air show vulcan rolls at farnborough

[Fernandilson]

awesome take off and roll

[lakeakero]

No wonder they called the pilot - "Barrel Roly Falks".

[LukelearMissile]

@ValiantXD818 If XH558 had been a little younger, I might have agreed with you, but I think she's a little too old for things like that. She's not got much left of her airframe life, which is why they don't roll her these days. Besides, you wouldn't have actually seen much, being so far below on the ground!

[Sqdrn1]

I respect the response- but even as a Vulcan fan and of sufficient age to have seen the massed ballistuic climb of lightnings at Farnborough, I must emphasise the reality that the vulcan brief was a high altitude delivery system - aerobatics and the fighter manoeoverability shown at farnborough was in fact meaningless and an aircratf that could do such actions alien to role suggests compromise or even flaw. Such was later born out in the structural problems of operation at low level.

[LukelearMissile]

"And for my next trick..."

This roll goes to show just how surprisingly manoeuvrable the Vulcan really is. It's actually said that at altitude a Vulcan would be capable of out-dogfighting an F-15 Eagle. Now, THAT, I'd like to see!

[ValiantXD818]

@LukelearMissile i dont see y they dont do it at riat they have the f-15's there its a perfect oportunity to do it

[george385]

Is was designed to outmanuver interceptors at altitude and to utilise ECM to avoid destruction. It did both very well indeed.

In a NORAD exercise in 1960 (Sky Shield I) eight Vulcan's successfully penetrated the US Air Defences - and 7 out of the 8 Vulcan's returned home unscathed.

[Sqdrn1]

Saw it do it in Farnborough 64 -and WOW! BUT can't help feeling it irrelevant to purpose... OK B52 cannot do this but why would it need such requirement? The B52 is very good at being well... a bomber! Maybe part of the reason it is still in service today. Did being able to roll make a vulcan a better bomber? No. Did the delta design make bad vis from the cockpit - appalling - contributing to crashes. Yes. Did it also shorten life when changed to low level use - Yes. Love it but not perfect!

[shackvan]

@Sqdrn1 Proves the planes manoeuvrability which was key to its survival, as interceptors at the time of its creation had to get close and get behind their target to launch missiles or make a gun attack, and those giant wings on Vulcan meant at 60,000ft it still had enough lift to out-turn pretty much any fighter on the planet. B-52 is still in service because its a cheap and reliable bomb truck, you don't need a smart bomber when you have smart weapons.

[eatthisvr6]

rolling it is impressive enough but check out that roll rate!!!! no wonder the fighters lost in high altitude dogfights lol

[jonesy97]

@picmario I saw that model video, also. Yes, was creepy, it was so similar. I'm justa glad I got then chance when I served in the UK, that I saw a Vulcan fly at a Mildenhall airshow in 1990. I will NEVER for get that sight, or the sound, for that matter. Cheers.

[jonesy97]

@picmario I know this. On my first comment, I said how badly the B-52 does on rolls. You've never seen the B-52 crash video from Fairchild AFB? Anyways, no big deal. It was a bad attempt at humor. 4 aircrew died, due to a really ignorant, and careless pilot. He wasn't trying to do a roll, but he did bank way too sharply, underspeed, and the wings lost total lift. They were too close to the ground, and didn't have time to eject.

[jonesy97]

@picmario ??? what the hell are you talking about? Fry in-plane? Install "rollers?"

Ah, no. None of that is clear now.

[basingstoke63]

I am taking my son to his first ever air show at Farnborough in a couple of days time , just as my granddad did for me back in 1968 . Grand dad was there on the sad occasion when John Derry`s DH 110 broke up after breaking the sound barrier . I joined the RAF in 1979 , and spent many happy hours with vulcans , and our noisy neighbour , the Lightning .

[M374EVL]

amazes me why we dont design and build our own aircraft we were on top of the world at this time and could be again where is great britain gone??

