Wings and Wheels show report

[ian65]

I suppose they could have attacked the runway with Sea Harriers but if you're going to show intent, a strategic bomber designed to deliver nuclear weapons is the way to do it. I liked the stories in the book of how they had to raid museums and scrapyards to find refuelling nozzles and parts for the bomb bays...... didn't part of a refuelling nozzle get commandeered from someones desk where it was being used as an ash tray?

[codge]

And didn't I see a documentary that said one Vulcan on the raid was out of fuel and landed in Brazil?

The local air traffic controllers didn't want to accept a warplane because of repercussions. When they repeatedly asked the Vulcan to ID itself asking "Where you from please state your origin", one of the crew with a cool head and strong accent replied "'Uddersfield". They repeated the request, couldn't understand the reply and so let it land.
It was then trapped in Brazil until the authorities refueled it to get rid because the Pope was about to land at that airport.

Strange but true, or did I dream it?

[ian65]

some of it wasn't a dream!

http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/air-war.htm

[ian65]

following on from what Nik was saying......

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-so ... e-19926464

[Lucky]

Real shame, and one of the things I'd rather not be right about I suppose I'm glad to have seen it before it was too late, soon it'll only be a few grainy clips on YouTube.

As to the other topic that's arisen, well I think in anyone's language the raid on Port Stanley was an incredible achievement and the pyschological effect on the Argentines probably can't be overestimated whether or not the strategic effect was all that could be hoped for. It seems distateful for a member of a "rival" armed service to belittle it, especially when no-one in their right mind would do the same to the contribution of the Royal Navy to winning the conflict. I suspect like most civilians I have the utmost respect for any active member of the armed forces and what they achieve in war or the current "peace" without needing to be told which provides the most relevant tactics. Besides, everyone knows it was the Paras who won the Falklands

[ian65]

I think that it's just an ingrained rivalry between the services where one thinks they are better than the other..... whereas to civvies, they all do an equally top job.
It's a bit like the emergency services..... the police think the fire brigade are morons for wanting to run into burning buildings and the fire brigade think the police are untrustworthy snakes that would shop their granny given half a chance. Meanwhile, the public don't give a toss as long as the fires get put out and there's some semblance of law and order.

[MelloYello]

Great photos Nik! I did read this at the time of posting but never got around to commenting.

I am lucky enough to have seen the Vulcan on a couple of occasions, both at the Farnborough Airshow (a nice name for what is essentially a massive arms fair). I will never forget the feeling of standing behind it (even at a distance) and feeling the force and sound created. Looking around to see kids crying and feeling my body's biorythms being knock about by this weapon.

Anyways I got talking to a couple of the old guys who maintain the beast and they said that the Vulcan's days were numbered. It would carry on for a while doing flybys at shows near its home base but would never again land and be part of a static display. This is because they have no spare engines left and if a fault occurred it would be stranded wherever it was.

They had to use the last two spares they had a few years back. "Oh why was that", i hear you ask. Well, every winter they park it up in its hanger and place a big sack of silicon dioxide in each engine intake to prevent any moisture based damage. Unfortunately they forgot to remove them on start up the following summer. It started up fine, but when they gave it a bit more gas to get going - "Thooomp".

I would not want to have been part of that team on that day.