Valiants and Victors, British Post War Bombers

[ConrailSD70MAC]

Handley Page Victor looks similar to the Russian ekranoplane. Totally a magnificant airplane.

[navnig]

Handley-Page Victor.....One of the meanest looking aircraft ever made.

[mongorians22]

0:58 what are rocket-missiles? I suppose its what they carried along with their bomb-explosives and gun-shooters?

[wilatemodel]

@mongorians22 ...ROFLMFAO!!!...damn that made me laugh!!...

[sidoney101]

Great video! With the Hughes H-1 a close second, the HPV is (in my humble opinion) the most beautiful aircraft ever built. In those days the British made the best aircraft. What happened?

[mades642]

British jet bombers are cool

[edj66]

Thing is, there wasn't really a war. All that money, spent unnecessarily. Then again, we wouldn't have these good looking planes otherwise. 

[NickB1967]

@edj66: Money spent for deterrence of a war is NEVER wasted. If a weapons system is not used, did it fail? Or did it succeed spectacularly in deterring the aggression?

[edj66]

@NickB1967 I do see, and appreciate that point of view. However, I ask you this: If someone was going to nuke us, would you really want to be part of a country that would nuke somewhere else? I think that I would rather be part of a country that wouldn't use nuclear weapons at all, no matter what situation. M.A.D is simply mad.

[lima33ful]

@edj66 you need to study history a little harder if you think the Cold War wasn't a war. People were getting killed everyday...I know, I was there.

[Orangebike666]

I had never seen this thank you it looks awesome.

[jonesy97]

Love the camo paint job on the Victors. Great looking jet!

[kirza94]

Valiants and Victors, electric lightning and the Concorde all made in the 50's/60's was it me or do they all look much more futuristic than the 50's/60's ?. And no other nation has perfected such futuristic planes since then. Proud to be British :)

[abioape]

The irony is that the fuel pump from the Blue Steel rocket motor has been reverse engineered and improved for use in the Bloodhound SSC land speed record car. I bet the designers never dreamt their work work be reused in an inspiring and educational project...

[trespire]

Thanks for posting this educational post. Makes me apreaciate the world we have today, thanks to the dedication of those before us to avert a nucliar exchange. Those were dangerouse times.

[DAMIFINO59]

Nowdays all the Brits can produce is welfare and ragheads. Just shows you what socialism will do.

[mcnasty775]

The RAF and the US Air Force were the only thing keeping the soviets at bay during the cold war.The british are the only real ally in europe for the U.S

[TitoenelCaribe]

@ Mcnasty775 .......................G. Bretaña no es nadie si no lo defiende USA. Ya se ha comprovado de las dos Ultimas guerras, son Invalidos sin la ayuda de USA.

[tlalotoani]

Victor with blue steel, is one of the slickest planes EVER

[weeklyrandomvids2]

this is brill im loving it all its a pitty as you guys say that we cant have vulcan victor and valiant now the closest i can get to them is with my airfix im just waiting for the valiant to come out in airfix

[lonelywolf1966]

fantastic!!!! we need a flight of all the V bombers,,, that would be sooo nice!!

[hookydoughy]

Wow, Victors sure were beautiful, just a lack of care for our heritage yet again

[weenyone]

Blue steel? Though that was the icy cool stare Zoolander gave to the camera. lol

[swiftshaw]

I remember a Victor opening up its engines on the perimeter track at RAF Wethersfield and great chunks of tarmac like cow flops all lifting off and flying about much to the amusement of the gathered audience for the airshow that day...

[BaronLoveburned]

Beautiful design,unique

[daughterofbodom666]

Mhy Grandad worked on these at Wickering (I think thats how it's spelt). Thank you for this little piece of history. :)

[23vin850]

RAF Wittering.

[jonesy97]

Is there a flying Valiant anywhere in the world? To see one would be simply amazing. What a great jet.

[potheadpixi]

I believe all Valiants where retired early due to a structual problem.

[SAHBfan]

There is only one complete Valient airframe left in existance - it is as Cosford Museum in the West Mids. Obviously it will never fly again ...

