Handley Page Victor
HP.80 Victor | |
---|---|
Handley Page HP-80 Victor K2 after landing, with drogue parachute deployed | |
Role | Strategic bomber or aerial refueling tanker aircraft |
National origin | United Kingdom |
Manufacturer | Handley Page Limited |
First flight | 24 December 1952 |
Introduction | April 1958 |
Retired | 15 October 1993 |
Status | Retired |
Primary user | Royal Air Force |
Produced | 1952–1963 |
Number built | 86 |
The Handley Page Victor is a British
With the nuclear deterrent mission relinquished to the Royal Navy a large V-bomber fleet could not be justified. A number of Victors were modified for strategic reconnaissance, using a combination of
Remaining in the air refueling role, the Victor was the last of the V-bombers to be retired from service on 15 October 1993. In its refueling role the Victor was replaced by the Vickers VC10 and the Lockheed Tristar.
Development
Origins
At the same time, the
The similar OR.230 required a "long range bomber" with a 2,000 nautical miles (2,300 mi; 3,700 km) radius of action at a height of 50,000 ft (15,000 m), a cruise speed of 575 mph (925 km/h), and a maximum weight of 200,000 lb (91,000 kg) when fully loaded.
HP.80
The design proposed by Handley Page in response to B.35/46 was given the internal designation of HP.80. To achieve the required performance, Handley Page's aerodynamicist Dr.
The HP.80 and Avro's
Two HP.80 prototypes, WB771 and WB775, were built. WB771 had been partially assembled at the Handley Page factory at
The prototypes performed well; however, design failings led to the loss of WB771 on 14 July 1954, when the tailplane detached whilst making a low-level pass over the runway at Cranfield, causing the aircraft to crash with the loss of the crew. Attached to the fin using three bolts, the tailplane was subjected to considerably more load than had been anticipated, causing fatigue cracking around the bolt holes. This led to the bolts loosening and failing in shear. Stress concentrations around the holes were reduced by adding a fourth bolt.[20] The potential for flutter due to shortcomings in the design of the fin/tailplane joint was also reduced by shortening the fin.[21][22] Additionally, the prototypes were tail heavy due to the lack of equipment in the nose; this was remedied by adding large ballast weights to the prototypes.[23] Production Victors had a lengthened nose to move the crew escape door further from the engine intakes as the original position was considered too dangerous as an emergency exit in flight. The lengthened nose also improved the center of gravity range.[24]
Victor B.1
Production B.1 Victors were powered by the
On 1 June 1956, a production Victor XA917 flown by test pilot Johnny Allam inadvertently exceeded the speed of sound after Allam let the nose drop slightly at a high power setting. Allam noticed a cockpit indication of Mach 1.1 and ground observers from Watford to Banbury reported hearing a sonic boom. The Victor maintained stability throughout the event. Aviation author Andrew Brookes has claimed that Allam broke the sound barrier knowingly to demonstrate the Victor's higher speed capability compared to the earlier V-bombers.[30][N 3] The Victor was the largest aircraft to have broken the sound barrier at that time.[31]
Victor B.2
The RAF required its bombers to be capable of higher operational ceilings, and numerous proposals were considered for improved Victors. Initially, Handley Page proposed using 14,000 lbf (62 kN) Sapphire 9 engines to produce a "Phase 2" bomber, to be followed by "Phase 3" Victors with the wingspan increased to 137 ft (42 m) and powered by Bristol Siddeley Olympus turbojets or Rolls-Royce Conway turbofans. The Sapphire 9 was cancelled and the heavily modified Phase 3 aircraft would have delayed introduction, so an interim "Phase 2A" Victor was proposed and accepted, to be powered by the Conway but with minimal modifications.[32][33]
The "Phase 2A" proposal became the Victor B.2, with Conway RCo.11 engines providing 17,250 lbf (76.7 kN), which required enlarged intakes to increase the airflow to the engines, and the wingspan was increased to 120 ft (37 m).[34] The B.2 also added a pair of retractable "elephant ear" intakes on the upper rear fuselage forward of the fin, to feed air to Ram Air Turbines (RAT) to provide electricity should an in-flight engine failure occur.[35][36]