[sharkboy214]

saw the vulcan on sat 10th at yeovilton air day good to see XH558 still flying!

[23vin850]

try doing that with a B52!

[jonesy97]

@23vin850 They did in Washington state at Fairchild AFB. See the result? Ok, bad joke.

[M374EVL]

makes me feel proud to be british puts a lump in my throat

[thehoff1982]

never knew a massive plane could be so agile!

[brownsrd16]

I recall Farnborough 1960 when a rocket assisted Vulcan came screeming along, some hundred feet above the runway and then went into a vertical climb, the rockets came on and the poor man next to me with his little 8mm cine camera shaking like crazy with the sheer chest thumping noise of it. How I'd love to see that old film on youtube!

[e633xx]

Damn... that must have been awesome...

[Gruntol5]

brownsrd16: There was never a "rocket assisted Vulcan." You must be thinking a the Canberra fitted with the Napier Scorpion rocket, which held the altitude record for a while. Either that or the Vulcan with Olympus test engine under fuselage. But rocket - no.

[BradBrassman]

Good old Vulcan. I remember working in Grantham as a postie when these were doing training sorties round the town prior to ops in the Falklands after which the joke circulated, whats Port Stanley airport and Mrs Spock got in common?

They've both been fucked by Vulcans

[1984bigface1984]

hahaha! like it

[jonesy97]

Wow! That was great. Next to the famous Spitfire, I think that was the greatist aircraft to come out of the UK, and one of the most amazing in the entire world! This yank has tons of respect for those that flew her and maintained her. Was lucky enough to see one fly in 1990. Never for get it.

[WaKEbOarDeR5589]

i went to an airshow at micdill airforce base and saw the f-2 bomber and the raptor race and it was like freakin crazy.keep posting these plane videos. nice 1 10/10

[tomchambo]

By F-2 Bomber do you mean a B-2 bomber?

[voorheeskid]

so glad that the vulcan is up and flying again never seen it before but hope to see it a biggin hill this year

[fairclought7]

What a bomber, vulcan, victor and valiant were all truly awesome bombers. And all were british designed and built.

[michaelfergusonuk]

@fairclought7 I couldn't agree more

And if it were not for the Interferance of the Yankee's in our Affairs

("BAC TSR-2" [British Aircraft Corparation: Tactical Strike Reconnaissance -2]

& SR-177 [Saunders-Roe -177] to name a few) And the Incompitance of "Macmillan"(the worst Tory Leader EVER) and of course "Wilson" (the Worst Prime Minister in the History of PM's of any kind EVER) & his Labourite Cronies in the period between 1957 -1974 We would STILL have a Air Industry.

[HeavensGremlin]

Heady days at Farnborough and Gaydon in the 1950's and early 60's,a sea of black cars,the crowdline virtually at the runways edge,and VERY fast fly-bys.Almost EVERY aircraft was British too,this was before the wretched Labour(Communist)Party had finished dismantling our country of course.Twenty-two Hunters looping in formation,the Black Arrows,V-Bombers,P1's,Lightnin­gs.Modern displays really don't come a close second.Small country,big balls.Just a pity our politicians were on the other side.

[b9y]

does anyone else know what those little planes flying with the vulcans are?

[avroken]

They are the prototypes for the vulcan which were scaled down. Avro 707a, 707b, 707c.

an Avro 707 can be seen free in the Manchester museum of science and industry,

Castlefield, Manchester.

[HeavensGremlin]

They're not woodworking tools but aeroplanes. Aircraft if you prefer....lol

[b9y]

That's right!, or planes :)

[almagill]

Amazing to see her roll while still climbing :)

[LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH]

@almagill Indeed! Try that in a B-52 & you will make a very expensive and large fiery hole in the ground!! lol What an awesome machine, right up there alongside Concorde & the Spitfire!

[ThePowerHorse]

Raymond Baxter commentating... legend.

