Vulcan XM597 in Rio

[goon]

Hi gang,

I'm building XM597 as she was after diverting to Rio on Black Buck 6. Does anyone know which Shrike hung up? I know the two starboard ones were fired, but I don't know which was still aboard as the aircraft landed.

I could also do with ascertaining where the IFR probe broke. It looks intact on the few photos of the plane on the ground at Rio, so was it just the tip missing or perhaps it was just damaged rather than actually snapped.

 

Thanks for any help,

Gareth 

Edited January 13, 2020 by goon

[JohnT]

I can’t access my books as they are in storage due house move and build but I recall reading a detailed narrative of this. I suspect it was in Vulcan Boys but don’t hold me to that. If anyone has a copy they can check it might hold some info to help you

 

she languishes outside at East Fortune Air Museum just 40 minutes from me here

[iainpeden]

Hi Gareth

 

The Brazilian newspaper article on this page

 

http://www.vulcans.co.uk/blackbuck.htm

 

makes me suspect it was the outer Shrike which hung up - despite the fact the newspaper saying it's a Sidewinder.

 

I also seem to remember that most refuelling probes have a deliberate weak link so that the probe breaks if things go wrong. It makes sense that the tip is the weak area and consequently what broke off.

 

All the best

Iain

 

(it'll look good in Thrifty Blue!😉)

 

[goon]

Thanks both. That's much clearer version of that photo than the one I have seen. It does look like the outer of the two misiles is the problem one. 

 

Cheers,

Gareth

Edited January 13, 2020 by goon

[71chally]

We used to have an OC Ops at St Mawgan who was crew on this flight (Rad Nav I believe), and told the sequence of events really well, including why the probe broke and how they had to get rid of paperwork through a partially open crew door!

 

Unfortunately long out of touch now as I would ask him about the probe specifics.

[JohnT]

You might find this article of interest as it goes into the whole flight in some detail

 

https://www.brasilwire.com/when-the-raf-dropped-in-to-rio/

 

 

[goon]

Thanks for the further replies. It really is an amazing story, and a close shave!

[XV107]

On 1/13/2020 at 10:10 PM, JohnT said:

You might find this article of interest as it goes into the whole flight in some detail

 

https://www.brasilwire.com/when-the-raf-dropped-in-to-rio/

 

 

 

"But even as the Brazilian Air Traffic Controller struggled to understand Trevaskus’s distorted speech, he had noticed that the AEO had failed to reveal both what he was flying in and where he was flying from.

The controller tried again and, in heavily accented English, asked once more who they were and where they came from. He wasn’t fluent though and, didn’t, McDougall felt, quite grasp what was going on."

Dave Castle, who was the Radar Nav  came up with the solution and the controller was informed that they were from Huddersfield.

Tony Blackman put the tale up on his website at around the time Vulcan Boys hit the bookshops - Shriking, Rio and Return - Dave Castle
 

 

It explains the problem with the probe, but not which of the Shrikes hung up. I think may have the detail from one of the Vulcan Ops files from Kew somewhere, but can't be sure. If I have and remember the thread...

[71chally]

Excellent article, not seen that before.

Dave Castle was the chap I was referring to in my earlier post, he told it in a bit more 'rawness' than the article!

[DAG058]

 

This has just been posted on Mark Feltons YouTube, very good timing! 

[rayprit]

Heres the logistics of how the Victors were set up to refuel the Vulcans on the mission...…………………..easy when you see how it was done

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5yAtuYPHK4