The first flight of the Victor B.2 prototype , serial number XH668 was made on 20 February 1959,[37] and it had flown 100 hours by 20 August 1959, when it disappeared from radar, crashing into the sea off the Pembrokeshire coast during high-altitude engine tests carried out by the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE). Most of the wreckage had been recovered by November 1960, following an extensive search and recovery operation. The accident investigation concluded that the starboard pitot head had failed, causing the flight control system to force the aircraft into an unrecoverable dive.[38] Minor changes resolved the problem,[39] allowing the B.2 to enter service in February 1962.[40]
Further development
A total of 21 B.2 aircraft were upgraded to the B.2R standard with Conway RCo.17 engines (20,600 lbf or 92 kN thrust) and facilities to carry a Blue Steel stand-off nuclear missile.[41] Anti-radar chaff storage had to be relocated from under the nose as a result of the Blue Steel installation. Coincidentally, Peter White, a senior aerodynamicist attended a symposium in Brussels and learned of Whitcomb's conical shaped bodies set on the top of a wing which would add volume while reducing wave drag. However, the added skin friction drag meant an overall slight drag increase.[42] So large streamlined fairings were added to the top of the each wing to hold the chaff. The fairings behaved like "Küchemann carrots".[43] These were anti-shock bodies which reduced wave drag at transonic speeds (see area rule).[44] Handley Page proposed to build a further refined "Phase 6" Victor, with more fuel and capable of carrying up to four Skybolt (AGM-48) ballistic missiles on standing airborne patrols, but this proposal was rejected although it was agreed that some of the Victor B.2s on order would be fitted to carry two Skybolts. This plan was abandoned when the U.S. cancelled the Skybolt programme in 1963.[45] With the move to low-level penetration missions, the Victors were fitted with air-to-air refuelling probes above the cockpit and received large underwing fuel tanks.[46]
Nine B.2 aircraft were converted for strategic reconnaissance purposes to replace Valiants which had been withdrawn due to wing fatigue, with delivery beginning in July 1965.
Aerial refuelling conversion
Prior to the demise of the Valiant as a tanker, a trial installation of refuelling equipment was carried out using the Victor, including: overload bomb-bay tanks, underwing tanks, refuelling probe and jettisonable de Havilland Spectre Assisted Take-Off units. The aircraft involved in the trials, B.1 "XA930", carried out successful trials at Boscombe Down at very high all-up weights with relatively short field length take-offs.[48]
With the withdrawal of the Valiant because of
While these six aircraft provided a limited tanker capability suitable for refuelling fighters, the Mk 20A wing hosereels delivered fuel at too low a rate to be suitable for refuelling bombers. Work therefore continued to produce a definitive three-point tanker conversion of the Victor Mk.1. Fourteen further B.1A and 11 B.1 were fitted with two permanently fitted fuel tanks in the bomb bay, and a high-capacity Mk 17 centreline hose dispenser unit with three times the fuel flow rate as the wing reels, and were designated K.1A and K.1 respectively.[50]
The remaining B.2 aircraft were not as suited to the low-level mission profile that the RAF had adopted for carrying out strategic bombing missions as the Vulcan with its stronger delta wing.[51] This, combined with the switch of the nuclear deterrent from the RAF to the Royal Navy (with the Polaris missile) meant that the Victors were declared surplus to requirements.[28] Hence, 24 B.2 were modified to K.2 standard. Similar to the K.1/1A conversions, the wing, which was to have been fitted with tip fuel tanks to reduce wing fatigue, had 18 inches removed from each tip instead and the bomb aimer's nose glazing was replaced with metal. During 1982, the glazing was reintroduced on some aircraft, the former nose bomb aimer's position having been used to mount F95 cameras in order to perform reconnaissance missions during the Falklands War.[52] The K.2 could carry 91,000 lb (41,000 kg) of fuel. It served in the tanker role until withdrawn in October 1993.[28]
Design
Overview
The Victor was a futuristic-looking, streamlined aircraft, with four turbojet (later turbofan) engines buried in the thick wing roots. Distinguishing features of the Victor were its highly swept
