Pardon us for a few things we missed or misspoke on. We gotta say tho that we LOVED this very educational and fascinating video! Our ability to work together as allies is incredibly inspiring and something we should all be very proud of and grateful for. We appreciate you watching! Please drop a Like if you enjoy our content, Thanks everyone!!
Hi Ladies Good vid, seen it many times.If want to see a bit more of the Vulcan try these: th-cam.com/video/jcEhZ2p4s9o/w-d-xo.html and th-cam.com/video/KkaWSjiihkI/w-d-xo.html.Oh! if only the Brits had a Vulcan back in 1776.
You should react to the 1968 film The Battle of Britain starring Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier, about the German Air Force's daily attacks on Royal Air Force bases in the south of England during the summer of 1940 (when the US was still neutral). The Battle, which lasted three months, was meant to defeat RAF Fighter Command to pave the way for the invasion of Britain. The Germans failed. If they had succeeded there would have been no D Day landings in Normandy 4 years later. The Battle of Britain was therefore crucial to the western allies defeating the Germans in Western Europe.
The Vulcan was retired due to transition to tornado low level strike aircraft. The RAF would have had another low level bomber if they'd have stuck with the TSR 2 which would have been a very capable strategic bomber as it was also long ranged. Longer range than tornado and there is one at RAF cosford museum and one at RAF Duxford.
Also, don't forget that unlike in a real strike, the US Air Force knew the British were coming, knew that the only planes in the sky would be "enemy" aircraft, and knew their routes from the last time. I think that makes it 1000 times worse. It's equivalent to beating someone at a 100 metre sprint despite giving them a 90 metre head start.
@@axelamps1279 A Double Bluff perhaps, the US thinking that the UK wouldn't use the same tactic twice. Incidentally, the UK Public didn't know anything about it either. The defence system needed to be tested- how else can the Military know whether or not the systems in place are adequate - too late after a real event? The RAF would have planned this secretly as though a real attack, otherwise testing would have been pointless.
In the UK we still love the Vulcan, it was such a beautiful piece of engineering. It's also amazing and loved how we appreciate our relationship. Not just about our strength militarily, but encouraging and protecting our freedom. We still have that family relationship and like families everywhere criticise, but love and will not desert. Proud to be not only allies in the face of adversity but also family. Respect to you and your brilliant channel!
The UK has smartly outsourced its bombing defense needs to the US. Why make your taxpayers pay for bombers when you can get someone else's taxpayers to pay for them. Brilliant!
I came across a broken down car on the motorway, and the bloke was wearing a Vulcan polo shirt. I asked him about it and he told me he was an engineer keeping XH558 flying. Couldn't resist having a light-hearted dig at him, saying, you can get a Vulcan working, but can't repair your car!🤣🤣
I am lucky (?) Enough to be old enough to recall them and Lightnings flying. I LOVED seeing the Vulcan fly overhead. As beautiful as the Spitfire and arguably more deadly.
I remember reading a memoir of a retired US special forces officer (delta,I think) saying after doing a 'job' alongside our SAS guys, " I'm sure glad theyr'e on our side!"
The Avro Vulcan, the bomber that thought it was a fighter. When the Vulcan landed in New York, Air Traffic Control did not know the Vulcan was there until it was on final approach to the airport.
Same with the Buccs at exercise Red Flag. One year the USAF had an AWACS and some F-16s doing CAP, protecting an air base. Air Traffic Control radioed saying the base was under attack. "Negative, there are no enemy threats" came the response from the AWACS. The reply from ATC was unprintable, but was along the lines of "Well, come and have a look for yourselves".
@@MarkloopRAF Saw a video clip of a Buccaneer flying over an American command post at Red Flag. They had no idea they were there. To say they were impressed is an understatement.. Loved the quote from a veteran. "We realised we were leaving sand trails at 10 feet. So we climbed to 20 feet" Legend.
Hello, I like to think of ourselves in the UK, and You Americans, as an old married couple, always looking after each other against averyone else. Isn't it wonderful that we both have such brilliant military. It is such a shame that the vulcan has been retired, so you do not have the chance to see it fly. At 73 years old, I have been lucky to se it live twice. To see such a huge and beautiful plane in real life take off, and immediately go straight up is unbelievable, and the sound of those engines is somthing you never forget. You also have some beautiful planes as well, I love the F14s and the F16s, and we all know, both the UK and the US really love the Harrier. God Bless all of you, and let our union last for ever. Kind regards. Tony Marsh UK.
I was at a few Airshows in the '70s and '80s with an English Electric Lightning takeoff, a Vulcan takeoff, and a Panavia Tornado takeoff (all on FULL POWER), and boy I was deaf for a month, not forgetting the shock wave sonic booms that knocked most of the crowd on their asses. GOOD TIMES!!!
Hello, I think what you describe may be at the Farnborough Kent air show, where I saw the same thing. Happy Times, all the best, Tony Marsh.@@martinsigsworth8286
Love the point you made about Allies working together 🙂 I'm still laughing though at "thank you for penetrating us". Brings a new meaning to thank you for your service 😁
The last flying vulcan sits 5 miles from my house at Doncaster Robin Hood Airport in England. It used to fly over my garden a few times a week at about 500ft They became one of my customers too for my welding business, I did metalwork maintenance around the hanger where it was. I have pictures of me stood around and underneath it in my welding gear
This is where i first saw the Vulcan Bomber... It was at the RAF Finningley Air Show many years ago... It made several passes during it's public display... Including with the bomb bay doors open... The roar from the engines was absolutely deafening... It actually resonated through your entire body... It really was such a beautiful aircraft... Although ultimately it's primary role was to deliver a deadly payload to the enemy in the event of war... I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the Vulcan Bomber.
@@rickb3645 I grew up in the 80s on the RAF FINNINGLEY flight path not far from where I live now. I've been to finningley Air display many times but I also used to watch it from my back garden which backed on to the fields facing the airport. The few days before was exciting as a small boy because there would be days of different aircraft arriving flying over the house at 500ft
I drive the elderly in and out of hospital, I met an old man on the bus and asked him "What did you do in the real world?" He replied "I was the the Chief Electrical Engineer for the Vulcan Bomber for thirty years." Wow!
Comments that disrespect our military, our country and us will NOT be tolerated! This video shows how we work together. Anyone who wants to be disrespectful will be blocked instantly!
I don't know how any Brit can disrespect the U.S military. America is like our brother. I've never heard any brit say anything negative about the U.S military. That's very shocking.
The best bit of the whole thing was the Vulcan landing in New York, that they'd just "bombed". The airport wasn't expecting it, and they were a bit flabbergasted.
In the 1960s the Vulcan was the most advanced, sophisticated and capable heavy bomber in the skies. It could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber and most fighters, and high than most ground radar stations could see. It also had the most sophisticate radar jamming equipment in the world. And it's triangular shape also happened to make it a little bit stealthy to radar. It was also flown and operated by highly trained and capable RAF crews who knew exactly how to exploit and achieve the best tactical advantages. All that combined was why the US fighter jets struggled to reach the Vulcans's altitude, find and intercept them. Sadly by the 1984 the Vulcan was showing it's age. Time, age and advances in technology had caught up with them. They had become too time consuming and expensive to maintain. They were no longer as advanced and capable as they once were. And they no longer had the nuclear strike mission, as that had been transferred to the Royal Navy's nuclear missile submarines. The UK was no longer the superpower it once was, and was less wealthy than it had once been. It could not afford to upgrade the Vulcans or replace them with a modern equivalent and so the UK retired it's need for an offensive heavy bomber. However, just before it's retirement, the Vulcan was used in anger to successfully attack Argentine air defences and airbases on the Falkland Islands during the 1982 Falklands War.
@Caradoc The BBC made an excellent documentary about how the last surviving Vulcans were pressed into service for the 1982 Operation Black Buck. Most amusingly, A part of the targeting mechanism was sourced from the Officers' Bar. It was unwittingly being used as an Ashtray. Cogs and bicycle chains made up the rest of the highly Sophisticated Bomb sights. There is something quintessentially British about the Aircraft. Men in Flat Caps, in their Garden sheds, produced parts of a sleek beautiful Vulcan Bomber. It makes one proud to be British..
I used to see the Vulcans at Akrotiri Air Force Base in Cyprus in 1959 when i was based in Episkopi Garrison a few miles away , they were painted white when i was there .
I think the Victor flew higher and faster, with a bigger bomb load. But it couldn't transition to low level penetration so ended up as a tanker. Edit in reply to Tom Senior's post, it wasn't part of the targeting mechanism that was being used as an ashtray, it was part of the refueling system.
@@Hattonbank it was Thunderbirds technology. Sinister ,and beautiful . It never ceases to amaze me ,the quantum leap from Lancaster and Shackleton to these beasts in under a generation. And yep ,the Victor is my favourite.
The Vulcans have always been a part of my life, my Dad was an aircraft electrician and worked on them regularly when I was a kid in the 70's when they came in for servicing, in Leicestershire, England. He worked on many other aircraft too, including the Red Arrows.
The Vulcan is an amazing aircraft, seeing XH558 fly at airshows until she was grounded in 2015 was something you will remember. The howl of the engines, you could feel it and it would set of car alarms when it applied full power! Lucky enough to fly in formation with the Vulcan in 2014 with the Blades aerobatic team, something that I will remember for rest of my life. If only all countries could work together like we can the world would be a lot safer!
These exercises were common knowledge in the UK during the 1960's. What was really frightening was the Cuban missile crisis. My Dad worked on RAF airfields at that time and he came home that evening and said to my Mum (Mom) that the bombers were sitting at the end of the runways, fully armed with nuclear weapons. We went to bed that night, not knowing if we were going to wake up the next day.
I hear you. My Platoon and I went through a similar experience in 1983. If it wasn't a Soviet Officer intercepting an upline intel feed... who knows. I still have nightmares about it.
I remember that well , as i was about 22 and after saying goodnight to my girlfriend , i really thought i may not see her ever again as it really was very frightening during the Cuba incident . Anyway here in 2022 we are still getting on with life .The Misses still gives me hell , so nothing has changed .LOL.
Nuclear war is my biggest fear because it really is a possiblity , it’s crazy that we humans have evolved so much that we can literally destroy a planet
reminds me of the UK blackburn buccaneer flying at red flag exercise in the US, my favourite line was "we were flying at 550 knots and had to ascend to 20ft to avoid leaving dust trails".
Saw some homemade footage from inside a US command post on a Red flag exercise . They just caught a glimpse of a Buc. passing overhead, maybe 20 feet!!. To say they were impressed was an understatement.
The Vulcan pilots were each issued with an eyepatch, as in the event of a nuclear attack they would be flying with the chance of nuclear explosions going off around them and the flashes blinding the pilots. Each pilot would put on the eyepatch before the attack run and one would lower a blackout visor. If the first pilot was blinded in one eye, he would just swap over the eyepatch and keep flying until he was completely blinded, then signal to the co-pilot to take over and hopefully not fully repeat the process, before reaching their target. It was a pretty nasty thing to train for.
