1:144 Avro Vulcan Part 1

The delta that carried the British deterrent

The Avro Vulcan first flew in 1952 and became the most striking of the three British bombers of the Cold War. Its enormous triangular wing was a piece of technical daring at the time and remained the hallmark of the type throughout its service. In the 1960s, to which this sheet belongs, the machines flew in an all-white finish meant to reflect the radiation of a nuclear blast, and they stood on alert at the edges of the runways ready to take off within minutes.

Six machines from the early 1960s

The sheet contains six complete markings. The oldest is a machine of No. 101 Squadron from Waddington in 1962 in the B.1 version, followed by a modernized B.1A of the wing at the same base from 1964. Then come three aircraft of the B.2 version from No. 83 and No. 35 Squadrons and from the famous No. 617 Squadron, the last of these configured as a standoff missile carrier. The six are completed by a machine of a training unit from Finningley. For each option the serial number, the unit, the base and the year are given.

Why this particular period

The year 1963 and the years around it capture the type at the moment when it still flew high and unpainted in camouflage. Only later did it switch to low-level flight under radar and with it to a dark camouflage finish, so the white machines on this sheet represent the older and today more rarely built form.

Working in a small scale

The 1:144 scale forgives less than it might seem. The elements are tiny and curl up easily when lifted out of the water, so pick them up with flat-jawed tweezers and carry them to the model on a drop of water, along which they can be slid into place. On such a large wing area the national insignia have no reference point, so measure the position against the leading edge before you settle the film permanently.