Well heres a question for all you forumites.
Given the attention of the media on the Falklands, and especially the attention of the media on the Avro Vulcan, plus XH558 nearing completion, it set me wondering how the Vulcan programme would have been modernised had it been allowed to continue. How would have the MoD and Avro improved the design? What armament would it fill after the nuclear bomber role was defunct. Could it have been a British B1B Lancer, or would it have flopped as anything other than a nuclear standoff bomber?
Your thoughts my friends.
The Vulcan was at the end of its life and Avro was long gone by 1982. Compared to the US heavys the Vulcan lacked payload, although 21 1000lb bombs can still have a devastating effect. The Victor was better in this department with 35 1000lb bombs but it seems that it did not have the Vulcans range. If you want an idea of why the British dropped out of the strategic bomber club look at the costs of the B-2 program. Something that many people do not think about is that to a large extent the V forces conventional role has been taken over by the RN’s SSN’s firing cruise missiles.
It should also be pointed out that the RAF had serious doubts about the ability of the V force to penetrate defended air space as early as the late 1950s. So by the late 80s it probably would not have stood a chance. Even the proposed Phase-6 Vulcan skybolt carrier would have had the same problems. Had the Avro-730 been built and procured it might have been possible to keep that viable. An interesting fact though is that in the eighties the RB454 air breathing rocket engine was classified as TOP SECRET by the MoD, suggesting some sort of possible military role (strategic bomber maybe?), interestingly that concept has now evolved into the Reaction Engines Scimitar which is meant to be able to propel a 300 seat airliner at Mach 5.
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