The Victor had a five-man crew, comprising the two pilots seated side by side and three rearward-facing crew, these being the navigator/plotter, the navigator/radar operator, and the air electronics officer (AEO).[56] The Victor's pilots sat at the same level as the rest of the crew, due to a large pressurised compartment that extended all the way to the nose.[53] As with the other V-bombers, only the pilots were provided with ejection seats; the three systems operators relying on "explosive cushions" inflated by a CO2 bottle that would help them from their seats, but despite this, escape for them would have still been very unlikely in most emergency situations.[57][58][N 4]
While assigned to the nuclear delivery role, the Victor was finished in an all-over anti-flash white colour scheme, designed to protect the aircraft against the damaging effects of a nuclear detonation. The white colour scheme was intended to reflect heat away from the aircraft; paler variations of RAF's roundels were also applied for this same reason. When the V-bombers were assigned to the low-level approach profile in the 1960s, the Victors were soon repainted in green/grey tactical camouflage to reduce visibility to ground observation; the same scheme was applied to subsequently converted tanker aircraft.[60]
Armaments and equipment
The Victor's bomb bay was much larger than that of the Valiant and Vulcan, which allowed heavier weapon loads to be carried at the cost of range. As an alternative to the single "10,000 lb" nuclear bomb as required by the specification, the bomb bay was designed to carry several conventional armaments, including a single 22,000 lb (10,000 kg)
In addition to a range of free-fall nuclear bombs, later Victor B.2s operated as missile carriers for standoff nuclear missiles such as Blue Steel.[62] Target information for Blue Steel could be input during flight, as well in advance of the mission. It was reported that, with intensive work, a B.2 missile carrier could revert to carrying free-fall nuclear weapons or conventional munitions within 30 hours.[63]
Like the other two V-Bombers, the Victor made use of the Navigational and Bombing System (NBS); a little-used optical sight had also been installed upon early aircraft.
Avionics and systems
The Victor had fully powered flying controls for the ailerons, elevators and rudder, with no manual reversion which required duplication as back-up. Since the control surfaces were fully powered an artificial feel unit was provided, fed by ram air from the pitot in the nose. Pilot control movements were transmitted via a low-friction mechanical system to the flying control units. Duplication was provided on the premise that the single pilot's input would remain functional and that neither hydraulic motors nor screwjack on a unit would jam. A separate hydraulic circuit was used for each of the following: landing gear, flaps, nose flaps, air brakes, bomb doors, wheel brakes, nose-wheel steering, ram-air-turbine air scoops.[36] An AC electrical system and auxiliary power unit were significant additions to the later Victor B.2, electrical reliability being noticeably improved.[67][N 6]
To evade enemy detection and interception efforts, the Victor was outfitted with an extensive ECM suite which were operated by the air electronics officer (AEO), who had primary responsibility for the aircraft's electronics and communication systems. The ECM equipment could be employed to disrupt effective use of both active and passive radar in the vicinity of the aircraft, and to provide situational awareness for the crew. Enemy communications could also be jammed, and radar guided missiles of the era were also reportedly rendered ineffective.[69] The Victor B.2 featured an extended area located around the base of the tail fin which contained cooling systems and some of the ECM equipment.[70]
Some of the ECM equipment which initially saw use on the Victor, such as the original chaff dispenser and Orange Putter tail warning radar, had been developed for the earlier English Electric Canberra bomber and was already considered to be nearly obsolete by the time the Victor entered service.[71] Significant improvements and alterations were made to the avionics and ECM suites, as effective ECMs had been deemed critical to the Victor's role;. For example, the introduction of the more capable Red Steer tail warning radar.[72] The introduction of the Victor B.2 was accompanied by several new ECM systems, including a passive radar warning receiver, a metric radar jammer and communications jamming equipment. Streamlined fairings on the trailing edges of the wings that could house large quantities of defensive chaff/flares were also new additions.[73] While trials were conducted with terrain-following radar and a side scan mode for the bombing and navigation radar, neither of these functions were integrated into the operational fleet.[28]