Back in 1969 I went to an Air display at R.A.F. Finningley near Doncaster. The highlights of the day were two fold: a Lightning scramble and a scramble by three V bombers simultaneously,one of each mark. The demonstration was "awesome" and the memory is still vivid 53 years later.
ohhh yes great displays. 2 awesome memories, Concorde lining up on the taxiway and instead of taxying took off with her wingtip passing over the crowd. Also a Russian i think was a SU 26flew from Vladivostok to Lossimouth, took off did a display. Flew to Finningly did a display then flew back home without a refuel. Seeing the Cobra is still burnt in my memory
Also (!) you ask why was the Vulcan retired. It was 1950s technology, the planes were old and becoming expensive to maintain. However the main reason was that the nuclear deterrent became operated by Royal Navy submarines, which launch ballistic missiles, rather than by RAF bomber aircraft which are increasingly vulnerable to SAM batteries (surface to air missiles). The Ukrainians have been very successful destroying Russian aircraft with relatively cheap missiles shooting down very expensive jet aircraft, even very recent Mig and Sukhoi models. So nuclear bombers became obsolete as well as expensive.
@@babuzzard6470 some of us Hawker Siddeley 1970's apprentices could find our way round them.. Still smile when the Argies bricked it when they knew the Vulcan was on its way.Absolutely fearsome aircraft for its time and that sound omg..
Hello Natasha and Debbie. I served in the UK Army for 7.5 years, and during my service experienced war games with other NATO countries, including the USA. It was fun, interesting and we always swapped boots with the GI's, who for some reason loved UK military boots. It was good to see how others did it, and once had an American Signals group set up on our drill square (at our home barracks in Germany). It was dubbed the 'MickeyMouse' because it had a radar dish either side of it - but I didn't know it was radioactive to walk near to! Some GI poked his head out of the back and shouted 'Get back or your balls will glow in the dark!' - Loved every minute of my service. By the way, I have liked, and subscribed too - keep up the content. Allies till the last breath! Carl xx
The Vulcan was primarily intended as a very high altitude nuclear capable bomber. After Gary Powers' U2 got shot down it was obvious that missile defences could then reach those altitudes so the Vulcan was re-tasked as a medium/low level bomber, hence the redesign and change of colour scheme from all white to camo. As Britain's nuclear deterrant shifted to submarine launched missiles the Vulcan became a conventional bomber. This role eventually became superceded by the introduction of the Tornado and Vulcan was retired. It was only used in anger once, months before scrapping, when Operation Black Buck took place to bomb the Falkland Islands' Port Stanley airport runway, then occupied by the invading Argentine army. That operation took a fleet of Victor tankers to repeatedly refuel each other in relay to refuel a single Vulcan flying over 8,000 miles from Ascension Island. 21 1,000lb bombs were 'tossed' from a low level approach and several straddled the runway with one cratering it, denying Argentine airforce use. Well worth looking into the story, epic stuff. Sadly the Vulcan fleet was scrapped not long afterwards but several examples were donated to museums all over, I believe there's one at a museum near Omaha. See link below, www.sacmuseum.org/what-to-see/aircraft/avro-hawker-vulcan/
It's a bit hard classifying the Vulkans over US airspace, everyone living under their flight paths bloody heard 'em. I only ever saw 2 flying overhead as a kid and only looked because of the terrifying bloody racket they made. Fun fact: They were also the first stealth plane as it was found flying them at specific pitched angles made them deflect radar waves away and not return them to the radar station. The English Electric Lightning is also an interesting plane, it was the fastest climbing non-rocket powered plane and the only one that went supersonic vertically, from time to time they would use them to intercept US stratosphere spy planes for shits and giggles, I once saw an image captured by a (surprised) US pilot as a Lightning streaked up above him in front of his plane. Live long and prosper.
A highly modified Lightning in South Africa about a decade back took the record for time to altitude for something nuts like 100,000 feet. Might have been broken since then but the guy that paid for it did shed loads to modify that plane. EG methanol&water injection, all the armour except the firewall between the engines removed, all military equipment removed. I think they got the empty weight down to something nuts like 22,000 pounds. The Avons were rated for 28,000 till the water/methanol ran out (part of the original reason they rated 16,000 originally was due to temperature). Two tons of methanol&water injected in 90 seconds which is how long it took.
@@darthwiizius The Harrier Pilot ejected for some reason and instead of it crashing it continued in level flight towards the East German Border,so it was decided to shoot it down before it crashed in the DDR.I should think that the Lightning took off from RAF Gutersloh as that was a frontline Lightning unit,this was in 1972,
@@bigmull OK that makes sense, probably wise as a Harrier crossing into Warsaw Pact air space could easily have been misinterpreted with the potential of dire consequences for all of us.
First time I watched this video and saw it had bombers in it, I thought it was about how the Brits had dropped actual nukes on some US testing range back in the day, the Yanks being good sports lending them some of their vast real estate that they had already contaminated. But no. I like how the Brits was polite enough to repeat almost the exact plan the second time around to give the USAF a chance to handle it better. That went well. /s
Ronnie actually did let us let off a nuke on US soil in the 80s, I think it was in the Californian desert but was carried out underground for obvious reasons.
You have to watch the 'Black Buck' raids on the Falkland Islands, by Vulcan bombers in 1982. At 8000 miles, the longest ever bombing raid. Navigating by the stars, Vulcan 607 was just 22ft out of position after 8000 miles, its an amazing story, well documented here on TH-cam.
It's concerning that they knew exactly what was going to happen and still failed the second time. I wonder what would have happened if they'd done a third one. Great video ladies thank you x
I think the point might be that the Vulcan's jamming technology made them so difficult to spot that they simply didn't turn up until too late. The sky is BIG. Saying "why not concentrate on the Vulcan's" is almost meaningless unless you have at least a rough idea where they are. Plenty of B52s _did_ show up on radar; so were Strategic Command expected to simply ignore them and let them fly on to a simulated bombing, while instead concentrating on covering the entirety of a seemingly empty airspace? As I said; the sky is BIG!
Concorde used the same wings as Vulcan. Also, never ever underestimate the British, we have a knack for punching well above our weight 😁 I remember be 8 years walking up the top of Reigate hill. This came over the hill at just 50ft, the noise, the howl for an 8 year old at the time has left a lasting impression to me, to this day.
Debbies 100% right, you have to have complete trust in an ally to do this sort of exercise. Incidentally, the Vulcan was capable of flying at 63,000ft but came in at 56,000ft because that was the max height of the Russian planes. The Vulcan was one of three nuclear bombers the RAF had, the Vulcan, Victor and Valiant made up what was called V force. The reason V force was retired was, the nuclear deterrent was switched to submarine launched missiles. The Valiant retired completely, the Victor switched to become an air to air refuelling tanker, and the Vulcan switched to a low level conventional bomber. The US hold an exercise called "Red Flag" every year in Nevada, one year they caught a Vulcan sneaking in to attack at 80 to 100ft. they engaged it successfully, but didn't notice the two Blackburn Buccaneers flying below it at 20ft. Apparently Buccaneer pilots used to get altitude sickness above 50ft! Have a look at "RAF Buccaneers attack HMS Liverpool off Gibraltar" to see them buzzing the ship at below deck height.
As an ex British Serviceman I’ve worked alongside American Serviceman on a number of occasions and there are no other troops I’d rather work alongside. Sure we take the Micky out of each other and play silly tricks on each other but if/when things got real I know who I want with us.
I was living in the UK when this happened. I can't remember how long after the news was released, the day after or weeks later, but all the TV, and radio stations, plus all the newspapers had carried the story. The next day however, the headlines on all these outlets were that the story had been silenced in the US. There is some process by which every media outlet could be notified NOT to run the story, and all of them complied! It was only when some people in the US heard about it from the UK that the story leaked out but was denied!
They were called D notices in the UK, forcing all media to refrain from publishing anything about or referring to an event, it's a shame they are not still in use today but would be impossible to enforce with Social Media. They were essential during WWII.
@@brentwoodbay Stories were blocked if deemed to be in the public interest to do so, that was the reverse, 'you can't take/hold hostages in the UK and get away with it', inspite of an Embassy being foreign soil legally.
We had a Vulcan fly over out house a few years ago. and what a sound and sight it was. I never had my phone to grab a picture but now sad I never got a picture but also glad I seen it and not through a screen on my phone. It was low and SO loud.
Mark Felton is one of my favourite TH-cam historians. He has another Vulcan video about the one that ran into trouble on the "Black Buck" raids during the Falkland War and ended up landing in Brazil. My favourite one of his is the Battle for Castle Itter which was at the very end of the war which put US GIs and a German army unit on the same side (against the SS). A story that involved the French national tennis champion and a German officer who took a bullet for a former French premier.
I remember seeing a Vulcan bomber one year at the Toronto Canada International Air Show , which is held every Labour day weekend. When it did a slow speed fly over with the bomb bay doors open you could barely hear an audible gasp from the crowd. The noise was incredible and people with young children were advised to cover your child’s ears ! Being up close to one of two flying Lancaster bombers located in Hamilton Ontario , I can see the evolution of the bomber capacities in its bomb load, as it’s the father of the Vulcan bomber. 😀
The first time I saw and HEARD a Vulcan was at our local air show in Biggin Hill, Kent….the roar of the engines were just so incredibly overwhelming, I just burst into tears in fear and shock! It was incredible but that first “meeting” began my absolute love of that magnificent plane … ‘deep sigh’ … it’s majesty and grandeur in flight just got me here ❤️
Also saw the Vulcan at Biggin Hill air shows a few times when we lived there, including seeing it’s tight turns from my bedroom window. This would’ve been back when the RAF itself was displaying the aircraft. Have seen a number of TH-cam videos about this aeroplane but despite Natasha's reaction to the noise, I’ve not seen one that really gets across how truly loud it was - and then you add on the legendary, unique and - I think - rather spooky sound of the Vulcan's 'howl'. Might have to go and revisit some of the TH-cam recordings of it at air shows to get my 'fix' 😊
We have an unbreakable bond as brothers (and sisters!) in arms. We love you guys across the pond and will forever fight for what is right. Good luck from "blighty"!
You have to literally stand under the Vulcan’s path to appreciate its frightening howl. Any enemy would know exactly what’d be in store for them. In 1982, they flew all the way to the Falklands on bombing runs.
Mark Felton does a second video on the English Electric Lightning. A plane that flew faster than Concorde in level flight, and overtook an American U2 spy plane and soared to a height way beyond, astounding the crews of both planes. The Americans claimed no aircraft could touch the U2. Sadly they were mistaken.
I believe the EEL is the only jet powered plane that went supersonic vertically to this day. What they would do to to intercept strat gliders was to refuel them at the maximum height for the tanker then point them vertical and hit full boost. With the lack of drag from lower atmospheric pressure it uses less fuel to climb the same distance/higher speeds could be achieved.