[SmanoaklandfanCOD]

no but there is a flying vulcan

[jonesy97]

@SmanoaklandfanCOD, Yeah, I saw one when I was stationed at RAF Lakenheath in 1991 in Mildenhall during Air-fete. I will never forget that sight (and sound) as long as I live. Truly, one of the greatest bombers of all time. Such a beautiful aircraft.

[1527cool]

Back then, thats when Britain was britain. but now we have forgoton every thing

[TheScorpionSquad]

Well said! Totally agree.

[bozoboy249625]

as i agree what your saying,  just because one teenager is a thug, we all get labled the same, plz dont. its not fair

[TitoenelCaribe]

@ 1MrTurd !!! Cuidado.¡¡¡-1MrTurd.. hay muchos Ingleses, viviendo como inmigrantes fuera de tu Inglaterra... Ahorra tu xenofobia Cabron..

[tpsossff]

@1MrTurd

I worked all my life and paid my taxes. ............. I look in the mirror and I see a mug.

[TheFunkadelicFan]

@1MrTurd Cretin.

[TitoenelCaribe]

@ 1MrTurd ......... G. Bretaña vivio garroneando al Mundo entero De Que Hablas Inglés? ¡... Nadie mas Parasito Que Inglaterra. o ¿Acaso tu Naciste hace 10 Años ..? ¡

[PERIZ99]

@1MrTurd It's Interesting how conveniently you forget how many generations of your predecessors raped, pillaged and plundered all those colonies (some of which you still hold) throughout the world. You don't deserve any, and you'll find no sympathy from the rest of the world.

[historatia]

@1MrTurd Well don't complain NOW!. Britain made those choices when Your vaunted Mr. Churchill convinced your cabinet that your ability to operate the "Empire" effectively should be put at risk rather than have Britain accept peace negotiations in 1940/41 with Germany's leader to allow Germany to reclaim Danzig, then 98% German and the lands nearby. I mean, it was your "finest hour" to wasn't it?

[historatia]

@1MrTurd I mean Hitler did warn you when he signalled that he wanted Britain to keep her empire, and that 9paraphrase ) "Britain won't engage us for taking Danzig back because she knows that this could set of a wider war, in which she will loose her Empire. So then you drifted down to become a puppet colony of GW Bushes US Empire. So now, dependent on a German led Europe, what's next??? Perhaps just pulling the plug and let the waves rule Britannia instead, or dissolution? What's next???

[digireedoo]

@historatia Bush is out of office in case you hadn't noticed, or are you recording your messages in the same place Bin Laden records his? Sad, blinkered twat

[historatia]

@digireedoo No, no! Big signal from Canada, enjoying Britain reap from the trouble that it sowed, and become as significant as the Azores... no ... less significant ... maybe Madagascar. I guess you don't like that Hitler at least KNEW what the consequences would be, and Churchill-- and that jackass Eden -- would suddenly be astonished as the powerful Great Britain turned to quicksand under their feet!

[digireedoo]

@historatia That makes precisely no sense whatsoever. Go back to reading the National Inquirer or whatever passes for factual reading in your bedsit.

[taterfamine]

@1MrTurd

america as well, my dear friend

[TheFunkadelicFan]

@1MrTurd Is English you're first language? My six year old daughter has better grammar than you. You're a thick, illiterate cunt, and you evidently inhabit a dark, twisted nightmare of you're own pathetic imagination.

Go on, kill yourself. You know you want to.

[1MrTurd]

@TheFunkadelicFan i suggest you read your own comment regarding grammer and use of the english language, use of profanity only exposes your own ignorance mr keyboard warrior. i feel sorry for your six year old daughter having a parent who clearly has the I.Q of a small root vegetable. toodle pip

[TheFunkadelicFan]

@1MrTurd Thanks for proving me right. I knew you would.

[1MrTurd]

@TheFunkadelicFan yawn

[kenns9]

@1MrTurd

I gather he is not the father of the six year old!

[datzfast]

@1MrTurd well Mr Turd you might start redeaming your statis if only perhaps your name wasnt mr turd.

