Handley Page Victor

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 Victor

RAF Victor in anti-flash white

Type Strategic bomber
Manufacturer Handley Page Aircraft Company
Maiden flight December 1952
Introduced 1957
Retired 1993
Primary user Royal Air Force

The Handley Page Victor was a British jet bomber aircraft, one of the 'V bombers'
intended to carry Britain's nuclear arsenal. The other two V-bombers were the Avro
Vulcan and the Vickers Valiant. During the Borneo conflict of 1962-66, two Victor B Mk
1A bombers flew the Victor's only offensive mission.

With the grounding of the Vickers Valiant due to structural problems, the programme for
the first production model Victors to replace it in the inflight refuelling role was sped up.

On 1956-06-01 a production Victor XA917 flown by test pilot Johnny Allam

inadvertently exceeded the speed of sound after Allam let the nose drop slightly at a high-
power setting. Allam noticed a cockpit indication of Mach 1.1 and ground observers from
Watford to Banbury reported hearing a sonic boom.

After finally being phased out of bomber service with the Royal Air Force, the Victor
saw continued and extensive use as a tanker aircraft. In this role it flew in support of the
Vulcan bombing raids during the Falklands War. It was finally withdrawn from service in
1993, having lasted nine years longer in service than any of the other V bombers, albeit
not in its original role.
Variants

Victor nose view

 Victor B.1 : Strategic bomber aircraft.

 Victor B.1A : Strategic bomber aircraft.
 Victor B.1A (K.2P) : Inflight refuelling tanker, retaining bomber capability.
 Victor BK.1 : In-flight refuelling tanker (renamed K.1 after bombing capability
removed)
 Victor BK.1A : In-flight refuelling tanker.(renamed K.1A as for K.1)
 Victor B.2 : Strategic bomber aircraft.
 Victor B(SR).2 : Strategic reconnaissance aircraft.
 Victor K.2 : Inflight refuelling tanker.

Operators
 United Kingdom.
o Royal Air Force.

Units Using the Victor

A Victor preserved at Imperial War Museum Duxford

Royal Air Force squadrons that were equipped with the Victor include:

 No. 10 Squadron RAF B1 only

 No. 15 Squadron RAF B1 only
 No. 55 Squadron RAF B1,K1 & K2
 No. 57 Squadron RAF B1,K1 & K2
 No. 100 Squadron RAF B2 only
 No. 134 Squadron RAF
  No. 139 (Jamaica) Squadron RAF B2 only
 No. 214 Squadron RAF K1 only
 No. 543 Squadron RAF SR only

Radar Reconnaissance flight RAF Wyton

Specifications (Handley-Page Victor B.1)

General characteristics

 Crew: 5
 Length: 114 ft 11 in (35.05 m)
 Wingspan: 120 ft 0 in (36.58 m)
 Height: 28 ft 1½ in (8.57 m)
 Wing area: 2,406 ft² (223.5 m²)
 Empty weight: lb (kg)
 Loaded weight: 165,000 lb (75 000 kg)
 Max takeoff weight: 185,000lb (83 900 kg)
 Powerplant: 4× Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire A.S.Sa.7 turbojets, 11,000 lbf (49
kN) each

Performance

 Maximum speed: 650 mph (1050 km/h)

 Range: 1,500 mi (2400 km)
 Service ceiling: 49,000ft (18 300 m)
 Rate of climb: ft/min (m/s)
 Wing loading: lb/ft² (kg/m²)
 Thrust/weight: 0.27

Armament

 1 x Grand Slam bomb

 2 x Tallboy bomb
 35 x 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs
 Blue Steel nuclear missile