Wondering about the “Aircraft Destructor” mechanism on the Vulcan. Noted it while reviewing the excellent Mike Badrocke cutway in the June 2004 Air International issue. (page 33, number 145). It shows a small box , starboard side, at the aft end of the radome- just forward the pressure bulkhead.
Appreciate any comments on:
1. How was the device sequenced? Automatic upon ejection?
2. Safety devices.
3. How it worked (ie: charge size, collapsed the bulkhead?)
4. When used. Only on cocked/alert aircraft? Deacitivated for training/peacetime flights?
New to the forum, thank you
By: Vega ECM - 16th June 2008 at 21:51
The Lockheed U2 had one of these and the pilots were assured that;-
1 it was only powerful enough to destroy the sensitive bits.
and
2 it had a good long time delay from point of activation to going bang
When Garry Powers found himself in the unfortunate position to have to press the button he declined…….. I think his reasoning went something like “he himself was probably was the sensitive ‘bit’ and in that case they would say there was a good delay”
By: J Boyle - 16th June 2008 at 20:52
Wondering about the “Aircraft Destructor” mechanism on the Vulcan. Noted it while reviewing the excellent Mike Badrocke cutway in the June 2004 Air International issue. (page 33, number 145). It shows a small box , starboard side, at the aft end of the radome- just forward the pressure bulkhead.
Appreciate any comments on:
1. How was the device sequenced? Automatic upon ejection?
2. Safety devices.
3. How it worked (ie: charge size, collapsed the bulkhead?)
4. When used. Only on cocked/alert aircraft? Deacitivated for training/peacetime flights?New to the forum, thank you
Wow, they got an entire JCB backhoe into a Vulcan?
😀
By: Fedaykin - 16th June 2008 at 19:02
I know slightly off subject but it reminds me of the situation that faced the EP3A that had to land on Hanan when it bumped into an F8 Finback a few years back.
The destruct mechanism for the sensative electronics then was lob over the side or an axe!
Apparently it only helped so far as the Chinese still had a field day looking at all the sensative avionics they couldn’t get at. Sad to say but the Chinese probably regarded it worth the loss of a pilot and fighter.
By: exmpa - 16th June 2008 at 15:58
1. How was the device sequenced? Automatic upon ejection?
2. Safety devices.
3. How it worked (ie: charge size, collapsed the bulkhead?)
4. When used. Only on cocked/alert aircraft? Deacitivated for training/peacetime flights?
Never saw one, don’t know anyone who did see one and strongly suspect that it never actually existed. Probably, all there was was some sort of mounting plate or stowage. It is very hard to imagine when it would be required.
I flew one other type that had provision for a destruction device but that was no more than the brackets to fit it. I had serious doubts as to whether there was anything to go into them.
exmpa
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June 16, 2008 at 2:32 pm