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01:00At the Farnborough Air Show in 1952, a brand-new aircraft was shown straight off the secret
01:16list.
01:17The aviation world was startled when test pilot Wing Commander Ford put the aircraft
01:22through some outstanding manoeuvres.
01:25The Avro Vulcan, the world's first Delta Wing bomber.
01:34For twelve years, from mid-1957 until mid-1969, a force of British-built bombers armed with
01:40nuclear weapons not only formed the core of the Royal Air Force, but also represented
01:45the foundation on which the national defence as a whole rested.
01:50At the close of World War II, there was little hesitation about the need for Britain to develop
01:55the use of atomic weapons, and since British scientists had played an important part in
02:00the American wartime atomic programme, Britain now had access to the technologies involved.
02:17Now the first Vulcan flew from this factory on August the 2nd, 1952, and it was piloted
02:23by a gentleman called Rowley Falk, who was the superintendent of flying, and he flew
02:28it over Cheshire and the Lancashire area for two and a half hours, and it stopped the haul
02:35of traffic in the Manchester, Cheshire, Lancashire area, because nobody had ever seen anything
02:40like it.
02:41It was terrific.
02:42And that's how the Vulcan came to being.
02:45A week later, he took it down to the Farnborough Air Show, and he rolled it like a fighter.
02:50It's unbelievable for a 70-odd tonne aircraft, which it is.
02:53I mean, it's 70 tonnes unladen, it carries 30 tonne of fuel, and when it's fully laden
02:58there's over 100 tonne, which I think is a marvellous achievement.
03:10The strategy of air power moved into a new era.
03:13It followed an uneasy peace of the late 40s, and the Cold War of the 50s.
03:20An iron curtain cast its shadow across the world.
03:26Democracy faced new dangers in Europe and Asia, and tensions continued to mount, though
03:31statesmen struggled to preserve the peace.
03:39In those years, we saw evidence that others had not been idle in building up powerful
03:43forces of destruction.
03:47Thanks to the vision of Air Staff, Britain had not been left behind.
03:51They saw the need for aircraft able to carry even deadlier bomb loads, higher, faster,
03:57and further than ever before.
04:00It was in January of 1947 that the specifications for such a bomber and orders to tender was
04:06received by A. V. Rowan Co Ltd.
04:12Avro's designers had already examined the problems of creating an aircraft with the
04:16very ambitious performance requirements demanded by the Ministry, but now it had become a firm
04:24agreement.
04:25Roy Ewan's chief designer explains the problems involved.
04:30A very large conventional aircraft with swept wings seemed the obvious solution.
04:35But it just would not do.
04:37The wings were too large and too heavy.
04:41An alternative concept we explored was the tail-less aircraft, but here again we were
04:47beaten by weight.
04:49The specification demands very high cruising speed, close to that of sound, and this means
04:55that the wings must have a low thickness chord ratio, a low wing loading, high sweep
05:00back, and low aspect ratio.
05:02Our project studies led us eventually to the triangular or delta planform, which gave the
05:09best combination of these features.
05:15The delta has other important advantages.
05:18The low wing loading gives reasonable take-off and landing speeds and distances without using
05:23flaps or other complicated high lift devices.
05:26The low aspect ratio gives excellent flying qualities in spite of the high sweep back.
05:32The wing structure is inherently stiff and strong, and there's ample space within it
05:36for housing the power plants, the fuel tanks, and the undercarriage without prejudicing
05:43the clean aerodynamic contour.
05:46The weight and complication of a tailplane are avoided, longitudinal control is provided
05:51by elevators at the trailing edge of the wing.
05:55The more we studied the air ministry specification, the more the delta seemed to be the best answer.
06:00Finally, a decision was taken.
06:03A.V.
06:04Rowe would build a delta.
06:11In the company's wind tunnel at Woodford, the aerodynamic characteristics of the new
06:15planforms were thoroughly investigated.
06:19Although little was known of the practical behaviour of the delta wing, an unusual decision
06:24was made.