@@darthwiizius Many thanks for your advice. I agree with you. I cannot think of another jet powered craft that could do that. Maybe a rocket-powered test craft ? I know the Avro Vulcan has her loyal supporters, and I don't desire to anger them. But personally, I prefer the Hadley Page Victor - partly for her name ! And partly because some claim she could fly higher and faster with a larger payload. I don't know whether that is true, I just know she looks like one mean dude ! And the Victor's tail is almost straight out of Thunderbirds ! The howl of Vulcan will stay in my memory though. I had a close encounter with one low-flying over Colchester Zoo one summer. I also remember Operation Black Buck (Falklands 1982). Favourite jet fighter ? I was brought up on Phantom F4s. A very capable bird !
Why sadly mistaken? Are (were) we enemies? Did they sell those aircraft to the USSR, China, DPRK and our other known enemies? It surprised us, embarrassed us (a little), gave a reason to pause regarding it's untouchable status then came the SR-71. Except for the Lightning no aircraft, or missile at the time could.
@@guerrillaentrepreneur5999 I meant no disrespect. But when people claim something, and this proves to be incorrect; it is pause for thought. An U2 spy plane was shot down by a missile over the USSR. The pilot being exchanged, and returned to the USA.
Many years ago I was at a U.K. air show and watched a Vulcan taken off consisting of 3 planes. The noise and spectacle was incredible the ground and air shook with the power. I have subsequently seen a Vulcan on the ground a lovely machine a thing of beauty
Two points. 1: The “Gary Powers U2” incident occurred in 1960. A high altitude US spy plane was brought down by a Soviet missile. Clearing the skies at high altitude would allow US missiles to target the Vulcans. Of course, they had to find them first! 2: the Vulcan was used to crater the airfield at Port Stanley in the Falklands War (1982) - this necessitated setting up a chain of Handley Page Victor refuelling tankers to RV with the Vulcan on its flight from Britain. Look up Operation Black Buck - it is on Wiki and there are clips on youtube too.
My dad fought in WW2 & was in the British Special Forces. He spent a lot of time behind enemy lines. He would have been 99 years old if he was still alive.You guys should check out the British Special Forces - they trained the Navy Seals & worked together on secret missions ever since.
I remember going to the Farnborough air show in 1970, 11 years old, and there was a Vulcan fitted with one Olympus engine from Concorde, as a testbed, it flew just as well on that single engine as it did on it's usual 4 engines!
hi Guys i enjoyed that, if you get time, even for your good selves. You should check out "Operation Black Buck" when the RAF sent a lone Vulcan 8000 miles and 8000 miiles back, to bomb Stanley Airfield in the Falkland islands in 1982.
The trouble I think the US would have had in this scenario was achieving 'Burn through' with their radars. In order for the US aircraft to detect the enemy, they emit radar waves which are meant to bounce off the enemy and then return to the US aircraft producing a report on their instrumentation. The Vulcans were equipped with Electronic Warfare suit that projects interference that would have shown up on the US instrumentation as all manner of confusing clutter but nothing that would indicate the Vulcan's exact location or altitude. The only way to get that information is for the US aircraft to get close enough to the Vulcan such that their radar emitters can finally 'Burn through' the interference thus giving a proper location and altitude report. This is easier said than done when the location and altitude is not known, when the airspace is so enormous and when you have a limited amount of fuel. It would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack under the pressure of a timer counting down.
I grew up in the country of Lincolnshire where the Vulcans were based. That noise was a regular sound day and night. I sort of miss it now, but then, at night it would terrify me. We were told that we were number one target for a USSR nuclear missile strike. Was it a Vulcan or a missile?
Loved this video. I hsve seen the Vulcan fly a few times in air shows here in the Uk. It doesn't fly anymore as it needed a new engine but waz s dear and lot of work to do to maintain it. It is loud but its an amazing aircraft to see flying
I must complain - I spilled my tea when you said "thank you for penetrating us", 😂. I saw one of the last Vulcan flights in 1992 I think, at Cranfield Air Display - not just loud but a "howling roar" as it flew past. Loved the reaction.
@@andyxox4168 I'm referring to the last military RAF Vulcan - it's last flight at Cranfield Air Display was on 20 Sept 1992 - I just checked. A Vulcan after being stripped of its military equipment was purchased by enthusiasts and was kept flying for a while. I guess that might be the one you saw but it would not have been an operational RAF Vulcan bomber.
@@andyxox4168 This is the video of Cranfield th-cam.com/video/TwWJJ0NtOqs/w-d-xo.html the first flypast is with the Red Arrows and it even opened the bomb bay with a "Farewell" message. I think it was this aircraft bought by the Walker family (after RAF decommissioning) and they managed to get it airworthy, at least for a few more years as a show aircraft.
If you can check out some of the videos of the Vulcan taking off and the sound of the Vulcan Howl. Also look at operation Black Butt when a Vulcan flew to the Faukland Islands doing a bombing raid.
In 1982 when Argentina thought they could take the Islands,Britains remaining Vulcans took part in the longest Bombing run in History of over 6000 miles.
I lived very near to factory where they were produced and had the prividge to sit in the cockpit once. It was tiny and all about the stock. When the the last flight took place and flew around Britain people came out to witness this amazing plane
My father Crew Chief and Chief Technician on the Vulcans in the 60's during the Cold War. The crews were on QRA which meant they had to be ready at all times for a potential nuclear attack. I used to watch these magnificent aircraft take off regularly from my bedroom window. The roar of a vulcan surging up into the sky is one never forgotten. One of our most beautiful aircraft.
I was a UK police officer and I remember being deployed to RAF Fairford (The US airbase in the UK) when the Iraq war happened and I was at the end of the runway when a B-52 took off they are very loud
@@psttech4290 or a world War, only came in at the end after pearl harbour. The Yanks are so narrsasitic and believe that they are admired lol. How can a country be taken seriously when actors can become presidents, mayor's and they have cops wearing cowboy hats looooooooool.
Heh, the "Badass Butterfly," I like it. I think it was sometimes known in the RAF as the "Tin Triangle." The plane is famously loud, but you actually aren't hearing its unique trademark "Vulcan Howl" in this video - look that up specifically by name for videos where you can hear it, it's a *very* distinctive sound.
RAF old man here. Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it was general knowledge that we had penetrated US airspace on exercise, but we tended not to crow about it, as what we were learning was how to penetrate Soviet airspace, and reasoned that 'beating' the US system would probably mean we'd succeed at the Sovs. It all meant that the West (NATO) was a credible threat against the East (USSR and other nuclear-armed polities, meaning they could not begin a war without being destroyed. The plan worked. Right now, however, there exist a generation of absent-minded political creatures, who lack the knowledge and competence to grasp the importance of and so avoid such a world-destroying war.
You can’t legislate for lunacy. Putin is a mentally unbalanced dictator with the might and power of the biggest nuclear arsenal in the world,yes,even more than the US in his hands.
Ex-Royal Navy here, Steve. I think a lot of viewers are missing the point that the Vulcans were jamming US radars and therefore couldn’t be seen regardless of them flying in at a similar altitude from similar locations. I’m glad that you mentioned how, for the RAF, this was them training to enter Soviet airspace and wasn’t some kind of ‘attack’ on our American allies, and from the US perspective was a chance to find then fix their own weaknesses. Of course the US didn’t tell everyone and let America’s enemies know how it was done. It’s not something you want in the newspapers.
Hi Natasha and Debbie, Just wanted to drop you a short message to say when I was a kid my dad was in the RAF and served in a Vulcan bomber unit in 1970 and this exercise was talked about openly even then
Wow. Never heard of this before! I had no idea the Brits had played these war games with the US back then. My dad’s name is engraved under the delta wing of a Vulcan XH558. We saw it’s final flight at a local air show, and a few years later I lost my dad to cancer. I thought it would be a nice tribute to have his name engraved after seeing an advert for this to be done as a tribute to a loved one. (It costs around £30 and goes towards the upkeep of the Vulcan) I think he’d be very happy for his name to be there. Thank you ladies. Our lovely allies across the pond. 🇬🇧🇺🇸
A friend used to live not far from an airfield where Vulcans were based. When those things took off in a hurry, the ground shook and your ear drums disappeared. Seriously powerful beasts. On a different note, Mark Felton makes some fascinating military and historical videos. I love his stuff.
We used to go to RAF Finningley in South Yorkshire, now Robin Hood Doncaster-Sheffield Airport. A Vulcan display was on most years for the September Air Show. The Vulcan was always a spectacular highlight as Finningley was a home base for the three V Bomber's, Vulcan, Victor and Valiant. Wherever you were on the base, you knew when the Vulcan was doing it's display. It would glide in, bomb doors open, doing high and low level attacks across the runway. Then you saw it bank and point skywards as the pilot wound up the engines. It would make the whole ground shake as the deafening noise set off car alarms. Truely an awesome display that you really have to see live, to appreciate just how menacing looking they were. Just the sight of one would have struck fear in the enemy, seeing it go overhead.
@@michaelstamper5604It was a must go to show for us, right up to the very last one in the mid 90's. I remember one year, not long before it closed, it was so packed, they had to use the adjacent fields for extra parking. A huge traffic jam to get there, and home from both the Doncaster, and Bawtry directions into that narrow country lane to Finningly. It rained really heavy at home time, just as we got to the field we were parked on. They cleared those parked on the base first so we were waiting around 90 minutes. There were cadets marshaling the traffic, and they sent a drill instructor and squaddies to keep everyone waiting to exit entertained. They were doing square bashing, running and gym exercises in the pouring rain and mud ! It's not been the same since the base shut down to become an airport, so many good memories of all the planes that turned up to display.
The Vulcan was first used as a high level nuclear bomber.Then Russia produced anti air missiles that could reach high altitude and the Vulcan was converted to low level[under radar] bombing. Then nuclear powered submarines took over Britains nuclear deterrent and the Vulcan was no longer needed,though it did take part in bombing a runway on an epic flight during the Falklands war. For every offence is born a defence such as the present day and low flying jet fighters again being considered to deliver a nuclear weapon as well as other means.the situation is always under review, in the hope that M.A.D. stays relevant. All of which is a statement that perhaps humans are not ready to meet other beings ....should they visit earth of course ,though there is a logic that says there are good aliens and bad aliens perhaps depending at which point in time they came into being and overcame the insanity humans at present live under. Interesting debate if looked at logically and without emotion.
You two ladies are delightful in so many ways. I thoroughly enjoy all your videos. I am so pleased you appreciate the common bond our countries share. I can assure you our military have a very high regard for your military too.
Once saw the only remaining flying Vulcan bomber at an air show 2016 or 2017 at RAF cosford air show, absolutely awesome to hear and see her flying, the roar of those jet’s they sounded fantastic, sad to say that she’s since been retired from flying
it didn't do that much damage when it got to the Falklands, but what it did do was send a message that we were capable of sending bombers if we had to, which scared Argentina into packing up and leaving at break neck speed...the phycological ear was just as effective as the war itself
@@glastonbury4304 The other message that was sent was when a large number of Argentine Pucara aircraft were de-activated in a quiet visit from the SAS.