Engines
The Victor B.1 was powered by four Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire turbojet engines. The engines were embedded in pairs in the wing roots. Because of the mid wing position, the tail was mounted at the tip of the fin to keep clear of the jet efflux.[74] Sapphire engines installed in the Victor suffered 'centre-line closure' failures flying in dense cloud or heavy rain flying in the tropics.[64][75] The Victor B.2 was powered by the newer Rolls-Royce Conway turbofan which at one point was the most powerful non-afterburning engine outside the Soviet Union. The Conway had significantly higher thrust than the Sapphire engine in the B.1.[76]
The Victor B.2 had a Blackburn Artouste auxiliary power unit (AAPU) installed in the starboard wing root. It provided high-pressure air for starting the engines, and also provided electrical power on the ground or in the air as an emergency power supply if the engine-driven generators failed. It also reduced the need for some ground support equipment. Two turbine-driven alternators, otherwise known as ram air turbines (RATs), had been introduced on the B.2 to provide emergency power in the event of electrical power being lost. Retractable scoops in the rear fuselage would open to feed ram air to them enabling them to generate sufficient electrical power to operate the flight controls. In the event of engine flameout RATs would enable the crew to keep control of the aircraft until the engines could be relit.[35][36]
Flight profile
The Victor was commonly described as having good handling and excellent performance, along with favourable low speed flight characteristics.
The Victor has been described as an agile aircraft, atypical for a large bomber aircraft; in 1958, a Victor had performed several loops and a barrel roll during practices for a display flight at Farnborough Airshow.[84][85] Manoeuvrability was greatly enabled by the light controls, quick response of the aircraft, and the design of certain flight surfaces such as the infinitely-variable tail-mounted airbrake.[86] The Victor was designed for flight at high subsonic speeds, although multiple instances have occurred in which the sound barrier was broken.[87] During development of the Victor B.2, the RAF had stressed the concept of tactical manoeuvrability, which led to much effort in development being given to increasing the aircraft's height and range performance.[88]
Operational history
The Victor was the last of the V bombers to enter service, with deliveries of B.1s to No. 232 Operational Conversion Unit RAF based at RAF Gaydon, Warwickshire taking place in late 1957.[89] The first operational bomber squadron, 10 Squadron, formed at RAF Cottesmore in April 1958, with a second squadron, 15 Squadron, forming before the end of the year.[90] Four Victors, fitted with Yellow Astor reconnaissance radar, together with passive sensors, were used to equip a secretive unit, the Radar Reconnaissance Flight at RAF Wyton.[89][90] The Victor bomber force continued to build up, with 57 Squadron forming in March 1959 and 55 Squadron in October 1960.[49][91] At its height, the Victor was simultaneously operating with six squadrons of RAF Bomber Command.[64]
According to the operational doctrine developed by the RAF, in the circumstance of deploying a large-scale nuclear strike, each Victor would have operated entirely independently; the crews would conduct their mission without external guidance and be reliant upon the effectiveness of their individual tactics to reach and successfully attack their assigned target; thus great emphasis was placed on continuous crew training during peacetime.[92] Developing a sense of a crew unity was considered highly important; Victor crews would typically serve together for at least five years, and a similar approach was adopted with ground personnel.[93] In order to maximise the operational lifespan of each aircraft, Victor crews typically flew a single five-hour training mission per week.[94] Each crew member was required to qualify for servicing certificates to independently undertake inspection, refuelling and turnaround operations.[79]