06:26Experimental aircraft, exact third scale replicas of the new bomber, were built for research
06:31into the handling characteristics of aircraft of this shape.
06:43It was at this stage, early in 1950, Mr Rowley Falk joined the company.
06:50Mr Falk probably knew more about delta wing aircraft than any other pilot.
06:55He began development flights at a crucial stage.
06:59Two third scale research aircraft were built to try out the flying characteristics for
07:04the projected bomber.
07:06The 707A was made for high speed flying and the 707B for low speed handling.
07:14The 707B was built first.
07:20As soon as we were thoroughly satisfied with the low speed handling of the delta, I started
07:24on testing the high speed aircraft, this, the 707A.
07:37It was the first time any delta wing aircraft had flown in Britain and it aroused great
07:46curiosity which wasn't entirely confined to the aeronautical profession.
08:06It was the first time any delta wing aircraft had flown in Britain and it aroused great curiosity
08:13which wasn't entirely confined to the aeronautical profession.
08:36They were busy and exciting days back in 1950.
08:40For the small Avro Delta team, life seemed to revolve round a little hut on the Ministry
08:46of Supplies research establishment at Boscombe Down.
08:51During all the delta test flights, automatic cameras recorded readings on the dials of
08:56the 24 instruments.
08:59The film was removed for immediate development after each flight so that the readings of
09:03every instrument at known intervals could be examined.
09:06Later, a technique was developed in which instruments made their own records automatically.
09:17While this research was going on, a full scale mock-up of the Vulcan was built.
09:21In addition, the company installed several new test rigs.
09:27In this rig, the power-operated flying control system had been laid out exactly as planned
09:33for the aircraft.
09:35Typical movement applied to the stick by the pilot could be reproduced and the responses
09:40of the controls analysed.
09:46On the same rig, large lead disks represent the mass of the ailerons, elevators and rudder.
09:54Hundreds of hours flying could be condensed into a short space of time.
09:58On the hydraulics test rig, the undercarriage was tested under loads of representing conditions
10:02of actual flight.
10:10The bomb bay doors were opened and closed hundreds of times so that the way they work
10:25was thoroughly tested before the aircraft flew.
10:33Another test rig was built to examine engine bay installations and to check pressures and
10:39temperatures.
10:45Wool tufts attached to the intake ducts were used to study the airflow.
10:50It was found that the Vulcan's long intake tunnels smoothed out irregularities in the
10:55airflow so that each paired engine received an identical flow of air.
11:10Because of the extreme altitude at which the Vulcan was to fly, some special research
11:23was also needed on the pressure cabin.
11:26This was completely immersed in a water tank and water pressure applied to the inside.
11:34These tests were a guarantee of the crew's safety.
11:38More research was also conducted on the window glass which was tested to destruction.
11:43Glass panels were mounted on a frame which represented the windscreen and the assembly
11:49bolted to the steel cover of a pressure vessel.
11:53A pre-loaded dial gauge was connected to the surface of the glass by a fine wire.
12:00As the breaking point is approached, the fluid can be seen escaping from the plastic inner
12:04layer between the glass laminations.
12:14A complete aircraft was also built for structural tests and successfully withstood loads exceeding
12:20the design requirements.
12:28The first Vulcan prototype was ready to fly.
12:36Four and a half years of intensive work had gone into the making of this aircraft.
12:41Unlike the launching of a ship, the first flight of an aircraft is not a ceremonial
12:45event.
12:46The only people present were a few of the firm's staff to whom this day meant so much.
12:52It was a huge aeroplane and quite unlike anything of its size that had flown before.
12:57But its test pilot, because of his experience with the 707s, was full of confidence.
13:01He'd already flown many hours in deltas.
13:27We're cleared to taxi runway 26.
13:57698, take off.
14:02698, Woodford Tower, cleared for take off.
14:27I was actually down there on the Saturday morning waiting for things to happen.