[kenns9]

@1MrTurd

With respect.

Is the treatment of these '3rd world spongers' at the hands of the 'British Empire' over the last 2-3 centuries, indicative of a 'Great Country'? Shall I quote some examples"

India/Pakistan: Princely states before British rule, after; forced mass religious migration, a million deaths and a 'still' contested Kashmir.

Then there is the old Ottoman Empire (middle east) divied up in 1920.

Israel/Palestine...any problems there?

[1MrTurd]

@kenns9 to blame the British for problems with relations between india and pakistan is somewhat misguided. it is a problem of religion, which was present long before the British rule. Partition was thought to be the solution at the time by both indigenous peoples and the British. Do you believe that if india and pakistan were one country that everyone would be holding hands and singing an indian version of kumbaya? Now Israel and palestine......guess what.. its a religious problem centurys old

[kenns9]

@1MrTurd

Germany is one country, Berlin is one city.

Correct, century old conflicts, made worse by British rule.

Are matters better after Britain left?

[9thprotocol]

the RAF no longer have any heavy bombers...so why's that?

[charlieidx]

Because

1. The Navy/missiles

2. I don't know the exact figures, but I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of Tornados can't carry as many bombs as a Vulcan.

*stands by for air-bore bombardment*

[PenzancePete]

More precide bombing old flower. In 1940 you'd drop five hundred bombs and hope that one would hit. In 1980 a Buccaneer crew would be disappointed if they didn't achieve a Delta Hotel first time every time with a 1,000lb dumb bomb.

[ShoeiBoy]

Great footage, thanks for posting it!

Another vote for the cold war flight. What a great idea. I'd love to see Victor/Vulcan/Lightning. Or even a V-Bomber flight if there are any Valiants still about?

Didn't there used to be a display team flying Lightnings?

[rushebrookes]

I think you refer to 111 Sqn, which was the RAF Disply Team in the 50s & 60s. I think they were called The Black Arrows, flying Hunters, although the Sqn later converted to Lightnings. David S

[ShoeiBoy]

Thanks David!

[neilz1309]

The Firebirds display team(from 56 squadron) flew Lightnings

[ShoeiBoy]

Now that I'd love to have seen!

[NeilsShoe]

Euro Fighter will cost you around 68 million wonder what the V bombers would cost in todays money.

[benwilkins7]

I love this show

[SAHBfan]

The Victor is a GORGEOUS looking aircraft!!!

One actually flew, just a few weeks ago, by mistake!

During a fast taxi run a communication misunderstanding between the Captain and First Officer meant the latter didn't kill the throttles when he should, and the thing got airborne. Only a few hundred yards but, 3rd May 2009. The last ever flight of a Victor?

Damn shame we can't have one back in the air again alongside the Vulcan!!!!

[fairclought7]

damn straight, how good would it be to have the victor and the vulcan flying together again, and a lightning now what a sight that would be, just like the BBMF flight there should be a cold war flight, victor, vulcan and lightning.

[MrJdsenior]

I agree, very contemporary in some respects. You sure the pilot wasn't Hughes? Sounds like a familiar stunt ;-)

[speedbanana2008]

"the most expensive aircraft, each costing several hundred thousand pounds" !!!

How times have changed! - A Eurofighter will cost you £30 million  !!!

[navnig]

the last figure that i heard was double that amount, £62m......an expensive bit of kit!

i still love the way the victor looks, it was so ahead of it's time.

[Dwalters1988]

i love the V bombers!!!!

we downt make them like we used to anymore!!!!

[grazyarnie]

Victor, Valiant, Vulcan

whats the reason they were called V-bombers..V for vengeance ? :o)

no just kidding I like the Victor and the Vulcan, both served well a long time periode and even made incredible missions possible like the blackbuck during the Falklands war. I question the military use but the logistical and flying challenge was tremendously well managed by the crews...thumbs up for these two..the fate of the Valiant is a sad one though

[navnig]

the victor was, at the time the biggest aricraft to have ever broken the sound barrier too....