[Ssudeshna]

1955~~

[Ghurtness]

What year was that filmed

~josh~

[allafnomis]

Excellent Stuff! Hats off to you.

[puresafiforeva]

Too right! Saw the footage of that one going in on its side practicing for an airshow-tragic, and not pretty!

[pigpenthegreat]

The pilot of that particular B52 was a notorious dickhead, always pulling stunts and putting the lives of his crew at risk.

[puresafiforeva]

do THAT in a b-52, you silly americans.....

[Gruntol5]

Don't forget the prototype Boeing 707 was rolled to an audience of press people in the 1950's! It's on film too.

[megashegem]

The B-1 can do that.

[ProfMoose]

What's the bomb load on a B1 or B52?

[megashegem]

Don't know but you can google it to find your answer. I don't think the vulcan,b-1 or b-52 would do a roll with a full bomb load though.

[andersatease]

The B-1 has a payload of 75 000 pounds, and the B-52 70 000 pounds as opposed to the Vulcan's 21 000 pounds.

[ProfMoose]

Wikapedia (source of all knowledge - not) gives B52 as 60,000lbs and B-2 at 50,000lbs. Both ceiling of 50,000ft and are slower than the Vulcan. The B-2 has a significantly better range. I like the B-2. It looks so spooky.

[andersatease]

I know about Wiki, that's why I looked for other sources as well, military oriented ones, and got two different sites to confirm the payloads above. The B-1 was planned to replace the B-52, I don't think the B-2 was. The B-1 and B-2 are both far more modern designs and are superior I think. The Vulcan still remains as one of the coolest =)

[DiveSouthWest]

You are quite right it is unfair to compare the Vulcan with B1 or B2. They are a completely different generation. B-52 is from a different ideology and budget but a similar age.

I like the B1 too. Not as spooky as the B2 but still pretty cool.

[Gruntol5]

The Vulcan's payload was limited by it's fuselage size/bomb bay. Compare with the Handley Page Victor (same generation) which carried 35,000lbs. Even the Lancaster could carry the 10 ton bomb (22,000 lbs) and that was with far less power. It's fair to assume that the Vulcan could carry much bigger loads if placed under the wings - as with Skybolt. Overall, the Vulcan was a nuclear bomber & 21,000 lbs of nuclear bomb could destroy a small country. I'm sure H.E. bombs weren't considered an option.

[navnig]

yup, that was it's one main purpose, to carry the blue steel nuclear missile.

it could also out turn almost every fighter aircraft of it's generation too due to it's massive wing area

[Erictheirritated]

Not only could it out turn them but it could also climb above them! Anyone who doesn't believe me should look up the flight ceiling data before they tell me I'm wrong. Pre Gary Powers, the Vulcan was the one plane the Russians feared.

[navnig]

yup, it was generations ahead of it's time, just an incredible aircraft. no argument.

[fuzzdmedic]

it could still out turn most fighters today at high altitude!! (if were allowd to fly.)

[tonydmakintea]

it is flying

[avroken]

@Gruntol5 the Avro Vulcan was designed to carry the Atomic Avro Blue Steel stand off bomb, it did not at that time need a bigger bomb bay

[avroken]

not in 1957!

[bazwabat]

So?

[bazwabat]

And by so? I mean so the B1 can do that? Just watch and enjoy an awesome aircraft and a test pilot with big balls!!

[mkarnerfors]

Almost any aircraft can do it. The trick is to pull the stick to keep a positive G-load on the aircraft. With that you can roll anything. I have my doubts about aircraft that are controlled by spoilers though since there is nothing that can "force" the wings all the way around.

[navnig]

i cant see a 747, A-380, B-1 or B-52 doing that seconds after takeoff tbh lol

[seaslugmk3]

You are correct about 1g rolls, I've seen a Boeing 707 do it. However, Roly Falk did a non-positive g roll with the Vulcan -which most 80+ ton aircraft wouldn't be able to do!

[migeater987]

ive been looking for this clip for years