In times of high international tension, the V-bombers would have dispersed and been maintained at a high state of readiness; if the order was given to deploy a nuclear strike, Victors at high readiness would have been airborne in under four minutes.[95] British intelligence had estimated that the Soviets' radar network was capable of detecting the Victor at up to 200 miles away, so to avoid interception, the Victor would follow carefully planned routes to exploit weaknesses in the Soviet detection network. This tactic was employed in conjunction with the Victor's extensive onboard ECM to increase the chances of evasion.[69] Whilst originally the Victor would have maintained high-altitude flight throughout a nuclear strike mission, rapid advances of the Soviet anti-aircraft warfare capabilities (exemplified by the downing of a U-2 from 70,000 ft in 1960) led to this tactic being abandoned: a low-level high-speed approach supported by increasingly sophisticated ECMs was adopted in its place.[96][97]
The improved Victor B.2 started to be delivered in 1961, with the first B.2 Squadron,
In 1964–1965, a series of detachments of Victor B.1As was deployed to
Following the discovery of fatigue cracks, developing due to their low-altitude usage,[99] the B.2R strategic bombers were retired and placed in storage by the end of 1968. The RAF had experienced intense demand on its existing aerial refuelling tanker fleet, and its existing fleet of Victor B.1 tankers that had been converted earlier were due to be retired in the 1970s, so it was decided that the stored Victor B.2Rs would be converted to tankers also.[103] Handley Page prepared a modification scheme that would see the Victors fitted with tip tanks, the structure modified to limit further fatigue cracking in the wings, and ejection seats provided for all six crewmembers.[104][105] The Ministry of Defence delayed signing the order for conversion of the B2s until after Handley Page went into liquidation. The contract for conversion was instead awarded to Hawker Siddeley, who produced a much simpler conversion proposal, with the wingspan shortened to reduce wing bending stress and hence extend airframe life.[106]
While the Victor was never permanently based with any units stationed overseas, temporary deployments were frequently conducted, often in a ceremonial capacity or to participate in training exercises and competitions. Victor squadrons were dispatched on several extended deployments to the Far East, and short term deployments to Canada were also conducted for training purposes.[107] At one point during the early 1960s, South Africa showed considerable interest in the acquisition of several bomber-configured Victors.[108]
Several of the Victor B.2s had been converted for Strategic Reconnaissance missions following the retirement of the Valiant in this capacity. In service, this type was primarily used in surveillance of the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Seas, capable of surveying 400,000 square miles in an eight-hour mission; they were also used to sample the fallout from French nuclear tests conducted in the South Pacific.[109] Originally reconnaissance Victors were equipped for visual reconnaissance; it was found to be cheaper to assign Canberra light bombers to this duty and the cameras were removed in 1970. Subsequently, radar-based reconnaissance was emphasised in the type's role.[110] The reconnaissance Victors remained in use until 1974 when they followed the standard bombers into the tanker conversion line; a handful of modified Avro Vulcans assumed the maritime radar reconnaissance role in their place.[100]
Both the Victor and the Vulcan, played a high-profile role during the 1982 Falklands War. In order to cross the distance of the South Atlantic, a single Vulcan required refuelling several times from Victor tankers. A total of
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Documentary on the Black Buck raids |
Following the
Variants
- HP.80
- Prototype, two aircraft built.[49]
- Victor B.1
- Strategic bomber aircraft, 50 built.[49]
- Victor B.1A
- Strategic bomber aircraft, B.1 updated with Red Steer tail warning radar and ECM suite, 24 converted.[119]
- Victor B.1A (K.2P)
- 2-point in-flight refuelling tanker retaining bomber capability, six converted.[120]
- Victor BK.1
