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VICKERS VALIANT

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This page last updated on 4th March 2004

The Forgotten V-Bomber

Valiant B(PR)K.1 WP221; Vickers

The Valiant, first of the three V-bombers, beat its two stablemates in a number of ways. First to drop a nuclear bomb, first to go into action (against the Egyptian airfields in the Suez Crisis) but also first to leave service. The Valiant was a simpler design and less able to stand up to the change in role to low-level penetration (forced upon the V-force by the improvement of Soviet air defences) so had a short life, much of it spent as a tanker. Today, only one complete example survives and the Vickers name can only be found on tanks and ships.

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