Up In The Air

[Singapore Sling]

Just some pictures off a plane I saw flying around the other day, one you don`t normally see flying around much nowadays. I will let you guess what it is, the plane spotters should get it straight away.

[boing]

Is that a vulcan ?

[Singapore Sling]

Yes it is. (sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan)

[scooby5]

Ah...... takes me back to the days of the Leuchars Air Show when I didn't live 6000miles away and instead lived under the holding area on the other side of the Tay.

Vulcan was always one of the noisiest buggers out (that and the Lightning!) ......definately not 'stealth' technology.

[Singapore Sling]

Vulcan was always one of the noisiest buggers out (that and the Lightning!) ......definately not 'stealth' technology.

This one was running very quiet, I think someone must have stuffed cotton wool in the engines. I know what you mean about the Lightning, but think concorde was alway the worst.

[boing]

Heard its notoriety for its loud engines. The loudest jet engines I've come across so far is the B727 and RR powered B747s.

[jammed]

Commemorating 30th anniversary of Corporate?

[MAN Flyer]

Heard its notoriety for its loud engines. The loudest jet engines I've come across so far is the B727 and RR powered B747s.

It's known more for the famous 'Vulcan Howl' as much as pure noise. It's an incredible aircraft, I've seen it a few times in the last few years at RIAT at Fairford. It's the one aircraft were everyone stops what they are doing, leaves the hospitality tents etc and watches it. It sounds great when it takes off:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqA6bgFPGWI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...L46N60ZWI&NR=1

If you think 727's and 747's are loud then you clearly never heard Concorde from close range.

[Singapore Sling]

If you think 727's and 747's are loud then you clearly never heard Concorde from close range.

Someone else who knows! I thought the world was going to end the first time I heard it at close range, took 10 mins to get my hearing back. I don`t think anyone who finds the 727 or 747 loud would be able to cope with Concorde.

[Singapore Sling]

Commemorating 30th anniversary of Corporate?

2012 is the 60th year of the Vulcan aircraft.

Quote from Vulcan To The Sky website (http://www.vulcantothesky.org/):

Peter Caldwell: (Avro employee)

The production of the Type 698 continued apace. The fuselage had arrived in the Flight Sheds and the first prototype, VX770 was ready for flight by August 1952. Among the many pre-flight tests, we played our part with the fuel system which for the initial flight was only using the long range bomb-bay tanks. It must be shown that it is possible to deliver 1.25 times the maximum take-off flow rate to each engine with a fuel pressure of at least 5 p.s.i. at the engine inlet in all configurations of direct and cross feeding. Engines were simulated by pumps passing fuel through a type of flow-meter. When the full fuel system was subsequently used and tested by our department the initial tests took four days and nights without a break, testing in all possible configurations of direct and cross feeding. We took it in turns to go home for a few hours.

The day arrived for the initial flight which was planned for the evening and most of us stayed behind to watch the momentous event. The large white aircraft with its futuristic shape stood on the apron in all its glory and the chief test pilot, Roly Falk, sat in an Armstrong Siddeley car, with whose makers Avro were then associated, waiting for the finishing touches to be completed. He was accompanied by one of the directors and I recall that both men wore pin-striped suits which turned out to be the standard attire of this Chief Test Pilot in addition to his helmet. Other dignitaries were there, including Sir Roy Dobson, the Managing Director. Eventually, Roly donned his helmet and boarded the aircraft. Engines were started and away he taxied. To our disappointment, all we were treated to was a couple of fast taxies before dusk turned to dark, and we all went home.

The following day being Saturday, I decided to go in, but instead of going across to Flight Sheds, I sat on an old air-raid shelter which gave me a pretty good view of the runway. I saw the aircraft come onto the runway, and gain speed for what I was sure would be another fast taxi, but instead it gained momentum and soared into the air in a graceful climb circling the aerodrome at about 3000 ft accompanied by a small chase aircraft, the make of which I have forgotten. After a few circuits, unlike most maiden flights on which a new design ventured away from the base to commence its test programme, the wheels were dropped and a small piece of material was seen to flutter to the ground before VX770 made a perfect landing to commence a useful career. The piece that fell was a rear undercarriage door flap which did not interfere with flight, and I believe that for its subsequent appearance at Farnborough 1952 they removed the other sides equivalent part for the sake of symmetry when viewed and photographed from the ground.

[jammed]

i meant Operation Corporate, the mission to retake Falklands. In 1982, the RAF was so much a victim of budgetary cuts that the Vulcan was the only remaining aircraft that could make the flight - after a refuel from Ascension Islands IIRC - to unload some metal over the Falklands.

wondering if this particular flight was commemorating that operation.

[boing]

Someone else who knows! I thought the world was going to end the first time I heard it at close range, took 10 mins to get my hearing back. I don`t think anyone who finds the 727 or 747 loud would be able to cope with Concorde.

I wasn't even born when Concorde flew its short lived route to Singapore, let alone its first flight. And I was serving my NS when Concorde retired.

The Concorde, along with the B747, was what piqued my interest in aviation at a very young age. Ever since setting my eyes upon it at the back of the old $20 bill, I was fascinated by its futuristic and different look. Once I grew older, I told myself I'll fly in it one day. Sadly, that day never came. Just have to be contented with B727s and B747s

It got all the more disappointing when I learned about the Concorde's technical prowess( fastest and highest commercial aircraft in the world, among many others) during my classes.

P.S: Concorde's engines were directly adapted from the Vulcan with some improvements. Basically the same engine.

[Singapore Sling]

P.S: Concorde's engines were directly adapted from the Vulcan with some improvements. Basically the same engine.

Trust me the improvements did not help the noise levels, it made it 10x worst. Concorde was a great plane thou, shame you missed it.

[Singapore Sling]

wondering if this particular flight was commemorating that operation.

No. It has just been flying a lot this year because of the queens jubilee and all the different air shows around the country. One of the airshows is near by, so it flies over my house.

[Danny Bhoy]

i meant Operation Corporate, the mission to retake Falklands. In 1982, the RAF was so much a victim of budgetary cuts that the Vulcan was the only remaining aircraft that could make the flight - after a refuel from Ascension Islands IIRC - to unload some metal over the Falklands.

wondering if this particular flight was commemorating that operation.

To be fair, how many birds outside of B-52s, Bears, Backfires could have pulled a 16000-mile round trip even with tanking? Nothing to do with budgetary cuts IMO. By 1980s, the V-fleet was prolly outdated in its primary mission - unloading instant sunshine on Tverskaya Street.