- 3-point in-flight refuelling tanker (renamed K.1 after bombing capability removed), 11 converted.[120]
- Victor BK.1A
- 3-point in-flight refuelling tanker (renamed K.1A as for K.1), 14 converted.[120]
- Victor B.2
- Strategic bomber aircraft, 34 built.[49]
- Victor B.2RS
- Blue Steel-capable aircraft with RCo.17 Conway 201 engines, 21 converted.[120]
- Victor B(SR).2
- Strategic reconnaissance aircraft, nine converted.[49]
- Victor K.2
- In-flight refuelling tanker. 24 converted from B.2 and B(SR).2.[49]
- HP.96
- Proposed military transport of 1950 with new fuselage carrying 85 troops. Unbuilt.[121]
- HP.97
- 1950 civil airliner project. Not built.[121]
- HP.98
- Proposed pathfinder version with remotely operated tail guns and powered by Conway engines. Rejected in favour of Valiant B.2.[122]
- HP.101
- Proposed military transport version of HP.97. Not built.[100]
- HP.104
- Proposed "Phase 3" bomber of 1955 powered by Bristol Olympus or Sapphire engines. Not built.[123]
- HP.111
- 1958 project for military or civil transport, powered by four Conway engines. Capacity for 200 troops in military version or 145 passengers in airliner in a double-decker fuselage.[124]
- HP.114
- Proposed "Phase 6" bomber designed for standing patrols carrying two or four GAM-87 Skybolt ballistic missiles.[45]
- HP.123
- Proposed military tactical transport based on HP.111 and fitted with blown flaps. Rejected in favour of Armstrong Whitworth AW.681.[125]
Operators
- Royal Air Force
- No. 10 Squadron RAF operated B.1 from April 1958 to March 1964 at RAF Cottesmore.[49]
- No. 15 Squadron RAF operated B.1 from September 1958 to October 1964 at RAF Cottesmore.[49]
- No. 55 Squadron RAF operated B.1 and B.1As from RAF Honington from October 1960,[49] moving to RAF Marham and receiving B.1(K)A tankers in May 1965.[126] These were replaced by K.2 in July 1975,[127] with the squadron continuing to operate Victors in the tanker role until disbanding in October 1993.[49]
- No. 57 Squadron RAF operated B.1As from RAF Honington from March 1959, moving to RAF Marham in December 1965 for conversion to K.1 and later K.2 tankers until disbanding in June 1986.[49][128]
- No. 100 Squadron RAF operated B.2s at RAF Wittering from May 1962 to September 1968.[49]
- No. 139 (Jamaica) Squadron RAF operated B.2s from RAF Wittering from February 1962 to December 1968.[49]
- No. 214 Squadron RAF operated K.1 tankers from RAF Marham from July 1966 to January 1977.[49]
- No. 543 Squadron RAF operated B(SR).2s from RAF Wyton from December 1965 to May 1974.[49]
- No. 232 Operational Conversion Unit RAF.[49]
- Radar Reconnaissance Flight RAF Wyton.[89]
Accidents and incidents
- 14 July 1954: WB771 the prototype HP.80 crashed during a test flight at Cranfield, England. All four crewmen died. The tailplane detached from the top of the fin.[129]
- 16 April 1958: XA921 a B.1 undertaking Ministry of Supply trials experienced a collapse of the rear bomb bay bulkhead while cycling the bomb bay doors, damaging hydraulic and electrical systems; the aircraft successfully returned to base. Following the incident, in-service Victors had restrictions put in place on the opening of the bomb doors until Modification 943 was applied to all aircraft.[130]
- 20 August 1959: XH668 a B2 of the A&AEE lost a pitot head and dived into the sea off Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire.[131] More than 40 ships and 4,000 people were involved in the recovery of 600,000 pieces of the missing bomber, an exercise referred to as 'Operation Victor Search'.[132]
- 19 June 1960: XH617 a B1A of 57 Squadron caught fire in the air and was abandoned near Diss, Norfolk.[131]
- 23 March 1962: XL159 a B2 of the A&AEE stalled and dived into a house at Stubton, Lincolnshire.[133]
- 14 June 1962: XH613 a B1A of 15 Squadron lost power on all engines and was abandoned on approach to RAF Cottesmore.[131]
- 16 June 1962: XA929 a B1 of 10 Squadron overshot the runway and broke up at RAF Akrotiri following an aborted takeoff.[134]
- 2 October 1962: XA934 a B1 of 'A' Squadron, 232 OCU had an engine failure and deliberate shutdown of the adjacent engine on takeoff from RAF Gaydon. During the approach to land the other two engines flamed out.[134] The aircraft crashed into a copse several miles from RAF Gaydon. Of the four crew on board only the co-pilot survived. The RAF accident record states the prime cause as mis-management of the fuel system and consequent fuel starvation of the two running engines.