14:41He'd given it a whirl the Friday night, frightened AQD to death, hadn't taken it, but on Saturday
14:48morning he took it and as he came to me I saw the nose wheel lift, I saw the front bogies
14:54lift and he was right opposite when the last bogies just trembled away.
15:01So I saw the first half inch of the first flight of the first Vulcan and I cried like
15:05a baby.
15:24Only three days after its flight, the prototype made a dramatic appearance at the SDAC display
15:54at Farnborough.
15:57Falk flew it alone. This 50 tonne aeroplane could be flown single-handed.
16:05It's one thing to build a prototype, but quite another to put the aircraft into production.
16:10Yes, production is the key word now and I don't think that should bother us too much.
16:18We have a staff here of about 9,000 people at the moment. We did have about 40,000 during
16:24the war and we have, of course, a very efficient and able production and pre-production administration.
16:34The production of the Vulcan had been planned from the time the aircraft was just a pencil
16:39outline. 50,000 special tools had to be made to put the first squadron of Vulcans into
16:46the air.
16:51Shown here is a universal rib assembly rig. Each rib exactly made had its place in the
16:59wing assembly rig.
17:05All Avro's press capacity was used to hasten production. In this 5,000 tonne rubber press,
17:12large parts could be produced in one operation, therefore lowering costs.
17:22A special procedure was adopted for making a curved spar, one of the few universal parts
17:36in the structure. This machine was designed and made by Avro to roll the spar to contour.
17:44These are all existing techniques and, to remain in the forefront, new ideas must be
17:51developed to improve continuously the performance of aircraft. At Avro, much time and effort
17:57had been spent on evolving lighter and stiffer structures. This honeycomb sandwich which
18:03has these qualities was in production for the Vulcan. Here you see the manufacture of
18:09a typical honeycomb sandwich panel. The assembly is clamped together and placed inside a bag
18:16from which the air is evacuated. The adhesive, previously applied to the inner surfaces of
18:22the sheets, is now cured in an oven.
18:30So this undercarriage fairing panel, for instance, is much lighter and much stiffer than one
18:36made by conventional methods. And so the Vulcan goes into production. Bombing up on the Vulcan
18:45is both speedy and simple. The Avro twin jack hoisting system enables the entire bombing
18:51up procedure to be conducted from the ground. The rams of the jacks, inserted at each end
18:58of the carrier, are extended until they engage attachments at each end of the bomb arches.
19:06The jacks are now retracted, taking the carrier with them. This Avro method of bomb loading
19:13eliminates hoisting from above, or standing on the aircraft wings or fuselage, with the
19:19risk of damaging the aircraft's skin. The fact that the whole operation can be done
19:24from the ground underneath the aircraft means that bombing up can be done in all sorts of
19:29weather and at night, without special lighting above the aeroplane.
19:38The armourer too can observe that the bombs are suspended absolutely evenly, without any
19:44upset in balance. As soon as the carrier is locked in position, the jacks are removed.
19:53As many as ten bombs can be loaded into the Vulcan on a single carrier. This is another
19:58notable Avro achievement. The first carrier able to hold more than two rows of bombs.
20:05The bomb bay of the Vulcan holds three such carriers. This means that the single load
20:09of the Vulcan can be increased from 21 1,000lb bombs to 30 1,000lb bombs. A load of 60 bombs
20:18can be carried by two Vulcans instead of three. Ingenuity with excellence of aircraft design
20:25have combined to produce a bomber with immense striking power.
20:39All the ability to design and build a beautiful looking aircraft which meets its original
20:43specifications isn't enough in itself. Peter Sutcliffe, the company's chief aerodynamicist,
20:51explained how new operational requirements were met by the Vulcan without major redesign.
