Vulcan Bomber Disintegrates on Camera

[@alanenser7046]

I was at the airshow with my Dad, we had not been there long and were like most others stunned. I was ten then and now at 74 I still remember it so sadly.

[@nickf4333]

Would love to hear more stories of your life 🙏

[@digitalmindsstudio]

Yes. Memories die hard...

[@timbutton4990]

I was there that day and remember the terrible bang, I would have been 4 years old, the scream of the taxying Victor jet engines on the ground was terrifying. I think the airshow carried on but it was a long time ago, and attitudes to risk were very different back then.

[@Oliepolie]

I was totally there too bros, mustve been a couple years old

[@patrickdoyle9369]

I was there also with my great great great great great grandad, and his great grandad.. Both his parents were there also

[@TAttiusMaximvs]

I was in a car queuing to get into Syerston with my Mum and Dad. I watched it happen from the car window. I was 10 years old, but I still remember it to this day.

[@chaosdemonwolf1]

Nottinghamshire has changed a lot since then. .

[@davidinger961]

I was that age and remember the same thing! Same time we thought it was part of the air display the show went on, remember all the debris on the runway how time goes!

[@skylined5534]

An incredible yet sad memory!

[@PippaKilburn]

As an apprentice, I worked for six weeks on the crash investigation of this event. Every piece of the aircraft and its engines were laid out in a hanger and every single fragment examined for metal fatigue. For me, it was an exciting experience at the time but, looking back on the preceeding events, it was just the finale of a sad event. Although the real cause of the crash was never convincingly determined, it is possible that the aircraft was inadvertently flying outside its fully-tested performance envelope. In later times, when working on other aircraft for another company, the challenge of ensuring that pilots always worked within the authorised testing regime proved so difficult that I quit a well paid and exciting position as Chief Development Engineer over the company's failure to enforce strict control over one particular test pilot. Looking back on those days, one also has to remember that we had no digital computers with which to run any form of simulation and the 'guessing stick' or slide rule was our high-technology calculating device.

[@r3ddyeddy880]

Ah the lost art of stick guessing :-)

[@njones420]

was that in the famous "black" hangar, by any chance?

[@PippaKilburn]

@@njones420 I was a humble apprentice at the time. I was picked up every morning and delivered to the hanger. I can't remember where it was, just remember the huge collection of bits which we worked through.

[@MrLoobu]

Id say the cause was when the plane came apart in mid air.

[@billsmith9966]

@Lockdown Killz you flew on this plane???

[@saviyou]

Did anyone else check their playback speed?

[@coreymartin5185]

the guy sure talks fast

[@stevecooper2873]

Often old film/magnetic tape, etc does not transfer exactly to digital

[@jerryadams4449]

Took it to .75% although it brought it to a better speed his voice was distorting making him sound like he's under the influence..😏

[@patchmack4469]

the voice narrating is probably AI anyway, but yes old films cinicamera seldom transfer to digital, a least here you can pause

[@brettteeter3461]

Yeah, it was super slow, so I watched at 2X. Wish there was a 3X option.

[@rogerhinman5427]

No copy of the accident report has ever been found. Well that pretty much means it wasn't pilot error.

[@lairdcummings9092]

Yep. Mustn't embarrass important people. Honestly, I cannot see how anyone could accuse the pilot of exceeding roll rate; the film makes it extremely clear that the aircraft was only very gently maneuvering. Speed, well, I can't say about that.

[@caroltenge5147]

no problem, the taxpayers paid for it.

[@larryowsowitz2274]

It’s easy to blame a dead pilot.

[@lairdcummings9092]

@@larryowsowitz2274 to be fair, pilots do fuck up. Generally more often than any other factors. Just not likely in this case.

[@gosportjamie]

@@lairdcummings9092 You've got to remember that this was Vulcan no. 1, the original flying prototype and, as such, had been put through huge amounts of airframe stress under testing, on top of which it was flying with engines not of the type the aircraft was designed for. In terms of the amount of work it had completed in its' life, this was a very old airframe. Add in the fact that the pilot had a record for showboating that would have had him busted out of flying in milliseconds had he been military personnel and it's really not too hard to see that, although it was at fairly low speed, he exceeded the load that the wing could take and, effectively, flew the wing off the aircraft. The manoeuvre he was attempting was not part of the discussed and approved display he was to provide. The reason that the report has never been found is quite simple, at that time it was common knowledge that the British government was pretty thoroughly riddled with spies, and handing information that could give the Soviets an advantage over the Vulcans should war break out, not just for a few years but likely for some quarter of a century around publicly was just not a sound idea. The report would have been eyes only for a very limited number of people, basically senior RAF personnel who were those that needed to know and had the power to act on any findings, then the reports would have been rounded up, slapped with a massive classification and sealed for a huge period of time and then quietly destroyed under penalty of treason if those responsible talked. Although the government has been riddled with spies many times, people can still keep really important stuff quiet, particularly the military...

[@KutWrite]

Yup, the old "Blame the dead guy" so the manufacturer doesn't have to pay any pesky damages.

[@udeeedke700]

Muh pilot error

[@BackSeatHump]

Exactly. Structural (read design) failure was to blame. I don't think there is any doubt about it.

[@ericstyles3724]

I'd agree that contributes to accident assessment often, but you can see a major difference in the wing shape here, it being a very early unmodified prototype. The stiff Delta wing here is eventually modified to a more blended curve with a flatter face to the wings intake inlet in modern models. The intake structure within the wing in this prototype takes on added force from fast moving air rolling down the wing edge & onto the inside inward facing wall of the intake where it meets the outer wing, stressing it more where it's structurally at its weakest. The modifications eliminate this after this fateful engineering lesson. It was a matter of when, not if, & a fair bet that it would happen when flirting w the flying envelope (80% thrust), as is often the mandate at airshows.

[@w1lf1ewoo]

Yep, play the conspiracy game

[@Jokertuning]

More likely was his

[@andyhowlett2231]

'Exceeded the turn rate limit'? He was pretty straight & level!

[@simonjrwinter]

Pretty sure they mean he exceeded the limits earlier in the display, fatally weakening the structure.

[@Knightfang1]

Kinda reminds me of the F-117 airshow crash where the wing just fell off. The cause of that one was found that maintenance crews had accidentally left off 4 of the fasteners that held the wing on. Almost a year earlier and it had taken that long for the remaining fasteners to break under the increased stress

[@jwadaow]

@@Knightfang1 couldn't they add sensors for that?

[@Knightfang1]

@@jwadaow on the F-117 that crashed, pilots had previously reported unusual wing flexing but maintenance gave it an inspection and cleared it for flight. They would not have found out about the missing fasteners without completely removing the wing and it passed all other forms of inspection at the time

[@Chimera_Photography]

@@s1iznc1d34 I don’t even take apart a remote control without a “this came from here” ‘map’ of the bits and pieces.

[@chrislong3938]

It's hard to overstate the beauty and grace of the Vulcan! RIP to the crew and ground personnel.

[@jimsteinway695]

I sat in a Vulcan when I was in the US Air Force. I loved the beauty of the plane but British planes always looked dated compared to US aircraft. But then the contemporary American aircraft at the time were F15s F16s and the SR71

[@nigelliam153]

@@jimsteinway695what amazed me about the Vulcan is it was designed by the same man who designed the Lancaster and he just kept the same design of cockpit console

[@peterjones6322]

​@@jimsteinway695 But you should have compared the Vulcan to contemporary US aircraft from the 1950s not when F15s were flying because at that time the RAF was flying Tornados and probably Harriers which the US marines also had.

[@marcothorsen950]

Bit late for that 🤡

[@haroldfiedler6549]

LOL LOL LOL Are you kidding? The Vulcan is a piece of junk from the onset. What do you think this story is about? Did you even watch the video?? Unbelievable.

[@ignatiusdemonseed]

Well, that sucks. I never heard of this incident before. Respect to the crew, their loved ones, and the British people.