- 20 March 1963: XM714 a B2 of 100 Squadron stalled after takeoff from RAF Wittering.[135]
- 29 June 1966: XM716 a SR2 of 543 Squadron was giving a demonstration flight for the press and television at RAF Wyton.[136] The aircraft had made one high-speed circuit and was flying low in a wide arc to return over the airfield when the starboard wing was seen to break away and both it and the rest of the aircraft burst into flames.[136] All four crew were killed.[136] The aircraft was the first SR2 to enter service with the squadron. The aircraft had exceeded its operational limitations causing overstressing.[137][138]
- 19 August 1968: Victor K1 XH646 of 214 Squadron collided in midair near Holt, Norfolk in bad weather with a 213 Squadron English Electric Canberra WT325; all four crew members of the Victor died, as did all three on board the Canberra.[131][139][140]
- 10 May 1973: XL230 a SR2 of 543 Squadron bounced during landing at RAF Wyton and exploded.[133]
- 24 March 1975: Victor K1A XH618 of
- 29 Sept 1976: XL513 a K2 of No 55 Squadron aborted take off and overshot the runway at RAF Marham after a bird strike. The crew escaped with no serious injuries. The aircraft caught fire and was damaged beyond repair.[141]
- 15 October 1982: XL232 a K2 of No 55 Squadron suffered an uncontained turbine failure early in the take off run. The aircraft was stopped and the crew evacuated the aircraft with no injuries. Debris from the turbine penetrated a fuselage fuel tank, starting an uncontrolled fire, destroying the aircraft and damaging the runway at RAF Marham.[142]
- 19 June 1986: XL191 a K2 of 57 Squadron undershot approach at Hamilton, Ontario.[133]
- 29 February 1988: Landing accident at USAF Offutt AB-hydraulic failure resulted in the aircraft running off the runway. As recorded and illustrated in Flypast October 2008 p. 107, this resulted in ‘I Ran Offut’ artwork being applied to the crew door. Many of the USAF groundcrew at Offutt were Irish- American, so the tongue-in-cheek phrase is meant to be said in an Irish accent, ‘I ran off it’.
- 3 May 2009: During a "fast taxi" run at Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome, XM715 (Teasin' Tina) made a brief unplanned flight, reaching a height of about 30 ft (9 m) at maximum, then carrying out a safe landing before the aircraft could reach the runway threshold. The aircraft did not have a permit to fly; however, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) stated that they would not be conducting an investigation.[143] Teasin' Tina became airborne after the plane's co-pilot had failed to reply to the command "throttles back"; the pilot then had to control the throttles himself, the confusion temporarily disrupting firm control of the aircraft.[144][145]
Surviving aircraft
A total of four Victors have survived and are on display in the United Kingdom. None are flightworthy.[146]
- Victor B.1A XH648: a B.1A (K.2P) at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridgeshire. This is the sole B.1 to survive.[147] This aircraft is on display following a five year restoration project, which was formally completed in September 2022.[148]
- Victor K.2 XH672: Maid Marian, at the Royal Air Force Museum, Cosford, Shropshire, in the National Cold War Exhibition.[149]
- Victor K.2 XL231: Lusty Lindy, at the Yorkshire Air Museum, York. The prototype for the B.2 to K.2 conversion.[150]
- Victor K.2 XM715: Teasin' Tina/Victor Meldrew, at the British Aviation Heritage Centre, Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire.[151] XM715, during a fast taxi demonstration, inadvertently left the ground briefly at Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome in 2009.