20:56Flow separation is one of the most difficult problems of transonic flight and solutions
21:01can only be obtained by close attention to the shape of the wing, both in plan form and
21:06section, especially in the region near the tips. The basic wing of the Vulcan has been
21:12modified by increasing the chord by about 20% in this region and extending the chord
21:19forwards and downwards towards the local incident flow. This simple modification allows the
21:24air to flow smoothly over the upper surface of the wing at incidences far greater than
21:29is possible on the basic Vulcan. All production Vulcans are fitted with this modified leading
21:35edge and are capable of using to full advantage those engines now being developed up to and
21:41including 13,000lb sea level static thrust. If we are now to consider the benefits in
21:48terms of increased altitude that are available from engines of even greater thrust then we
21:54must consider more far reaching modifications. This diagram shows the extent of such modifications
22:05but even here it will be seen that a very considerable part of the major structure is
22:10left completely unchanged. The only portion of the wing affected by the modifications
22:15is that outboard of the elevators. It is the comparative ease with which modifications
22:24of this kind can be introduced that gives the tail-less delta layout its great development
22:29potential and once again demonstrates the basic suitability of the Vulcan for a high
22:34flying fast bomber. In order to equip their engineers with the fundamental research into
22:42the problems which face them, the company invested large sums of money in capital equipment.
22:48Thorough and painstaking studies of the effects of temperature were needed. The high altitude
22:53pressure chamber had been installed to reproduce the extreme conditions of pressure and temperature
22:58in which not only the Vulcan but other aircraft of the future would fly. The operation of
23:04aircraft mechanisms can be studied in this chamber at a temperature of minus 70 degrees
23:10centigrade and at pressures equivalent to an altitude of 75,000 feet.
23:21The Avro flutter and response simulators can tell aircraft designers precisely how their
23:27projects will respond to control movements or disturbances in the air when it flies.
23:34Here, the simulated disturbance to an aircraft damps out quickly. At a different configuration,
23:41the same disturbance leads to a nosedive.
23:53Added to these aids is the very latest digital computer popularly known as the electronic
23:59brain. The problems translated onto perforations on a roll are fed into the computer. Calculations
24:06which would have taken a month could be condensed into a matter of minutes.
24:14Even the models used in supersonic wind tunnel research were built in steel and finished
24:19by hand.
24:23In this tunnel, speeds of up to Mach 1.6 could be reached, and Avro built a third wind tunnel
24:29for research into Mach numbers as high as 3.5. The Schlerum apparatus is moved into
24:35position. Observers wait for the shockwave to appear on the Schlerum screen.
25:23The Schlerum apparatus is moved into position.
25:32The Schlerum apparatus is moved into position.
25:44The Schlerum apparatus is moved into position.
25:53And so the Vulcan joined the Royal Air Force. What began as a pencil outline in the design
25:58office of Avro became a formidable weapon in the hands of specially picked crews of
26:03Bomber Command. The Under Secretary of State said that the Vulcan is equal to, if not better
26:09than, any other bomber in the world. These aircraft were followed by a later version,
26:15the Mach 2 Vulcan.
26:22This variant had increased all-round performance in range, speed, altitude and carrying capacity.
26:52This variant had increased all-round performance in range, speed, altitude and carrying capacity.
26:58This variant had increased all-round performance in range, speed, altitude and carrying capacity.
27:04This variant had increased all-round performance in range, speed, altitude and carrying capacity.
27:10This variant had increased all-round performance in range, speed, altitude and carrying capacity.
27:16This variant had increased all-round performance in range, speed, altitude and carrying capacity.
27:22This variant had increased all-round performance in range, speed, altitude and carrying capacity.
27:28This variant had increased all-round performance in range, speed, altitude and carrying capacity.
27:34This variant had increased all-round performance in range, speed, altitude and carrying capacity.
27:40This variant had increased all-round performance in range, speed, altitude and carrying capacity.
27:46This variant had increased all-round performance in range, speed, altitude and carrying capacity.
27:52This variant had increased all-round performance in range, speed, altitude and carrying capacity.
27:58This variant had increased all-round performance in range, speed, altitude and carrying capacity.
28:04This variant had increased all-round performance in range, speed, altitude and carrying capacity.
28:10This variant had increased all-round performance in range, speed, altitude and carrying capacity.
