Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Long-range strategic bomber

Power Plant:

Four 20,600 lbst Rolls Royce Conway R.Co.17 Mk 201 by-pass turbojets

Specifications:

Armament:

One Avro Blue Steel Mk 1 stand-off missile with range of 320 km (200 miles); provision for 35 [standard] or 48 [optional] 454 kg (1,000 lb) conventional bombs

History:

The prototype of the Handley Page HP.80 Victor (WB771) made its first flight on 24 December 1952 but the program suffered a setback when, on 14 July 1954, during a low-level run at Cranfield in Bedfordshire the ‘structural rigidity of the tail was slightly reduced by a minor fatigue failure’ causing the tailplane to become displaced and the aircraft to crash. The second prototype (WB775) flew at Boscombe Down in Salisbury, Wiltshire on 11 September 1954, and the first production aircraft, a Victor B.1 (XZ917) flew on 1 February 1956 with four 11,000 lbst Armstrong Siddeley A.S.Sa.7 Sapphire turbojets.

Early production aircraft were delivered to Boscombe Down for assessment, these differing from the prototypes in having Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire 200 Series engines. The performance of the new bomber was impressive. One aircraft (XA917) during a delivery flight from the Handley Page facility at Radlett in Hertfordshire to Gaydon in Warwickshire was inadvertently flown supersonic at 12,192 m (40,000 ft) in a shallow dive, thus becoming the largest aircraft to exceed Mach unity at that time.

The Victor B.1A was introduced in 1959, the first of this model being the 34th aircraft built (XH613) and having a modified flight cabin to improve crew fatigue as well as other small changes. Later B.1s were modified to B.1A standard.

Victors were initially delivered to No 230 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) at Gaydon, and the type entered service with No 10 Squadron of No 3 Group at Cottesmore in the East Midlands. The first aircraft fitted with an over-nose refuelling probe (XA930) was flown on 27 August 1958, and underwing fuel tanks were installed to extend range. Cruising speeds were said to be in the order of Mach 0.9 at 15,240 m (50,000 ft) and examples flew from England to Malta in two hours at an average speed of 1,054 km/h (655 mph); and across the Atlantic at a speed of 1,036 km/h (644 mph).

In January 1956 Handley Page received an initial order for 18 Victor B.2s, the first (XH668) flying at Radlett, this model having four 17,250 lbst Rolls Royce Conway R.Co.11 turbojets, wingspan being increased from 36.08 m (110 ft) to 36.57 m (120 ft). The B.2 was able to perform a 2G turn at Mach 0.95 at 16,760 m (55,000 ft), the extra power of the Conway engines stemming from operational requirements to carry guided missiles, such as the Blue Steel, in both offensive and defensive roles.

In the 1950s A V Roe & Company of Manchester had representatives in Australia at Woomera, SA working on the testing of the Blue Steel stand-off bomb. Aircraft involved included the Handley Page Victor and the Avro Vulcan. Compatibility tests with Blue Steel were carried out in 1960 with an early-build Victor B.1, and Victor B.2s involved in the project included XH674, XL161 and XL164. With the introduction of the Blue Steel stand-off bomb the British Government decided it needed fewer aircraft and cut back orders for the B.2.

The first Victor B.2 (XH668) flew on 20 February 1959 and was painted white overall. The first production B.2 (XL188) was delivered on 2 November 1961, this model entering service with No 139 (Jamaica) Squadron at RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire.

In August 1962 a Victor B.2 (XL161), flown by Grp Capt J D Baker and Fl Lt J Catlin, was operating from Edinburgh, SA and flying at 14,325 m (47,000 ft) when the crew had problems with a discrepancy in the readings of the duplicated flight instruments. On board was an unarmed Blue Steel missile, this being a test model of the supersonic cruise type stand-off bomb directed by inertial navigation with a megaton warhead. One Mach meter read M 1.02 and the other a much lower figure. The flight crew elected to accept the former, throttled the engines back, and deployed the speed brakes. The mistake was revealed when the aircraft stalled and went into a spin. “Suddenly and violently the aircraft pitched up, almost turning on its back before spinning out of control in a rapid nosedive towards St Vincents Gulf.”

The aircraft plummeted 9,144 m (30,000 ft) and the five man crew considered abandoning the aircraft. The aircraft was spinning and diving and producing G forces of up to 4G. Eventually the aircraft’s landing braking parachute was deployed at 5,182 m (17,000 ft) over the Gulf, allowing the crew to regain control. The Blue Steel, which on this occasion weighed 8,165 kg (18,000 lb), was jettisoned into the sea near Port Wakefield and the aircraft landed back at Edinburgh. Later another crew was sent to Australia to complete the trials, the Blue Steel being dropped successfully.

A total of 33 Victor B.2s was built, plus a prototype. It had the highest load carrying capacity of the British V-bombers, being able to uplift some 35 453 kg (1,000 lb) bombs or a single 4,536 kg (10,000 lb) weapon. Nos 100 and 139 Squadrons based at RAF Wittering were the only operational units with Blue Steel capable bombers. In 1960 XH675 was used by the A & AEE at Boscombe Down for photo reconnaissance trials in the United Kingdom and at Woomera.

In 1964 all Victor B.2s were withdrawn from service and converted to B.2R configuration for strategic reconnaissance duties, changes including the deletion of the ability to carry Blue Steel, provision for extra fuel in the rear bomb bay, and the installation of cameras. In due course the B.2Rs became SR.2s, XL165 being the SR.2 prototype.

In 1964 contracts were issued to convert B.1 and B.1A Victors to tanker configuration and these became the B[K].1A, the first aircraft being XH620, which flew on 28 April 1965. On 2 November 1965 XA937 became the first three-point tanker conversion and the new variant became the K.1. In 1968 it was decided to produce the K.2, the first flying in 1969. Twenty-eight conversions were made from the SR.2 fleet, the first of this model flying on 1 March 1972. The first unit so equipped was No 232 OCU at Marham in Norfolk, and Nos 55 and 57 Squadrons were also equipped with the K.2.

In May 1969 two Victor SR.2s were involved in the Daily Mail London – New York race. One (XL161) crossed from the United Kingdom in 6 hrs 28 mins 9 secs and returned in 5 hrs 49 mins; and the other (XM717) flew out in 6 hrs 16 mins 54 secs and returned in 5 hrs 55 mins 31 secs.

In April 1982 Victors were based at Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island during the war over the Falkland Islands with Argentina, where they refuelled Hawker Siddeley Harriers, Hawker Siddeley Nimrod maritime reconnaissance aircraft, Lockheed Hercules tactical transports, other Victors used on ultra-long-range reconnaissance missions, and Avro Vulcans using iron bombs, anti-radiation Shrike missiles, and airburst bombs which were used against troop concentrations. During the Falkland Islands campaign the Victor fleet completed 530 missions.

Victor tankers were also operated in support of fighters in operation Desert Storm, being deployed at Akrotiri in Cyprus and Muharraq in Bahrain.

The Victor was finally withdrawn from service with No 55 Squadron at RAF Marham in October 1993 after 35 years of service.

A few Victors have survived in museums. The remains of a Blue Steel are held by the South Australian Aviation Museum.

In addition to the aircraft at Woomera, Handley Page Victors visited this part of the world on a number of occasions. In 1964 a flight of three (serials XM716, XM715 and XM171) from No 100 Squadron RAF based at Wittering made the first visit of the type to New Zealand, the unit being on deployment to Singapore at the time, the aircraft visiting RAAF Amberley, QLD and then RNZAF Ohakea.