[grazyarnie]

thx for the update, didnt knew that, I always thought it was the Rockwell Valkyrie but she was six years later than the Victor B.1..thx for the clue...As I said the Victor is one of my favorites.

[fairclought7]

well vengeance on the argies, apart from the blackbuck raids they never dropped any bombs in anger, they were a nuclear deterrent and must have had some effect as the commies never tried anything

[anthonyowns]

7x the speed of sound, is that true?

[charlieidx]

He says "several" times the speed of sound... in that ridiculous accent everybody seemed to have to have then.

[BritishRulingClass]

Actually charlieidx he was referring to the speed of the Avro Blue Steel stand off missile NOT the Victor. This was designed to fly at UP TO Mach 3, which is several times the speed of sound. His accent may in your opinion be "ridiculous" but at least he got his facts right.

[charlieidx]

If you look back, I was correcting another poster who thought he heard "seven", rather than contradicting the newsreel announcer's "several". Hence my dig at the chap's accent.

[pinselplins]

There is only one copy of a Henschel Hs 293

[SAHBfan]

The wing spa fatigue in the Valient was because it was stressed for high altitude. Vickers also produced a low altidude variant, the B2. The government decided to buy the high altitude version. Garry Powers got shot down in his U2, so the High Altitude Valients were switched to low altitude exercises - in a plane not stressed for low altitude ^_^

There was nothing wrong with the plane or design, it was just abused.

[BlikjeBier]

several hundred thousend pounds each...

wow thats expensive;-)

[chrispacmen]

dont forget that the money wast worth the same!!!

[BlikjeBier]

yea, in that time money was black and white, today our money has got fancy colours and watermarks and stuff

[chrispacmen]

wtf are you talking about!!!!?

[BlikjeBier]

money

[chrispacmen]

but why are you talking about the colour of money!!!? it has nothing to do with anything!!!

[BlikjeBier]

you say money has changed, me say that is because of the fancy colours

[chrispacmen]

i said worth as in how much its worth!! like 1 dollars in 1960 is = to 4 dollars now!! not the collour!!! so what ME say, YOU dont understand!!!

[BlikjeBier]

me dont understand why black and white money is more expensive then colour money

here in the library it costs 5 cent for black and white copy and 40 cents for coloured copy

that is the other way around

[chrispacmen]

dude you need to see a doctor or something!!!u should get your head cheked!!!!!!!!

[BlikjeBier]

why me need see doctor?

what is wrong with me?

i sure hope im not dying!

[chrispacmen]

get a life!!

[BlikjeBier]

how can i get a life when im dying?

[BlikjeBier]

dont be rude, you're making me cry

[staggabob]

Amazing that some people don't have a sense of humour and have to take everything so seriously! This is a fine example of why Dutch humour is considered the finest in the Benelux region! (Assuming you ARE Dutch?)

[BlikjeBier]

actually, me is albanian. why'd you think me is dutch cheesehead? but you are right about chrispacmen, i guess living on a swiss mountain and drinking goat milk all day affects ones sence of humour. oh boy i just love to get them pissed:-)

[miserableoldcunt]

just spam and block him, you can't educate pork.

[BlikjeBier]

you really shouldnt call your mom a piece of uneducated pork! that not very nice!

[ShiekUrBooty]

Neat looking aircraft, I never knew about this one, thanks for posting the video.

[pramboy74]

the v bombers as they were called espeically the vulcan were beautifull aircraft.

[cdodkin]

Fantastic! My Dad flew in Victors from Wittering during this time - I expect he knows some of the faces on the video!

[FreedomForTooting]

Blue steel missiles were made by De Haviland. When they reached the target a door opened and the warhead was ejected before detonation, apparently because De Haviland didn't like the idea of nasty nuclear explosions going off inside thier lovely missiles. That's class.

[Wnoronz]

Did you know that both actresses Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine were both of the same family as Geoffrey de Havilland of sircraft fame ?

[neep28]

Blue steel's were made by Avro.

[Wnoronz]

Fancy ! stockpiling all those British Blue Steel missiles at huge cost - and then cancelled, thus dooming the future of the Victor bomber.

