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Registration or Serial: XH477
Operator:
Royal Air Force:
44 (Rhodesia) Squadron.
Operating Base: RAF
Waddington
Base
Location:
Lincoln, Lincs., LN5 9NB, UK
Current
Airport Status: Operational Military Airport.
(RAF Air Command
Surveillance and Reconnaissance Assets.)
Current
Airport Name:
RAF
Waddington
(Principal airport data courtesy of
John Woodside,
A
Catalogue of UK Airfields)
Aircraft Nickname:
The Tin Triangle
Aircraft Type & Background
The Avro Type 698
(Vulcan) was designed as a high-altitude atomic bomber. It was the
first four-engine bomber to designed with delta wings. Originally
conceived of as a flying wing, the design was modified during
development to incorporate the nose and fuselage section seen on the
production Vulcans.
The prototype flew in
August 1952, piloted by Wing Commander Roly Falk. After further
modifications to the wing, etc. the Vulcan B.1 entered service with
the RAF in 1957. The aircraft were assigned to No. 83 Squadron at
RAF Waddington.
As it the B.1 version
became increasingly vulnerable to Soviet air defences, a modified
version—the
B.2—was
proposed and built. The B.2 was equipped with more powerful
Rolls-Royce Olympus 301 turbojet engines, together with an
electronic warfare (ECM) suite in the tailcone. Certain of the
Vulcan B.1s—such
as the one featured here—were
upgraded with some of the B.2 modifications. These modified B.1s
were re-designated 'B.1As'
Ultimately, however,
the Vulcan bomber was becoming increasingly vulnerable to
missile attack at high altitude. Therefore, it's role was changed to
that of a low-level attack bomber. The role of atomic weapon
platform was then assumed by the Royal Navy's Polaris missile fleet.
The Vulcan was never
used in combat as a nuclear bomber. However, it was used extensively
as a conventional bomber during the
Falklands Campaign in 1982.
Ultimately, the Vulcan
bomber was replaced by the
Tornado
multi-role aircraft.
Several Avro Vulcans
have been preserved at various locations. At least one has been
restored and is now flying again with
Vulcan to the Skies Trust.
Aircraft Accident Details
In keeping with its
revised role as a low-level bomber, Vulcan XH477 was on exercise
over the Scottish Highlands. The aircraft had departed earlier from
RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, England, where it was based, and was carrying out a night
low-level exercise.
However, during the exercise, the Vulcan failed
to clear a hill in Glen Tanar, and crashed with some force close to
Hill of St Colm. Sadly, all crew were killed on impact.
Those who died were:
Pilots:
Navigators:
Air
Electronics Officer (AEO):
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