28:16This variant had increased all-round performance in range, speed, altitude and carrying capacity.
28:22This variant had increased all-round performance in range, speed, altitude and carrying capacity.
28:28The Vulcan's striking power was increased by the Avro standoff bomb,
28:47The Vulcan's striking power was increased by the Avro standoff bomb,
28:53Perhaps the most important factor in the vital role this aircraft was destined to play.
29:00This guided weapon, designed and built by Avro, gave enormous tactical advantages.
29:08The Vulcan, indeed, became a fully controllable missile-launching craft.
29:38The Vulcan held a key position in Britain's frontline defence.
29:53The RAF now had an aircraft with a great tradition behind it, and a great future before it.
30:08The first batch of Vulcans that went into service was 12, and they went down to Lincoln
30:16into what we call the Forty Squadrons, and then after that they were based of course
30:20around Lincoln, Connersby, Waddington, Scampton, etc.
30:24Most of the Vulcans were based in the Lincolnshire area to start with, and then some were dispersed
30:30abroad in Gibraltar and I think some in Malta.
30:35The Vulcan entered service with the RAF in May 1956 with 230 Squadron, and later No.
30:4383 Squadron at Waddington.
30:45It also went on to equip No. 27, 44, 50, 101, and the famous Dambusters 617 Squadron.
30:54The RAF Vulcan was designated the Vulcan B Mark I.
34:19With the advent of the new powerful Olympus 200 engines, which were first flown on the
34:48Vulcan B1 at the 1958 Favre Air Show, the development of the more advanced Vulcan B2
34:55was made possible.
34:57This degree of extra power would give higher operating ceiling for the Vulcan and would
35:00make it possible to carry a greater payload, such as the new blue steel standoff missile
35:06and the new Skybolt missiles.
35:07A.B.
35:08Rowe began tests on the Skybolt for the USA.
35:12The data was fed back to America.
35:27The behaviour of the missile during release was observed and this indicated very satisfactory
35:32characteristics.
35:34Flow patterns in the region of the astro-tracker were investigated and use was made of the
35:40aircraft.
35:41On the 17th of April 1961, the first of the eight dummy missiles arrived from Douglas
35:47on schedule.
35:58The missiles were fitted with core cylinder flare shape re-entry vehicles, which were
36:03now superseded by the sphere cone shape.
36:07Although the launcher had successfully passed all its tests in the USA, further tests were
36:12made to ensure the combined deflections of the launcher and Vulcan pylon did not interfere
36:16with the operation of the release system and would not cause inadvertent release.
36:21On the 26th of September, the missiles were refitted to the aircraft in preparation for
36:27the compass swing and the aircraft was towed out to the compass bed.
36:43Although the dummy missiles were not representative of the operational Skybolt from magnetic considerations,
36:49they contained large masses of steel, which were expected to give more compass deviation
36:55than the final Skybolt.
36:58Wing tip cameras were also fitted during the swing to ensure that despite their close proximity
37:03to the compass protectors, they would be accepted for the trials.
37:09Neither missiles or cameras produced excessive deviation and the errors were easily compensated
37:15by the normal adjustments on the compass.
37:18No difficulty was anticipated on normal operations and arrangements were made to carry out a
37:22full compass survey when representative missiles were available.
37:41On the 28th of September, the aircraft was cleared for flight, but in view of the extensive
37:47work carried out on the aircraft since its previous flight, it was considered prudent
37:51to make an initial flight without missiles, but with the pylons fitted.
37:57The flight would give an indication of possible effects of aircraft handling on flying with
38:01missiles.
38:02The flight was very successful and revealed no change in handling.
38:09On the following day, the 29th of September, the missiles were fitted to the aircraft.
38:16The necessary safety checks on the release system were made, final inspections of the
38:20installations were completed and the aircraft cleared for its first flight, carrying two
38:25dummy Skybolt missiles.