The Victor's maker-Handley Page- were soon themselves doomed because they refused to take part in the Goverments forced mergers in the aircraft industry. Their punishment ? No more government contracts. thus - the end of Handley Page.

[StarTux]

Yes the British govt of the 60's has a great deal to answer for, and indeed some should have had a one way trip to the Tower!

[Wnoronz]

Thank you for that StarTux. I am old enough to remember those times in the 50's when things were still fying high for the British Aircraft Industry. I was only a kid but I remember the spirited (successful) fight led by Sir Geoffrey de Havilland to stop the proposal of the Attlee government to nationalise the entire industry. Later on D.H. were reluctantly forced to merge with Hawker Siddeley. D.H. last designs were the Trident and D.H.146 jetliners. The D.H. name was removed from both planes.

[pramboy74]

especially the TSR 2 cancellation, that was unforgiveable

[NickSayle]

several hundred thousand pounds!!! god I could buy one. Why didnt we bomb the commies then!!! It would have all been over by now and could have had their gas supply!! only joking chaps

[fredfungalspore]

Those victors and valiants cost several hundred thousand pounds each.That today would only buy a set of raptor wheels. How times have change.

[sniffypigster]

Love the music! so dramatic and typical of that time, also the way people spoke in those days makes me laugh.

[AntC1981]

Awesome, wish I got to see some of the classic cold war jets flying in service.

[voxadvt30]

The Victor has got to be one of the best looking planes in the universe!

[TripleZ89]

Yes my good man, I am aware of this...

but the sad thing is that I don't know if I would be able to see it while living in the U.S. Hmm maybe our Oshkosh show would have it?

[MegaBrits]

The Victor was a flying hard on, it said I am going to kick your arse without doing anything.

My God we were well ahead of the game.

[TripleZ89]

These were all known as V-bombers!

Actually, Britain screwed up, and ACCIDENTALLY purchased quite a few Valiants, which wasn't the one they wanted.

[tlalotoani]

Valiant was an interine plane, it was buit because the other two, Vulcan and Victor were so advanced in their design that british were fearing that both planes became a failure, and because of that, would have been without a strategic bomber

[TripleZ89]

Woah... dude, thank you! Learn something every day!

Hey, ever see an Avro Vulcan? I only once got to see it at the SAC museum in Nebraska, and I must say... those Brits made some kickazz planes!

[tlalotoani]

I love Victor (the plane hehe) still now looks even futuristic

[TripleZ89]

HEllz yeah!! Sigh... bring em back!

[TudorGDavies]

I agree, the Victor was the best looking of the three in my opinion and I remember the Vulcan very well indeed from my childhood in Filton, Bristol.

[evilintel]

They just bought the wrong Valiant. The B.2 would have been a better choice. Funny thing is the Short Sperrin flew after the Valiant, but could have been in service quicker (1953) because unlike the Valiant, Short built their bomber on production jigs. Even a small number of Sperrins, say 20, would have been worth it.

[TripleZ89]

Holy cow, this is the first time I heard of this Sperrin... and I like it! Dang it seems like its bomb-bay is HUGE! Yep, definately an azzkicker! (I gotta read into this thing more!) Thank you for your post!

[puresafiforeva]

valiant, vulcan,victor. three incredible aircraft that were a tribute, and still are, to how great this country was. Until the probs with the valiant wing fatigue reared its ugly head!

Modernise and reinstate the TSR-2!!!

[ssssroryssss2]

If you have Google Earth then type "elvington airfield" into it and you will see a victor near the east end of the run way. Lots of other rare craft are there too!

[mattqatsi]

several hundred thousand pounds, it'd be nice if military weapons like these were still that expensive, then we wouldn't be in so much debt from the war

[andy33202]

ace video, top stuff

[zephyrrob]

When Britain was still great

[dukegreg]

Fantastic news reel footage - I have never seen this.......Lots of great footage like this was thrown out, thanks for saving it and bringing it to YouTube........more please !

[jamesgood72]

Great stuff!

[denberg2]

Well done Bomberguy. Keep 'em coming!