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| As World War II came to an end, the strategic bombers which had served Britain so well throughout the war had become dated as a result of wartime developments. The immature turbine engine promised power that would enable new-generation aircraft to operate at greater heights and higher speeds; because of such enhanced performance they would require no defensive armament. Airborne electronics had been designed to locate enemy aircraft, moving ever faster in three-dimensional space, or to pin-point one's position in the sky for navigational purposes or accurate bombing attack by day or night. And the atomic bombs which had spurred the end of war in the Pacific meant that a single aircraft could launch a devastating attack on any potential enemy.
Such thinking led to the development of the RAF's V-bomber force, comprising the Avro Vulcan, Handley Page Victor and Vickers Valiant - the latter being the first to enter squadron service. Designed to Air Ministry specification B.9/48, it was a cantilever shoulder-wing monoplane of all-metal stressed-skin construction. The wing had compound sweepback on the leading edge, somewhat similar to that of the Handley Page Victor, air-brakes, double-slotted flaps and powered ailerons. The fuselage was a circular-section semi-monocoque structure, incorporating a pressurised cell to contain the crew of five, and a large bomb bay which later proved capable of accommodating a Blue Steel stand-off weapon. The tail unit was conventional, but the tailplane was mounted almost half-way up the fin to keep it clear of the efflux from the four turbojet engines, buried in the inner wing adjacent to the fuselage. Landing gear was of retractable tricycle type. Despite being an advanced concept, the Valiant was largely conventional in construction. One unusual feature was the extensive use of electrical power for the actuation of practically all movable units, even powered controls. The only exception was a minor hydraulic system for brakes and powered steering, but even this had its pumps driven by electric motors.
Two prototypes were ordered initially, one to be powered by four Rolls-Royce RA.3 Avon turbojets and the other by four Armstrong Siddeley Sapphires. The first prototype made its maiden flight on 18 May 1951, but was lost in an accident on 12 January 1952. The second prototype flew first on 11 April 1952, but was powered by RA.7 turbojets instead of the Sapphires as planned originally.
Named Valiant, B.1 began to enter service in January 1955, the first of the V-bombers to serve with the RAF. They were followed by B(PR).1 long-range strategic reconnaissance; B(PR)K.1 multi-purpose bomber, photo-reconnaissance, tanker; and BK.1 bomber/tanker aircraft. Production totalled 111 examples, including one B.2 pathfinder prototype. Used extensively in service, Valiants dropped the first British hydrogen and atomic bombs and during operations in the Suez campaign operated with high-explosive bombs.
Intended for fast high-altitude strategic bombing (a role frustrated by the evolution of potent surface-to-air missiles), the Valiant - in company with other V-bombers - was switched to low-level operations. There seems little doubt that the stresses imposed by such a role accelerated the wing-span metal fatigue first reported in late 1964, and which led to the scrapping of all Valiants in January 1965.
 | A three-view drawing (800 x 549) |
| MODEL | Vickers "Valiant" B.Mk.1 |
| CREW | 5 |
| ENGINE | 4 x Rolls-Royce RA.28 Avon 204/205, 44.7kN |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 63503 kg | 140001 lb |
| Empty weight | 34419 kg | 75881 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 34.85 m | 114 ft 4 in |
| Length | 32.99 m | 108 ft 3 in |
| Height | 9.8 m | 32 ft 2 in |
| Wing area | 219.43 m2 | 2361.92 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 912 km/h | 567 mph |
| Ceiling | 16460 m | 54000 ft |
| Range w/max.fuel | 7242 km | 4500 miles |
| ARMAMENT | 9525kg of bombs |
| Mike Fletcher, e-mail, 20.12.2010 10:39 I worked on B Squadron Valiants and A Squadron Victors at 232 OCU RAF Gaydon in the 50's and 60's and was in the ground 'reception party' for WP217 when it returned early from the sortie during which the rear main spar had cracked, leading, not long afterwards, to the early scraping of the whole fleet of Valiants.