38:42The programme for the first flight was to investigate the effects of the missiles on
38:46the handling characteristics of the aircraft and if the pilot was satisfied to increase
38:51speed, Mach number and altitude to the limits of the flight clearance certificate, that
38:57is 300 knots, as indicated Mach number, and 50,000 feet altitude.
39:03On the 29th of September, the aircraft took off on its first flight with missiles, two
39:08days ahead of the programme date.
39:11The pilot's report on landing, after a flight of one hour and 15 minutes, was that the full
39:16envelope had been covered and that it was virtually impossible to distinguish any difference
39:20in the handling of the aircraft.
39:23During the seven subsequent flights with two missiles and two flights with one missile,
39:27the full range of flight parameters had been fully investigated and instrument readings
39:31obtained to show that there were no problems in the operation of the Skybolt missile.
40:0110, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
40:310, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
41:010, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
41:080, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
41:150, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
41:220, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
41:290, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
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42:060, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0,
42:36During the early 1960s, air-to-air refuelling, which had been the subject of desultory experiments
42:55since before the war, was introduced into the RAF's V-Force, not only to extend their
43:01range but also the pre-positioned in-flight tankers could take the place of costly intermediate
43:08landing posts.
43:11Many spectacular long-distance flights with air refuelling emphasised the Vulcan's incredible
43:16ability to reach remote places of the earth in less than a day.
43:20As for example, the 8,500 mile non-stop 17.5 hour UK-Karachian return flight by a Vulcan
43:27from 617 Squadron, followed by a Scampton to Sydney non-stop flight in 20 hours 3 minutes.
43:34Others took part in Operation Sky Shield and Western Ranger, which were mainly long-distance
43:38flag-waving exercises and training flights, often in partnership with the United States
43:43Air Force.
43:45In 1962, one Vulcan from numbers 27, 83 and 617 Squadrons from Scampton flew to New Zealand
43:53to join in the Royal New Zealand Air Force's 25th anniversary celebrations.
43:59On their return flight, 617's Vulcan established a goose-bait to Scampton speed record of 3
44:05hours 46 minutes, an average speed of 656 miles per hour.
44:13In May 1962, an incident occurred which gave credence to the doubts that the RAF were having
44:19about the future of the V Force and the primary launch platform for nuclear warheads.
44:25The American pilot in a U-2 aircraft had been shot down over Russia.
44:29This was a clear indication of the rapidly growing Soviet capability in surface-to-air
44:34missiles.
44:36Such defences would very soon be overshadowing the viability and effectiveness of the V bombers.
44:41The Royal Navy had been given a directive that Britain's nuclear force would be based
44:45on Polaris submarines, but it was going to be essential to keep the V force operational
44:50for five or six years ahead until the Polaris fleet was in service.
44:55The only practical alternative to the high-level attack profile which had been developed was
45:00to operate the bombers at very low level.
45:04By operating high-speed, low-level attacks, the V bombers could still make their way to
45:09the target by flying underneath that radar defence.
45:13So despite all of the previous high-altitude training that had gone before, pushing the
45:18aircraft to their limits, the Vulcan crews were given quite different challenges of low-flying
45:24on high-low-high sorties.
45:27The white paint scheme was also changed to the more conventional camouflage finish.
45:33The Vulcan squadron adopted a new system of readiness which meant that each squadron kept
45:37one crew on alert at any one time, known throughout NATO forces as quick reaction alert.
45:44These crews were at 15 minutes readiness.
45:46However, the RAF V bombers crew perfected this to such a degree that at any given time
45:52they could be airborne in under four minutes.
45:57Another important factor for the Vulcan also took place at this time.
46:01The aircraft were used as test beds for engine development of future aircraft.
46:06With the test engine being mounted in an underslung pod, these Rolls-Royce and Olympus
46:11engines were tested for experimental aircraft, including the ill-fated TSR-2.
46:17Then they were assigned to the Concorde development work, completing over 400 hours with Olympus
46:22593, before the supersonic Concorde prototype flew.
