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Thread ID: 106723 2010-01-20 20:17:00 Avro Vulcan B1 XH498 The one that Crashed At Ohakea Trev (427) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
850277 2010-01-21 03:43:00 There was a story somewhere on the web that the RAF were so worried about the advanced technology on the Vulcan being seen by anyone, including the RNZAF, that they instructed the pilot to order the crew to bail out, and then ditch the Vulcan in the sea. Whether he was meant to survive or not did not interest the RAF, or so the story went.

There was another part to the story that the Poms flew staff to NZ along with the spares so that they could do all the work on the plane instead of RNZAF personnel doing it, and that the plane was to be kept under the strictest security.

The other bit of the story was that the pilot disobeyed orders, and when the plane was safely landed at Ohakea, the Kiwis sabotaged the security plan.

I have no idea whether any of this stuff has any veracity. Perhaps the Kiwis fixed the plane with No 8 fencing wire and chuddy gum too, who knows?
John H (8)
850278 2010-01-21 04:38:00 I was there that day. The pilot had two attempts at landing and it was the second attempt that bent the undercarriage.

At the time I was living in Strathmore Park and a group of us were on the sandhills on the eastern side of the airport.

I remember the kerosene smell too as the Vulcan left for Ohakea.

I was there that day too,
Don't remember seeing you Sweep?.
The weather wasn't that bad.

Didn't realise it was the year I arrived in Kiwiland.
The bridge was finished that year too.
Cicero (40)
850279 2010-01-21 05:14:00 Well as I said I was on the sandhills and the breeze was not strong enough to pick up sand and blow it in my face. Sweep (90)
850280 2010-01-21 06:40:00 Well as I said I was on the sandhills and the breeze was not strong enough to pick up sand and blow it in my face.

I arrived via zoo road,at top of hill and watched the drama from there.
Cicero (40)
850281 2010-01-21 10:02:00 I was but a pup :) :) Zippity (58)
850282 2010-01-22 08:05:00 The Vulcan was a great Aircraft, extremely strong, it was the sole member of the V force to survive as a bomber long term, mainly because it could take a sustained hammering from turbulence at low level. When the V Force took on low level penetration, the Handley Page Victor was recycled into the Airbourne tanker roll, the Vickers Valiant was grounded and suddenly phased out after a major structural failure of a main spar at RAF Marham on its landing run.

When I was stationed at RAF Akrotiri in Cyrus, we had 2 Vulcan squadrons on the base, and as part of a NEAF fire power display they scrambled all 24 - a fantastically noisy experience, but very impressive, as 96 Olympus engines were fired up and the bombers taxied in line to take off in stream.

The Vulcans Olympus engines were further developed to power the Concord.

There is still one Vulcan flying in the UK as a warbird - not too often - something to do with the cost of fuel and the amount it burns
KenESmith (6287)
850283 2010-01-22 08:11:00 How long did it take to fix the plane back to a flyable condition at Ohakea prefect (6291)
850284 2010-01-22 08:37:00 The Vulcan was yet another inept failure in a long line. It did cast a neat if slow moving shadow though. The V-bombers were brilliant examples of selling a crock to the politicians and via them to the public, the numbers of variants and descendant types testify to the brilliant aeronautical features they so brilliantly displayed. R2x1 (4628)
850285 2010-01-22 09:00:00 For those interested there is a book out called Vulcan 607 which you can buy in softcover form for about $20 in NZ or loan from your local public library, which is the story of the Vulcans flying down to the Falkland islands in 1982 during the Falklands war.
:)
Trev (427)
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