The Vulcan was an excellent plane. Way ahead of its time when it was introduced. It still looks beautiful and not too out of place now. However it was retired in 1984 and was about 30 years old so things had moved on. The RAF moved on to the Panavia Tornado which Britain had developed with (West) Germany and Italy. The Tornado was more modern and versatile as it was a very effective fighter-bomber. The Tornado was used up until a few years ago and it service overlapped with the current Eurofighter Typhoon which as the name suggests Britain developed with several other European countries.
The Vulcan was part of the V force that was the Wests primary nuclear deterrent against the Soviets in the Cold War throughout the 60s and 70s, and it was retired in 1984. In reality, although it retained the nuclear capability, it was not carrying nuclear weapons from the mid 60s when the nuclear deterrent transferred from the V force to the submarine making the Vulcan almost obsolete Hence in 1984 it was retired because there was no requirement for a flying nuclear deterrent. It did, however, provide great service in the Falklands war when it achieve the longest bombing run in history bomb in the runway at Port Stanley in 1982. Truly incredible plane.
The Vulcan was taken off service because of cost for running and parts were starting to get harder to get. About 9 years ago my family traveled to airshows and it was beautiful to see and hear the Vulcan
Hello ladies , love your reactions, if you like and are interested in military documentaries can I suggest you check out 3 by Jeremy Clarkson , they are very interesting.
The ones on "What does it take to win the VC ?" and "The Greatest Raid" are available. AFAIK the third documentary on the disastrous Convoy PQ17 is not available on YT.
One of the best stories I heard was a Vulcan flying below radar. It was visually spotted by a US plane who flew down to blow it out of the sky when two fighter jets came out from under the wings - the Vulcan was a big plane - and took out the interceptor. Hilarious 😅
The Vulcan really was unique to see and hear. When it was lined up for take off it used to wind the engines up at the end of the runway. Not joking when I say the earth would vibrate beneath your feet, and the howling shriek from the engines would deafen you. Saw one take off during an airshow at RAF Fairford which is used by the American air force. Huge crowd, glorious sunny clear blue skies day. I was standing next to two American servicemen who were chatting to each other, while waiting for the next item in the airshow. I knew it was to be the Vulcan and knew what to expect. The runway in Fairford is a long runway, and most people in the crowd could not see it until it left the ground. I heard the shriek, getting louder, the ground shaking, and right in line with us the Vulcan took off practically vertically, only to hear one American say to the other " Gooooodaaaaaammmmm, will you look at that thing!!" The reaction still makes me chuckle!
The aircraft craft was built a mile from my house! I stood behind one of these when it took off from Woodford airshow and it blew me away quite literally. During the Falklands conflict I was still a baby however this aircraft flew above me in my pram flying straight down Park Lanr in poynton even as a baby I tracked this aircraft from the start to the end of Park Lane so it’s always a place in my heart. I watched its last flight during the UK tour when it flew straight down the runway at Woodford where flown by Black Buch pilot Martin Withers he opened up the throttle halfway down the runway so we could hear the iconic howl it made due to the induction of air and the shape of its air intakes it was so famous for. I have many other memories of it included watching it barrel roll above my house, on full throttle as a child the engines were so loud they rattled my rib cage a feeling I’ve only felt a couple of times in my life. Would love to see it fly again however very unlikely. You should do a show based on Black Buch raid ❤
Coolest jet bomber ever built, evil looking, elegant, and supremely effective. The last hurrah of the Vulcan was an 8000 mile flight from the UK to bomb the runway at Port Stanley, Falkland islands. It wasn't about the damage caused, it was to put the fear of God in the Argentinians knowing that Buenos Aries was within range of a nuclear armed jet bomber.
If you think the Vulcan is loud on video. Try standing under it when she does a low pass and turns on her after burners to climb. She used the same engine that Concorde did, Rolls-Royce Olympus engines
I've watched this video being reacted to buy Americans on quite a few occasions, a few things which always seem to get overlooked the first exercise was 320 bombers against 360 fighter aircraft the second exercise with 125 against 1800 fighter aircraft plus anti aircraft missile systems, a lot of civilian aircraft were grounded so as to not be mistaken for military, and the flight of four vulcans from Bermuda all completed their missions, but the thing that always seems to be overlooked is that they flew the entire length of the United States to complete the mission to bomb New York and Washington. if you would like to see something about how the US government really felt towards the UK, have a look at "war plan red"
I am a former Royal Air Force Officer (Flight Lieutenant, retd). An electronics engineer specialising in radar. I also served alongside many USAF in my time so we certainly do work very well together (one of my closest friends is a former USAF Lt Col who now lives in the UK. These exercises do still happen in many different scenarios around the world and the lessons learned are put into practice immediately. So you can rest assured that ‘we’ are the very best military on the planet. By the way, I have a Vulcan bomber around 3 miles away from my home in Carlisle, England. It’s registration is XJ823 and it is at the Solway Aviation Museum. You can see it in the title sequence to most of my videos on my TH-cam photography channel ‘That Micro 4/3 Guy’ and on the museums website. Great video reaction, liked and subscribed. Brian
I grew up near Waddington - the home of the Vulcan. Airshows there featured the Vulcan Scramble. To see a flight of those take to the sky... the noise and the vibration through the ground was indescribable. I was happy to have seen it when it was officially retired a few years ago....
I remember in the early 1960s my dad(who was at Dunkirk by the way) drove us to a local airfield(Finningley) in South Yorkshire which was a base for the Vulcans & we were lucky enough to see one taking off, God what a noise from those 4 engines, but what a magnificent sight as it climbed into the sky, fantastic for a young teenager. Thanks for your videos & kind comments, I'm glad we are allies too.
Yes ladies, it is so important to have Real Friends. The U.K. stood alone in 1940 and appealed to its Friends for help, the U.S. answered and helped us, so grateful for your support. In 2001 following the atrocity on 9/11, the U.S. stood up and took a stand against Terrorism, they asked who are our Friends and who will stand with us? I am so glad that the British Government grew a pair and stepped forward. It is probably the only thing Labour Prime Minister Blair did that I agreed with. (Shame it turned out to be such a Cluster-fluff based on falsehoods. Whoops!) It really is a case of "a friend in need being a friend indeed." My regards ladies........
The aircraft was eventually retired because its old technology it was developed after the second world war It’s very difficult to shoot planes down if you cannot see them this is why the electronic jamming was fitted in the aircraft it was designed to bomb Russia. The only time the Vulcan bomber was used in anger was during the Falklands War it bombed the airport at Port Stanley that is a very good documentary to look up. Unfortunately there was a little bit of animosity towards America over that war they wouldn’t stand behind us we were not allowed to refuel at American air bases which at the time the British people were decidedly upset with America as we have always backed America not only with military forces but also allowing them to use our air bases all round the world Fortunately we’re all past that. Although personally I was a little upset when Joe Biden had the bust of Winston Churchill removed from the White House. Biden for some reason doesn’t like Britain. But if he needs a help he will be the 1st to ask and obviously we will respond as allies. You will enjoy the video it’s very informative
Air Marshal Kennith cross I believe is a distant relative of mine, my family’s last name is cross❤️ He sounds like a right legend❤️ I’m going to do some family history research❤️
Pardon us for a few things we missed or misspoke on. We gotta say tho that we LOVED this very educational and fascinating video! Our ability to work together as allies is incredibly inspiring and something we should all be very proud of and grateful for. We appreciate you watching! Please drop a Like if you enjoy our content, Thanks everyone!!
Hi Ladies
Good vid, seen it many times.If want to see a bit more of the Vulcan try these: th-cam.com/video/jcEhZ2p4s9o/w-d-xo.html and th-cam.com/video/KkaWSjiihkI/w-d-xo.html.Oh! if only the Brits had a Vulcan back in 1776.
Nice England shirt. Just in case nobody told you St George's day was April 23. For future reference.
You should react to the 1968 film The Battle of Britain starring Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier, about the German Air Force's daily attacks on Royal Air Force bases in the south of England during the summer of 1940 (when the US was still neutral). The Battle, which lasted three months, was meant to defeat RAF Fighter Command to pave the way for the invasion of Britain. The Germans failed. If they had succeeded there would have been no D Day landings in Normandy 4 years later. The Battle of Britain was therefore crucial to the western allies defeating the Germans in Western Europe.
you need to watch "Yes Minister" or "Yes Prime Minister" you would enjoy it
The Vulcan was retired due to transition to tornado low level strike aircraft. The RAF would have had another low level bomber if they'd have stuck with the TSR 2 which would have been a very capable strategic bomber as it was also long ranged. Longer range than tornado and there is one at RAF cosford museum and one at RAF Duxford.
Also, don't forget that unlike in a real strike, the US Air Force knew the British were coming, knew that the only planes in the sky would be "enemy" aircraft, and knew their routes from the last time. I think that makes it 1000 times worse. It's equivalent to beating someone at a 100 metre sprint despite giving them a 90 metre head start.
Well said, an extremely important point.
@@axelamps1279 A Double Bluff perhaps, the US thinking that the UK wouldn't use the same tactic twice. Incidentally, the UK Public didn't know anything about it either. The defence system needed to be tested- how else can the Military know whether or not the systems in place are adequate - too late after a real event? The RAF would have planned this secretly as though a real attack, otherwise testing would have been pointless.
Spot on.
yes we did, the USA only had the power to censor what the USA public knew.@@malcolmhouston7932
@@malcolmhouston7932 I was Vulcan groundcrew in the 60's this was no secret to us.
I've heard the Valcan called many things, but a 'badass butterfly' is a new one. Top marks girls.
In the UK we still love the Vulcan, it was such a beautiful piece of engineering. It's also amazing and loved how we appreciate our relationship. Not just about our strength militarily, but encouraging and protecting our freedom. We still have that family relationship and like families everywhere criticise, but love and will not desert. Proud to be not only allies in the face of adversity but also family. Respect to you and your brilliant channel!
don't forget its sister Concorde.
The UK has smartly outsourced its bombing defense needs to the US. Why make your taxpayers pay for bombers when you can get someone else's taxpayers to pay for them. Brilliant!
I came across a broken down car on the motorway, and the bloke was wearing a Vulcan polo shirt. I asked him about it and he told me he was an engineer keeping XH558 flying. Couldn't resist having a light-hearted dig at him, saying, you can get a Vulcan working, but can't repair your car!🤣🤣
@@teecee1567 …. That’s because the car was a Ford😉😉🤣🤣
I am lucky (?) Enough to be old enough to recall them and Lightnings flying. I LOVED seeing the Vulcan fly overhead. As beautiful as the Spitfire and arguably more deadly.
I remember reading a memoir of a retired US special forces officer (delta,I think) saying after doing a 'job' alongside our SAS guys, " I'm sure glad theyr'e on our side!"
The Avro Vulcan, the bomber that thought it was a fighter. When the Vulcan landed in New York, Air Traffic Control did not know the Vulcan was there until it was on final approach to the airport.
Same with the Buccs at exercise Red Flag. One year the USAF had an AWACS and some F-16s doing CAP, protecting an air base. Air Traffic Control radioed saying the base was under attack. "Negative, there are no enemy threats" came the response from the AWACS. The reply from ATC was unprintable, but was along the lines of "Well, come and have a look for yourselves".
It had that stealth bomber vibe.
