Vickers Valiant

Vickers Valiant
Name	Vickers Valiant
Type	Strategic bomber
Manufacturer	Vickers-Armstrongs
Designer	George Edwards
First flight	18 May 1951
Introduced	1955
Retired	January 1965
Primary user	Royal Air Force
Number built	107

Vickers Valiant. The Vickers Valiant was a British high-altitude jet bomber and the first of the V bomber strategic nuclear strike force. Designed and built by Vickers-Armstrongs at their Weybridge facility, it entered service with the Royal Air Force in 1955, providing a critical nuclear deterrent during the early Cold War. Although later joined by the more advanced Avro Vulcan and Handley Page Victor, the Valiant was the only V-bomber to drop live nuclear weapons during British tests.

Development and design

The Valiant was developed to meet the requirements of Air Ministry specification B.35/46, which called for a high-altitude bomber capable of delivering a nuclear weapon. Under the leadership of chief designer George Edwards, the team at Vickers-Armstrongs created a conservative but effective design, featuring a high-mounted wing and a bicycle undercarriage. It was powered by four Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet engines, housed in pairs within the wing roots, and its crew of five included two pilots seated in a fighter-style cockpit. The aircraft's structure made extensive use of new light alloys, and it was equipped with a sophisticated navigation and bombing system and a toss bombing capability for nuclear weapon delivery.

Operational history

Entering service with No. 138 Squadron RAF in 1955, the Valiant formed the initial backbone of the RAF Bomber Command nuclear deterrent. In 1956, Valiants from No. 49 Squadron RAF and No. 148 Squadron RAF participated in Operation Buffalo, the first British airdrop of a live atomic bomb at Maralinga. The following year, during Operation Grapple, Valiants dropped Britain's first live thermonuclear weapon over the Pacific Ocean near Christmas Island. The type also saw conventional action during the Suez Crisis in 1956, bombing Egyptian airfields. In the early 1960s, many Valiants were converted for low-level penetration and tanker roles, but the discovery of catastrophic fatigue in the wing spars led to the entire fleet's sudden withdrawal from service in January 1965.

Variants

The primary variant was the **B.1** strategic bomber. The **B(PR).1** was a dedicated photographic reconnaissance model, operated by No. 543 Squadron RAF. The **B(PR)K.1** and **BK.1** were multi-role conversions capable of bombing, reconnaissance, and aerial refueling as a tanker aircraft, with a hose and drogue unit in the bomb bay. A prototype **B.2** was built as a low-level pathfinder with a strengthened airframe and different engines, but it did not enter production.

Operators

The sole military operator was the Royal Air Force. Key units included No. 7 Squadron RAF, No. 18 Squadron RAF, No. 49 Squadron RAF, No. 90 Squadron RAF, No. 138 Squadron RAF, No. 148 Squadron RAF, No. 199 Squadron RAF, No. 207 Squadron RAF, No. 214 Squadron RAF, No. 543 Squadron RAF, and the RAF Bomber Command Development Unit. The Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down also operated the type for trials.

Specifications (Valiant B.1)

* **Crew:** 5 (2 pilots, 2 navigators, air electronics officer) * **Length:** 108 ft 3 in (33.00 m) * **Wingspan:** 114 ft 4 in (34.85 m) * **Height:** 32 ft 2 in (9.80 m) * **Empty weight:** 75,881 lb (34,419 kg) * **Max takeoff weight:** 175,000 lb (79,379 kg) * **Powerplant:** 4 × Rolls-Royce Avon RA.28 Mk 204 turbojets, 10,500 lbf (46 kN) thrust each * **Maximum speed:** 567 mph (912 km/h, 493 kn) at 30,000 ft (9,100 m) * **Range:** 4,500 mi (7,200 km, 3,900 nmi) * **Service ceiling:** 54,000 ft (16,000 m) * **Armament:** 1 × 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) Blue Danube nuclear bomb or 21 × 1,000 lb (450 kg) conventional bombs

Accidents and incidents

The Valiant suffered several notable losses during its service. On 12 August 1956, a Valiant from No. 49 Squadron RAF crashed near RAF Wittering during an engine test flight, killing all four crew. On 11 May 1964, a Valiant B(K).1 of No. 90 Squadron RAF experienced a catastrophic structural failure of the wing during a training flight over Manby, Lincolnshire, though the crew successfully ejected. This incident, along with subsequent inspections, directly revealed the critical fatigue issues that led to the type's immediate retirement. Another fatal crash occurred on 6 August 1964 near Bridgwater, Somerset, killing the crew of three.

Category:British bomber aircraft 1950–1959 Category:V bombers Category:Vickers aircraft