The Avro Vulcan Strategic Bomber - Overview

An overview of the Vulcan Bomber

Movies Video Games Featured:
Thunderball 1965
Satellite in the Sky 1956
Grand Theft Auto V
Forza Horizon 4
War Thunder

#coldwar #aircraft #britishhistory

[BHuang]

Interesting Fact:
The Avro Vulcan was considered to be retired but the Falkland War delayed it.

[bobmetcalfe]

From what I can gather, the main benefit of the Blackbuck raids was not the damage they did to Stanley airport so much as the fact that they showed they could reach Argentina, which resulted in the Argentine air force pretty much being withdrawn to the mainland.

[User_Un_Friendly]

Ah yes, Thunderball. After the movie’s release, the Royal Marine Commandos contacted the movie’s producers, eager to get their hands on the teeny, tiny rebreather used by James Bond. Alas, such a rebreather was just a movie prop.

However, another company used it as the inspiration for their portable, small pressurized air cylinder, used for casual scuba diving. 🐶

[BaronRodney]

I am a simple man with simple needs. I just want to brew my own beer and fly a Avro Vulcan Bomber Aircraft.

[edwardfalcus]

Another interesting fact, 1960 i was a member of 101sqd when we were invited to visit Agentina so off went with 2 Vulcans and spent a great 6 weeks with the Argy airforce, the tango clubs were somethingelse!!

[Tony]

There is a vulcan on display at the RAF museum in North West London and it is huge. It has a dozen cars and trucks parked underneath the aircraft. It has other aircraft like the B-17 and Avro Lancaster bombers and they were tiny in comparison.
A free entry museum and worth spending the day there.

[hqwefg]

My dad who's not the biggest fan of military equipment and such can always name and cite the Avro Vulcan off the top of his head, it fascinated him as a kid and still does to this day, in no small part in being a futuristic Avro aircraft that was shown off only a few years before the Avro branch here in Canada was shut down along with the Avro Arrow. I guess he sees the Vulcan as a surrogate for the Avro aircraft that could have been here.

Still really cool to see every time just the same.

[mbryson]

That engine noise is unsettling, like the mating cry of some prehistoric behemoth.

[Aren-]

Sadly no Vulcans remain in flying condition today. The last one was retired off the airshow circuit around 2014 due to costs. I was lucking enough to see it fly then at the Duxford Airshow. The distinctive howling sound it makes is truly like none other and really leaves an impression on you.

[justinreilly]

Mark Felton on one of his YouTube channels did a post about the Vulcan landing in S. American after the raid on the Falkland Islands. It caused a scandal at the time and in itself is a real 'boys own' adventure story.

Thanks Johnny for the overview on this fantastic aircraft. 👌

[loyalpiper]

If you've never seen or heard one fly, you don't know the sheer joy you've missed

[GVFY]

The Vulcan was designed by Sir Roy Chadwick, who designed the Avro Lancaster, and the Avro Manchester, although, like R. J. Mitchell, he did not live to see it fly. (Both died of cancer).

[katfezza]

My high school physics teacher crewed one of these during the Falklands War. He would talk about them during the quieter lesson days.

[BrumKid]

I spent many hours in Malta guarding the Vulcan when i had to do guard duty back in 1975 to 1978.
The RAF base where the Vulcan was based is now closed ie RAF Waddington.

[still_guns]

XH558 was retired in 2015, and hasn't flown since. It will be cut up into sections to move it from its homebase airport that closed recently.

The fictional Delta Wing from Forza Horizon 4 was almost certainly meant to be a proper Vulcan. The showcase event where you race against it in an Aston Martin Vulcan would have seen the event called 'Vulcan Vs Vulcan', like the Mustang Vs Mustang event from the original Forza Horizon. Ultimately, it seems the rights to use the design could not be obtained, and a similar fictional craft was used instead.

[scottessery]

Fun fact
The guy who designed the Lancaster - roy chadwick-
Designed the Vulcan less than 10 years later! 😮

[itsjohndell]

When I was at Lakenheath the RAF were still flying some of them. Without doubt the most beautiful Bomber ever built. A little side note to the Blackbuck mission, I was party to the signals, Reagan had the Victor tankers shadowed by KC-135's in case if needed they could re-fuel the Vulcans. We were in that raid all the way...quietly. I agreed with nothing else Ms Thatcher did but she did what needed to be done in the Falklands Conflict. If she had let Argentina keep the islands it would have been the end of Britain as a major power.

[Idahoguy]

I was fortunate in 1988 to see a flying Vulcan at an airshow. In Guam of all places!

[indigohammer]

I viewed one on display near Edinburgh. It’s one of the “Black Buck” aircraft. On the side, under the cockpit window are two painted silhouettes of Shrike anti radar missiles, launched against Argentinian AAA systems, and a Small Brazilian flag. This commemorates it’s internment in Rio after running short of fuel. We gave the Argies the good news several different ways!

[jonaldous]

I remember seeing one of these at a airshow 80s... I was very young but remember the screaming sound and volume that was shockingly loud.