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Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 1:39 pm
by Vulcan74
Afternoon All
Apart from the Vulcan To The Sky XH558 & XL426 days, as anyone seen an outstanding vulcan display from the 60's or 70's era?
Re: Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 4:59 pm
by Sparts99
Two spring to mind. First one was at Scampton when I was an air cadet on camp, 1978 or 79 maybe? The display crew were scheduled to fly a practice display at the end of a flight, we were ushered outside to watch, it was packed outside. The display was like nothing I'd ever seen before from a Vulcan, really high energy, very fast, and a few very low passes, not for public view. Then 1984 and I think XL426 at West Malling Great Warbirds airshow. I was airside and had a fantastic view, it was a great display with turns far tighter than normal and going properly inverted before rolling back, not going all the way round, superb. I saw plenty of displays at Biggin Hill and Farnborough in the 60's but none stand out that I can remember. Having said that I saw a Victor arrive spectacularly at a Biggin At Home day from the Westerham direction for its display, he must have almost been in the valley. The pilot pulled up in a climbing right hand turn, almost seeming to rise out of the ground at the end of the runway. Saw a C-141 do exactly the same at Rochester in 1984 too up from the Medway valley.
Re: Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 5:51 pm
by blakey
The 4 ship scramble at Finningly airshow
Re: Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2019 3:41 am
by paddyboy
Has to be the mass scramble at Scampton in the late 70s (77?) to mark the Silver Jubilee
Sight and sound was awesome
Re: Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2019 9:26 pm
by Vulcan74
The best one I saw was at the RAF Waddington airshow 1979.
Re: Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 2:17 pm
by Kevin Brewer
A bit later than your requested time frame, but Edwards AFB show October 1980 for me. After the B1, B52, F15 etc had all done their bit to entertain the locals, up stepped the visiting RAF.
The Vulcan display that followed stopped everyone in their tracks, quite literally. It helped that it was a beautiful day with a clear bright blue sky, and the shape of the Vulcan was so different from anything the USA had to offer back then. Even so, the crew threw it around like a fighter and the crowd were clearly quite confused as the commentator had told them this was a bomber! When they landed the crew walked over to the crowd line to answer questions, all wearing pristine white flying gloves. And this was before the word 'Poser' had been invented! A fantastic display which I'll never forget - one of those events that made you feel proud to be British.
Re: Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2019 11:41 am
by IMarsh
blakey wrote: ↑Thu Aug 01, 2019 5:51 pm
The 4 ship scramble at Finningly airshow
Definitely agree. I'll remember that sight, sound and vibration for ever
Re: Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 7:58 pm
by bentwaters81tfw
RIAT 81 Greenham Common. XM594 now at Newark Air Museum. On the Sunday, sitting in the grandstand right in front of the Tower at the 5000' (midpoint) mark. The Vulcan had taxied to the Hammerhead and run the final power checks. It then taxied out to the threshold, but kept moving. I thought it had 'gone tech' and was aborting. It kept rolling to the 7000' marker....and stopped.
The P.A. then announced 'The Vulcan crew have elected to go for the Wilkinson Sword Trophy!' (Issued then to the best Solo fighter display). 594 has series 300 engines. The throttles were opened, the brakes released..and 594 leaped into the air right in front of me and pulled immediately into a 70 degree plus climb to 10,000 feet and straight onto her back. Short of loops and rolls, she gave an electrifying display. I have never seen the likes before or since. Since she was going out of service, the crew decided to do what they thought was the last Vulcan display at RIAT in style. If you look in the cockpit of 594 at Newark, you will see the throttle stop wires are broken; this was done at RIAT - they gave it everything the Olympus 300s had. Believe me, sitting under those engines at maximum in a near vertical climb is something you never forget.
Re: Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2019 2:23 pm
by TimFoo
St Mawgan, 1977, six Vulcan scramble, thank goodness car alarms weren't invented then...
Re: Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2019 6:39 pm
by two1938
yes saw Roly Falk cut the corn ina field then invertthe Vulcan in a full roll
Re: Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2019 1:23 pm
by IMarsh
Four Vulcan Scramble at RAF Finningley for the Queens Silver Jubilee airshow. The noise etc amazing. Love to find video of it.
