#cold war bombers

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A summer storm moving across the the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona

[jason-1971]

RAF Cosford Vucan XM598

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XH558 shot by Photographer Ben Montgomery over Haslingfield, England in October, 2015

[jason-1971]

Vickers Valiant XD818

On the 6th of August 1964, the crew of WP217 of 232 OCU felt what appeared to be a large impact when flying a training mission. With multiple warnings indicated, the crew elected to try and land their stricken aircraft. Incredibly, with the starboard wing's rear spar seriously fractured (so much so that the wing was noticeably sagging), a successful landing was made. The RAF and Vickers had already begun inspecting Valiant spars before this incident, after Vickers had found fractures in Viscount spars (made from the same alloy). After the WP217 incident an emergency spar inspection programme was put into place and the enormity of the problem was soon apparent - the majority of Valiants had significant stress fractures. Low level operations ceased immediately and other operations were seriously restricted while the cost of repairing or replacing the fatigued spars was looked into. With two other V-Force bomber types performing well, the cost of refurbishing the Valiant fleet was simply too high, and the Valiant force was grounded completely in early December. The entire fleet was retired in short order, with the OCU being first to disband and the last Valiant squadron, 49 Squadron, being disbanded in January 1965.

The RAF was suddenly without its tanker force and Victors were hurriedly pressed into service in this role to replace the lost Valiants. Of the Valiants, most were scrapped at their bases very quickly after the disbanding of their operating squadrons. Others became fire training airframes, being burnt quickly, or 'damage to aircraft' targets. Several remained in flying condition, being on loan to what was now the British Aircraft Corporation (incorporating Vickers) for various flight test purposes. A single example was earmarked for preservation, and was appropriately enough XD818 - the Valiant that dropped the UK's first hydrogen bomb. Once BAC had finished with their four Valiants, they were stored for a while and then finally scrapped, though not before one of them, XD816, had taken part in the flypast on the 29th of April 1968 to mark the disbandment of RAF Bomber Command (which was now becoming Strike Command). The final remaining Valiant, XD818, stood guard at RAF Marham for many years before being moved to the RAF Museum at Hendon. More recently it has been moved once again, to its permanent home in the National Cold War Exhibition at the RAF Museum at Cosford.

[jason-1971]

The British Aircraft Corporation TSR-2 (for "tactical strike and reconnaissance 2") was a cancelled Cold War strike and reconnaissance aircraft developed by the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) for the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Role: Tactical strike/reconnaissance

[jason-1971]

Valiant BK.1 XD818 at Cosford, The only remaining full example of a Valiant anywhere on the planet, XD818 was the actual aircraft that dropped Britain's first hydrogen bomb. First flown on 4th September 1956, she was delivered to 49 Squadron at RAF Wittering on 14th November 1956. XD818 was one of eight Valiants modified by Vickers for Operation Grapple - the testing of Britain's first hydrogen bomb. These mods included anti-flash curtains in the cockpit and bomb-bay-mounted cameras to record the drop. In March 1957, XD818 was flown to Christmas Island and on 15th May 1957 dropped the first British h-bomb - this drop was codenamed 'Short Granite'. She returned to Christmas Island on several other occasions for further bomb drop tests and with their cessation in December 1958 returned to normal duties, with her Grapple mods being removed in November 1959. In July 1961 she was converted to a BK.1 tanker. She was repainted into low level green/grey camouflage in September 1964 but in December was grounded along with every other Valiant due to the spar fatigue problems that had been discovered. 

Repairs to the Valiant force were considered uneconomical and so by January 1965 XD818 was withdrawn from use and in February the order came down to scrap the fleet. XD818 thankfully escaped scrapping as somebody with an eye for history earmarked her for 'exhibition' at RAF Marham, where she was put on display on 25th May 1965. In late 1973 her Avon engines were removed to be refurbished and sold to Switzerland (for use in Hunters!). When the Bomber Command Museum (now the On Target hall of the RAF Museum) opened in 1982, XD818 was transported to Hendon and soon after was repainted in her original anti-flash white finish. Unfortunately she was hemmed in on all sides by other aircraft, vehicles and display boards so getting a good clear picture was impossible. In late 2005 she was dismantled and moved to Cosford, where she was stored in pieces for several weeks... outside with no protection from the elements! Thankfully in January 2006 re-assembly began and later that year she moved indoors into the Cold War Exhibition. She is once again hemmed in on all sides, but at least she's out of the weather again!