Thunder & Lightnings

Vickers Valiant

Walkaround Photos

History Memories Survivors Profiles Gallery Walkaround Links, References & Credits

This page is gradually being revamped with higher quality images - more are welcome. Many of the pictures on this page have been kindly supplied by Bryan Ribbans and Bryan Ribbans; they are for your personal use only and you may not republish them without their permission.

Cockpit

There's a ladder up to the pilot's cockpit, just like in the Vulcan cockpit. This is the view from near the top of the ladder looking forward. The two Martin Baker Mk.3A ejector seats are very close together just like on the Vulcan and it's a tight squeeze getting in between them. Having got firmly stuck between the two seats, here's the view to the port side of the cockpit. Starboard side. XD875 is, as you can see, in excellent condition with very view instruments missing. The control yokes contrast with the fighter style joysticks of the Vulcan. The black and brown thing at bottom center is the left arm rest of the seat, with the throttles to the left and rudder pedals visible to the right of it. The co-pilot's seat from WP206 is to be found at Duxford though it's lacking any cushions. This seat is probably all that remains of that particular Valiant, as the aircraft itself was scrapped at Foulness many years ago. XD875's entry hatch opened; here we're looking up and back into the rear crew compartment. Having climbed in and turned right a bit, we're looking back and right towards the port side of the rear crew area. Turning left a little bit and looking up to see the ditching exit. Turning left a little bit more and looking back down to see the starboard side of the rear crew area. Looks to be a generally similar layout to the Vulcan. The radar scope (mostly obscured by the triangular plate to the bottom right of the picture) and associated joystick is in the same position on the Vulcan.

Nose

XD818 when at Hendon. In common with the Vulcan and Victor the view from the cockpit is not exactly panoramic, but the Valiant has a particularly complex arrangement of canopy framing as can be seen at the top of this picture. Closeup of the 49 Squadron badge and crew names on XD818. XD818 again. The oval in the centre marked with yellow dashes is the entry hatch with the rear crew's only view out being the small oval window to the right. The complex arrangement of small windows at the side of the canopy is noteworthy; the pipe running along the fuselage below the canopy is part of the in-flight refuelling system and was only seen on Valiants fitted with the plumping for a probe. Having the plumbing meant there was at least a small stub on the nose (as seen here), if not the full probe. Unfortunately XD818 does not wear accurate markings and this includes the nose stencilling. Closeup of the visual bomb aiming blister on XD818. These days it's hard to imagine somebody peering down through the bombsight inside, preparing to drop a nuclear weapon, but that's precisely what this aircraft was designed for. XD818 again. Wide angle lens exaggerating the appearance! XD818 again. The port side is rather simpler in appearance than the starboard side. XD875 at Bruntingthorpe. No entry hatch on this side, but the small porthole is in the middle of a removable emergency exit. With the crew hatch on one side, this emergency exit and a ditching exit through the top of the canopy, the Valiant crew was in some ways a little better provided for than the rest of the V-Force.

Fuselage

Port tail, I'll let you guess which aircraft. Note the small fences on the tailplane and fin. Starboard tail. Early Valiants had a shorter tail cone. The tab at the bottom of the rudder is a control lock added by the Museum. The grey patch at the top of the fin is a fine grille allowing airflow in and out of the top cap of the fin, which covers a radio aerial. Bomb bay area with doors open (left is aft) - the doors don't just hang open, but slide up inside Bomb bay area with doors open (looking forward) - the doors don't just hang open, but slide up inside; the flat area at the top of the photo is usually hidden by a fairing, which is removed here, but would retract when the bomb doors are opened anyway.

Wings

Port wing root; the circle is a blank covering an intake, and note the white paint cracking off the dielectric cover which would normally be black Port intakes Port intakes and fuselage side with cooling intake Port drop tank. In practice rarely if ever dropped because of their expense. The wing fence is a very simple affair, just an L-shaped piece of metal curved around the leading edge. General view under the port wing showing the fuel dump pipe at the wing tip and the dark circle of the retracted landing light. The navigation light cover and pitot probe are missing. Port jetpipe shrouds from above, jetpipes absent. Closeup of the huge drop tank. Starboard exhausts. This whole area would of course have been streaked with oil and browned in service. Starboard intakes. Note the T-shaped splitter plate attached to the outboard side of the intake divider.