Wow really.. that’s hilarious 🤣
@@MarkloopRAF Saw a video clip of a Buccaneer flying over an American command post at Red Flag. They had no idea they were there. To say they were impressed is an understatement.. Loved the quote from a veteran. "We realised we were leaving sand trails at 10 feet. So we climbed to 20 feet" Legend.
The Vulcan was retired because the UK no longer had an air nuclear deterrent - whilst we also had fighter bombers that done a better job.
Hello, I like to think of ourselves in the UK, and You Americans, as an old married couple, always looking after each other against averyone else.
Isn't it wonderful that we both have such brilliant military. It is such a shame that the vulcan has been retired, so you do not have the chance to see it fly. At 73 years old, I have been lucky to se it live twice. To see such a huge and beautiful plane in real life take off, and immediately go straight up is unbelievable, and the sound of those engines is somthing you never forget.
You also have some beautiful planes as well, I love the F14s and the F16s, and we all know, both the UK and the US really love the Harrier.
God Bless all of you, and let our union last for ever. Kind regards.
Tony Marsh UK.
I was at a few Airshows in the '70s and '80s with an English Electric Lightning takeoff, a Vulcan takeoff, and a Panavia Tornado takeoff (all on FULL POWER), and boy I was deaf for a month, not forgetting the shock wave sonic booms that knocked most of the crowd on their asses. GOOD TIMES!!!
Hello,
I think what you describe may be at the Farnborough Kent air show, where I saw the same thing. Happy Times, all the best,
Tony Marsh.@@martinsigsworth8286
Love the point you made about Allies working together 🙂 I'm still laughing though at "thank you for penetrating us". Brings a new meaning to thank you for your service 😁
😂🇺🇸❤️🇬🇧
Gave me laugh too.
I sniggered at your comment hee hee
Yeah , that was Funny . That , " Oh , Maybe I could have said that better " Face .
LOL !!
I saw the Vulcan stand on its tail and climb.
Utterly awe inspiring. The noise and the vibrations had to be felt to be believed.
Raw power.
Me too. It felt like an earthquake.
Me also, It used to vibrate your chest cavity as it took off.
Me as well. A totally amazing aircraft, well ahead of its time. The Vulcan roar is something else.
The last flying vulcan sits 5 miles from my house at Doncaster Robin Hood Airport in England.
It used to fly over my garden a few times a week at about 500ft
They became one of my customers too for my welding business, I did metalwork maintenance around the hanger where it was. I have pictures of me stood around and underneath it in my welding gear
This is where i first saw the Vulcan Bomber... It was at the RAF Finningley Air Show many years ago... It made several passes during it's public display... Including with the bomb bay doors open... The roar from the engines was absolutely deafening... It actually resonated through your entire body... It really was such a beautiful aircraft... Although ultimately it's primary role was to deliver a deadly payload to the enemy in the event of war... I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the Vulcan Bomber.
unfortunately its now grounded, couldn’t afford the up keep costs.
@@HopeSprings33 Not quite correct, its because the technical support was withdrawn. There was plenty of money available.
@@rickb3645 I used to love the Finningley air show. Great that it was local and was easy to get to.
@@rickb3645 I grew up in the 80s on the RAF FINNINGLEY flight path not far from where I live now.
I've been to finningley Air display many times but I also used to watch it from my back garden which backed on to the fields facing the airport.
The few days before was exciting as a small boy because there would be days of different aircraft arriving flying over the house at 500ft
I drive the elderly in and out of hospital, I met an old man on the bus and asked him "What did you do in the real world?" He replied "I was the the Chief Electrical Engineer for the Vulcan Bomber for thirty years." Wow!
Was his name Kris?
Comments that disrespect our military, our country and us will NOT be tolerated! This video shows how we work together. Anyone who wants to be disrespectful will be blocked instantly!
I don't know how any Brit can disrespect the U.S military. America is like our brother. I've never heard any brit say anything negative about the U.S military. That's very shocking.
The best bit of the whole thing was the Vulcan landing in New York, that they'd just "bombed". The airport wasn't expecting it, and they were a bit flabbergasted.
In the 1960s the Vulcan was the most advanced, sophisticated and capable heavy bomber in the skies. It could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber and most fighters, and high than most ground radar stations could see. It also had the most sophisticate radar jamming equipment in the world. And it's triangular shape also happened to make it a little bit stealthy to radar. It was also flown and operated by highly trained and capable RAF crews who knew exactly how to exploit and achieve the best tactical advantages.
All that combined was why the US fighter jets struggled to reach the Vulcans's altitude, find and intercept them.
Sadly by the 1984 the Vulcan was showing it's age. Time, age and advances in technology had caught up with them. They had become too time consuming and expensive to maintain. They were no longer as advanced and capable as they once were. And they no longer had the nuclear strike mission, as that had been transferred to the Royal Navy's nuclear missile submarines.
The UK was no longer the superpower it once was, and was less wealthy than it had once been. It could not afford to upgrade the Vulcans or replace them with a modern equivalent and so the UK retired it's need for an offensive heavy bomber.
However, just before it's retirement, the Vulcan was used in anger to successfully attack Argentine air defences and airbases on the Falkland Islands during the 1982 Falklands War.
@Caradoc The BBC made an excellent documentary about how the last surviving Vulcans were pressed into service for the 1982 Operation Black Buck. Most amusingly, A part of the targeting mechanism was sourced from the Officers' Bar. It was unwittingly being used as an Ashtray. Cogs and bicycle chains made up the rest of the highly Sophisticated Bomb sights. There is something quintessentially British about the Aircraft. Men in Flat Caps, in their Garden sheds, produced parts of a sleek beautiful Vulcan Bomber. It makes one proud to be British..
I used to see the Vulcans at Akrotiri Air Force Base in Cyprus in 1959 when i was based in Episkopi Garrison a few miles away , they were painted white when i was there .
I think the Victor flew higher and faster, with a bigger bomb load. But it couldn't transition to low level penetration so ended up as a tanker.
Edit in reply to Tom Senior's post, it wasn't part of the targeting mechanism that was being used as an ashtray, it was part of the refueling system.
@@paulqueripel3493 And it was certainly more aesthetically beautiful than the Vulcan.
@@Hattonbank it was Thunderbirds technology. Sinister ,and beautiful . It never ceases to amaze me ,the quantum leap from Lancaster and Shackleton to these beasts in under a generation. And yep ,the Victor is my favourite.
The Vulcans have always been a part of my life, my Dad was an aircraft electrician and worked on them regularly when I was a kid in the 70's when they came in for servicing, in Leicestershire, England. He worked on many other aircraft too, including the Red Arrows.
Vulcans were as well as bombers, full of electronic jamming. The crew lived in a tight space.
Guessing he was at Waddington ..My dad was too ...28 yrs RAF
The Vulcan is an amazing aircraft, seeing XH558 fly at airshows until she was grounded in 2015 was something you will remember. The howl of the engines, you could feel it and it would set of car alarms when it applied full power!
Lucky enough to fly in formation with the Vulcan in 2014 with the Blades aerobatic team, something that I will remember for rest of my life.
If only all countries could work together like we can the world would be a lot safer!
These exercises were common knowledge in the UK during the 1960's. What was really frightening was the Cuban missile crisis. My Dad worked on RAF airfields at that time and he came home that evening and said to my Mum (Mom) that the bombers were sitting at the end of the runways, fully armed with nuclear weapons. We went to bed that night, not knowing if we were going to wake up the next day.
I hear you. My Platoon and I went through a similar experience in 1983. If it wasn't a Soviet Officer intercepting an upline intel feed... who knows. I still have nightmares about it.
I remember that well , as i was about 22 and after saying goodnight to my girlfriend , i really thought i may not see her ever again as it really was very frightening during the Cuba incident . Anyway here in 2022 we are still getting on with life .The Misses still gives me hell , so nothing has changed .LOL.
@@tomsenior7405 NATO signals exercise..intercepted by the Soviets and they thought it was real.
Nuclear war is my biggest fear because it really is a possiblity , it’s crazy that we humans have evolved so much that we can literally destroy a planet
Heard a similar story from a Vulcan pilot. He told his wife that if she heard them launch to “take the kids and drive up to the tip of Scotland”
The Vulcan was badass but the Victor was even more amazing and the most aggressive looking aircraft I have ever seen
As I’m from the uk we don’t mess about when making planes
Vulcan and Victor and Valiant nuclear bombers were our at the time nuclear air deterrent. Superseded by our Nuclear Submarines of huge stealth.
YES!
I love the Victor. Still looks futuristic and capable to this day.
@@calumlonzie6900 .....we just don't get to make planes anymore.....
The Victor looks terrifying. It looks like a demon out of space.
reminds me of the UK blackburn buccaneer flying at red flag exercise in the US, my favourite line was "we were flying at 550 knots and had to ascend to 20ft to avoid leaving dust trails".
Yes..I recall a story of US aircraft flying low level..wondering where the RAF was.....well..they were flying below them!.
You don't take off in a Buccaneer..
You just retract the undercarriage
Thrilling sight
The Buccaneer was a beast 🥰
Saw some homemade footage from inside a US command post on a Red flag exercise . They just caught a glimpse of a Buc. passing overhead, maybe 20 feet!!. To say they were impressed was an understatement.
The Vulcan pilots were each issued with an eyepatch, as in the event of a nuclear attack they would be flying with the chance of nuclear explosions going off around them and the flashes blinding the pilots. Each pilot would put on the eyepatch before the attack run and one would lower a blackout visor. If the first pilot was blinded in one eye, he would just swap over the eyepatch and keep flying until he was completely blinded, then signal to the co-pilot to take over and hopefully not fully repeat the process, before reaching their target. It was a pretty nasty thing to train for.
The fact it made them look like really cool pirates was an unintended side effect
As Roy Chadwick also designed the Lancaster WW2 Heavy Bomber !
The Worlds first nuclear capable bomber 1942
The Black Lancs !
Back in 1969 I went to an Air display at R.A.F. Finningley near Doncaster. The highlights of the day were two fold: a Lightning scramble and a scramble by three V bombers simultaneously,one of each mark. The demonstration was "awesome" and the memory is still vivid 53 years later.
ohhh yes great displays. 2 awesome memories, Concorde lining up on the taxiway and instead of taxying took off with her wingtip passing over the crowd. Also a Russian i think was a SU 26flew from Vladivostok to Lossimouth, took off did a display. Flew to Finningly did a display then flew back home without a refuel. Seeing the Cobra is still burnt in my memory
Also (!) you ask why was the Vulcan retired. It was 1950s technology, the planes were old and becoming expensive to maintain. However the main reason was that the nuclear deterrent became operated by Royal Navy submarines, which launch ballistic missiles, rather than by RAF bomber aircraft which are increasingly vulnerable to SAM batteries (surface to air missiles). The Ukrainians have been very successful destroying Russian aircraft with relatively cheap missiles shooting down very expensive jet aircraft, even very recent Mig and Sukhoi models.
So nuclear bombers became obsolete as well as expensive.
And now the men who knew this technology have now either died or retired so no one knows how to “fix” them any more.
