Vickers Valiant "Pathfinder" - What Operational Schemes..?

[Richard E]

A question for the knowledgable.

 

I expect the obvious answer is going to be look towards a contemporary Vulcan or Victor and choose a variation of any grey/green camouflage upper surfaces and white or grey undersurfaces; if the Pathfinder version of the Valiant had entered RAF service are there any alternative schemes which the aircraft might have worn ? 

 

 

[71chally]

My answer is that in the pathfinder role the Valiant B.2 would have worn the scheme that Canberra B(I).8s used, standard camo top with black undersides coming up about the half way point of the fuselage, and later the camo top extending further down the sides to the black. 

The Valiant B.2 and Canberra B.5 Pathfinder & B(I).8 prototypes were all demonstrated in predominantly black.

 

However I don't think the pathfinder role itself would have lasted long (certainly for justifying a dedicated type) and as the B.2 was more advanced than the 1 it would have replaced them and gone into the low-level strike role.

Initially I think this would again be in the B(I).8 scheme but then changed to the V-Force low-level scheme adopted by Victor's and Vulcans in the mid 1960s.

Even the Valiant 2 was old tech compared to the Vulcan & Victor so personally I don't think it would have seen front-line service beyond the early 1970s.  

[Richard E]

Thanks James

 

Must admit I was thinking about a Middle Eastern scheme: sand/stone upper surfaces and PRU Blue undersides or a test scheme, either "Raspberry Ripple" or the more elegant grey, red and white scheme worn by the A&AEE's DH Comet 4C which would probably be one of the Valiant's contemporaries.

[Adam Poultney]

I agree with 71chally, likely camo over black at first then later more standard low level schemes for the V Bombers. If it had lasted to the end of the 1970s there might have even been wrap around similar to Vulcans, but would it have lasted that long? I don't know.

 

For details I would look to the Vulcan. That lost its black radome in the early-mid 70s, the underside was changed to grey. Both the Vulcan and Victor received two shade roundels which eliminated the white band, so the Valiant probably would have too. TFR was installed on Vulcans, starting not long after the Valiants were withdrawn so Valiants may have received something similar. Other lumps and bumps appeared on both Victors and Vulcans, I assume the Valiant would have similar additions so I certainly wouldn't make a model of the prototype and just paint it differently, unless you are thinking an early production one perhaps. I have no idea about what plans there were for the Valiant B2 in production, but since the Mk2 Victor and Mk2 Vulcans had more powerful engines and larger intakes it would make sense if the Valiant B2 had something similar too on production versions.

[Graham Boak]

The Valiants were withdrawn because the alloy they were built with suffered badly from fatigue, so no they wouldn't have lasted.  If they had set to building any Mk.2s then these presumably it would have been restressed for later alloys, like everything else in that timescale.  I'm not sure just how easy that would have been, but not very.

[The wooksta V2.0]

I'm planning on Dark Sea Grey and Dark Green over PRU Blue for mine, if and when I get round to building it.

 

IIRC, the serials were allocated for either 13 or 17 B2s then reallocated to additional B1s when the B2 was cancelled. I'm away from my references so don't have the numbers to hand.

[mackem01]

It's your what if, so whatever you fancy. Go for it.

[71chally]

Production Valiant B.2s were going to be fitted with RR Conways, so some scope for modding the intakes etc.   I don't know if drawings exist showing the Conway installation, but I've always envisaged them paired in a box like installation like with the Victor, rather than the tubes of the Avon fit.

[KevinK]

21 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

If they had set to building any Mk.2s then these presumably it would have been restressed for later alloys, like everything else in that timescale.  I'm not sure just how easy that would have been, but not very.

 

It was.

 

In the 1980s I worked with an engineer who had been a junior stressman at Vickers on the Valiant B.2; he said that the whole aircraft was restressed.