Undercarriage

Nose gear viewed from the port side; the visual bomb aiming blister is on the left edge of the picture. XD818's port main gear. Mostly painted silver; the outer door is closed on this museum exhibit, but would normally hang down with the gear extended. XD818's starboard main gear, viewed from ahead. All Mk.1s had this unusual style of undercarriage; the sole B.2 had a stronger undercarriage using a four wheel bogey. Starboard gear again, viewed from further aft. Starboard main gear well, outboard/top portion, looking up. Starboard main gear well, outboard/top portion, looking aft. Starboard main gear leg and well, inboard portion, looking inboard.

Weapons

Blue Danube - The Bomb! 1,000lb high explosive bomb with single lug mounting as used by the Valiant force

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Site contents copyright © 2012 Damien Burke/Handmade by Machine Ltd.
This page last updated on Thursday 12th January 2012

Visitor Comments

12 people have commented on this page. This is comment section 1 of 2.

Barry Smithson from Notts Flag

Posted at 9:39pm on Monday, August 8th, 2011

It is not impossible that a Victor might fly again, the Victor at Bruntingthorpe was in better condition than Vulcan XH558, before Vulcan to the Sky restored it. All down to money, at the end of the day

Malcolm Tipper from Lincoln Flag

Posted at 9:50am on Friday, July 29th, 2011

Sorry Gordon we gave air experience trips to ATC cadets in the Vulcan, can't speak for Victor. There was the famous occasion at Scampton when the aircraft cought fire at the end of the runway. The crew sort of chucked the cadet out as they evacuated. Unfortunately the static line had not been disconnected and the chute deployed so the poor lad was caught for a few seconds under the burning aircraft with his legs going like ten but not moving. He was rescued by the crew as they followed up behind him and... read more »read more »

Pete Wright from Fairlie NZ Flag

Posted at 12:06am on Friday, July 8th, 2011

Neverf saw one but wish I had. Din see Vulcans here in NZ and was present when one hit the end of the runwahy at the official opening of Wellington Airport more years ago than I care to think of

Bill Bateman from Peterborough Flag

Posted at 5:08pm on Friday, October 1st, 2010

Kevin,Swindon
It was Vickers Valiant
Handley Page Victor.

Do you seriously think ,even if there were Valiants around,the CAA would allow them to fly!

Tony Price from Melbourne Flag

Posted at 1:58am on Monday, September 20th, 2010

As a young apprentice at Vickers-Armstrong from Sept 1953 I was in total awe to be put to work on the production line with the first production Valiant WP199 almost completed at the head of the line. Riveting in the bomb bay on what probably became WP205 I would take every chance to nick off & see how the first one was progressing. When it was taken out for ground testing in Dec it was odds on a first flight before Christmas but weather held things up & I missed the great moment because of the holid... read more »read more »

John Murphy from lincolnshire Flag

Posted at 4:22pm on Friday, September 10th, 2010

this takes me back to my days at RAF marham 1959 to 1964-148 SQD best years of my working life

Kevin Morrow from Swindon West, Wiltshire Flag

Posted at 1:08pm on Friday, September 3rd, 2010

I would love to film a Valiant flying again with the Vulcan we got to get these 2 birds back in the air.

Avro Valiant - Grounded
Avro Victor - Grounded
Avro Vulcan - Flying

Alistair Allcroft from Corfe Mullen, Dorset Flag

Posted at 6:46pm on Saturday, January 30th, 2010

My first posting after RAF Apprentice training was as a Junior Technician on B Flight 232 OCU at RAF Gaydon. I wason the ground crew who towed the Valiant off the runway after it's crew had carried out a flap-less landing to bring it back after the starboard spar had failed in flight. Valiant was a majestic aircraft, always looked superb as the crew returned to the circuit and did roller landing practice before coming back to dispersal at the beautiful, bottom end of Gaydon's airfield. Great days - great ai... read more »read more »

Geoff Reynolds from Devon Flag

Posted at 1:45pm on Saturday, June 27th, 2009

I can almost smell the cockpit. Brings back such fond and fun memories.She was a beut to fly.

Lord Hensingham from UK Flag

Posted at 11:35pm on Saturday, June 6th, 2009

Just a few comments on you write up.
1. It was the ONLY RAF aircraft to ever drop nuclear weapons, and NOT the first.
2. Its demise was through the incorrect choice of alloy for the spars and though they failed in flight through fatigue, it was only after the material had been grossly weakend by galvanic corrosion that it failed.
An excellent site and very informative for the younger air enthusiasts who know little of this very important aircarft that laid out the foundations for the V Force and its Nuc... read more »read more »

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