The face of the captain was ashen when he was called back to B squadron dispersal area later and told of the findings of the Senior Tech Airframe Fitter. He and his crew thought the loud bang they had heard during the flight was a compressor problem and, in his words, 'Had been throwing the aircraft around during the fuel burning exercise to achieve a safe landing weight'. reply | | ROBERT SYMONS, e-mail, 11.12.2010 12:40 My father built the Valiant at Weybridge. As a small boy I used to watch the air tests from Wisley and the air-to-air refuelling trials. A detachment of four Valiants from 214 Sqn came to Tengah (Singapore) for the non-stop UK-Australia Vulcan flight in 1961. Bomber Command was huge in those days reply | | Mike Cavanagh, e-mail, 16.10.2010 19:48 Served No.148: MAR 1956-Mar 1958 (E & I)A & B Flt. Best years of 12 RAF, loved LUQA Tours and whole Sqdn-Ethos.No way could I get into 'ORGAN-LOFT' now Lads! Would love a contact any old Comrades remembering inc. Serial NOS. OF Kites inc. photos? What price those Giant 'L-Labels' No. 207 & 214 hung on our Tails our first Bomb-Ex on Work-Ups(Sneaky!)? If Any Bandsmen also remembering and, CHIEFY who married into the Marham Bus Family of the Village? reply | | Lesley Hayward, e-mail, 09.01.2010 16:45 My late husband, Dick Hayward (ret'd as Flt Lt) was with the Valiant from Apr 56 to Jan 63 and really enjoyed flying it. He was really upset by the main spar fatigue problem and never forgot the pleasure that he'd had flying the Valiant with 7 Sqn and 49 Sqn. Also, he managed to get a few sorties on XD818 and whenever we saw her at Marham or Hendon, he'd wander over and give her a pat, just for old times' sake. Last time I saw 818 was after she'd just be 'bolted' back together at Cosford after the journey from Hendon, poor old thing looked like me on a bad hair day. I sent a photograph of Dick in 1972 with 818, when she was Marham's gate guardian, to Cosford and it's somewhere in the Cold War Museum. Hopefully, I'll get a shuftie later this year. So far, there's four of us, with husbands /wives /girlfriends, going to the V-bomber reunion at Newark Aviation Museum and if I can get my backside into gear there'll be a few more too. reply | |
| | john stevenson, e-mail, 23.11.2009 18:44 I was aairframe mech in1954 that carried out the first acceptance check on arrival to the raf at gaydon.later worked as a cpl tech at honington 90sqdn 1961.@ ultimatly at gaydon when it went out of service.I went to cosford last year it was wonderful to see such a marvellous a /c in all its glory. reply | | Nobby Unwin, e-mail, 16.09.2009 17:27 I was an Air Wireless Mechanic on 138 Sqdn.A Flt from 03 /57-10 /59 and 18Sqdn from 5 /62 until demob in 01 /64. In my opinion, the Valiant was the First, and the best, of the V-Force. I am the founder of a group, known as the 'Friends of 138 Valiant Squadron' and the creator of the we-site:-
www.valiants-r-us.co.uk All my details are on the 'Contact' page, and I would welcome contact from anyone associated with working-on or flying this magnificent aircraft. reply | | Joe Marston Nav., e-mail, 31.08.2009 14:17 R.A.F Marham 207 sq. was lots of fun Thursday evenings was our Valiant flying exercise schedule,formation over the chanel at angels 30 then onto Aden,pilot phil(snotty)Downes.I wonder how How many of our crew & squadron are still with us. anyone who finds this,please Email me to share those days of Suez etc. reply | | Sarah Jones, e-mail, 09.08.2009 14:56 I have my father's flying log books he flew Valiant XD828. His name was Flt. Lt. W H Jordan (Bill) He flew from Honnington with 7 Sqn during the late 50's. Anyone with any information or who may have known him your comments would be greatly appreciated reply | | Ian Dryden, e-mail, 08.07.2009 07:59 I was an aircraft electrician on the ground crew for valiant No.XD828 on No.7 squadron at RAF Honington in Suffolk, England.
I carried out the electrical acceptance check on XD828 when it arrived at RAF Honington in Dec 1956.
Regarding the metal fatigue problem, I did hear of problems in the wing roots on some of the valiants in which the wings were removed and reattached during major servicing, which was much earlier than info given on other internet sites. reply | | joe marston, e-mail, 16.12.2008 05:49 I was a navigator with 207 squadron R.A.F. Marham during 1950s . The valiant was a special aircraft,but not withput its problems, Metal fatigue was the fear of aircrew reply |
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