@@babuzzard6470 some of us Hawker Siddeley 1970's apprentices could find our way round them.. Still smile when the Argies bricked it when they knew the Vulcan was on its way.Absolutely fearsome aircraft for its time and that sound omg..
Hello Natasha and Debbie. I served in the UK Army for 7.5 years, and during my service experienced war games with other NATO countries, including the USA. It was fun, interesting and we always swapped boots with the GI's, who for some reason loved UK military boots. It was good to see how others did it, and once had an American Signals group set up on our drill square (at our home barracks in Germany). It was dubbed the 'MickeyMouse' because it had a radar dish either side of it - but I didn't know it was radioactive to walk near to! Some GI poked his head out of the back and shouted 'Get back or your balls will glow in the dark!' - Loved every minute of my service. By the way, I have liked, and subscribed too - keep up the content. Allies till the last breath! Carl xx
The Vulcan was primarily intended as a very high altitude nuclear capable bomber. After Gary Powers' U2 got shot down it was obvious that missile defences could then reach those altitudes so the Vulcan was re-tasked as a medium/low level bomber, hence the redesign and change of colour scheme from all white to camo. As Britain's nuclear deterrant shifted to submarine launched missiles the Vulcan became a conventional bomber. This role eventually became superceded by the introduction of the Tornado and Vulcan was retired. It was only used in anger once, months before scrapping, when Operation Black Buck took place to bomb the Falkland Islands' Port Stanley airport runway, then occupied by the invading Argentine army. That operation took a fleet of Victor tankers to repeatedly refuel each other in relay to refuel a single Vulcan flying over 8,000 miles from Ascension Island. 21 1,000lb bombs were 'tossed' from a low level approach and several straddled the runway with one cratering it, denying Argentine airforce use. Well worth looking into the story, epic stuff. Sadly the Vulcan fleet was scrapped not long afterwards but several examples were donated to museums all over, I believe there's one at a museum near Omaha. See link below,
www.sacmuseum.org/what-to-see/aircraft/avro-hawker-vulcan/
To this day, the longest sortees in world history.
2 Vulcan fueron derribados en esos dias, con la antiguar y betusta artilleria Argentina
@@cazadorczdr6788 For the record there were no losses of vulcans in the Falklands war.
@@m341ehw 2/3
@@cazadorczdr6788 nope none were downed by Argentinian technology.
It's a bit hard classifying the Vulkans over US airspace, everyone living under their flight paths bloody heard 'em. I only ever saw 2 flying overhead as a kid and only looked because of the terrifying bloody racket they made. Fun fact: They were also the first stealth plane as it was found flying them at specific pitched angles made them deflect radar waves away and not return them to the radar station. The English Electric Lightning is also an interesting plane, it was the fastest climbing non-rocket powered plane and the only one that went supersonic vertically, from time to time they would use them to intercept US stratosphere spy planes for shits and giggles, I once saw an image captured by a (surprised) US pilot as a Lightning streaked up above him in front of his plane. Live long and prosper.
A highly modified Lightning in South Africa about a decade back took the record for time to altitude for something nuts like 100,000 feet. Might have been broken since then but the guy that paid for it did shed loads to modify that plane. EG methanol&water injection, all the armour except the firewall between the engines removed, all military equipment removed. I think they got the empty weight down to something nuts like 22,000 pounds. The Avons were rated for 28,000 till the water/methanol ran out (part of the original reason they rated 16,000 originally was due to temperature). Two tons of methanol&water injected in 90 seconds which is how long it took.
Dont forget the Lightning that shot a Harrier down in West Germany in the 70's!
@@bigmull
I'm not aware of that one, thanks. It would reinforce the plane's status as the Harrier's speciality was dealing with super sonic fighters.
@@darthwiizius The Harrier Pilot ejected for some reason and instead of it crashing it continued in level flight towards the East German Border,so it was decided to shoot it down before it crashed in the DDR.I should think that the Lightning took off from RAF Gutersloh as that was a frontline Lightning unit,this was in 1972,
@@bigmull
OK that makes sense, probably wise as a Harrier crossing into Warsaw Pact air space could easily have been misinterpreted with the potential of dire consequences for all of us.
First time I watched this video and saw it had bombers in it, I thought it was about how the Brits had dropped actual nukes on some US testing range back in the day, the Yanks being good sports lending them some of their vast real estate that they had already contaminated. But no.
I like how the Brits was polite enough to repeat almost the exact plan the second time around to give the USAF a chance to handle it better. That went well. /s
The Melchett strategy !
Pity we can't do it to Moscow & St.Petersberg today. Just a fly by dropping leaflets with the truth on them
Ronnie actually did let us let off a nuke on US soil in the 80s, I think it was in the Californian desert but was carried out underground for obvious reasons.
You have to watch the 'Black Buck' raids on the Falkland Islands, by Vulcan bombers in 1982. At 8000 miles, the longest ever bombing raid. Navigating by the stars, Vulcan 607 was just 22ft out of position after 8000 miles, its an amazing story, well documented here on TH-cam.
It's concerning that they knew exactly what was going to happen and still failed the second time. I wonder what would have happened if they'd done a third one. Great video ladies thank you x
In the first one it was 310 attackers vs 360 defenders, in the second it was less than 200 attackers and 1800 defenders - and they still failed!
I think the point might be that the Vulcan's jamming technology made them so difficult to spot that they simply didn't turn up until too late.
The sky is BIG. Saying "why not concentrate on the Vulcan's" is almost meaningless unless you have at least a rough idea where they are.
Plenty of B52s _did_ show up on radar; so were Strategic Command expected to simply ignore them and let them fly on to a simulated bombing, while instead concentrating on covering the entirety of a seemingly empty airspace? As I said; the sky is BIG!
Concorde used the same wings as Vulcan. Also, never ever underestimate the British, we have a knack for punching well above our weight 😁 I remember be 8 years walking up the top of Reigate hill. This came over the hill at just 50ft, the noise, the howl for an 8 year old at the time has left a lasting impression to me, to this day.
no they didn't
I think you mean engines.....and even then they are the same core but totally different instalations.
Debbies 100% right, you have to have complete trust in an ally to do this sort of exercise. Incidentally, the Vulcan was capable of flying at 63,000ft but came in at 56,000ft because that was the max height of the Russian planes. The Vulcan was one of three nuclear bombers the RAF had, the Vulcan, Victor and Valiant made up what was called V force. The reason V force was retired was, the nuclear deterrent was switched to submarine launched missiles. The Valiant retired completely, the Victor switched to become an air to air refuelling tanker, and the Vulcan switched to a low level conventional bomber. The US hold an exercise called "Red Flag" every year in Nevada, one year they caught a Vulcan sneaking in to attack at 80 to 100ft. they engaged it successfully, but didn't notice the two Blackburn Buccaneers flying below it at 20ft. Apparently Buccaneer pilots used to get altitude sickness above 50ft! Have a look at "RAF Buccaneers attack HMS Liverpool off Gibraltar" to see them buzzing the ship at below deck height.
As an ex British Serviceman I’ve worked alongside American Serviceman on a number of occasions and there are no other troops I’d rather work alongside. Sure we take the Micky out of each other and play silly tricks on each other but if/when things got real I know who I want with us.
❤️❤️
UMMMMM for me I prefer being a LONG way away from em. Friendly fire is NO JOKE
We had exercises with the Land Rovers against US H1 Hummers. That was fun.
Much like us Aussies do, we take the piss but at the end of the day we ARE there!
I was living in the UK when this happened. I can't remember how long after the news was released, the day after or weeks later, but all the TV, and radio stations, plus all the newspapers had carried the story. The next day however, the headlines on all these outlets were that the story had been silenced in the US. There is some process by which every media outlet could be notified NOT to run the story, and all of them complied!
It was only when some people in the US heard about it from the UK that the story leaked out but was denied!
They were called D notices in the UK, forcing all media to refrain from publishing anything about or referring to an event, it's a shame they are not still in use today but would be impossible to enforce with Social Media. They were essential during WWII.
@@tonys1636 Like when they had live TV watching the SAS getting in to the Iranian embassy!
@@brentwoodbay Stories were blocked if deemed to be in the public interest to do so, that was the reverse, 'you can't take/hold hostages in the UK and get away with it', inspite of an Embassy being foreign soil legally.
We had a Vulcan fly over out house a few years ago. and what a sound and sight it was. I never had my phone to grab a picture but now sad I never got a picture but also glad I seen it and not through a screen on my phone. It was low and SO loud.
I wasn't sure if I'd like the video content as it's not really my thing. But, it was amazing. You both are fabulous hosts!
Great video, again. X
Thank you so much!
👍
This holds a special place in my heart as my late father was a RAF engineer that worked on and maintained the Vulcans.
Mark Felton is one of my favourite TH-cam historians. He has another Vulcan video about the one that ran into trouble on the "Black Buck" raids during the Falkland War and ended up landing in Brazil. My favourite one of his is the Battle for Castle Itter which was at the very end of the war which put US GIs and a German army unit on the same side (against the SS). A story that involved the French national tennis champion and a German officer who took a bullet for a former French premier.
The Black Buck Book is a classic story of " If it can go wrong, It will " but what airmen they were !!
I remember seeing a Vulcan bomber one year at the Toronto Canada International Air Show , which is held every Labour day weekend. When it did a slow speed fly over with the bomb bay doors open you could barely hear an audible gasp from the crowd. The noise was incredible and people with young children were advised to cover your child’s ears ! Being up close to one of two flying Lancaster bombers located in Hamilton Ontario , I can see the evolution of the bomber capacities in its bomb load, as it’s the father of the Vulcan bomber. 😀
I'm only aware of one fully capable Lancaster bomber that is capable of flying today. I think it's in private hands.
Mark Felton is on of the best channels to watch for military content, especially WW2
Came here to say this. I have learned so much from his videos.
the vulcan was a bomber that thought it was a fighter
The first time I saw and HEARD a Vulcan was at our local air show in Biggin Hill, Kent….the roar of the engines were just so incredibly overwhelming, I just burst into tears in fear and shock! It was incredible but that first “meeting” began my absolute love of that magnificent plane … ‘deep sigh’ … it’s majesty and grandeur in flight just got me here ❤️
Also saw the Vulcan at Biggin Hill air shows a few times when we lived there, including seeing it’s tight turns from my bedroom window. This would’ve been back when the RAF itself was displaying the aircraft. Have seen a number of TH-cam videos about this aeroplane but despite Natasha's reaction to the noise, I’ve not seen one that really gets across how truly loud it was - and then you add on the legendary, unique and - I think - rather spooky sound of the Vulcan's 'howl'.
Might have to go and revisit some of the TH-cam recordings of it at air shows to get my 'fix' 😊
Most amazing sound I have ever heard, VULCAN taking of, gives me goose skin just thinking about it.
We have an unbreakable bond as brothers (and sisters!) in arms. We love you guys across the pond and will forever fight for what is right. Good luck from "blighty"!