[@ignatiusdemonseed]

@Alex Rigden Yes, US.

[@ignatiusdemonseed]

@Alex Rigden Thank you, Alex. I've yet to meet a Brit I didn't like. All the best to you and yours.

[@h418lfc]

Thank you for your kind words, we Brits are very proud of our armed forces as I'm sure you are of yours.

[@petehall889]

Thank you from England - my wife and I like the American people and have a good friend in ND. All the best, Pete

[@ignatiusdemonseed]

@@petehall889 Ohio here. You all are warm and wonderful people. You made my day. A toast, as I raise a wee vodka in your direction: Here’s to cheating, stealing, fighting, and drinking. If you cheat, cheat death. If you steal, steal a woman’s heart. If you fight, fight for a brother. If you drink, drink with me!

[@rvnmedic1968]

Tragic accident, RIP to the crew and their families. I'm retired USAF CMSgt and have a fond memory of seeing the Vulcan at an air show at McGuire AFB, New Jersey around 1973. My son (age 4) and I were amazed at the giant aircraft as it flew toward us and then a steep climb. He had his hands over his ears! Cheers to our British Allies! CMSgt Bob Powell, USAF (Ret.) 1965-2000

[@timstoker]

Thank you for your service sir. 🇬🇧🇺🇸

[@williamvoorhees8201]

I went to basic and A.I.T. at ft. Dix.

[@ninjalectualx]

"Haha it gave my son permanent hearing damage!"

[@tectorama]

I remember standing behind an American airman at an airshow at Bentwaters. It must have been the first time he'd seen a Vulcan. He called out "What the hell is that ?"..

[@anniedarkhorse6791]

Fond memories of a poorly designed death trap aircraft which killed people and the company who built it covered up their own failures by blaming the pilot. Weird.

[@johnsaucedo1131]

Such a beautiful airplane. Tragic loss of life.

[@trevorphillips4595]

Death is always tragic, I couldn't agree more Sir, but here is some perspective. Deaths in 2018, worldwide - total ~58Million. Good thing is - the same year 140 Million babies were born, and in 2020 all of those diseases were cured. 2021 will bring nothing but wonders. Coronary Heart Disease 1 9,405,008 Stroke 2 5,765,313 Lung Disease 3 3,032,444 Influenza and Pneumonia 4 2,947,050 Alzheimer's & Dementia 5 1,976,848 Lung Cancers 6 1,696,334 Diabetes Mellitus 7 1,582,816 Road Traffic Accidents 8 1,399,255 Diarrhoeal diseases 9 1,382,508 Tuberculosis 10 1,292,603 Liver Disease 11 1,247,237 Kidney Disease 12 1,172,181 Low Birth Weight 13 1,012,063 HIV/AIDS 14 1,011,748 Hypertension 15 893,402 Liver Cancer 16 818,785 Suicide 17 788,851 Colon-Rectum Cancers 18 786,962 Stomach Cancer 19 755,968 Birth Trauma 20 678,355 Falls 21 658,100 Other Injuries 22 631,975 Congenital Anomalies 23 589,637 Breast Cancer 24 583,158 Violence 25 475,157 Malaria 26 446,446 Oesophagus Cancer 27 426,739 Asthma 28 417,119 Inflammatory/Heart 29 371,832 Pancreas Cancer 30 369,358 Endocrine Disorders 31 360,358 Prostate Cancer 32 353,472 Lymphomas 33 352,416 Malnutrition 34 342,092 Oral Cancer 35 328,906 Drownings 36 321,493 Maternal Conditions 37 298,011 Rheumatic Heart Disease 38 290,981 Leukemia 39 290,713 Cervical Cancer 40 282,394 Meningitis 41 278,642 Peptic Ulcer Disease 42 247,222 Other Neoplasms 43 215,007 Parkinson's Disease 44 212,338 Bladder Cancer 45 190,297 War 46 183,576 Ovary Cancer 47 163,814 Drug Use 48 159,563 Fires 49 152,332 Alcohol 50 145,120 Epilepsy 51 136,692 Skin Cancers 52 112,640 Hepatitis B 53 110,570 Poisonings 54 106,569 Skin Disease 55 106,032 Encephalitis 56 104,248 Syphilis 57 95,542 Measles 58 90,945 Uterian Cancer 59 83,757 Rheumatoid Arthritis 60 56,082 Appendicitis 61 54,323 Tetanus 62 53,720 Dengue 63 40,368 Schistosomiasis 64 24,071 Multiple Sclerosis 65 24,015 Anemia 66 23,730 Leishmaniasis 67 14,450 Leprosy 68 13,221 Pertussis 69 9,965 Chagas disease 70 7,728 Ascariasis 71 6,247 Prostatic Hypertrophy 72 6,002 Upper Respiratory 73 5,897 Schizophrenia 74 5,184 Osteoarthritis 75 4,721 Trypanosomiasis 76 3,077 Iodine Deficiency 77 2,654 Hepatitis C 78 2,546 Oral conditions 79 1,646 Diphtheria 80 1,447 Otitis Media 81 1,441 Chlamydia 82 1,321 Vitamin A Deficiency 83 8 Hookworm Disease 84 1

[@Fantom7655-s3v]

@@trevorphillips4595 Wow, that must've taken a while...

[@milkyo1206]

Copy an paste

[@monterey5905]

@@milkyo1206 either way it’s interesting

[@jimmason8502]

The Vulcan was indeed one of the best looking aircraft ever built.

[@AnthonyTobyEllenor-pi4jq]

One of the reasons early aircraft crashed was the practise of bashing rivet holes in aluminium instead of drilling holes. Bashed holes can have a host of micro cracks which propagate due to the stresses encountered when flying so eventual failure is pre-programmed.

[@timgriggs8592]

A V Roe must have known that, as it was metal failure that caused the Comet series of disasters a few years earlier. (De Havilland wanted to bond the porthole glazing into the fuselage, but when that proved too difficult, the engineers went for screws and rivets, which all needed holes...)😮 In fact the Comet re-entered service in 1958 with many modifications to the airframe to avoid fatigue failures.

[@carlfrye1566]

Pre - programed is a poor choice of words...that implies intent. Better to say pre - ordained as in ....failure was a matter of time.

[@mundanestuff]

This is the reason why airplanes have round windows today instead of square windows. That was the root cause of several crashes, micro cracks at the corners of the windows rapidly expanding to become macro cracks in the airframe causing rapid unscheduled disassembly. For example, the one generally pointed to, the Comet, but others had this issue as well. Most that had square windows were retrofitted.

[@johnbeck2042]

It is spelled "practice".

[@paolocoletti3424]

​@@mundanestuff'rapid unscheduled disassembly'.... well you could say that. Also that the occupants suffered from 'rapid deceleration sickess' when they hit the ground. 😮

[@gorblimeyguv]

"It ruined the happy ambience of the crowd". Well yes, it would tend to do that.

[@MakoyUnggoy]

This was the comment I was looking for

[@leekerry522]

But, I'm happy that your reply states that it was likely to be a tendancy as in all honesty there were probably dozens of customers totally revelling in the fact that a huge amazing Vulcan Bomber had crashed right smack bang in front of them. That'll certainly be one to tell the grankids in the future and they'll also probably have a tendancy to big it up when standing down at the local 🍺🍺🍺 pub, pipe in hand, going on about how bloody dangerous it is to fly, even if it now 1967, cos if God really did want us to fly, then we would all ave wings obvs. ✈️ Redbull anyone.!!!

[@razorblade7408]

Well if I was there is be clapping.

[@hb1338]

The "happy ambience" of a crowd still smarting from the war which finished 13 years earlier ... according to the narrator.

[@tristanwalling1388]

I have a sneaking suspicion that, actually, one member of the crew DID know that none of them would ever be able to commemorate another victory parade, but he didn't tell the rest of the crew because he was a dick who liked ruining the happy ambiance of crowds on emblematic days.

