Victor Blue Steel bay doors?

[Blacktjet]

This question has probably been asked before at some point so apologies if it is a repeat.

 

The Airfix kit provides a recessed fairing, similar to that used on the Vulcan but I was under the impression that the Victor had a hinged Blue Steel shaped panel that retracted into the bay, which then closed to form the normal bay door cross section once the weapon had been released. Is the Airfix part incorrect?

[pigsty]

The Aerofax book says the Blue Steel was semi-recessed in the bomb bay with "fairings tailored to the body of the missile"; and that, after launch, doors would close to restore the Victor's aerodynamic profile.  I'm not sure whether that amounts to a shaped panel but it certainly suggests that there would be no visible recess after launch.  Whether the shape before loading the Blue Steel would have been stock Victor or with a recess, it's not abundantly clear.

[Blacktjet]

38 minutes ago, pigsty said:

The Aerofax book says the Blue Steel was semi-recessed in the bomb bay with "fairings tailored to the body of the missile"; and that, after launch, doors would close to restore the Victor's aerodynamic profile.  I'm not sure whether that amounts to a shaped panel but it certainly suggests that there would be no visible recess after launch.  Whether the shape before loading the Blue Steel would have been stock Victor or with a recess, it's not abundantly clear.

I can't believe there are no photographs about of a blue steel Victor without its missile. By the term " Blue Steel shape", I meant in outline and not a concave shape, just to be clear.

[71chally]

In one of the other Victor threads on here, there are some extracts from the Victor AP and photos of the fairing arrangement.

I believe Airfix are about right with it.

 

Edit,

Some of it is on page 3 of this thread, but there is more showing the fairings somewhere, AP illustrations posted by Canberrakid,

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235012370-airfix-victor-delayed/&page=4

 

There seems to an arm, or steady brace affair at the nose of the missile when it is mounted to the Victor, a few feet behind the nose wheel bay, be interesting to see details of that as well.

Edited January 14, 2017 by 71chally

[canberra kid]

As James says I have posted some of these before, these are all drawings from the Victor repair AP's relating to the fairing doors.

 

 

John 

[Blacktjet]

Had I not seen the two photographs on the other page, these AP extracts would have been sufficient in convincing me that there were indeed doors that closed to reinstate the bomb bay door shape. However, the closed doors in the pictures look concave at the front and flat to the rear.

[71chally]

Thanks John, there were some others that were a bit clearer, think it showed all the fairings seen from the underside in place on the belly?

 

I assume then that 'Blue Steel' door revolved around and closed off the open areas of the fairings once the missile had gone?

 

Anything on that missile nose steady John?

[canberra kid]

23 minutes ago, 71chally said:

Thanks John, there were some others that were a bit clearer, think it showed all the fairings seen from the underside in place on the belly?

 

I assume then that 'Blue Steel' door revolved around and closed off the open areas of the fairings once the missile had gone?

 

Anything on that missile nose steady John?

I can't recall seeing anything James, I will take another look, if I do I'll post it up.  I was thinking the same regarding the doors, from the drawing it looks that way to me too.

John  

[Spad]

Looking at the top pic from John, it seems pretty clear to me that the missile was set into a hole, not a recess, and that when the missile was gone a pair of doors rotated down from within to fill the hole. You can make out a representation of the outline of a Blue Steel type shape along the top edge of the retracted door.

Agreed?

HTH
Rick

[Blacktjet]

10 hours ago, Spad said:

Looking at the top pic from John, it seems pretty clear to me that the missile was set into a hole, not a recess, and that when the missile was gone a pair of doors rotated down from within to fill the hole. You can make out a representation of the outline of a Blue Steel type shape along the top edge of the retracted door.

Agreed?

HTH
Rick

This was my thinking but these pictures from the other thread, would suggest that there is a recess with possibly the rear fared into the rear fuselage. 

 

But this would suggest doors that filled in the gap left by the missile and reinstated the bomb bay doors cross section - although I think this is an SR and should have the original bomb bay doors fitted. This picture shows what looks like closed Blue Steel shaped doors and the black (rubber seal?) aft of where the missiles wings would have been.

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/photos/airliners/1/8/8/2530881.jpg?v=v40

 

 

It's clear that the kit recessed part is incorrect, however, with the missile fitted, it is sufficient as non of the internals, or the trapeze that the missile is fitted to can be seen - although Airfix have missed the aerodynamic disposable fairing from the rear of the missile and the (pitot warmer?) attachment at the front. Still need clarity on those closed doors though. 

 

 

Edited January 15, 2017 by Blacktjet

[canberra kid]

I Think the item labeled "Blue Steel Door" does close the void left by the round, it certainly looks that way to me.the photos would suggest this to me. we need Dennis to give a definitive answer from his first had experience! 

 

John

[Blacktjet]

14 minutes ago, canberra kid said:

I Think the item labeled "Blue Steel Door" does close the void left by the round, it certainly looks that way to me.the photos would suggest this to me. we need Dennis to give a definitive answer from his first had experience! 

 

John

Where is Dennis??? Had a thought about that attachment at the front of the missile, I wonder if it was to feed the correct airspeed to the missile due to the lower AOA and thus the pitot sensor not getting the correct airflow - this would explain why the Vulcan didn't need it.

 

I think the two photographs above could show a short lived mod after Blue Steel had been withdrawn from service. I think there are three doors, two missile shaped doors that had a curved cross section and were rotated in the same way as the standard bomb doors and a small rectangular door at the forward section, that was hinged at the front.

Edited January 15, 2017 by Blacktjet

[gcds]

Andrew Brooks said that after the Blue Steel missile had been released the doors closed to give the same underside profile as a conventional bomber.