A small gathering of ex-Victor K2 personnel are gathering at Elvington for a day of nostalgia and an engine run of XL231 'Lusty Lindy'. This will be followed by a chance to tour and inspect the aircraft.
The personnel served on either of the Victor K2 Squadrons, No's 55 or No57 Sqn's respectively or The Victor Operational Conversion Unit, No232 OCU.
Subject to the event being a success a major reunion will be organised for 2016.
The event and the Museum is open to general visitors as well on the 12th Sept.
Sunday, 6 September 2015
Sunday, 30 August 2015
Monday 31st August
Due to re-surfacing on the runway, there will be NO taxy runs of the Victor or ANY of the Museum aircraft. ALL engines runs will be carried out on the museum site only until further notice. We realise that this may be a dissapointment to some but, it is a matter out of our control. Updates will be published.
Monday, 24 August 2015
Sqn Ldr Noel 'Red' Dunningham
On Sunday an old friend made a return visit to see XL231. An aircraft he flew many times as part of Britain's Nuclear Deterrent.
'Red' Dunningham was Victor B2 QFI, 'Blue Steel' qualified and had a very long and illustrious career in the RAF.
He started flying Harvards in South Africa before flying Spitfires and Hurricane's operationally. He then went onto the Meteor and Vampire Jet Fighters before commanding a Canberra Squadron.
He was personally selected for the V Force and Victor B2's by Air Chief Marshall Sir Augustus (Gus) Walker to be a Victor B2 pilot and he never regretted a minute of it!
I was lucky to able to take 'Red' on taxy run in XL231 a number of years ago and he was able to ride in the Co-pilot's seat.
'Red' is aged 93 now but, very much with it and apart from being a bit 'shaky' in the legs is bright as a button. The legs he puts down to running too many London Marathons!
He assures he will be back for further visits and we hope that he definitely is!
'Red' Dunningham was Victor B2 QFI, 'Blue Steel' qualified and had a very long and illustrious career in the RAF.
He started flying Harvards in South Africa before flying Spitfires and Hurricane's operationally. He then went onto the Meteor and Vampire Jet Fighters before commanding a Canberra Squadron.
He was personally selected for the V Force and Victor B2's by Air Chief Marshall Sir Augustus (Gus) Walker to be a Victor B2 pilot and he never regretted a minute of it!
I was lucky to able to take 'Red' on taxy run in XL231 a number of years ago and he was able to ride in the Co-pilot's seat.
'Red' is aged 93 now but, very much with it and apart from being a bit 'shaky' in the legs is bright as a button. The legs he puts down to running too many London Marathons!
He assures he will be back for further visits and we hope that he definitely is!
Wednesday, 12 August 2015
XL231 in the 1960's by Dennis Robinson
Dennis Robinson posted the below fantastic pictures on facebook and has kindly allowed them to be shared here that he took of XL231 at RAF Luqa, Malta in the late 1960's. When XL231 was a B2R (retrofit) 'Blue Steel' missile capable aircraft. The top picture is the later one from 1967 with the Wittering Wing Lion on the tail and various aerial modifications not seen in the 3 earlier shots, taken between 1964-67 (Victors were camouflaged by 1964 after the V Force tactics changed from high level to low level operations)
Tuesday, 4 August 2015
April 2nd Engine Runs
Sunday August the 2nd was Engine running day for XL231 and all the 'live' aircraft at the Museum. There was no intended taxying on the runway planned for the event.
As I was intended to run the DC-3 Dakota after major engine work, I felt I had to concentrate on that, so I handed the Victor over to Ollie Suckling, Rob Langham and Rick Gill to run. Ian Finch carried out the Crew Chief duties. All went extremely well and no snags were encountered. At one point the nose Oleo leg visibly compressed under the thrust from the engines! She was shut down in a VERY serviceable condition and we retired to the NAAFI for Coffee and Cake. Grateful the snag list was pretty empty!
As I was intended to run the DC-3 Dakota after major engine work, I felt I had to concentrate on that, so I handed the Victor over to Ollie Suckling, Rob Langham and Rick Gill to run. Ian Finch carried out the Crew Chief duties. All went extremely well and no snags were encountered. At one point the nose Oleo leg visibly compressed under the thrust from the engines! She was shut down in a VERY serviceable condition and we retired to the NAAFI for Coffee and Cake. Grateful the snag list was pretty empty!
