Via AirPigz...
That's an Avro Vulcan, the RAF's answer to the B-52. This particular aircraft is shown flying at the at the 2010 Royal International Air Tattoo and is the only airworthy example of the type left. As always, you should watch in full-screen HD if you have the bandwidth.
It's a pity the sky wasn't bright clear blue because the Vulcan reminds one of nothing less than a giant metallic manta ray moving through the sea... even on a cloudy grayish sort of day. Beautiful.
Saw a Vulcan up close and personal at the McChord AFB air show in the early 80s. The crew had flown her up fresh from the Falkland, if memory serves.
ReplyDeleteNice plane, but its no Buff.
Your manta metaphor is right on.
ReplyDelete“…the Vulcan reminds one of nothing less than a giant metallic manta ray moving through the sea…”
ReplyDeleteLike an over served drunk erroneously overestimating his delusional intellect while painfully attempting to solve some societal shortcoming, analogies are way too often overused.
Not this time, hats off, that was spot on, Buck.
Never seen/heard of the Vulcan. Great name.
BTW, saw this and thought of you -
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2010/10/the-differential-theory-of-the-us-armed-forces-suck-model.html#comments
Nice plane, but its no Buff.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the Buff is special in its own particular way, innit? I saw the Vulcan fly a couple of times when I was in England in the '80s and it IS a beautiful aircraft, tho.
Lou: Thank ya, Ma'am!
tim: Lex published that suckage cartoon sometime ago to the hoots and haw-haws of his mostly Navy audience. But there's truth in it. And thank you for the kind words about the metaphor.
In my RAF Fairford days, we were just down the road from the Vulcan base, and they'd swing by for touch-and-gos fairly often. And they always drew a crowd of people spilling out of the buildings and hangars to watch.
ReplyDeleteThe Red Arrows base was about five miles off the southwest end of the runway, and on a non-hazy day we could see them practicing.
I've seen the Red Arrows a couple o' times... but their jets are too damned small. Those dinky lil trainers are hard to see... an aerobatic team needs a big-ass airframe, like the F-4.
ReplyDeleteOld Fart, out. (heh)
Ah, Blogger is bein' cranky today, I see...
ReplyDeleteI got to see the Vulcan in Goose Bay. We were on a big exercise. One of the pilots came to fly with us, and we plunked him down in the right seat, and let him fly the Boeing. Up and down, up and down. "Damn Junior where'd you learn to fly?" Sorry sir, I just realized that the colors on your pitch command are just the opposite of ours. (red chases yellow on a Boeing) I hadn't done so many negative G's since basic flight. Oh well, it was fun. His biggest comment was how much room we had. The Vulcan sits close enough that you come to know everything about your partner as he reaches for the PRT (pilot relief tube)...
ReplyDeleteThe Vulcan sits close enough that you come to know everything...
ReplyDeleteHeh. The VERY definition of TMI. For YOU. Thanks for that, Anon!