AVRO VULCAN

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AVRO VULCAN

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This page last updated on 28th July 2008

"At its operational height the Vulcan can outfly and outmanoeuvre any fighter in squadron service today."
- Air Ministry Press Release (1958).

Vulcan B.2 XH558; author

The first time I saw a Vulcan displaying, I merely stared open-mouthed for the twenty or so minutes the display lasted, completely awestruck. The sheer size, grace and power of this machine is something that mere photos can never show. If you can imagine an aircraft the size of an airliner being thrown around the sky as if it were a Spitfire, you have some idea of what a Vulcan display was like.

The second time I saw a Vulcan displaying, I was in much the same awestruck state. If you can imagine the scene, a house in Portsmouth, where we don't usually get much in the way of air displays, and suddenly a roaring sound swells into a great throbbing crescendo... every rooftop and tree seems to explode as startled birds take flight... and several hundred people like myself, who can recognise the sound of a Vulcan after a single 'Tin Triangle' experience, rush out into their gardens for a glimpse of this great aircraft. I had the presence of mind to bring a camera outside, but unfortunately never actually took any pictures, I was too busy just watching the display!

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