The Handley Page Victor is a four-jet strategic bomber built for the Royal Air Force, and the third and last of the V-bombers. It first flew on 24 December 1952, 86 were built, and after its bomber career it served as a tanker until 15 October 1993. Developed by Handley Page.
The Handley Page Victor is a four-jet strategic bomber built for the Royal Air Force, and the third and last of the V-bombers. Developed by Handley Page.
See Specifications for full detail.
The Handley Page Victor is a four-jet strategic bomber built by Handley Page for the Royal Air Force, and the third and last of the V-bombers to enter service. 86 were built, and the RAF flew the type until 15 October 1993. [1]
Bill Gunston called its crescent wing the most efficient high-subsonic wing on any drawing board in 1947. The nuclear deterrent passed to Polaris submarines in 1968, and the Victor then flew as a reconnaissance aircraft and a tanker. K.2 tankers refuelled Vulcans on the Black Buck raids of the 1982 Falklands War. [1] [2]
Air Ministry Specification B.35/46 asked for a bomber able to carry a 10,000 lb bomb 1,500 nautical miles with no defensive guns. Gustav Lachmann and Godfrey Lee designed the crescent wing that gave the Handley Page entry its shape. [1]
Prototype WB771 (HP.80) first flew on 24 December 1952 with Hedley Hazelden at the controls. It crashed at Cranfield on 14 July 1954 after its tailplane detached, killing all four crew. Testing showed the Victor could reach Mach 0.98 without handling or buffeting problems, and on 1 June 1956 XA917 flew at Mach 1.1, the largest aircraft to break the sound barrier at that time. [1]
Four turbojets are buried in the wing roots, and the Victor has a highly swept T-tail and a chin radar bulge. The B.1 used four Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire engines of 11,050 lbf each, and the B.2 switched to Rolls-Royce Conways of 17,250 lbf, rising to 20,600 lbf in the B.2R. At one point the Conway was the most powerful non-afterburning engine outside the Soviet Union. [1] [2]
The B.2 had a larger 120 ft wing than the B.1's 110 ft and added ram air turbines. It was 114 ft 11 in (35.03 m) long, weighed 223,000 lb at maximum takeoff and could carry up to 35 conventional 1,000 lb bombs. The crew of five flew without defensive guns, as the specification required. [1] [2]
The B.1 reached No. 232 OCU at RAF Gaydon in late 1957 and No. 10 Squadron at RAF Cottesmore in April 1958. It carried the Blue Danube bomb, later Yellow Sun, as well as US Mark 5 and British Red Beard weapons. [1]
The B.2 entered service in October 1961, and 21 were converted to B.2R standard to carry the Blue Steel stand-off missile. The Victor left the nuclear role in 1968, after fatigue cracking worsened under the low-level flying profile and Polaris submarines took over the deterrent. [1] [3]
Nine aircraft were converted to B(SR).2 standard for strategic reconnaissance, with cameras and radar mapping. The tankers followed: three-point K.1 and K.1A aircraft with a centreline hose, then 24 K.2s converted from B.2 and B(SR).2 airframes, each carrying 91,000 lb of fuel. The first K.2 flew at Woodford on 1 March 1972. [1] [3] [2]
In the Falklands War K.2s flew more than 3,000 hours and more than 600 air refuelling sorties from Ascension Island, supporting Vulcans, Nimrods, Hercules and Harriers. On the Black Buck raid a relay of Victors refuelled the Vulcan seven times on the way out and once on the way back. The standard account gives eleven tankers, while the RAF Museum gives thirteen. Eight K.2s deployed to Bahrain for the 1991 Gulf War. [3] [2] [1]
No. 55 Squadron flew the last K.2s into retirement on 15 October 1993, 35 years after the type entered RAF service, and Lockheed Tristars and Vickers VC10s took over the tanker role. The Victor had the longest service of the V-bomber generation. [2] [3] [1]
Four Victors survive on public display. XH648 at IWM Duxford is the only surviving B.1, XH672 is at RAF Museum Cosford and XL231 is at the Yorkshire Air Museum, where it is kept in ground-running condition. XM715 at Bruntingthorpe is taxiable but not flightworthy. [1] [3]
The Handley Page Victor has a top speed of 545 kn (627 mph / 1,009 km/h).
A total of 86 were built.
No, the Handley Page Victor has been retired. It retired in 1993-10-15.
The Handley Page Victor first flew on December 24th 1952.
The Handley Page Victor has a range of 4,600 mi (7,400 km, 4,000 nmi).
Four Victors are on public display in the United Kingdom.