Brake and Tyre Servicing
We noticed that we had a hydraulic fluid leak on the port front inner brake unit and by chance the one and only boxed brake unit I had acquired some time ago turned out to be the correct one. So, we fitted the unit and bled the air out of the system without problem. Several brake pistons on the Port front outer brake unit were also weeping oil so I decided to renew the seals on these and all has turned out very well. In addition we also fitted 2 replacement tyres to the outer front wheel. Engineering Students currently with the Museum from France ably assisted in this task and learnt a few extra practical skills. Pictured with team member Sam Ward.
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
Flt Lt John Ledger
It was with sadness that I received the news over the weekend that John Ledger, XL231's first volunteer Captain for her initial taxy runs at Elvington had passed away.
John, a remarkable witty character first appeared at Elvington in early 1994 when he was in his last flying role as Chief Pilot for Knight Air at Leeds & Bradford Airport. The 'Dunkeswick Air Disaster' later in the year involving a company aircraft dissolved the company and John took retirement.
After flying training in the RAF. John was posted to Canberra's and then selected for the V Force. He was posted to the Vickers Valiant Fleet and was selected to be the co-pilot on Britain's first Atomic weapon drop trials in Valiant WZ366 at Maralinga ranges in Australia, he was remarkably non-plussed and stated that "We killed a few Kangaroos!"
After Valiants John flew the Victor B1 before applying to RAF Transport Command for Britannia's. His posting came through; Victor B2's! John was unhappy at the thought of Victors again but, came to love the aeroplane. He finally got the posting he wanted and flew Britannia's before leaving to pursue a Civil career in the airlines. Initially with Monarch he flew the Britannia and flew the IWM's Monarch Britannia 'Victor Tango'on an around the World trip before re-training on his favourite, the Boeing 707. Monarch still had Navigators in those days and being typical ex-RAF he use to taunt them and some of his taunts are hilarious but, not for this blog! Following Monarch he joined the Jordanian carrier ALIA on the Boeing 707 and 720B, he described the latter as the 'hotship 707'. John then flew for a number of airlines until his retirement and then spent 4 years with us at Elvington taking XL231 on its first taxy run as a Civil Victor in 1994. He put enormous faith in myself in the team and before long brought his old AEO Al Stephenson along and Al continues with us to this day.
A severe back injury in 1998 forced John to step down and it hurt him tremendously because he had to give it all up. He did occasionally visit and his sense of humour never really waned, drunken barbecue's and parties with his lovely ex-air hostess wife Maggie were a thing of legend. sadly John's last few years were wheelchair bound and I last saw him a few years back at the Newark V Force reunion.
John, a remarkable witty character first appeared at Elvington in early 1994 when he was in his last flying role as Chief Pilot for Knight Air at Leeds & Bradford Airport. The 'Dunkeswick Air Disaster' later in the year involving a company aircraft dissolved the company and John took retirement.
After flying training in the RAF. John was posted to Canberra's and then selected for the V Force. He was posted to the Vickers Valiant Fleet and was selected to be the co-pilot on Britain's first Atomic weapon drop trials in Valiant WZ366 at Maralinga ranges in Australia, he was remarkably non-plussed and stated that "We killed a few Kangaroos!"
After Valiants John flew the Victor B1 before applying to RAF Transport Command for Britannia's. His posting came through; Victor B2's! John was unhappy at the thought of Victors again but, came to love the aeroplane. He finally got the posting he wanted and flew Britannia's before leaving to pursue a Civil career in the airlines. Initially with Monarch he flew the Britannia and flew the IWM's Monarch Britannia 'Victor Tango'on an around the World trip before re-training on his favourite, the Boeing 707. Monarch still had Navigators in those days and being typical ex-RAF he use to taunt them and some of his taunts are hilarious but, not for this blog! Following Monarch he joined the Jordanian carrier ALIA on the Boeing 707 and 720B, he described the latter as the 'hotship 707'. John then flew for a number of airlines until his retirement and then spent 4 years with us at Elvington taking XL231 on its first taxy run as a Civil Victor in 1994. He put enormous faith in myself in the team and before long brought his old AEO Al Stephenson along and Al continues with us to this day.
A severe back injury in 1998 forced John to step down and it hurt him tremendously because he had to give it all up. He did occasionally visit and his sense of humour never really waned, drunken barbecue's and parties with his lovely ex-air hostess wife Maggie were a thing of legend. sadly John's last few years were wheelchair bound and I last saw him a few years back at the Newark V Force reunion.
"John, I hope that wherever you are, you are at peace with your beloved Valiant's, Victors, and Boeing's. You were a great friend and good company and you put a lot of faith in us to do it right".
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