Great piece of footage! The terrible tragidy with the Mk1 was the destructive corrosion caused by 'dissimilar metal syndrome' and the fatigue cracking in the wings which led to a Valiant crash, and subsequent premature scrapping of all Valiants. A terrible shame, but Vickers learned a lot from it.
Great Work putting this together, i didn't even know there was any film of this largely (& wrongly) forgotten MK-2 Valiant (found this Video by pure chance while conducting a Still Image / Photo Search for this Aircraft).
A utter tragedy she wasn't saved from destruction like "XD818" was, especially as she must have been in far better condition than any of her B1 Elder Sisters.
Gunston is right, the RAF should have made the B.2 the main production Valiant.
As he said, from 1963 the V Force had to go low level, when the Valiant B.1's did so, they very soon suffered serious fatigue problems and the whole fleet was scrapped.
Luckily the Victor did not spend too long at low level before becoming tankers, the Vulcan though, could handle the rougher air at low level with ease.
Gunston is one of the best aviation writers around. He is quite opinionated - which I like. His books "Plane Facts" and "Back to the Drawing Board" are very interesting.
Great to see a Valiant in colour even if it is black! BG is always erudite and points up another of the daft planning changes in those days. Esp since the Nazis were using the first SAMs ten years before. Now it's gone back to safety at height. Well, until we have to fight someone with some decent modern SAMs unlike the Iraqis. By then it maybe all UAVs.
Thanks a million for this film! Valiant B Mk2 was one of my favourite aircraft from the 1950's. Photographs of it only ever show same old image everytime, so great to see this extended film coverage. Shame it was never put in production. Looked devilishly good in glossy black, despite Bill Gunston's incredulity.
Thanks for your comment. The Valiant B2 is my favourite aircraft. I have obtained several rare photos of the B2 from various sources. This helped me construct a 1/144 scale model from virtually scratch.
Great piece of footage! The terrible tragidy with the Mk1 was the destructive corrosion caused by 'dissimilar metal syndrome' and the fatigue cracking in the wings which led to a Valiant crash, and subsequent premature scrapping of all Valiants. A terrible shame, but Vickers learned a lot from it.
targatop1 2 months ago
What a magnificent aircraft.
fyorbane 4 months ago
What a beauty of an aircraft!
Largely forgotten in the V-bomber trio, but equally as impressive. Vickers made an exceptional aircraft!
wrecker8888 7 months ago
Great Work putting this together, i didn't even know there was any film of this largely (& wrongly) forgotten MK-2 Valiant (found this Video by pure chance while conducting a Still Image / Photo Search for this Aircraft).
A utter tragedy she wasn't saved from destruction like "XD818" was, especially as she must have been in far better condition than any of her B1 Elder Sisters.
TSR1989FF 8 months ago
The only British aircraft to drop a live hydrogen bomb (operation Grapple).
The Valiant was a nice airplane - such a shame that the RAF didnt have a crystal ball and opt for the B2.
ToonandBBfan 8 months ago
@ToonandBBfan Indeed.
She was also the Aircraft to Drop "Orange Herald"
(to this day the Most Powerful Conventional Atom Bomb ever Built, let alone actually Detonated).
TSR1989FF 8 months ago
Thumbs up for Gunston!
hippieking 9 months ago
Chocks away Ginger.
mcwolfus 1 year ago
Gunston is my god.
WinchesterRanger 2 years ago
Bill Gunston is God! Been reading his books since I was a kid in the 70s.
Thunderchief35 2 years ago
What a gem!
A unique version of a not well known aircraft.
Gunston is right, the RAF should have made the B.2 the main production Valiant.
As he said, from 1963 the V Force had to go low level, when the Valiant B.1's did so, they very soon suffered serious fatigue problems and the whole fleet was scrapped.
Luckily the Victor did not spend too long at low level before becoming tankers, the Vulcan though, could handle the rougher air at low level with ease.
SSCFPA 2 years ago
Gunston is one of the best aviation writers around. He is quite opinionated - which I like. His books "Plane Facts" and "Back to the Drawing Board" are very interesting.
EricIrl 2 years ago
Who is the man telling at the start of this clip?
denberg2 3 years ago
That's Bill Gunston, a legendary aviation author, historian, and journalist.
fundiebasher 3 years ago
A real beauty. Never seen a lot of this footage.
Arcmate 3 years ago
Excellent! Thanks.
GibsonElectric 3 years ago
Lovely in Black.
juzzi07 3 years ago
Great to see a Valiant in colour even if it is black! BG is always erudite and points up another of the daft planning changes in those days. Esp since the Nazis were using the first SAMs ten years before. Now it's gone back to safety at height. Well, until we have to fight someone with some decent modern SAMs unlike the Iraqis. By then it maybe all UAVs.
rockinroy555 3 years ago
Thanks a million for this film! Valiant B Mk2 was one of my favourite aircraft from the 1950's. Photographs of it only ever show same old image everytime, so great to see this extended film coverage. Shame it was never put in production. Looked devilishly good in glossy black, despite Bill Gunston's incredulity.
Gruntol5 4 years ago
Thanks for your comment. The Valiant B2 is my favourite aircraft. I have obtained several rare photos of the B2 from various sources. This helped me construct a 1/144 scale model from virtually scratch.
wavodavo 4 years ago
nice one, thanks
Bomberguy 4 years ago