Re: Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2019 10:32 pm
by Andy_99
bentwaters81tfw wrote: ↑Thu Sep 26, 2019 7:58 pm
RIAT 81 Greenham Common. XM594 now at Newark Air Museum. On the Sunday, sitting in the grandstand right in front of the Tower at the 5000' (midpoint) mark. The Vulcan had taxied to the Hammerhead and run the final power checks. It then taxied out to the threshold, but kept moving. I thought it had 'gone tech' and was aborting. It kept rolling to the 7000' marker....and stopped.
The P.A. then announced 'The Vulcan crew have elected to go for the Wilkinson Sword Trophy!' (Issued then to the best Solo fighter display). 594 has series 300 engines. The throttles were opened, the brakes released..and 594 leaped into the air right in front of me and pulled immediately into a 70 degree plus climb to 10,000 feet and straight onto her back. Short of loops and rolls, she gave an electrifying display. I have never seen the likes before or since. Since she was going out of service, the crew decided to do what they thought was the last Vulcan display at RIAT in style. If you look in the cockpit of 594 at Newark, you will see the throttle stop wires are broken; this was done at RIAT - they gave it everything the Olympus 300s had. Believe me, sitting under those engines at maximum in a near vertical climb is something you never forget.
I remember seeing & feeling that one as well awesome.
Re: Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2019 4:08 pm
by Vulcan74
Remember a Navigator telling me once they had to hold onto the crew table when doing the tear drop manoeuvre.
Re: Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2019 8:07 pm
by Richard B
Would say mine would be RAC swinderby around 1974, my uncles passing out day or open day, not sure what it was for.
Re: Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2019 4:06 pm
by Vulcan74
Paddyboy
The mass Vulcan Scramble at Scampton in 77, how many Vulcans were they?
Re: Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2019 12:09 am
by robg
Not an air show. But do remember one Autum/Winter in the late 70's have one buzz round above our miserable rugby game at school. You could hear those engines, then occasionally see the shape banking between the low cloud.
Seem to remember seeing displays in the early 80's. Maybe at RIAT when they used to do low passes with the bomb bay doors open. But will always remember the rugby field.
Re: Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 4:44 pm
by xkekeith
A long time ago arrived at RAF Wyton to see six Vulcans depart at 30 second intervals, I don't think the crew in the 6th one could see much of the runway.
Assume it was a practice dispersal of the fleet followed by a scramble.
Re: Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2019 3:45 pm
by two1938
Roly Falk at Farnboro
Re: Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2020 10:42 pm
by MiG_Eater
bentwaters81tfw wrote: ↑Thu Sep 26, 2019 7:58 pm
RIAT 81 Greenham Common. XM594 now at Newark Air Museum. On the Sunday, sitting in the grandstand right in front of the Tower at the 5000' (midpoint) mark. The Vulcan had taxied to the Hammerhead and run the final power checks. It then taxied out to the threshold, but kept moving. I thought it had 'gone tech' and was aborting. It kept rolling to the 7000' marker....and stopped.
The P.A. then announced 'The Vulcan crew have elected to go for the Wilkinson Sword Trophy!' (Issued then to the best Solo fighter display). 594 has series 300 engines. The throttles were opened, the brakes released..and 594 leaped into the air right in front of me and pulled immediately into a 70 degree plus climb to 10,000 feet and straight onto her back. Short of loops and rolls, she gave an electrifying display. I have never seen the likes before or since. Since she was going out of service, the crew decided to do what they thought was the last Vulcan display at RIAT in style. If you look in the cockpit of 594 at Newark, you will see the throttle stop wires are broken; this was done at RIAT - they gave it everything the Olympus 300s had. Believe me, sitting under those engines at maximum in a near vertical climb is something you never forget.
This is what this hobby is about.
That is poetry BW!
Re: Best Vulcan Display Seen?
Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2021 3:47 pm
by Condor68
Couldnt put a date on it but in mid 70`s I was workimg at Waddington and saw loads of impressive take off s and quite a lot of fancy flying.Until then I hadnt realised how manoeverable they were. Memories?