The Victor last flew in 1993, so it cannot appear on Flightradar24. Preserved examples are at the Yorkshire Air Museum (XL231), RAF Museum Cosford (XH672), IWM Duxford (XH648) and Bruntingthorpe (XM715).
| Performance | |
| Max Speed | 545 kn (627 mph / 1,009 km/h) |
|---|---|
| Cruise SpeedCruise Speed — The economical speed an aircraft sustains for the bulk of a flight - lower than maximum speed, chosen for the best balance of time and fuel burn. Glossary → | Around Mach 0.92 in service |
| RangeRange — How far an aircraft can fly without refuelling. Quoted figures vary with payload, speed and reserves - see also ferry range and combat radius. Glossary → | 4,600 mi |
| Service CeilingService Ceiling — The highest altitude at which an aircraft can still climb at a useful rate (typically 100 ft/min). Above it, the air is too thin to keep climbing meaningfully. Glossary → | 56,000 ft |
| Airframe & Weight | |
| Wingspan | 120 ft |
| Length | 114 ft 11 in |
| Height | 28 ft 1.5 in |
| WeightMTOW — Maximum Take-Off Weight - the heaviest an aircraft is certified to be at the start of its take-off run, including fuel, crew, payload and the aircraft itself. Glossary → | empty: 98,000 lb; MTOW: 223,000 lb |
| Power & Payload | |
| Engines | 4 x Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.11 turbofans, 17,250 lbf (76.7 kN) each; the B.2R used RCo.17s of 20,600 lbf (91.6 kN) |
| ArmamentArmament — The weapons an aircraft can carry: guns, missiles, bombs and rockets, whether mounted internally, on wing hardpoints, or in bomb bays. Glossary → | Up to 35 x 1,000 lb conventional bombs; Blue Danube, Yellow Sun, Red Beard and US Mark 5 nuclear weapons; Blue Steel stand-off missile (B.2R) |
| Crew | 5 |
| CapacityPayload — Everything an aircraft is carrying that isn't the aircraft or its fuel: passengers, cargo, or weapons. Payload and fuel usually trade off against each other. Glossary → | 35 x 1,000 lb bombs, or one Blue Steel missile on the B.2R |
| Program & Service | |
| Manufacturer | Handley Page |
| Origin | United Kingdom |
| First Flight | December 24th 1952 |
| Service Entry | 1958 |
| Retired | October 15th 1993 |
| Number Built | 86 |
| Unit Cost | Not publicly disclosed - no per-aircraft price is on the public record |
6 notable events involving the Victor, 1952 to 1966. 8 deaths are recorded across the 3 of these with a figure listed. Curated rather than exhaustive.
Prototype WB771, the HP.80, made its first flight with Hedley Hazelden at the controls.
The prototype's tailplane detached and it crashed at Cranfield, killing all four crew.
Victor XA917 reached Mach 1.1, making it the largest aircraft to break the sound barrier at that time.
The rear bomb bay bulkhead of XA921 collapsed in flight, but the aircraft returned safely.
An A&AEE B.2 lost its pitot head and dived into the sea off Pembrokeshire. About 600,000 pieces of wreckage were recovered.
The reconnaissance Victor XM716 broke up at RAF Wyton, killing all four crew.
| Victor B.1 / B.1A | The first production version, with four Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire engines of 11,050 lbf and a 110 ft wing. 50 were built. It reached No. 232 OCU at RAF Gaydon in late 1957 and No. 10 Squadron at RAF Cottesmore in April 1958, and carried Blue Danube, Yellow Sun, Red Beard and US Mark 5 weapons. |
| Victor B.2 / B.2R | The second bomber version, with Conway engines, a larger 120 ft wing and ram air turbines. 34 were built, and it entered service in October 1961. 21 were converted to B.2R standard with 20,600 lbf engines to carry the Blue Steel stand-off missile. |
| Victor B(SR).2 | Nine B.2s were converted for strategic reconnaissance, with cameras and radar mapping equipment. The role replaced the bomber's nuclear task after 1968. SR.2 XM716 broke up at RAF Wyton on 29 June 1966, killing all four crew. |
| Victor K.1 / K.1A | Three-point tankers fitted with a centreline hose. They were the first Victor tanker versions, and the K.2 later took over as the main tanker, with 24 conversions from B.2 and B(SR).2 airframes. |
| Victor K.2 | 24 were converted from B.2 and B(SR).2 airframes, with a clipped 117 ft wing and 91,000 lb of fuel. The first flew at Woodford on 1 March 1972. K.2s refuelled Vulcans on Black Buck in 1982 and served in the 1991 Gulf War until retirement on 15 October 1993. |
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Four Victors are on public display in the United Kingdom.
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