Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Long-range bomber with a crew of five

Power Plant:

Four 10,000 lbst Rolls Royce Avon R.A.28 turbojets

Specifications:

Armament:

One nuclear weapon or twenty-one [21] 454 kg (1,000 lb) bombs

History:

Following the end of World War II, and the commencement of the Cold War, Britain looked to re-equip its bomber squadrons with what became known as the V-bombers, long-range jet-powered aircraft.  One of these was the Valiant, designed by a team led by George Edwards at Weybridge in Surrey, UK ending up in the Vickers Type 660.  The prototype (WB210) powered by four 6,500 lbst Rolls Royce Avon turbojets first flew on 18 May 1951 at Wisley in Surrey, a grass strip.  This aircraft was lost following a fire in the air on 12 January 1952 over Hampshire.  The second prototype flew on 11 April 1952 with 7,500 lbst RA.7 Avon engines, the first production aircraft (WP199) flying at Brooklands in Surrey on 22 December 1953.

Four basic variants of the type were built: the types 674 and 706 B Mk 1 bomber; the Type 710 B(PR) Mk 1 bomber or photo-reconnaissance aircraft; the Type 733 B.PR(K) Mk 1 flight refuelling variant for bomber, photographic reconnaissance, or tanker roles; and the Type 758 B(K) Mk 1 flight-refuelling receiver aircraft.  Total production of the type was 104 aircraft, plus two Mk 1 and one Mk 2 prototypes.

Deliveries to the RAF commenced in January 1955 and the first operational Squadron was No 138 at RAF Gaydon in Warwickshire initially, and later at Wittering in Cambridgeshire. RAF units were for a period operational from Malta during Operation Musketeer, the Suez Campaign in October 1956, and the joint Anglo/French landings in the Suez Canal Zone.

At this time, in the mid-1950s, to meet RAF operational requirements, four Valiants of No 49 Squadron RAF, which were on detachment in Australia carrying out weapons trials, were recalled to the United Kingdom.  The type continued in service until replaced in the bombing role by the Vickers Vulcan and the Handley Page Victor, although for a period in 1963 the Valiant had to assume a low-level operational role replacing the English Electric Canberra.  However, this lead to fatigue cracks and the whole fleet, including tankers, was withdrawn from service and scrapped.

Two Valiants (WP206 and WP209) operated with the RAAF between 1955 and 1960 and had RAAF Kangaroo roundels applied during that period on the fuselage sides.

RAAF records indicate that a Valiant B.1 (WZ209) left Farnborough in Hampshire on 31 July 1955, arriving at the Long Range Weapons Establishment on 11 August 1955 for weapons trials, taking over the work of Avro Lincolns and English Electric Canberras.  This machine on its journey to Australia established two records: London to Baghdad at an average speed of 842 km/h (523 mph); and Singapore to Darwin at 834 km/h (518 mph).

It was attached to the Air Trials Unit and technically the machine was owned by the British Ministry of Supply.  Ballistic trials were carried out by RAF crews but on occasions RAAF crew members were also on board.  Eventually the Air Trials Unit was re-named the ARDU Trials Flight, which in April 1958 became No 1 Air Trials Unit; and No 2 ATU was formed on 30 March 1958 at RAAF Edinburgh, SA. On 12 June 1958 the Valiant was transferred to this unit.  The aircraft remained in Australia until October 1960 when it was returned to the United Kingdom by an Australian crew.

On 3 September 1956 two more Valiants (WP206 and WP207) of No 138 Squadron RAF arrived in Australia from Singapore.  These aircraft had been carrying out Operation Too Right, tropical trials of the type, and visited Australia for Armed Services Week. They continued on and were shown to the public at Christchurch, New Zealand, on 19 September.  They were supported by technicians travelling in four Handley Page Hastings transports.

During 1956 further examples of the type from No 543 Squadron RAF were based in Australia during Operation Buffalo, the dropping of the first Blue Danube atomic bomb at the Maralinga Range in South Australia.  This unit had developed some skill in this type of work and on 18 August 1957 two aircraft (WZ391 and WZ392) were detailed to carry out the British Airborne nuclear bomb test.  As part of Air Task Group Antler they were based at RAAF Edinburgh, SA and conducted photo reconnaissance tests on 14 September, 25 September, and 9 October 1957. One aircraft (WZ366) dropped a bomb on 11 October, 1957 whilst two other Valiants (WZ378 and WZ381) photographed the tests.

It is known at least a further five Valiants were based in Australia for short periods.  One (WZ203) was operated by A V Roe & Co at RAAF Edinburgh between 26 September 1960 and 11 January 1962. Three others (WZ370, WZ373 and WZ375) arrived on 22 July 1959, 17 October 1960 and 30 March 1961 respectively and operated also with A V Roe at Edinburgh.  Another (WP206) was again in Australia from 17 October 1961 to May 1963.  A few Valiants were issued with RAAF Aircraft Status Cards.

The type was also involved in Operation Grapple, when a Valiant (XD818) of No 49 Squadron on 15 May 1957 dropped Great Britain’s first H-bomb.  This single bomb was dropped from 13,716 m (45,000 ft) off Malden Island, a small atoll some 644 km (400 miles) south of Christmas Island.  Further thermonuclear weapons are known to have been dropped before tests were completed in November 1958.

In 1962 four Valiants of No 543 Squadron RAF (serials WZ391, WZ392, WZ304 and WZ307) were deployed to Townsville, QLD for Operation Bafford and operated from there from 13 to 21 September, the four aircraft flying 47 operational sorties carrying out, amongst other things, surveys of the Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz and the New Hebrides, the latter later being renamed Vanuatu.

Only one complete example of the Valiant survives, this being Valiant B.1 XD818, which is on display at the RAF Museum at Cosford in Shropshire and has been since 2006.  This aircraft flew for the first time on 4 September 1956, was initially attached to No 49 Squadron RAF and was based at Wittering.  In 1957 it became part of a flight of eight Valiants modified for involvement in British testing of hydrogen bombs and was flown to Christmas Island where, on 15 May 1957, it dropped the first British H-bomb, undertaking a number of other bombing operations in relation to the same program before returning to the United Kingdom in December 1958.

In 1961 XD818 was converted to BK.1 tanker configuration and remained in service until December 1964 when the Valiant fleet was grounded due to spar fatigue problems.  It was preserved for museum display at RAF Marham in Norfolk in May 1965 and taken to RAF Hendon in Greater London in 1982.  It was repainted in its original white anti flash paint scheme before being taken to Cosford and placed on display in the National Cold War Exhibition Hall.