface to air missiles were now capable of reaching 50,000ft+. The bombers were now performing at very low altitude but the Valiant showed up a weakness with stress/fatigue in the wings and was resasigned a tanker role at higher flying levels. The Vulcan on the other hand was perferct for low level flying and stayed on as the last of the V bombers because of its capability.
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Post by Tangerine Sherlock on Nov 19, 2010 15:19:28 GMT 1
I recommend anybody with a slightest interest in any of the 3 v's to visit Royal Air Force Museum Cosford the only museum that houses all 3 inside and not stuck out on a field rusting away. just a pity they did not keep them airworthy.
But until you see them up close you just have no idea of the shear scale of them.
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Post by whitstabletangerin on Nov 19, 2010 15:31:06 GMT 1
Very true Sherlock, remember arriving at the main gate at Wyton one sunny Sunday afternoon and was shown were to go by a Sergeant in the RAF regiment, as we walked to our left around the front building there in front of me on the apron was the biggest aircraft I had ever seen, it looked huge, there were no other people about and being in white it looked fantastic.
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Post by Tangerine Sherlock on Nov 19, 2010 15:52:29 GMT 1
Don't bother with Raf Duxford this is their idea of preserving some of their own history a Handley-Page Victor
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Post by whitstabletangerin on Nov 19, 2010 15:58:40 GMT 1
That is scandalous
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Post by Tangerine Sherlock on Nov 19, 2010 16:19:00 GMT 1
worst thing is they are going to come in one morning and find to smashed into the ground, should be on supports looks like they started giving it a new coat of paint a few years ago and just lost interest. i think the barrier is only their to stop it falling on some persons head
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Post by whitstabletangerin on Feb 2, 2011 15:51:47 GMT 1
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Post by Tangerine Sherlock on Feb 2, 2011 17:39:32 GMT 1
cheers mate sounds funny listening to it now "each one worth several hundred thousand pounds" lol so cheap now, just another example of political correctness gone wrong in not preserving planes like this, because it might offend some minority group.
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Post by mickyg on Feb 3, 2011 9:22:46 GMT 1
Got to sit in the TSR2 just weeks befotre it was scrapped.......I think I was about 10 or so at the time......great looking aircraft and the obvious inspiration for the Jaguar.
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Post by Tangerine Sherlock on Feb 3, 2011 20:01:32 GMT 1
I think their is only one TSR left in one of the RAF museums, think i saw it a couple of years ago a sad looking great big white monster of a plane, just can not remeber which museum it was lol
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Post by whitstabletangerin on Feb 3, 2011 21:16:53 GMT 1
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Post by yenilira on Feb 4, 2011 10:53:09 GMT 1
Sher, Whit: The 'Prague Spring' has been long overtaken, 'Der Mauer' has been down a considerable time, 'Checkpoint Charlie' is now a very interesting museum, and the 'Cold War' is now over. Thought I'd just let you know.
Seriously, this has been a very interesting thread - thanks to you two - even though many? on the board don't have that great an interest in 'flying machines'. I haven't got many opportunities at the moment to go scourging for pics & articles on the aircraft here, but thanks to you guys you've brought back some (mainly good) memories on the topic. Good on yer and thanks. YL.
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Post by mickyg on Feb 4, 2011 11:30:05 GMT 1
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