I will try and post some uncorrupted photos tomorrow if the boss will let me.
Watch for new thread;)

ET,

Did your boss give you approval for any images, either of XL500 or the new project? Can you hint at what it might be??????:D

C6

I will try and post some uncorrupted photos tomorrow if the boss will let me.
Watch for new thread;)

That would be greatly appreciated……whatever it is! Sticking my neck out, any chance of pics of the Gannet.

I love Gannet porn!

Am I the only person in the world who finds the Gannet and Vickers Varsity REALLY attractive aeroplanes?!?!?!?

C6

The problem with using a SHAR attack on the runway is that you could drop 1300 bombs (430 sorties) and still not get a hit on the runway! And you would be putting precious AD assets at risk.

Using the Vulcan, and assuming an accurate bomb/nav plot you had a better chance of one of your bombs hitting the runway.Am I correct in recalling that in Black Buck 2, the bombs were not armed before release?

Flying along the length of the runway would have made it pretty achievable for the SHAR in my mind, you don’t need anything like the altitude the Vulcan had. As stated previously though, you do have to endanger your defense assets.

And you are correct Dave, on the second bombing raid, the bombs were not armed…..whoops!

I’m glad I started this thread, it’s caused a nice3 bit of debate. I must say though that to damn a man who was there and had REAL experience in his field is a shame. His book writing may not be what you think to be reasonable, but I know how frustrated he must have felt by constantly fighting the system…..

Anyone know where he is today?

C6

Considering her age she seems in suprisingly good shape, although she is looking a little pale!

Forgive my ignorance but whereabouts is ahe ‘stationed’ now?

She sits at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire and is viewable from the A15 road that runs past the end of the runway. She is of course a Black Buck veteran, on of the two utilised.

The old adage of “never judge a book by its cover” should be applied to the above quote. 607 is dying and it’s very bad. A lick of paint is great in the short term, but you’ll need to change your brush often, as it’ll be clogged with aluminium dust……it really is that bad! As for the spars, well there is a reason she has been retired to where she stands. It’s away from most people on the unit.

Needless to say the cockpit is a wet carcass, and the aircraft hasn’t been repaired to a good standard since it was retired. Not that I’m blaming anyone, but a pressed man won’t put his “all” into a bit of tin that’ll never fly again. It failed to be an aircraft when its flying days ended of course. Hindsight and a bit of cash in 1982 should have seen it put in a nice big glass house built by the REME…… but no one that I know is really interested any more. Still, some bits and bobs may see flight again in 558.

C6

Alternatively the last resting place of many those that have done the deeds we are so interested in, and therefore may be more knowledgeable than those who weren’t there but rely on 2nd hand accounts?

Touche, but Mr Ward has a FIRST hand account!

C6

PS lets not get personal, it’s just a low volume, open minded discussion. Ta.

Hello,

At the time the thinking probably was to send the junta a message “if we can put a Vulcan with 21 1000 lb bombs over Stanley we can put the same over anywhere in Argentina” and I do not think a few SHARS would have had the same effect.

Cheers

A valid point…… however (also stated in the book), Mrs Thatcher’s intention was to send in an empty Polaris Missile, hoping that would bring Argentina to its knees, and if that failed send in a LIVE one! All very believable considering how “ballsy” the only female PM was.

C6