Avro Vulcan

1952 strategic bomber family by Avro

The Avro Vulcan (also Avro 698 Vulcan) is a delta wing bomber aircraft. It was part of the RAF V bombers which were used by the Royal Air Force as a nuclear deterrent during the Cold War.[2] The other aircraft in the V bombers were the Vickers and Valiant. The Vulcan was also used for long-distance bombing runs during the Falklands War.

Avro Vulcan
A Vulcan B.2 of the RAF, 1985
RoleStrategic bomber
National originUnited Kingdom
ManufacturerAvro
Hawker Siddeley Aviation
First flight30 August 1952
IntroductionSeptember 1956
RetiredMarch 1984 (Royal Air Force)
October 2015 (XH558)
StatusRetired
Primary userRoyal Air Force
Produced1956–1965
Number built136 (including prototypes)
Unit cost
£750,000 (1956)[1]
VariantsAvro Atlantic

Development

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In 1947, the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence said it needed a bomber aircraft that could fly a long way and very high. It also needed to carry a lot of bombs. The prototype Vulcan flew in 1948. It crashed in 1949, but development carried on. Over 100 aircraft were built between 1956 and 1965.

The crew of the Vulcan was made up of five people – two pilots, two navigators and one electronics officer. The Vulcan was originally used as part of the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent. It carried the United Kingdom's first nuclear weapon, called Blue Danube.

The Vulcan was also used sometimes for reconnaissance. It was retired from the Royal Air Force in 1984.

Technical data (Vulcan B Mk.2)

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DataUnits
Years of production1956-1965
ManufacturerAvro
Wingspan33,80 m
Length30,40 m
Hight8,20 m
Wing area368,20 m²
Weight (empty)- kg
Max takeoff weight113.398 kg
Passangers-
Crew5
Speed1038 km/h
Service ceiling19.810 m
Range7.400 km
Powerplants4*Rolls-Royce Olympus 301 turbine

[3]

References

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  1. Brookes and Davey 2009, p. 9.
  2. "The V-bombers". Channel 4. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
  3. Flugzeuge-Die wichtigsten Flugzeuge der Welt ISBN 3-7043-2188-5

Other websites

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