Allies always! Glad you've got our back, we got yours. Thanks for uploading, ladies. 😎😁🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇦
You have to literally stand under the Vulcan’s path to appreciate its frightening howl. Any enemy would know exactly what’d be in store for them. In 1982, they flew all the way to the Falklands on bombing runs.
not strictly true, the flew from Ascension Island.
Mark Felton does a second video on the English Electric Lightning. A plane that flew faster than Concorde in level flight, and overtook an American U2 spy plane and soared to a height way beyond, astounding the crews of both planes. The Americans claimed no aircraft could touch the U2. Sadly they were mistaken.
I believe the EEL is the only jet powered plane that went supersonic vertically to this day. What they would do to to intercept strat gliders was to refuel them at the maximum height for the tanker then point them vertical and hit full boost. With the lack of drag from lower atmospheric pressure it uses less fuel to climb the same distance/higher speeds could be achieved.
@@darthwiizius Many thanks for your advice. I agree with you. I cannot think of another jet powered craft that could do that. Maybe a rocket-powered test craft ? I know the Avro Vulcan has her loyal supporters, and I don't desire to anger them. But personally, I prefer the Hadley Page Victor - partly for her name ! And partly because some claim she could fly higher and faster with a larger payload. I don't know whether that is true, I just know she looks like one mean dude ! And the Victor's tail is almost straight out of Thunderbirds ! The howl of Vulcan will stay in my memory though. I had a close encounter with one low-flying over Colchester Zoo one summer. I also remember Operation Black Buck (Falklands 1982). Favourite jet fighter ? I was brought up on Phantom F4s. A very capable bird !
Why sadly mistaken? Are (were) we enemies? Did they sell those aircraft to the USSR, China, DPRK and our other known enemies? It surprised us, embarrassed us (a little), gave a reason to pause regarding it's untouchable status then came the SR-71.
Except for the Lightning no aircraft, or missile at the time could.
@@vicsams4431 I was talking with an ex Victor pilot on saturday, 31.4.2022,interesing guy.
@@guerrillaentrepreneur5999 I meant no disrespect. But when people claim something, and this proves to be incorrect; it is pause for thought. An U2 spy plane was shot down by a missile over the USSR. The pilot being exchanged, and returned to the USA.
Many years ago I was at a U.K. air show and watched a Vulcan taken off consisting of 3 planes. The noise and spectacle was incredible the ground and air shook with the power. I have subsequently seen a Vulcan on the ground a lovely machine a thing of beauty
Two points. 1: The “Gary Powers U2” incident occurred in 1960. A high altitude US spy plane was brought down by a Soviet missile. Clearing the skies at high altitude would allow US missiles to target the Vulcans. Of course, they had to find them first!
2: the Vulcan was used to crater the airfield at Port Stanley in the Falklands War (1982) - this necessitated setting up a chain of Handley Page Victor refuelling tankers to RV with the Vulcan on its flight from Britain. Look up Operation Black Buck - it is on Wiki and there are clips on youtube too.
The Falklands were after the Vulcan was decommissioned. They pulled them out of retirement to use in the Falklands.
@@daveofyorkshire301 operated by the RAF until 1984 is the official MoD response.
@@michaelfoster5577 Check out the non-operational squadron they reactivated to run Operation Black Buck.
@@daveofyorkshire301 Nowhere have I have given a date. I simply said the Vulcan was used to crater the airport at Port Stanley!
@@michaelfoster5577 The cratering in Port Stanley infers a date, so you did give a date. Unless you're not talking about the Falklands war?
My dad fought in WW2 & was in the British Special Forces. He spent a lot of time behind enemy lines. He would have been 99 years old if he was still alive.You guys should check out the British Special Forces - they trained the Navy Seals & worked together on secret missions ever since.
I was lucky enough to have a Vulcan fly pass on my Pass Out Parade at RAF Swinderby. It was awesome!
Thank you very much for your service to Queen and country 🌹🇬🇧
I remember going to the Farnborough air show in 1970, 11 years old, and there was a Vulcan fitted with one Olympus engine from Concorde, as a testbed, it flew just as well on that single engine as it did on it's usual 4 engines!
hi Guys i enjoyed that, if you get time, even for your good selves. You should check out "Operation Black Buck" when the RAF sent a lone Vulcan 8000 miles and 8000 miiles back, to bomb Stanley Airfield in the Falkland islands in 1982.
I love our relationship with the US. A common interest 🇬🇧🇺🇸❤️
The trouble I think the US would have had in this scenario was achieving 'Burn through' with their radars. In order for the US aircraft to detect the enemy, they emit radar waves which are meant to bounce off the enemy and then return to the US aircraft producing a report on their instrumentation. The Vulcans were equipped with Electronic Warfare suit that projects interference that would have shown up on the US instrumentation as all manner of confusing clutter but nothing that would indicate the Vulcan's exact location or altitude. The only way to get that information is for the US aircraft to get close enough to the Vulcan such that their radar emitters can finally 'Burn through' the interference thus giving a proper location and altitude report. This is easier said than done when the location and altitude is not known, when the airspace is so enormous and when you have a limited amount of fuel. It would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack under the pressure of a timer counting down.
We're not just allies we're brothers and sisters.🇬🇧💗🇺🇸
I grew up in the country of Lincolnshire where the Vulcans were based. That noise was a regular sound day and night.
I sort of miss it now, but then, at night it would terrify me. We were told that we were number one target for a USSR nuclear missile strike. Was it a Vulcan or a missile?
Dave Inhave a friend who loved the first take off of the and howling of the runway awakening all the local population.
I worked on the Vulcan while serving in the Royal Air Force , once heard never forgotten is the Vulcan howl
Loved this video. I hsve seen the Vulcan fly a few times in air shows here in the Uk. It doesn't fly anymore as it needed a new engine but waz s dear and lot of work to do to maintain it. It is loud but its an amazing aircraft to see flying
"Thanks for penetrating us" LMFAOOOOO!!!😂
I must complain - I spilled my tea when you said "thank you for penetrating us", 😂. I saw one of the last Vulcan flights in 1992 I think, at Cranfield Air Display - not just loud but a "howling roar" as it flew past. Loved the reaction.
1992? …. The last Vulcan flight was 28th October 2015, I know, I saw it!
@@andyxox4168 I'm referring to the last military RAF Vulcan - it's last flight at Cranfield Air Display was on 20 Sept 1992 - I just checked. A Vulcan after being stripped of its military equipment was purchased by enthusiasts and was kept flying for a while. I guess that might be the one you saw but it would not have been an operational RAF Vulcan bomber.
@@andyxox4168 This is the video of Cranfield th-cam.com/video/TwWJJ0NtOqs/w-d-xo.html the first flypast is with the Red Arrows and it even opened the bomb bay with a "Farewell" message. I think it was this aircraft bought by the Walker family (after RAF decommissioning) and they managed to get it airworthy, at least for a few more years as a show aircraft.
If you can check out some of the videos of the Vulcan taking off and the sound of the Vulcan Howl. Also look at operation Black Butt when a Vulcan flew to the Faukland Islands doing a bombing raid.
Imagine what the potential successor could have done the TSR 2. That was supersonic powered by two of Concorde's engine's.
In 1982 when Argentina thought they could take the Islands,Britains remaining Vulcans took part in the longest Bombing run in History of over 6000 miles.
I lived very near to factory where they were produced and had the prividge to sit in the cockpit once. It was tiny and all about the stock. When the the last flight took place and flew around Britain people came out to witness this amazing plane
My father Crew Chief and Chief Technician on the Vulcans in the 60's during the Cold War. The crews were on QRA which meant they had to be ready at all times for a potential nuclear attack. I used to watch these magnificent aircraft take off regularly from my bedroom window. The roar of a vulcan surging up into the sky is one never forgotten. One of our most beautiful aircraft.
I was a UK police officer and I remember being deployed to RAF Fairford (The US airbase in the UK) when the Iraq war happened and I was at the end of the runway when a B-52 took off they are very loud
I love how you both call us your allies/friends/cousins it’s a special friendship we share, where the U.S goes the U.K goes and vice versa!
unless it was the falklands that is
They fund the I R A your so called allies. Stop being a melt and do a bit of research
@@psttech4290 or a world War, only came in at the end after pearl harbour. The Yanks are so narrsasitic and believe that they are admired lol. How can a country be taken seriously when actors can become presidents, mayor's and they have cops wearing cowboy hats looooooooool.
Heh, the "Badass Butterfly," I like it. I think it was sometimes known in the RAF as the "Tin Triangle." The plane is famously loud, but you actually aren't hearing its unique trademark "Vulcan Howl" in this video - look that up specifically by name for videos where you can hear it, it's a *very* distinctive sound.
RAF old man here. Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it was general knowledge that we had penetrated US airspace on exercise, but we tended not to crow about it, as what we were learning was how to penetrate Soviet airspace, and reasoned that 'beating' the US system would probably mean we'd succeed at the Sovs.
It all meant that the West (NATO) was a credible threat against the East (USSR and other nuclear-armed polities, meaning they could not begin a war without being destroyed. The plan worked.
Right now, however, there exist a generation of absent-minded political creatures, who lack the knowledge and competence to grasp the importance of and so avoid such a world-destroying war.
You can’t legislate for lunacy.
Putin is a mentally unbalanced dictator with the might and power of the biggest nuclear arsenal in the world,yes,even more than the US in his hands.
Ex-Royal Navy here, Steve. I think a lot of viewers are missing the point that the Vulcans were jamming US radars and therefore couldn’t be seen regardless of them flying in at a similar altitude from similar locations. I’m glad that you mentioned how, for the RAF, this was them training to enter Soviet airspace and wasn’t some kind of ‘attack’ on our American allies, and from the US perspective was a chance to find then fix their own weaknesses. Of course the US didn’t tell everyone and let America’s enemies know how it was done. It’s not something you want in the newspapers.
Hi Natasha and Debbie, Just wanted to drop you a short message to say when I was a kid my dad was in the RAF and served in a Vulcan bomber unit in 1970 and this exercise was talked about openly even then
Wow. Never heard of this before! I had no idea the Brits had played these war games with the US back then.
My dad’s name is engraved under the delta wing of a Vulcan XH558. We saw it’s final flight at a local air show, and a few years later I lost my dad to cancer. I thought it would be a nice tribute to have his name engraved after seeing an advert for this to be done as a tribute to a loved one. (It costs around £30 and goes towards the upkeep of the Vulcan) I think he’d be very happy for his name to be there. Thank you ladies. Our lovely allies across the pond. 🇬🇧🇺🇸
My name is engraved under a wing of 558.
Vulcn also used in Falklands Conflict.
A friend used to live not far from an airfield where Vulcans were based. When those things took off in a hurry, the ground shook and your ear drums disappeared. Seriously powerful beasts.
On a different note, Mark Felton makes some fascinating military and historical videos. I love his stuff.
We used to go to RAF Finningley in South Yorkshire, now Robin Hood Doncaster-Sheffield Airport. A Vulcan display was on most years for the September Air Show. The Vulcan was always a spectacular highlight as Finningley was a home base for the three V Bomber's, Vulcan, Victor and Valiant. Wherever you were on the base, you knew when the Vulcan was doing it's display. It would glide in, bomb doors open, doing high and low level attacks across the runway. Then you saw it bank and point skywards as the pilot wound up the engines. It would make the whole ground shake as the deafening noise set off car alarms. Truely an awesome display that you really have to see live, to appreciate just how menacing looking they were. Just the sight of one would have struck fear in the enemy, seeing it go overhead.