[@wackyack3165]

As a 9 year old, I was there. The Vulcan was doing a low banking flyby, having previously done the same at other airfields. As it flew across in front of the crowd, a gasp went up as we all saw flames near the left wingtip, the flames quickly spreading 'up' the wing (plane banking left). As I remember it the wing then exploded (flames got to the wing fuel tank ?) and the remainder of the plane plunged into the ground. I've never been to another Battle of Britain Air Show.

[@wayland7150]

I was at the Shoreham airshow when they were doing a chaotic Battle of Britain show. Planes were going in all directions then we spotted black smoke snaking up from one of the hills. A fighter and dived into the ground. The show went on though.

[@jedhewson8660]

When I was a boy playing on the North Yorkshire Moors, a low flying Vulcan flew overhead. It was a magnificent and awe inspiring moment I will never forget.

[@RHR-221b]

Same with me, Jed. Springburn, Glasgow N1, sometime during 1958. As a seven-year-old, I Iooked skyward to see the obvious contours of a Vulcan. Felt pride ... [Insert your text here.] Stay free. Rab 🍻 😎 🌠

[@backdownontheboat6038]

Is it the one that’s at Sunderland

[@skycorrigan6511]

When I was a young chap me and my poppet went across the pond for the meat pies and eel.

[@Kevlar67476]

Pease Air Force Base in 82. Vulcan put on a great show. 3 cheers.

[@gscott5632]

"it's a Vulcan bomber!" said weatherspoon. ,"I know" said jed, "saw one above the north yorkshire moors" "Sweet" said weatherspoon..

[@thejlklef211]

Problems with the Vulcan were rare, amazing as it was all nuts, bolts and pulleys. It was one of the best aircraft to ever fly the skies. I wish could see one again in action, that feeling you get in your chest when a Vulcan does it low pass roar unfortunately will never be repeated! Sadly missed!

[@Simon-ui6db]

And the howl! Never forget that sound . Love it

[@RedTail1-1]

They still fly in Britain

[@kwerk2011]

@@RedTail1-1 No, they don't.

[@oncdoc01]

The problems with the Vulcan (RR engines, British hydraulics, Lucas electrical systems, Carlyle fasteners, etc.), were both well known and well documented. The RAF flew the Vulcan until late 1972. I have no idea what replaced the Vulcan after 1972.

[@kwerk2011]

@@oncdoc01 1982.

[@Funkstar124]

I met a test pilot on a flight to Prague a few years back. He had retired but talking to him was fantastic as I love Planes and flight etc. He said it was the best job he had ever had and could ever think of having. He said he felt so lucky for the life he had led.

[@SamuelLanghorn]

ok, now what? what do you do for living? maybe you should change your career.

[@Funkstar124]

@@SamuelLanghorn An International travelling Salesman...meet all sorts!

[@SamuelLanghorn]

@@Funkstar124 Haha, similar to my role I guess. Indeed, you meet all kinds of characters. If you are lucky an interesting conversation makes a flight shorter and pleasant..... I would say the hit rate is

[@Funkstar124]

@@SamuelLanghorn Beats sitting next to a boring fart, for sure. I was on my way to Prague in Czech for a meeting -- never met anyone as interesting as him after that! Lol! We got talking because he was laughing at what I was reading - Jeremy Clarkson book - (sneaking a peak) and that's what set the conversation off.

[@andrewcampbell52bearwood3]

I was there, and remember it , although only six years old at the time.

[@Aengus42]

What stood out for you? That's a huge thing for a little boy to see and memory isn't just a videotape.

[@andrewcampbell52bearwood3]

@@Aengus42 I recall seeing what looked like paint or flakes of something coming away from the wing as it passed by. Moments later a huge ball of flame and smoke was visible at the end of the runway. As i grew up I often thought about it, but for many years never knew where or when it took place. I knew it had to be in Nottinghamshire or Lincolnshire, as that was close to where we lived. Only with the advent of the internet did i discover the location, and that I was only six at the time, I had assumed I was perhaps eight or nine.

[@Talleyhoooo]

Wow, that must have been horrifying

[@olias2716]

@@andrewcampbell52bearwood3 that must have been terrifying.....thanks for sharing......

[@dotdashdotdash]

I saw a Spitfire crash and blow up at Woodford airshow years ago, will never forget the heat from the fireball, felt like opening an oven door.

[@peterarmstrong3298]

The wing shape was redesigned shortly afterwards.

[@anevilgoose1034]

Was it a problem with the wing structure?

[@timgosling6189]

@@anevilgoose1034 No, it was to improve aerodynamic performance when the airflow went trans-sonic at high altitude.

[@shaneward6689]

That's why the the wings has the gentle curve in in

[@ojsefg]

Thank you Helpy Helperton.

[@juststeve5542]

The newer wing design was already on newer aircraft, but VX770 was an old test bed prototype made in '52.

[@mikrif2767]

I clambered into the cockpit of one of those things in a flight museum, man was it a terrible experience ever! So tightly packed and claustrophobic and these guys used to sit there for hours on end. RIP brave gentlemen, you pushed the aviation envelope.

[@stevehughes6097]

And only the pilot and copilot had ejector seats.

[@markdavid4897]

It's better to be on the ground wishing you were flying, than to be flying wishing you were on the ground.

[@leighsoft]

pretty decent analogy

[@snakedike]

You must be a pilot. There the only ones I know who say that.

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

Nope.

[@mulletover3575]

One with that poor of English isn’t likely to know many pilots.

[@kermit56780]

It's better to wish you had wrote something, than to wish you had not written something.

[@chrisball8080]

I was based at RAF Scampton in the early 70's and used to hold my breath watching the Vulcans practicing for the air shows and trying to work at the same time. The noise when they used to go on patrols day and night will still be in my memory and having to go to the dispersals at various locations in the country and watch three scramble take off. Unforgettable!

[@derin111]

I was an RAF cadet in the 1970s. One year our summer camp was at RAF Brize Norton sleeping in tents near the runway. They flew Vulcans and VC10s in and out of there the whole. As you say, the noise those two aircraft types would make was simply unbelievable. The first being awoken by one I thought the sky was collapsing in on us! 😱

[@chrisball8080]

@@RobDavisTelford Hi Rob. No, the name does not ring any bell for me. I was ground crew working in MTSS so I did not many aircrew at that time. Cheers, Chris. OZ.👍🦘

[@gregtaylor6146]

The 2nd loudest aeroplane I heard on a regular basis was the HP Victor ....... every morning at Brize Norton, am I right fellas??? Loudest, by some margin, was Concorde on full AB take off!

[@LinuxUsersonly]

I live 10 minutes away from where the place crashed. Didn’t know till this video

[@YelpBullhorn]

Linux Unix .... I've driven past Syerston many many times, and same here, I had never heard of this tragedy.

[@loddude5706]

That's two of us . . . a month before my fifth birthday too! Had no knowledge then.

[@williamstocks4397]

I've flown from there and landed gliders on the runway. Scary to this what happen many years ago

[@bobhilton9004]

Who cares about the site,We all live on an Indian burial ground

[@YelpBullhorn]

@Bob Hilton..... thanks for that, Bob. Personally I live on the side of a hill on the Staffs/Derbyshire border. And thats about 4,000 miles from India. I do like curry though. Spooky!!! 👻 😱

[@zeusdormer607]

I find it odd to blame the pilot when the aircraft is flying level, within speed parameters and the leading edge disintegrates.

[@reasonrestored9116]

Read the above comment

[@558vulcanxh]

Avros test pilot thinks that the wing was over stressed previously whilst the aircraft was being flown by an RR crew, and this resulted in many of the finger brackets in the leading edge failing, so on this flight, the rest failed resulting in the wing failing completely on this flight . No fault of this poor crew 😢

[@skunkjobb]

@@reasonrestored9116 Which damn comment? How can you write such a stupid thing without pointing out what you mean? The default setting is newest comment on top so when he wrote that, there was no "above comment". The only comment above today says nothing about the matter.