A fifth airframe, Victor K.2 XH673: A K.2 served as Gate guardian at RAF Marham when retired in 1993, but in early 2020 she was offered up for disposal, with the word being that she was in a structurally unsafe condition. In spite of preservation attempts as of December 2020 most of the airframe had been scrapped.[152] In February 2021, the RAF released the time-lapse footage of this airframe being dismantled.[153]
Specifications (Handley Page Victor B.1)
Data from Handley Page Aircraft since 1907[125]
General characteristics
- Crew: 5
- Length: 114 ft 11 in (35.03 m)
- Wingspan: 110 ft (34 m)
- Height: 28 ft 1.5 in (8.573 m) [49]
- Wing area: 2,406 sq ft (223.5 m2)
- Airfoil: Root: 16% Modified RAE Airfoil; Tip: 6% Modified RAE Airfoil[154]
- Empty weight: 89,030 lb (40,383 kg) [155]
- Max takeoff weight: 205,000 lb (92,986 kg)
- Powerplant: 4 × Armstrong Siddeley A.S.Sa.7 Sapphire turbojet engines, 11,050 lbf (49.2 kN) thrust each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 545 kn (627 mph, 1,009 km/h) at 36,000 ft (11,000 m)[49]
- Range: 5,217 nmi (6,004 mi, 9,662 km)
- Service ceiling: 56,000 ft (17,000 m)
Armament
- Bombs:
- Up to 35 × 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs or
- 1× Yellow Sun free-fall nuclear bomb
Notable appearances in media
A 1964 Gerhard Richter painting titled XL 513 depicts Victor K.2, which was lost in a 1976 accident at RAF Marham.[156]
See also
Related development
- Handley Page HP.88, British research aircraft
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
Notes
- ^ Frederick Handley Page, the founder and owner of Handley Page, had anticipated that there would be a need to replace the Lincoln bomber well in advance of any requirement, having issued a memo on 14 June 1945 requesting the immediate investigation of two new bomber designs.[3]
- ^ According to aviation author Jon Lake, the name 'Victor' had originated from British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.[12]
- ^ Paul Langston, an observer on-board while XA917 broke the sound barrier, has the distinction of being the first man to break the sound barrier seated backwards.[30]
- ^ Martin Baker developed and tested rearward ejection systems for both the Valiant and the Vulcan, proceeding to the point of a modified Valiant undergoing testing; however the company concluded that the same approach on the Victor would be substantially more difficult due to structural reasons.[59]
- ^ In operational service with the RAF, a maximum payload of 35 1,000 lb bombs could be carried.[49]
- ^ Godfrey Lee, one of the aircraft's designers, stated of the electrical changes that "an unbelievable improvement followed from going over from DC to AC".[68]
- ^ Hedley Hazelden, Handley Page's chief test pilot, stated that "From a pilot's point of view, the Victor wasn't that much of a problem. In spite of innovations such as powered controls and nose flaps, it flew like any other aeroplane".[79]
Citations
- ^ Wynn 1997, pp. 7, 16.
- ^ Wynn 1997, p. 18.
- ^ Brookes 2011, p. 6.
- ^ a b Buttler Air Enthusiast January–February 1999, pp. 28–31.
- ^ Wynn 1997, pp. 44–46.
- ^ Butler and Buttler 2009, p. 7.
- ^ Brookes 2011, pp. 6–7.
- ^ a b Gunston 1973, p. 80
- ^ Lee, G.H. "Aerodynamics of the Crescent Wing." Flight, 14 May 1954, pp. 611–612.
- ^ Flight 30 October 1959, p. 463.
- ^ Butler and Buttler 2009, p. 9.
- ^ a b Lake 2002, p. 364.
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