@@brianwhittington5086 K know Finningley fairly well. My sister lives just the other side of Doncaster.
@@michaelstamper5604It was a must go to show for us, right up to the very last one in the mid 90's. I remember one year, not long before it closed, it was so packed, they had to use the adjacent fields for extra parking. A huge traffic jam to get there, and home from both the Doncaster, and Bawtry directions into that narrow country lane to Finningly. It rained really heavy at home time, just as we got to the field we were parked on. They cleared those parked on the base first so we were waiting around 90 minutes. There were cadets marshaling the traffic, and they sent a drill instructor and squaddies to keep everyone waiting to exit entertained. They were doing square bashing, running and gym exercises in the pouring rain and mud ! It's not been the same since the base shut down to become an airport, so many good memories of all the planes that turned up to display.
You guys are great, Thanks for this. Keep up the good work. Love from the U.K.
The Vulcan was first used as a high level nuclear bomber.Then Russia produced anti air missiles that could reach high altitude and the Vulcan was converted to low level[under radar] bombing. Then nuclear powered submarines took over Britains nuclear deterrent and the Vulcan was no longer needed,though it did take part in bombing a runway on an epic flight during the Falklands war. For every offence is born a defence such as the present day and low flying jet fighters again being considered to deliver a nuclear weapon as well as other means.the situation is always under review, in the hope that M.A.D. stays relevant. All of which is a statement that perhaps humans are not ready to meet other beings ....should they visit earth of course ,though there is a logic that says there are good aliens and bad aliens perhaps depending at which point in time they came into being and overcame the insanity humans at present live under. Interesting debate if looked at logically and without emotion.
You should watch more Mark Felton videos, especially WWII. He covers British and US campaigns/incidents plus so much more
You two ladies are delightful in so many ways. I thoroughly enjoy all your videos. I am so pleased you appreciate the common bond our countries share. I can assure you our military have a very high regard for your military too.
Once saw the only remaining flying Vulcan bomber at an air show 2016 or 2017 at RAF cosford air show, absolutely awesome to hear and see her flying, the roar of those jet’s they sounded fantastic, sad to say that she’s since been retired from flying
The Vulcan bomber was also used to send the Argentine invasion packing. Only one left flying now.
Its grounded now sadly but possible could fly if needed :(
@@MrCalland oh no, that's sad
it didn't do that much damage when it got to the Falklands, but what it did do was send a message that we were capable of sending bombers if we had to, which scared Argentina into packing up and leaving at break neck speed...the phycological ear was just as effective as the war itself
@@glastonbury4304 The other message that was sent was when a large number of Argentine Pucara aircraft were de-activated in a quiet visit from the SAS.
I love your sense of humour. Best wishes from the England /Scotland border. Pete
The Vulcan was an excellent plane. Way ahead of its time when it was introduced. It still looks beautiful and not too out of place now. However it was retired in 1984 and was about 30 years old so things had moved on. The RAF moved on to the Panavia Tornado which Britain had developed with (West) Germany and Italy. The Tornado was more modern and versatile as it was a very effective fighter-bomber. The Tornado was used up until a few years ago and it service overlapped with the current Eurofighter Typhoon which as the name suggests Britain developed with several other European countries.
Britain doesn't work well with Europe. It's always been that way and it always will be that way.
Functionally it's fine.
The Vulcan was part of the V force that was the Wests primary nuclear deterrent against the Soviets in the Cold War throughout the 60s and 70s, and it was retired in 1984. In reality, although it retained the nuclear capability, it was not carrying nuclear weapons from the mid 60s when the nuclear deterrent transferred from the V force to the submarine making the Vulcan almost obsolete Hence in 1984 it was retired because there was no requirement for a flying nuclear deterrent.
It did, however, provide great service in the Falklands war when it achieve the longest bombing run in history bomb in the runway at Port Stanley in 1982. Truly incredible plane.
This was better than I thought it would be, infact I really enjoyed it 😊
The Vulcan was taken off service because of cost for running and parts were starting to get harder to get. About 9 years ago my family traveled to airshows and it was beautiful to see and hear the Vulcan
Hello ladies , love your reactions, if you like and are interested in military documentaries can I suggest you check out 3 by Jeremy Clarkson , they are very interesting.
The ones on "What does it take to win the VC ?" and "The Greatest Raid" are available. AFAIK the third documentary on the disastrous Convoy PQ17 is not available on YT.
One of the best stories I heard was a Vulcan flying below radar.
It was visually spotted by a US plane who flew down to blow it out of the sky when two fighter jets came out from under the wings - the Vulcan was a big plane - and took out the interceptor.
Hilarious 😅
When the SAS work with the Navy Seals as they have done a lot of times I wouldn't want to be in the vicinity. Badass guys 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇺🇦
🇷🇺Z🏴
The Vulcan really was unique to see and hear. When it was lined up for take off it used to wind the engines up at the end of the runway.
Not joking when I say the earth would vibrate beneath your feet, and the howling shriek from the engines would deafen you.
Saw one take off during an airshow at RAF Fairford which is used by the American air force.
Huge crowd, glorious sunny clear blue skies day.
I was standing next to two American servicemen who were chatting to each other, while waiting for the next item in the airshow.
I knew it was to be the Vulcan and knew what to expect. The runway in Fairford is a long runway, and most people in the crowd could not see it until it left the ground.
I heard the shriek, getting louder, the ground shaking, and right in line with us the Vulcan took off practically vertically, only to hear one American say to the other
" Gooooodaaaaaammmmm, will you look at that thing!!"
The reaction still makes me chuckle!
Hi Team
Probably already bn suggested _ You need to view/review a little known WW2 story _ Battle of Bamber Bridge ( US troops v US troops) = Enjoy
The aircraft craft was built a mile from my house! I stood behind one of these when it took off from Woodford airshow and it blew me away quite literally. During the Falklands conflict I was still a baby however this aircraft flew above me in my pram flying straight down Park Lanr in poynton even as a baby I tracked this aircraft from the start to the end of Park Lane so it’s always a place in my heart. I watched its last flight during the UK tour when it flew straight down the runway at Woodford where flown by Black Buch pilot Martin Withers he opened up the throttle halfway down the runway so we could hear the iconic howl it made due to the induction of air and the shape of its air intakes it was so famous for. I have many other memories of it included watching it barrel roll above my house, on full throttle as a child the engines were so loud they rattled my rib cage a feeling I’ve only felt a couple of times in my life. Would love to see it fly again however very unlikely. You should do a show based on Black Buch raid ❤
Coolest jet bomber ever built, evil looking, elegant, and supremely effective. The last hurrah of the Vulcan was an 8000 mile flight from the UK to bomb the runway at Port Stanley, Falkland islands. It wasn't about the damage caused, it was to put the fear of God in the Argentinians knowing that Buenos Aries was within range of a nuclear armed jet bomber.
My dad's work buddy had to put the runway back together after the war. They worked for tarmac back in the day.
If you think the Vulcan is loud on video. Try standing under it when she does a low pass and turns on her after burners to climb. She used the same engine that Concorde did, Rolls-Royce Olympus engines
I've watched this video being reacted to buy Americans on quite a few occasions, a few things which always seem to get overlooked the first exercise was 320 bombers against 360 fighter aircraft the second exercise with 125 against 1800 fighter aircraft plus anti aircraft missile systems, a lot of civilian aircraft were grounded so as to not be mistaken for military, and the flight of four vulcans from Bermuda all completed their missions, but the thing that always seems to be overlooked is that they flew the entire length of the United States to complete the mission to bomb New York and Washington. if you would like to see something about how the US government really felt towards the UK, have a look at "war plan red"
I am a former Royal Air Force Officer (Flight Lieutenant, retd). An electronics engineer specialising in radar. I also served alongside many USAF in my time so we certainly do work very well together (one of my closest friends is a former USAF Lt Col who now lives in the UK.
These exercises do still happen in many different scenarios around the world and the lessons learned are put into practice immediately. So you can rest assured that ‘we’ are the very best military on the planet.
By the way, I have a Vulcan bomber around 3 miles away from my home in Carlisle, England. It’s registration is XJ823 and it is at the Solway Aviation Museum. You can see it in the title sequence to most of my videos on my TH-cam photography channel ‘That Micro 4/3 Guy’ and on the museums website.
Great video reaction, liked and subscribed.
Brian
You are right that is one bad arse butterfly if you think it was awesome on film you should have seen and heard it in the flesh 😀
We would have gone deaf tho!!
Felt more than heard...
I grew up near Waddington - the home of the Vulcan. Airshows there featured the Vulcan Scramble. To see a flight of those take to the sky... the noise and the vibration through the ground was indescribable. I was happy to have seen it when it was officially retired a few years ago....
I remember in the early 1960s my dad(who was at Dunkirk by the way) drove us to a local airfield(Finningley) in South Yorkshire which was a base for the Vulcans & we were lucky enough to see one taking off, God what a noise from those 4 engines, but what a magnificent sight as it climbed into the sky, fantastic for a young teenager. Thanks for your videos & kind comments, I'm glad we are allies too.
Yes ladies, it is so important to have Real Friends. The U.K. stood alone in 1940 and appealed to its Friends for help, the U.S. answered and helped us, so grateful for your support.
In 2001 following the atrocity on 9/11, the U.S. stood up and took a stand against Terrorism, they asked who are our Friends and who will stand with us?
I am so glad that the British Government grew a pair and stepped forward. It is probably the only thing Labour Prime Minister Blair did that I agreed with. (Shame it turned out to be such a Cluster-fluff based on falsehoods. Whoops!)
It really is a case of "a friend in need being a friend indeed."
My regards ladies........
Saw the Vulcan fly at Scotland's Leuchars Airshow a couple of times. The roar it makes when it takes off vibrates right through your chest
The aircraft was eventually retired because its old technology it was developed after the second world war
It’s very difficult to shoot planes down if you cannot see them this is why the electronic jamming was fitted in the aircraft it was designed to bomb Russia. The only time the Vulcan bomber was used in anger was during the Falklands War it bombed the airport at Port Stanley that is a very good documentary to look up. Unfortunately there was a little bit of animosity towards America over that war they wouldn’t stand behind us we were not allowed to refuel at American air bases which at the time the British people were decidedly upset with America as we have always backed America not only with military forces but also allowing them to use our air bases all round the world
Fortunately we’re all past that. Although personally I was a little upset when Joe Biden had the bust of Winston Churchill removed from the White House. Biden for some reason doesn’t like Britain. But if he needs a help he will be the 1st to ask and obviously we will respond as allies. You will enjoy the video it’s very informative
"For some reason" is being charmingly diplomatic.
Air Marshal Kennith cross I believe is a distant relative of mine, my family’s last name is cross❤️
He sounds like a right legend❤️
I’m going to do some family history research❤️