[@johnferry7778]

@@skunkjobbThe default is the newest comment at the bottom not the top. Look at the dates for each comment. If you are the first person to comment then “the above comment” is the original comment. It seems to me that he’s agreeing with the original commenter in that “it’s odd to blame the pilot” either way you needn’t be so rude.

[@nevrsleep1]

I’m just here to say anyone who says “whilst” is a pretentious poser 😮 oh crap, now I just said it, too! 😮 and I said it whilst using the word “pretentious”😮😮😮 oh crap I said it again! I’ll see myself out posthaste, thank you kindly, good sirs.

[@2vintage68]

Underlying mishaps such as this is the simple fact that someone didn't do their job. The allegation that the pilot had exceeded the limits of the plane during the pass is suspect. It is not supported by any facts. Blaming a dead man to shield a corporation from scrutiny has a hollow ring to it in my mind.

[@mikefromwa]

Agreed, a gentle banking maneuver at 250 mph shouldn't cause this thing to break apart in flight. It was almost certainly mechanical failure and not pilot error.

[@matthewgroff433]

@@mikefromwa I doubt it was "Mechanical Failure", Most likely Structural Failure.

[@EuroScot2023]

Given that the Vulcan was renowned for being able to be handled like a fighter plane and to be able to handle the stresses of continuous high speed low level missions, I would guess that modifications for the Conway engine installation had fatally compromised the wing structure. I saw one on a training flight at low level back about 1970. He did a roaring turn from Loch Linnhe into Loch Leven to go and 'bomb' the aluminium plant at Kinlochleven. The stresses on an aircraft that size must have been immense but that was regarded as normal for a Vulcan. I had a perfect view of the entire top surface of the plane from where I was standing on the shore at Ballachulish.

[@STRIDER_503]

It looks like a casual, slothful roll that any airliner is capable of, and yet someone said the pilot "exceed the limit"? What is this plane made of, sheets of paper?

[@ixlr8677]

just took a few rivets coming loose near the leading edge.

[@scotlandghost]

May all those who perished in this tragedy R.I.P.

[@paulgmarriott]

There's a personal aspect to this tragedy for me. I lived in Arnold, a district of Nottingham 4 miles from Hucknall Aerodrome, base of the Rolls-Royce Flight Test Establishment, where Vulcan VX770 was the flying test-bed for their Conway engines. Due to the experimental nature of the Vulcan's flights, it was permitted to perform low circuits over densely populated urban areas, and my house was right on that circuit. It used to regularly thunder low overhead, rattle the roof tiles, and scare the living beejeezus out of me; I was 3 years old at the time. When I was a bit older, my father, a former WWII navy Spitfire pilot turned RAF Gloster Meteor pilot, used to take the family along to air displays. Where, in the end, I 'made friends' with the Vulcan VX770's successors and the other ear-splitting jets. The last time I saw a Vulcan was in summer 2015. By chance, I saw the very last airworthy Vulcan in existence (number XH558) as it flew to Throckmorton air display. It was retired for good later that year. Sad that we won't ever see and hear again that awesome iconic beast thunder across the sky.

[@Bikerdave87]

Thanks for your input.

[@linanicolia1363]

Experimental airplanes allowed to perform over populated areas ! .....Does it make you feel, the people have no importance or significance ? I find it offensive they would not have performed over deserted areas.....Really ! Over the water maybe ? Imagine the damage if one of these planes had again degraded in flight ! the number of people that would have died !!!!! Unthinkable.

[@__eganista6372]

Wow! my dad told me of the same thing. My passion is aviation and photography and one of my faves and last seen aircraft was the XH558 :-( Sad.

[@__eganista6372]

@@linanicolia1363 Ha! really? Didn't you know people are expendable? if you didn't, you'll now know with the pandemic.....

[@matthewcaughey8898]

That time with the falklands campaign the old Vulcan came through one last time for those black buck missions. A fine testament to an aircraft that was a real 1 off. It’s interesting however that the Vulcan’s us contemporary the B-52 Stratofortress continues to reinvent itself and remains in frontline service. It might truly be the first aircraft to celebrate a full century in service. Mainly because nothing has ever really been able to do it better

[@seekingclarity3600]

My father was stationed at RAF Bruggen, in Germany from 1970 to 1974. I got to see this pretty amazing plane fly there at least five times. Very impressive, and a precursor to the flying wing planes that followed much later. RIP brave aircrews and those that attended to these planes.

[@davidbeattie4294]

The Vulcan went on to achieve a magnificent service record. This is a fitting tribute to the pilots/engineers who had the courage to test fly a cutting edge aircraft. To those who lost their lives flying the Vulcan, your sacrifice is remembered and honoured.

[@750suzuki]

The leading edge claims victims, but it is the only place to really learn. Respect to A.V Roe, employees, RAF folks, and all the Brits. Even this didn't make you quit, and the Vulcan served on 'till the 80s.

[@rossbrown6641]

You mean in dropped bombs on innocent people???

[@azrubs593]

*plane literally falls apart while flying in a straight line* Investigators: pilot error

[@perfectlypurepinkpompompan3467]

lol ikr!! Sort of like policemen rallying round one of their own who shot a 2 year old after mistaking her water pistol for the real McCoy......"but it MIGHT have been a real gun....."

[@500erider]

If the plane could not sustain a turn at the degree shown, it should have never left the ground in the first place. It didn't appear very sharp or severe, IMO. Poor engineering. Not that I could build it. Just saying.

[@andrewnorris5415]

You can stress it prior to it falling apart. Then it's just a matter of time.

[@motordragon1975]

Bet that hurt our British pride, more than it probably cost to build that beauty.

[@richardsmith5477]

@@perfectlypurepinkpompompan3467 That’s why my children can not touch my guns, They are real!

[@comicsansgreenkirby]

The guy narrating this makes it sound as if you were on 1.5x speed.

[@robinkearney2778]

Terrible narration.

[@OHFORPEATSAKES]

dude nearly trips over his own words.

[@hueitor1748]

I even checked If i was at 1,5x speed

[@BungleBare]

If you play it at 0.75 speed it sounds almost normal. But that messes up the visuals.

[@JoelCross31]

I didn't notice it until I read this comment. Now I can't unhear it! 🤣

[@alasdairfinlayson]

I was at an airshow at Fairford many years ago. This was used by the US at the time. It was a beautiful day without a cloud in the sky. I was waiting for the Vulcan display. I'd seen the routine many times and knew what was coming. Two American airmen were chatting just in front of me, not really taking much notice. The huge crowd obscured the view till the aircraft were off the ground, but I heard the Vulcan engines from the end of the runway and knowing the routine, heard the howl approaching . The Vulcan lifted off just abreast of me in a really steep climb, and you could feel the ground trembling beneath your feet. One American airman shouted at the other, " Goooodddaaamm, will you look at that thing ". Made my day!

[@neilstafford7245]

Similar thing happened to me, at an RAF Mildenhall Air Fete. I happened to be chatting to a B-52 crew member by their aircraft in the static display. The Vulcan took off and went near vertical followed by a sharp turn away from the crowd line he was speechless.

[@SuckasNeverPlayMe]

​​@@neilstafford7245that's nothing... I was chatting with ten d ead crewmembers from a shot down B17 when a Vulcan suddenly strafed us and I was killed.

[@majmikecalnan]

The US never used the Vulcan. It must have been a visiting RAF aircraft you saw.

[@juststeve5542]

I will never understand how prototype test pilots manage to get their huge brass ones into a cockpit. The bravest of the best. RIP.

[@alexcarter8807]

I knew a guy who'd been a test pilot. Most test pilot work is very careful and incremental. In fact, the determinant for becoming a test pilot isn't "big brass balls" although those help, but being able to fly precisely to the requirements of the test flight which means maintaining very precise speed, altitude etc. Too boring for a lot of guys.

[@thesumeriangod5421]

He died happy

[@anthonysmith3577]

The doors on the bomb bay is rather large while the weight of the brass simulates the weight of the payload

[@juststeve5542]

@@alexcarter8807 oh indeed. Their job is to evaluate and provide good feedback to the engineers and designers. But still, to get into a plane and be told "The guys with the slide rules are pretty sure it'll fly", takes big brass ones in my book! Personally I think Eric "Winkle" Brown possessed the largest, shiniest brass ones in history! (He got to fly and test all the Nazi aircraft, including the Me 163 Komet), not to mention the first carrier landing of a twin engine aircraft (mosquito), which there were some serious doubts about!

[@hllboi817]

Nowadays they have ejection seats

[@chrisjohnson4165]

It's amazing to think that the Vulcan was designed just 5 years after the Lancaster, by the same team at AVRO.

[@markdavid4897]

And my question is, "Was the Vulcan designed to do a Roll?"

[@tedf1471]

@@markdavid4897 It can just about pull off a Barrel Roll. (Maybe 'pull off' is not the best phrase...)

[@Ataribot]

@@tedf1471 technically most aircraft can do a 1g barrel roll. You can have a cup of coffee with you while you do it. okay, well may be some skill involved there, but it can be done

[@chrisjohnson4165]

@Brian Roome Oh you're so clever!.

[@williamjpellas0314]

@ Chris Johnson: That's what happens when you get a sudden infusion of German engineers at the end of WWII.

[@Hazztech]

A roll is a 1g maneuver, if I remember correctly. If your plane falls appart during a 1 g maneuver, it shouldn't be flying in the first place.

[@scottfw7169]

NOTE: a roll and a barrel roll put different stresses on the aircraft: it has been several decades since Dad and Granddad were pilots but I _think_ the wider barrel roll puts less stress on wings than does a regular roll around the aircraft's longitudinal axis.

[@karlbmiles]

The Vulcan had ejection seats for the pilots, but they aren't to be used under G-forces. This aircraft had too many deadly incidents.

[@dougramey4571]

Having been in and around aviation for more than 60 years like most people I've seen many accidents and many deaths. From a blue Angles mid-air collision in Niagra, NY to a fighter demo that crashed in DC (too young to be sure) or Bob Hoover returning to the Reading airshow without a wingtip after hitting some wires - aviation doesn't usually give second chances. Most accidents though were aboard the USS Lexington as we trained pilots in carrier landings, many young men lost their lives as their aircraft landed short of the carrier and into the water or missed the arresting gear wires and went into the water , that fast deceleration caused their heads to hit the instrument panel and they were dazed as the aircraft sank. Those memories served me well as I was able to accumulate over 28,000 hours in the air. Every one of those accidents was a learning experience for other pilots like myself.

[@notneilpeart]

RIP to these incredibly Brave Men. They accepted these Jobs FULLY aware of risk of Death. Different times, different People. My full Respect goes to them.

[@DrewLSsix]

Really? You honestly thing that people don't take the same risks today ??

[@notneilpeart]

No.... They really don't.

[@komokaziboschetti]

@@notneilpeart Roflcopters. Stfu.

[@eyesuckle]

Actually, my full respect goes to the crew who got into a Vulcan the Tuesday AFTER this crash. Now *those* guys were brave!

[@rossbrown6641]

Yeah yeah, LBJ. How many kids did you kill today?

[@normturner]

I was ten years old in 1958 at Waddington where a squadron of these beautiful airplanes were stationed. It was always a great sight to see them roar overhead. Still one of the most beautiful sights.

[@adampoultney8737]

I am very jealous! I only ever got to see 558 fly... I have never seen a Vulcan B1 in person, which is what would have been at Waddington in 1958 (101 Sqn iirc), the final surviving Vulcan B1, XA900, was scrapped in 1986 at the RAF Museum Cosford along with the final Victor B1 in white, XA923 (B1 as a bomber, a Mk1 tanker still exists). That was before I was even born. Never had the chance, but I've seen a number of the surviving Mk2 Vulcans.

[@protorhinocerator142]

I can only imagine the shock, horror, and sadness of the people in the crowd. I know, let's take little Billy to see his first air show! You know this happened to someone.

[@stevecook7551]

I was at an airshow in Toronto many years ago with my wife and two children . We watched an RAF Nimrod crash into Lake Ontario. The silence over the crowd of thousands was deafening.

[@withapulse2000]

Although as the post above you suggests."Let's take little Andrew" may be more accurate...would burn a memory in your brain for sure even at that age

[@carterward1449]

The comment above this one for me is someone saying they remember seeing this when they were six years old

[@antone5462]

@@stevecook7551 Had the same experience when an English Electric Lightning went down at an airshow in South Africa . The memory of that eerie silence and stunned crowd is the most haunting of the incident.

[@sullybiker6520]

Remember that people were tempered by the war at that time, and tended to have considerable fortitude during tough events.

[@todd5082]

If that Vulcan bomber “exceeded” its structural limits with that no-load easy flyby then there’s no way it would make it through a combat mission. Maybe it was a pre-production test version which would definitely have lower limits.

[@hetrodoxly1203]

The limit was for the prototype.

[@davidgreenway6917]

Yes this was an early prototype, the wing shape is triangular, rather than the uneven frontal edge later versions had

[@timgriggs8592]

Luckily it wasn't designed for combat, just for delivering nuclear bombs and then getting the heck out fast...

[@coreyandnathanielchartier3749]

It is easier to exceed structural load limits when the plane is lightly loaded. Counter-intuitive, I know, but it's the fact. Even so, there must have been pre-existing damage, as this pass looked fairly benign.

[@billanderson8602]

I was on a train travelling from london to Edinburgh in the mid 70's when a Vulcan flew over very low and landed at a military airfield. It was like a movie - the sky went dark, there came a howling and the train shook... the sound from the engines was awesome as it passed over us just metres (seemingly) overhead. People screaming! Fantastic moment in my life.

[@rossbrown6641]

Lucky it didnt drop a bomb on you, mate. Thats what this beauty plane was built for.

[@marienbad2]

RIP to all those who lost their lives in this accident.

[@irw4350]

and t'others who had their ambience spoiled

[@marshaldillon4387]

What a shame. R I P. From America 🇺🇸

[@KillingDeadThings]

Aye, a bit of a sad one this.

[@thomasw695]

The plane that embarrassed america it made up for a miss hap

[@KillingDeadThings]

@Exelerant HD I think he might be referring to Operation Sky Shield, in which the RAF successfully attacked the USA in a series of tests.

[@tidefanyankee2428]

@@KillingDeadThings How many years ago was that?

[@KillingDeadThings]

@@tidefanyankee2428 Mark Felton explains it in this video mate.

[@kimjongbingbongtingtong4430]

I live a couple of miles from where Vulcan's were serviced and flight tested in the 70's - endless days of ear splitting roar and the famous 'howl'. Back then they were all in anti-flash white and regularly flew over both of the schools that I went to at low-level, before they eventually went back to their various squadrons. When the Vulcan's finally left the Red Arrows moved in and we had so many part displays using some of the aircraft in the spring after they came back from Akrotiri and practised over rural Leicestershire. One lads brother worked at Bitteswell and for the price of a pint and a bag of toffee's he'd take your bike frame and wheels with him and have it resprayed/rechromed BUT there was only one colour option and half of the kids in Lutterworth had a red bike.

[@ouroboris]

DF, I love the way you clearly & concisely get to the point and explain the who, how, what, when, and why of a situation with no silly special effects or distractions. Salute to you for the fine work you do, sir. And RIP to the good men who lost their lives that day. It's a sad fact that almost every great advancement comes with sacrifices.

[@jp-um2fr]

A joint 'fly by' by an American B52 and Vulcan was arranged over the UK and America just to show eveyone how well we got on. Out of courtesy the B52 was instructed to land first in England. This courtesy was not extended to the Vulcan in America. The Vulcan pilot flew down the runway and did a roll. Needless to say our 'American chums' were not amused and he was sent back to the UK. We British are a pretty quiet lot but now and then we BITE. I do hope they gave that pilot a medal and promotion.

[@joefish6091]

The Hawker Hunter Tower Bridge incident occurred on 5 April 1968,[1] when Royal Air Force (RAF) Hawker Hunter pilot Alan Pollock performed unauthorised low flying over several London landmarks and then flew through the span of Tower Bridge on the River Thames. His actions were to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the RAF and as a demonstration against the Ministry of Defence for not recognising it.[2]

[@haroldfiedler6549]

The British don't "BITE" they totally SUCK!!

[@ianjeremy4471]

I remember one of these flying over my head as a young boy, At West Malling air show in Kent. 40 odd years later still remember it like yesterday, Amazing Sight 💙

[@tonyplumtree7747]

As a boy these amazing aircraft would on occasion fly to Abbotsford, British Columbia to fly in the annual air show (this was in the late 1970's). I remember one fly low and slow over our neighborhood on its approach to landing at the nearby airport prior to the show. Why it came in from that particular direction I'll never know, but that was very unusual to see. I was awestruck as it passed overhead. To me it looked like tree top level. Those massive delta wings in the sky. Will never forget it.

[@romanroad483]

I too saw vulcans at West Malling as a boy. My dad told me they were the latest secret RAF planes. I was afraid to photograph them in case I got into trouble !

[@OVTraveller]

Ah, as a kid of about 13/14 (1958/59) I went fishing on a very foggy day in Scheveningen ( the Netherlands). At about 10 am, I heard a jet overhead and looking up, glimpsed a Vulcan bomber on an exercise over our country towards Germany. Using the fog it might have succeeded in scaring the East Germans in a Cold War game. Once seen at about 1000 feet- don't forget that there are no mountains between the Dutch coast and Berlin, never forgotten.

[@bulwinkle]

I remember hearing news of this accident at the time. I was only seven years old but I was keenly interested in aircraft. I also remember the shock that I felt listening to the report on the radio, we called it wireless at the time.

[@angelajane1038]

@Robert Langford I was brought up in Blackwater ,my father was an aircraft engineer working at Farnbough . I went to all the shows . I remember him being very upset when this happened.

[@bulwinkle]

@@angelajane1038 I guess that a good number of people were affected by it.

[@angelajane1038]

@@bulwinkle Yes I’m sure a lot of RAF families and personnel were affected

[@PiDsPagePrototypes]

The 'truth', can probably found in the redesign of the wing from prototype to production variant.

[@bubbles356]

You gonna start a gofundme page 👍

[@waynecampeau4566]

That and any changes made to the engine design. The USAF prefers designs with the engines installed in external pylons whenever possible. There are two main reasons, 1. it makes servicing the engines easier, 2. (more importantly in my opinion), If the engine has a catastrophic failure in-flight, there is less risk to the primary air-frame.

[@PiDsPagePrototypes]

@@waynecampeau4566 When was the last time that a fighter had an external engine? Makes sense for maintenance, and survivability, but IIRC, the only fighter with external engines would be the Warthog.

[@waynecampeau4566]

@@PiDsPagePrototypes Fighters and Interceptors are the cases where performance outweighs everything else. They need speed, so streamlining and reducing cross section force the engines internal (same with the SR-71). But things like bombers and transports almost always have the engines in pods. Of course now there is the new requirement for stealth that has forced the engines internal. The B-1 Lancer was a bit of a hybrid, but they put a LOT of work in making the engines quick changeable (about 20 minutes) so they could maintain the readiness standards of SAC. The warthog also had the requirement of high- survivability. That meant two engines and spatially separating them. :)

[@offgridhomesteaders863]

@@PiDsPagePrototypes The Warthog A-10 which will be in service until 2040, that's how awesome they are and the the SAAB P1642-07 B3LM which is a Swedish external engine fighter jet similar to the A-10

[@newton18311]

I worked with a Polish guy who stayed in England after the war, He had been a rear gunner in a Lancaster all through the War, On the last Day of the War his plane a Lancaster was returning to Systen Not Systerson , It was a foggy day the pilot clipped the wing of the plane on a Hanger, it turned over and crashed all the crew was killed apart from My friend he got severely burned, His name was Jonny Travera,

[@derekambler]

Syerston on the Fosse Way - A46

[@newton18311]

@@derekambler yes

[@fitzbarbel]

Syston is down in Leicester 15 miles or so S/W of Syerston where the RAF base still is, though only gliders fly there now. No RAF base down in Syston, even back then, mucker.

[@newton18311]

@@fitzbarbel Yes Between Nottingham and Newark on the A46, It opened in 1940, I know its only a Glider school now go past it many times.

[@derekambler]

I used to live at Upton, on the other side of the Trent Valley and could see the aircraft going down the runway on the horizon during the 2nd World War. It was fascinating to see. I can remember seeing a Dakota taking off with a Horsa glider in tow; get a couple of hundred feet in the air and then dive straight down taking the glider with it; must have been about the time of 'Market Garden; I was only 7 years old at the time.@@fitzbarbel

[@alambikkopatafruskj5525]

They video ends at 0:40

[@dammdaniel9953]

Thank you sir for saving our time .

[@RoansBones]

Nope….. fast forward a bit….

[@theGovernmentHatesYou]

Who’s “they”?

[@Plunderkind]

*The* video

[@shedshow1439]

This ain’t tik tok, kids.

[@banditquest4756]

This Vulcan bomber looks like it had a lot of tech that we use today, like the Stealth wing plane shape, the engines were buried inside the body of the craft, not mounted under the wings .It appeared to be a plane that was way ahead of its time design wise.

[@dominicbuckley8309]

One of the most remarkable things is that Roy Chadwick designed the Vulcan a mere 7 years after he designed the Lancaster: just goes to show how quickly technology and understanding of aeronautics had developed in such a short time.

[@JohnSmith-eo5sp]

Nothing new about the delta wing arrangement. The Soviets were experimenting with these designs in the late 1930's

[@O4KAST]

The thing is, that plane wasn't ahead of its time, it's us who are stuck in the past

[@VideoNOLA]

Radar performance was sufficiently well understood by this time that practical stealth structures could be explored by the military.

[@a-10thunderboltii24]

The Vulcan is not a flying wing, much less a stealthy one. The engines are not exactly buried in the wings either, they hang on the outside like the Meteor.

[@ajdexter4195]

Such a shame, I’m so glad they didn’t give up on the Vulcan!

[@thedungeondelver]

Other than Black Buck did it ever see combat? Just curious.

[@somethingmoredecent]

@@thedungeondelver No

[@richarddixon7276]

@@thedungeondelver Yes , in the Falklands War in 1982 , several Vulcans flew across the Atlantic from the UK to Port Stanley 6600 miles !a return trip ,where they bombed the air field , it took 11 tanker aircraft for the refuelling, at the time it was the World Record for an actual Bombing Run . One of the Vulcans (Black Buck ) suffering from a lack of fuel was forced to land in Brazil . The Bombing of Port Stanley Airfield caused minimal damage , but showed the resolve of the UK armed forces to defend British Territory regardless of difficulties involved .

[@kwerk2011]

@@richarddixon7276 in a mission codenamed Black Buck. So, no.

[@brettfisher3912]

@@richarddixon7276 Black buck was the missions the vulcans did on the Falklands that was the only combat the vulcan did

[@kipanz6649]

It’s sooo tragic to see such beautiful planes and good men with family’s just gone in the blink of an eye

[@Noidea24-z5l]

Nah its funny

[@kipanz6649]

@@Noidea24-z5l 🙄

[@BigDiz]

@@Noidea24-z5l its funny until your family members are the ones who died due to the incompetence of others

[@ouroboris]

Exceeded speed limits? It was flying straight, level, and slow. The wing simply failed.

[@jasonlieu5379]

I love the look of the vulcan bomber it looks so mean and intimidating just sitting idle what a beautiful aircraft the british developed my regards from America 🇺🇸✈️

[@parajacks4]

It was good sized bomber too. I remember the deafening roar of its engines at an airshow once. They said it had a surface area larger than a football field.

[@newton18311]

@@parajacks4 I use to watch whole squadron's take of in Lincolnshire were i live, The Vulcan howl could be heard for miles after the ground had stopped shaking,

[@markrainford1219]

@@newton18311 You must have been a little worried though, to see an entire squadron of nuclear bombers take off?

[@newton18311]

@@markrainford1219 they use to Practise from Spridlingthorpe and Scampton ,

[@gerardfrederick5504]

Looks like the german Horton bomber(which never flew) of 1942

[@billmullins6833]

I once saw a Vulcan at an airshow in 1975 at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. I was attending an Air Force school at the time. The Thunderbirds did their thing but to me the most impressive event of the show was a high speed, low altitude pass by a Vulcan bomber. The Vulcan was a strategic bomber in the same payload and range class as the U.S. B-52. The aircraft mad a couple of passes for us to ooh and ah at. Finally, it climbed to approx. 20,000 ft, power dove and did a high-speed (400 mph) low-altitude (>200 ft) pass down the runway. After that it pulled up into a vertical climb and proceeded to pull inverted and roll upright - i.e. it executed an immelman turn! FYI, an immelman turn is a FIGHTER maneuver yet here was a strategic bomber maneuvering at high speed on the deck and executing a maneuver only fighters and aerobatic aircraft can perform. If you tried to do that in a regular aircraft you would either stall and - likely - crash or rip the wings off the plane. I asked one of the pilots of a B-52 on display what would happen if he tried something like that. He laughed and told me that the wingtips would come together like someone doing jumping-jacks and the wings would depart the aircraft completely. The Vulcan was an amazing aircraft. It had fighter-like speed and performance and it was designed and built by a company (AV Roe) which heretofore had no experience with delta.winged aircraft. But its time came to an end. Except for airshows, the last Vulcan flew in March of 1984. The Vulcan's contemporary - the Boeing B-52, still flies TO THIS DAY! Through a continual process of upgrade and modernization, the B-52 is still operational. There are pilots flying the B-52 whose GRANDfathers were B-52 pilots. Youcan love Boeing or hate it. What you must admit is that Boeing, through the years, has produced some AMAZING aircraft.

[@machinist5828]

I was stationed at Ellsworth AFB and saw Vulcans at a bombing competition in 84 or 85. They were impressive.

[@checkyoursix5623]

The B-52 airframe has undergone some substantial changes, and it's still around because it's adaptable to mission capabilities that didn't even exist back in its younger days.

[@shawns0762]

The B-52 could carry a much heavier bomb load over a much greater distance and was faster. Flying wings always have poor performance, that's why they never caught on, there is far too much frontal area, they look cool though. Aerodynamically the B-1 is seriously great.

[@planekrazy1795]

​@@shawns0762 Sorry but to set the record straight, the Vulcans top speed was 646 mph compared the 509 mph of the B52. But yes the conventional bomb load of the B52 was much higher. The thing to remember the V Force aircraft (Vulcan, Victor and Valiant) were designed for Nuclear Strike with conventional bombing as a secondary roll. The Vulcans design range was to reach targets in Russia from the UK so longer range was not deemed to be necessary. Air to Air refuelling was added later in service this made the Black Buck missions to the Falkland Islands from Ascension Island (this from many years was the longest live bombing mission ever). Also the service ceiling of the Vulcan was 55,000 ft + but in testing 60,000 ft + was easily achieved the actual figures is still classified I believe. The B52 service ceiling was 50,000.

[@shawns0762]

@@planekrazy1795 The top speed of the B-52 is 650 mph, it was faster

[@KaiserStormTracking]

Black buck one. One of the highlights of the Vulcans service

[@warp65]

The books well worth a read, the logistics of the operation are mind boggling.

[@caitgems1]

Is that the Falklands one?

[@KaiserStormTracking]

@@caitgems1 Yep

[@KaiserStormTracking]

@@warp65 I saw basically a video that broke it down. Theoperationsroom was the channel. Very informative videos

[@almightykingpin6322]

Operation sky shield

[@SpeckleKen]

Forgive me for pointing out a couple of small glitches: it was RAF Syerston, not RAF Systerson per the description, and at 1:18 the rank of Lieutenant hasn’t existed in the RAF since 1919. All-in-all an interesting video - thanks.

[@magicknight8412]

An amazing aircraft, the sound of its engines on take off giving a distinctive howl is so good. I saw the last ever Vulcan flight a few years ago, sad to see it grounded for good.

[@magicknight8412]

​@TheEpicBirb Pretty much grounded for the foreseeable future. money and safety issues etc. I thought its airframe (XH558) lifetime had expired also?

[@SAHBfan]

It might be theoretically possible to get another airborne - there is at least one other airframe in good condition that might be potentially airworthy - but I don’t believe it will ever happen as the cost would be astronomical and presumably the companies and authorities who need to back the project would pull the plug at the same sort of total flight hours as XH558 (Divide the cost by the number of hours it would be allowed to fly and it isn’t viable) :(

[@magicknight8412]

@@SAHBfan keeping XH558 flying was a constant struggle to get the money needed. Glad I got to see it fly a good few times, living close to an airshow venue is very useful sometimes !

[@SAHBfan]

@@magicknight8412 - I managed to see it a good few times, too. Sad to think we'll never see it again, though... To be honest, when the Hunter crashed it knocked the whole idea of keeping vintage aircraft flying, making all the companies who could bear some responsibility very nervous (even though the fault wasn't the aircraft that was` at fault).

[@abdielmoreno-cruz354]

I feel like if this guy had a vintage microphone he’d sound like those iconic monotone voices from way back then

[@davidmacgregor5193]

I remember in April 1982 during the Falklands War a Vulcan Bomber appeared over Beacon Hill in Halifax, West Yorkshire, the Vulcan circled the town and it disappeared over Beacon Hill again. As it passed over the hill the pilot opened her up and it shot away at a fair turn of speed. I never realised how large a Vulcan was until I saw that one, it was huge.

[@and7barton]

There's only a couple of aircraft I can instantly recognise solely from their sound. One of them is or was, the Vulcan. The other others are the Chinook, Spitfire, the Lancaster, the A10 and Eurofighter. One or two of them always manage to put a shiver up my spine.

[@aquafishes]

In 1960, they created the Failure report @ 4:45. But No copy of the Crash report with the Cause of crash was found to this day.

[@lesliesmith9155]

Mmmmm ???? Rest in peace 😢

[@Georgek1220]

That sounds fishy.

[@christopherpotts6863]

@@Georgek1220Not half as fishy as the proliferation of these short KZbin “documentaries” with weird AI voiceovers 😅

[@vgrylls]

I was 14 at the time and we lived on the Fosse Way, just outside Newark, down the road from RAF Syerston. The crash was very much played down at school and in the news.

[@oldgreggscreamybaileys6618]

I love these planes, they always have a place in my heart as I’ve been in the one that’s parked up at my local airport.

[@georgephillipscomedian]

Wheres it parked? Only one ive ever seen is at Doncaster airport

[@smartyok]

Southend airport? XL426 is based there

[@daniel2238]

Spot it on google maps Wellesbourne, Warwick CV35 9EU

[@rubyshoes1032]

@@smartyok my home airport, I love this aircraft, so glad I actually saw it fly, that glorious engine howl, when Southend airshow was the highlight of my year.

[@oldgreggscreamybaileys6618]

@@smartyok that’s the one

[@codacreator6162]

Seems strange to me to blame the pilot for over-flying the capabilities of the aircraft when any number of Vulcans seemed to far exceed this example without issue. It’s like blaming a Formula One driver for speeding when the wheel comes off.

[@alvinmortimer7536]

Not strange, it's standard operating procedures for everyone to point elsewhere.

[@carlm.7200]

This guy has a great voice for this! I watch other videos and the narrators take from the videos but this guy definitly adds to his films. Great job!

[@Chris-nn3vu]

I think so too! Adds to the atmosphere

[@paulpower5028]

the voice is good. but he speaks way to fast often. i often wish he would calm down a bit

[@stoojinator]

Playing this at 75% returns the guys voice to a normal, listenable speed.

[@lonewolfwarrior69]

You're right about that. 👍

[@flacjacket]

Hmm, I watch everything on double speed so hearing it at normal speed is tedious and listening at .75 speed makes the speaker sound drunk.

[@homefront3162]

wow, it does

[@JohnDoe-er6xl]

This did actually work, thanks for the tip 👍

[@r.pollardgonzalez1021]

Believe it or not he used to speak a caffeine cocaine speed. This is tolerable.

[@darkpoethd9913]

Seeing the Vulcan live at airshows as a child will always be the pinnacle of any plane I ever saw fly... Truly awe inspiring

[@smitbar11]

Syerston is a few miles from here, on the A46 to Newark. An old work colleague of mine was there when this happened, gasped of horror from the watching crowd, very upsetting!

[@rockym2931]

Well-made video. Salute to the crew and rescuers who were lost from us here in Texas. Our grandfather died in his twenties in the crash of a B-26. Perhaps they meet some other place, these lost airmen.

[@jameswiddowson3976]

I travel past the end of the runway quite often. Never knew about this accident so next time I pass by I'll just give a quick thought for those who lost their lives that day.

[@nomoore7382]

The Vulcan was and still is, an amazing and beautiful aircraft. Years ahead of her time. I too, was never aware of this accident, God bless the families of those courageous military heroes who died in the name of freedom. ❤

[@kazj1728]

The narrator sounds like the guy who lists possible side effects at the end of pharmaceutical commercials.

[@eyesuckle]

"Side effects may include mid-air disintegration, crashing, and ruining the happy ambiance of the crowd."

[@tisoy909]

Probably failure of that internal motor. turbine blade fragments would exit the fuselage and the wind took care of the rest.

[@GentiluomoStraniero]

I think that engine disintegration on the compressor stages may have been enough to cause the wing failure.

[@bionicpuma2920]

@@GentiluomoStraniero - No, it wasn't engine failure that caused this. The engines were brand new.

[@gmeyer6657]

I think you are correct!

[@GentiluomoStraniero]

@@bionicpuma2920 Even new engines can experience failures.

[@512bb]

Yelp, leave it to the manufacturer to blame it on pilot error. As we say in the military "Crap flows down hill"

[@kyberwolfuk]

I live near RAF Waddington one of main and first base for the Vulcan. sadly we have seen our fair share of fatal aviation Accidents. Its sad to see a fallen lady and her crew .. Lest we forget.

[@davidholt8576]

i was there with my parents (only seven)still very clear , it was the first time i saw my mother cry

[@BS-vx8dg]

I don't know anything about aircraft, but that plane looks remarkably futuristic for 1958.

[@dougwebb704]

That was Avro. Always ahead of the times. Google "Avro Arrow" if you want to see an interecptor that was also way ahead of its time. And a national tragedy.

[@SheepShearerMike]

Yeah, it was,very. And unbelievably, designed only 11yrs after the WWII bomber from the Dam Busters, the Lancaster. (a standard plane shape with 4 propellers). Amazing.

[@MarkLangford11]

When Britain still ruled the skies…

[@bennysamuelkoh9463]

​@@MarkLangford11 No more..Britain is now a little Britain and are pro leftish / Hamas /Globalist /wokeism

[@DaemonC]

@@MarkLangford11 🤣sure buddy

[@alanpearce9665]

My uncle was an evaluation pilot on the Vulcan, I remember him saying after the incident the wing was redesigned so instead of the leading edge being straight swept back like the prototype the wing was tapered thus giving the classic wing shape though I don’t know if this redesign was a result of the accident.

[@grahamfigg5817]

Yes. Quite shortly after delta wings began to be designed it became clear that a simple delta with a smooth leading edge was not the best design. The redesign of the Vulcan leading edge was important for the design of Concorde's wing.

[@kermit56780]

My uncle was also a vulcan pilot but he never mentioned anything about the crash, my guess would be that some are better at sticking to the official secrecy act than others?

[@rubinreiter6351]

The straight delta wing worked well on F-102, F-106 and Mig 21 e.g.

[@everTriumph]

The pure delta gave poor handling at high altitude.

[@mrchase7191]

I was witness to the Vulcan bomber that crashed in Glenview Illinois back in 1978. Engines stalled seconds after lift off. Never had a chance. RIP

[@hydra6285]

A fallen Angel that will never be forgotten

[@steveeisenburger6011]

They still got the job done in the Falklands. Just. Nostalgic old thing. Can't win em all. Condolences to the families of these pioneers of aviation.

[@BuddWolf]

I was at the Reno show in 2011 when a P-51 did a nosedive into the bleachers. I haven’t been to an airshow since. Will be 10 years since it happened and it seems like yesterday.

[@malakiblunt]

im amazed airshows still happen the number if accidents is truly shocking

[@blogengeezer4507]

@@malakiblunt -"Lonely are the Brave" is not only an old Kirk Douglas film ;}

[@alexbowman7582]

Well they certainly gave it an apt name.

[@lusoverse8710]

The traditional "head in front of camera at moment of crash" film-shoot style.

[@jeremylawson6648]

classic

[@RobBCactive]

RAF air displays used to have a "Vulcan scramble", the noise loud was so that you could feel your ribs vibrate.

[@alexander1485]

the B1B would silence it.

[@amblt1]

When speaking of RAF rank, Lieutenant is pronounced "Lefftenant", NOT "Lootenant".

[@majormanfredrex]

The American pronunciation makes it sound like a slang word for "LAVATORY ATTENDANT".

[@bjharvey3021]

I always watch this channel at 75-percent playback speed and my stress levels stay normal.

[@janstolk486]

"Copy of the accident report was never found". Look under the rug !

[@davidguerrero1636]

“...that ruined the happy ambience of the crowd.” Hilarious.

[@macpdm]

Thank you so much for taking time to honour the airmen lost in this tragedy 🇬🇧

[@jerrygriffiths6201]

my old next door neighbour told me he was in that raf landrover, he was only survivor , his body still covered in scarring from the burns .

[@benthomson9397]

Doesn't look like the pilot was exceeding anything..he was flying in a straight line at what looks like normal speed.

[@MrVinylJunkie]

0:13 FJ Holden Ute parked on ground in front of the Vulcan Bomber.........Didn't think they were available in the UK back in the day ? Was this footage from Australia ? :-)

[@MrOlgrumpy]

Well spotted,looks like a Bedford 4 x 4 truck to the right,might have been GM Aust promotion

[@Reactordrone]

Could be Australia. A Vulcan did a round the world tour and landed at Avalon in 1956.

[@peterd4012]

@@Reactordrone Vulcans were station in Australia for the “ Blue streak “ trials for a number of years until the 1970s from memory .

[@daintree98]

Everyone is wearing suits? Would that be Australia or England?

[@Reactordrone]

@@peterd4012 That looks like a B.1A though rather than a B.2 model so I'd go with earlier.

[@Rocknranchman]

It’s very possible that flutter in the outer wing while being introduced into the turn at low altitude (thicker air) caused the structural failure. There are many videos of various aircraft designs having similar failures here on U/T. Testing aircraft at high altitude vs low altitude can bring about different results!

[@Ruth-v1k]

I worked at Syerston NR Newark during the 90s. Although the station was shut down the RAF P still used it for dog training. Sometimes on misty Lincolnshire nights we heard an unknown loud passover then a large bang , but could never find anything. Although a strange place ... I had an RAF P landy move 200 yards from the location we parked it ... We had the keys and heard nothing. The brake was still on .

[@garryferragu2794]

I wish my teacher talked that fast on Zoom

[@gekyumerising3152]

Tf? I still put it on 2x playback speed