Avro 698 Vulcan : le bombardier légendaire de la Guerre froide

Video from the channel Monde de l'Aviation about Avro Vulcan, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 11:11. Language: French. Video type: Documentary.

French-language documentary about the Avro 698 Vulcan, the delta-wing bomber that was the key element of Britain's airborne nuclear deterrent for much of the Cold War. It covers its origins, development, characteristics and operational history.

It emerged from the British nuclear programme begun in late 1946. The Ministry of Defence asked for a bomber able to carry a 10,000-pound bomb 2,800 km, and of six proposals the Valiant, the Victor and the Avro 698 were chosen — the future V-bombers. Avro drew on Alexander Lippisch's studies of the delta wing and built four scale experimental aircraft. The prototype flew on 30 August 1952 with Rolls-Royce Avon engines. It was to be called Ottawa but ended up taking the name of the Roman god of fire. The second prototype flew in 1953 with Bristol Olympus engines.

The first production B1 flew in 1955, and 45 examples were built. The B2 had a larger wing, elevons and the Blue Steel missile. The video gives a maximum take-off weight of 77 t, a range of 4,171 km on internal fuel, a top speed of 1,040 km/h and 14 fuel tanks. The crew numbered five, and only the two pilots had Martin-Baker ejection seats. From 1959 it had in-flight refuelling, and in June 1961 one example covered 18,507 km in around 20 hours. It carried the Blue Danube and Red Beard bombs, but only saw combat in 1982, in the Black Buck missions over the Falklands, with 6,259 km sorties supported by Victor tankers. It was retired in March 1984, with 136 units built. Left as projects were the 1956 Avro Atlantic airliner and the Phase 6 version armed with Skybolt.