46:29The Rolls-Royce turbo union engines of the Tornado were also tested on a Vulcan.
46:34In 1968, the Polaris and the Vulcan B1s were taken out of service and the squadrons were
46:41re-equipped with Vulcan B Mark IIs.
46:45Whilst some of the Vulcans took on a more conventional bombing role, others were modified
46:49for long-distance strategic reconnaissance, previously carried out by the ill-fated Victors,
46:54most of which had been retired early for structural problems caused by low-level flying.
47:00Throughout the 1970s, detachments of Vulcans were based with the Near East Air Force in Cyprus.
47:06Others ventured further afield on major military exercises, such as the United States Air Force
47:11Strategic Bombing and Navigation Competition in Louisiana.
47:15Competing against B-52s and F-111s, the Vulcans won two out of three possible trophies.
47:22When the first of the Vulcan B-2s were delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school
47:27at Cataract on June 9th, 1981, it marked the beginning of an end of an era, the start
47:34of the Vulcan retirement programme.
47:36The fate of this aircraft was now firmly seen.
47:57The Vulcan B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
48:04The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
48:11The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
48:18The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
48:25The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
48:32The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
48:39The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
48:46The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
48:53The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
49:00The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
49:07The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
49:14The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
49:21The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
49:28The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
49:35The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
49:42The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
49:49The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
49:56The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
50:03The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
50:10The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
50:17The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
50:24The B-2 was the first B-2 to be delivered to the RAF Regiment's firefighting school at Cataract on June 9th, 1981.
50:30However, in the twilight of its service career, the Falcon, for the very first time, was to fulfil the very role it had been designed for.
50:38The live bombing of an enemy target.
50:41The Argentinians were the enemy, the war was in the Falkland Islands.
50:45On May 1st, 1982, operating from Wideawake Airfield on the Ascension Island,
50:50two Falcons took off en route to Port Stanley Airfield.
50:53One Falcon turned back because of equipment failure, but the other flew over 3,400 miles,
50:58aided by refuelling, to successfully drop a full load of 21,000-pound bombs onto the Port Stanley runway.
51:06Operation Black Buck, as it was called, was followed by a further, equally remarkable long-range attack
51:11against the Argentinian forces on the runway, Black Buck 2,
51:15again causing considerable damage to airfield installations and vehicles.
51:19Another Falcon, equipped with two anti-radiation strike missiles,
51:39knocked out the main Argentinian radar on the islands in Operation Black Buck 5.
51:49Operation Black Buck 6, again a Falcon, attacked further radar installations.
52:17Unfortunately, on its return journey, the refuelling probe broke,
52:21and it was forced to land at Rio de Janeiro.
52:24A week passed before it was allowed to leave again,
52:27and only after the RAF promised it would not be used again in the conflict.
52:49In early 1984, the last of the Falcon squadron's No. 50 squadron was disbanded.
52:55All of the aircraft had now been taken out of service and either scrapped,
52:59or ended up in museums, or as gate guards.
53:04However, for the next 11 years until 1992, one Falcon was to survive.
53:10Based at Waddington as part of the RAF display flight,
53:13this majestic warbird continued to thrill crowds at summer airshows.
53:19It served as a constant reminder that this aircraft was once the world's first delta wing bomber.
54:49Although it only ever saw action at the end of its long service career,
55:06the real value of this magnificent aircraft was that,
55:10because it contributed a constant threat being held at high readiness at all times,
55:15it played an important role in keeping global nuclear stability when it was most needed,
55:21giving Britain a dimension in international affairs that it would not otherwise have had.
55:27The RAF gave the last Falcon a final tribute, thus marking the end of an era.
55:35The planning around Robin of everybody in the air force had nothing to do with the Falcon,
55:39so visiting all the old stations and the command headquarters where the aircraft's been operating from.
55:44It'll be a very emotional moment, that's for sure, but that'll be the end of an era.
55:55The crews were more than ready to do what was required of them, and so was the aircraft.
56:25NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology