Aircraft

Le Bourget Paris Airshow June 2003

Le Bourget Paris Airshow June 2003

Scanned from a 35mm slide XL426 is a B2 Vulcan and was the 44th of the 88 Vulcan B2s built. In common with all other Vulcans, she was constructed by A V Roe & Co. at its Chadderton, and Woodford plants, and made her first flight, lasting 95 minutes, from Woodford on August 23rd, 1962. After four further test flights, XL426 was collected by an RAF crew and entered service with 83 Squadron at RAF Scampton on September 13th, 1962. XL426 Squadron History 13/08/62 First flight 07/09/62 Awaiting collection 13/09/62 83 Squadron 21/06/65 Hawker Siddeley for refit 14/03/66 Scampton Wing 19/07/66 Hawker Siddeley for modifications 21/10/66 Scampton Wing 28/10/69 Hawker Siddeley for modifications 22/12/69 Scampton Wing 29/03/72 230 OCU 07/04/72 617 Squadron 28/06/72 230 OCU 04/07/72 617 Squadron 11/07/72 230 OCU 01/08/72 617 Squadron 13/04/73 230 OCU 16/04/73 617 Squadron 30/07/73 Hawker Siddeley for modifications 21/02/74 27 Squadron 21/02/74 617 Squadron 17/11/77 Hawker Siddeley for modifications 21/06/78 617 Squadron 13/02/81 RAF St Athan 28/05/81 617 Squadron 05/01/82 50 Squadron 01/04/84 Waddington Station Flight (for Vulcan Display Flight) 19/12/86 Delivered to R E Jacobsen, Southend Airport 22/12/86 Struck off charge 07/07/87 Registered as G-VJET to R E Jacobsen (Vulcan Memorial Flight) 28/07/93 Ownership transferred to Vulcan Memorial Flight Supporters Club 24/05/96 Ownership transferred to Vulcan Restoration Trust 11/07/97 Registered as G-VJET to Vulcan Restoration Trust XL426 was delivered to her new owner at Southend Airport on December 19th, 1986, following a 20 minute flight from RAF Scampton. On arrival at Southend, XL426 had amassed 6236 hours flying time, having made over 1800 separate flights. XL426 remains at Southend Airport under the care of the Vulcan Restoration Trust.

Scanned from a 35mm slide XL426 is a B2 Vulcan and was the 44th of the 88 Vulcan B2s built. In common with all other Vulcans, she was constructed by A V Roe & Co. at its Chadderton, and Woodford plants, and made her first flight, lasting 95 minutes, from Woodford on August 23rd, 1962. After four further test flights, XL426 was collected by an RAF crew and entered service with 83 Squadron at RAF Scampton on September 13th, 1962. XL426 Squadron History 13/08/62 First flight 07/09/62 Awaiting collection 13/09/62 83 Squadron 21/06/65 Hawker Siddeley for refit 14/03/66 Scampton Wing 19/07/66 Hawker Siddeley for modifications 21/10/66 Scampton Wing 28/10/69 Hawker Siddeley for modifications 22/12/69 Scampton Wing 29/03/72 230 OCU 07/04/72 617 Squadron 28/06/72 230 OCU 04/07/72 617 Squadron 11/07/72 230 OCU 01/08/72 617 Squadron 13/04/73 230 OCU 16/04/73 617 Squadron 30/07/73 Hawker Siddeley for modifications 21/02/74 27 Squadron 21/02/74 617 Squadron 17/11/77 Hawker Siddeley for modifications 21/06/78 617 Squadron 13/02/81 RAF St Athan 28/05/81 617 Squadron 05/01/82 50 Squadron 01/04/84 Waddington Station Flight (for Vulcan Display Flight) 19/12/86 Delivered to R E Jacobsen, Southend Airport 22/12/86 Struck off charge 07/07/87 Registered as G-VJET to R E Jacobsen (Vulcan Memorial Flight) 28/07/93 Ownership transferred to Vulcan Memorial Flight Supporters Club 24/05/96 Ownership transferred to Vulcan Restoration Trust 11/07/97 Registered as G-VJET to Vulcan Restoration Trust XL426 was delivered to her new owner at Southend Airport on December 19th, 1986, following a 20 minute flight from RAF Scampton. On arrival at Southend, XL426 had amassed 6236 hours flying time, having made over 1800 separate flights. XL426 remains at Southend Airport under the care of the Vulcan Restoration Trust.

Best enlarged The Handley Page Victor K.2 tanker evolved from the original Victor B.2, ‘V’-bomber, which entered service with the Royal Air Force in October 1961. The first K.2 flew at Woodford on 1 March 1972. It had a crew of five, and was powered by four Rolls-Royce Conway turbofans of 20,600 lb thrust each. It had a maximum speed of 640 mph (Mach 0.92) at 40,000 feet, a ceiling of 59,000 feet and a range of 3,500 miles. XL231 joined 139 Squadron on 1 February 1962, returning to Handley Page for conversion to a B(S.R) Mk 2 in November 1963 and joining the Wittering Wing in July 1964. It was converted to become the prototype K.2 Tanker on 23 January 1972 and saw service in the Falklands War, in support of the air operations from Ascension Island, and later in the Gulf War. It was flown into retirement at Elvington in November 1993. The aircraft is kept in ground operational condition at The Yorkshire Air Museum Elvington (North Yorkshire).

Scanned from a 35mm slide (best enlarged) The Nimrod design was based on that of the Comet 4 civil airliner which had reached the end of its commercial life (the first two prototype Nimrods, were built from two final unfinished Comet 4C airframes). The Comet's turbojet engines were replaced by Rolls-Royce Spey turbofans for better fuel efficiency, particularly at the low altitudes required for maritime patrol. Major fuselage changes were made, including an internal weapons bay, an extended nose for radar, a new tail with electronic warfare (ESM) sensors mounted in a bulky fairing, and a MAD (magnetic anomaly detector) boom. After the first flight in May 1967, the RAF ordered a total of 46 Nimrod MR1s. The first example entered service in October 1969. A total of five squadrons using the type were established; four were permanently based in the UK and a fifth was initially based in Malta.

Best enlarged The picture was taken at the Hole of Horcum, a section of the valley of the Levisham Beck, upstream of Levisham and Lockton, in the Tabular Hills of the North York Moors National Park in northern England. The hollow is 400 ft deep and stretches approximately three-quarters-of-a-mile across. A "Devil's Punchbowl" type feature, local legend has it that the amphitheatre was formed when Wade the Giant scooped up a handful of earth to throw at his wife during an argument. The Hole was actually created by a process called spring-sapping, where water welling up from the hillside gradually undermined the slopes above, eating the rocks away grain by grain. Over thousands of years, a once narrow valley widened and deepened into an enormous cauldron – and the process still continues today

Best Enlarged Royal Air Force Airbus A400M Atlas C1 ZM413 of 70 Squadron RAF Brize Norton Despite the obvious difference in light and cloud cover, these frames are 3 of 14 taken over a period of 17 seconds. Scotland's famous rapidly changing weather in action!

Royal Air Force Beech King Air B200 - Advanced multi-engine training aircraft of 45(R) Squadron - RAF Cranwell