Avro Vulcan The Last All-British Bomber | Classic Documentary | #vulcanbomber #raf #nato #coldwar

Video from the channel Military Aviation TV about Avro Vulcan, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 15:17. Language: English. Video type: Documentary.

Documentary about the Avro Vulcan, the delta-wing bomber that formed the RAF's V-force alongside the Vickers Valiant and the Handley Page Victor. It mixes newsreels, archive footage and crew interviews to cover its Cold War service, Operation Black Buck and its retirement.

At the end of the Second World War, Prime Minister Clement Attlee proposed in August 1945 that the United Kingdom develop its own atomic bomb, and the V-bombers became its strategic nuclear strike force. The Valiant was the first to enter service, in 1955. The Vulcans competed in bombing competitions against crews from the US Strategic Air Command and carried out long-range flights, such as the non-stop link from England to Australia with three in-flight refuellings, useful as a deployment rehearsal. By spring 1982 only three squadrons remained, weeks from disbandment, when Argentina invaded the Falklands.

Five Vulcans were modified with new refuelling probes, navigation equipment and radar jammers, and on 29 April 1982 they flew to Wideawake base on Ascension Island. The following day, Flight Lieutenant Martin Withers took off in XM607 for the first mission, supported by a reserve Vulcan and 11 Victor tankers: almost 16 hours of flight and 21 1,000-pound bombs, one of which hit the middle of Port Stanley's runway. There were seven Black Buck missions; the last ones used Shrike anti-radar missiles or air-burst bombs, and on Black Buck 6 Neil McDougall's aircraft broke its probe and had to divert to Brazil. After the war the squadrons were gradually retired. XL426 is preserved at Southend in taxiable condition, and XH558, the RAF's display aircraft for over ten years, gave its final performance on 20 September 1992 at Cranfield, alongside the Red Arrows.