Home > Avro Vulcan
| Avro Vulcan B1
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| Description
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| Role | Strategic nuclear bomber
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| Crew | 5
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| First prototype flight | 30 August 1952
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| First production flight | 4 February 1955
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| Entered Service | 20 July 1956
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| Manufacturer | A. V. Roe & Co., Woodford
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| Dimensions
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| Length | 97 ft 1 in | 29.6 m
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| Wingspan | 99 ft | 30.2 m
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| Height | 26 ft 6 in | 8.1 m
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| Wing area | 3554 ft² | 330 m²
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| Weights
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| Empty | 83,573 lb | 37,144 kg |
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| Loaded | lb | kg
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| Maximum takeoff | 170,000 lb | 77,100 kg |
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| Capacity |
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| Powerplant
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| Engines |
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| Power | hp | kW
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| Thrust | lb | kN
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| Performance
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| Maximum speed | Mach 0.95 at 12,000 m
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| Cruising speed | Mach 0.92 at 15,200 m
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| Combat range | miles | km
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| Ferry range | miles | km
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| Service ceiling | 55,000 ft | 16,750 m
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| Rate of climb | ft/min | m/min
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| Wing loading | lb/ft² | kg/m²
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| Avionics
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| Avionics |
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| Armament
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| Guns |
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| Bombs |
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| Missiles |
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| Rockets |
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| Other |
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| Avro Vulcan B2
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| Description
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Avro Vulcan B.2 XH534
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| Description
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| Role | Strategic nuclear & tactical low-level bomber
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| Crew | 5
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| First prototype flight | 31 August 1957
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| First production flight | 19 August 1958
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| Entered Service | 1 July 1960
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| Manufacturer | A. V. Roe & Co., Woodford
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| Dimensions
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| Length | 99 ft 11 in | 30.45 m
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| Wingspan | 111 ft | 33.83 m
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| Height | 27 ft 2 in | 8.28 m
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| Wing area | 3965 ft² | 368.3 m²
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| Weights
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| Empty | lb | kg |
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| Loaded | lb | kg
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| Maximum takeoff | 204,000 lb | 92,543 kg |
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| Capacity |
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| Powerplant
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| Engines | Four Olympus 201 (or 301) turbojets
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| Power | hp | kW
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| Thrust | 4x 17,000 lb (201); 4x 20,000 lb (301)
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| Performance
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| Maximum speed | mph | km/h
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| Combat Range | miles | km
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| Ferry range | miles | km
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| Service ceiling | 55,000 ft | 16,750 m
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| Rate of climb | ft/min | m/min
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| Wing loading | lb/ft² | kg/m²
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| Avionics
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| Avionics |
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| Armament
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| Guns |
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| Bombs |
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| Missiles |
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| Rockets |
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| Other |
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The Avro Vulcan was a British built jet engined, delta-winged subsonic bomber, once part of the RAF's V bomber force.
1 Design and prototypes
Design work began at A. V. Roe in 1947 under Roy Chadwick, the Ministry of Defence specification required a bomber with a top speed of 500 knots (930 km/h), an operating ceiling of 50,000 ft (15,000 m), a range of 3,000 nautical miles (5,500 km) and a bomb load of 10,000 lb (4,500 kg). It also held the distinction as the first fly-by-wire aircraft to enter service. Design work also began at Vickers and Handley Page, all three designs were approved - the Valiant, the Victor and the Vulcan.
Avro began scale prototype testing in 1948 with the single-seater Type 707, and despite the crash of the first prototype on September 30, 1949 work continued. The first full-scale prototype aircraft, the Type 698, was completed in August 1952 and made its maiden flight on August 31. The Vulcan name was not chosen until 1953.
