Avro Vulcan Crash 20th September 1958 - Keith Sturt - YouTube 20 September 1958 Vulcan VX770 The aircraft which was a development prototype and not owned formally by the RAF had taken off from Hucknall and was taking part in a fly-past at the annual airshow at RAF Syerston. During a low level run across the airfield it began to break up and crashed killing the operating crew and three RAF ground personnel. The cause was attributed to structural failure caused by the installation of more powerful engines which led to the leading edge of the wing breaking up under severe pressure leading in turn to a general disintegration. Casualties Mr. Keith Sturt 29 Pilot Mr. Richard W. Ford 35 Co-Pilot Mr. William Howkins 25 Flight Test Engineer F/L. Raymond Michael Parrott 28 Navigator Sgt. Edmond Douglas Simpson 39 Air Traffic Control assistant in runway caravan. Sgt. Charles Hanson 35 Senior Aircraftman John James Tonks 23 Airfield Fire Service. 'Category Five' - Colin Cummings.
Wahoo...Never seen it before.Surely a national drama,at the moment it happened.It was such a beautiful bird ,even if Victor's my fave.
Peter, Thank you for that information. I was not aware of the incident involving a prototype. Regards Tom
Peter Thanks for the post, did not realize that it was structural damage that caused it to crash owing to an engine upgrade. I know the Valiant was withdrawn through metal fatigue at an early stage, the only one I saw was the gate gardian at RAF Marham in the late sixties
Not just the Valiant...also the Victor from frontline service eventually, this time fatigue in the outer sections of the wings; luckily the conversion to tanker meant that the wings could be shortened a tad IIRC, and gave the Victor years' more active service. Incidently - the Valiant didn't actually have a fatigue problem until the U2 Incident demanded a change in mission profile for the V-Force, and they began practicing low-level attacks I.E. high-G manouvers in thicker air than planned for them. And in that environment, the Valiant had a service life of some 25 more HOURS' flying time Which was a pity, because test pilots and RAF crews alike LOVED the Valiant! It had room, an airliner-sized flight deck, a control layout with some proper thought as to ergonomics, and wonderful little touches not seen before on RAF aircraft like...a heater! Years before at the start of the V-bomber programme, Vickers HAD built a much stronger, low-level variant of the Valiant - a one-off, known as the "Black Bomber" - that wowed crowds at 1950s airshows alongside its white high-altitude fellow...and really grabbed the public's attention. But after some years, with no contract or role forthcoming, it was scrapped...and by the time a low-level Valiant WAS needed - it was long gone It's hard to remember now how much air shows and British aviation deeds grabbed the public mind in the late 1940s and 1950s....but in the 1960's someone remembered - HONDA! And looking for an attention-grabbing name for it's new "large" capacity twin on the UK market then elsewhere...it fastened on - ...Black Bomber!
During my apprenticeship we were making components for Victor,Vulcan Sea Vixen, Shackleton's and more-Avro Shackletons - I made some pipe couplers the drawing AVRO (AV Roe) 1929 if a part works keep it, this would have been 1966ish! The three V bombers were re tasked and no longer flying at high altitude, they were going to deliver at low level. The Victor and Vulcan were better suited, The Valiant did not take the stresses of flying in heavy low altitude air and suffered structural problems. Just before I joined the regular army from the TA. The infamous three day week. We had a batch of Vulcan wing bolts on order, the irony of what followed- the Spec was S96 a high tensile steel. The company tried everywhere to get it, all of the British suppliers were quoting months. BAC as it was then suggested an approved supplier, it was ordered and picked up at Heathrow 2 days later - ordered from Germany. It really was a sad bad time in British industry then - Unions and appalling management with a lack of investment. Everyone on the workshops could see the writing on the wall. Arguably the best aircraft industry in the world at one time. The last aircraft I made many of the metal components for; the colour part of the following video is the replica - wooden with RR continental 220 engine of the 1927 Supermarine S.5 serial N220. Supermarine S.4 - YouTube
I made some pipe couplers the drawing AVRO (AV Roe) 1929 if a part works keep it, this would have been 1966ish! There's another world famous company I know like that - Harley Davidson! Each Harley component or part thereof has a five or six digit number....followed by a two-digit year code I.E a part no. that read "XXXXXX-99" would have first been made to that spec and never susequently altered from it...in 1999. Buried away in the heart of the oil pump in EVERY Harley on the raod today, there's a little gear shaft with a year suffix of "-17"!!! In other words...it was first made to that spec in 1917 - and has not been changed or upgraded since! :p That either says something good about the quality of H-D's and AV Roe's engineering....or something very very baaaaaaaaaaad!
There's another world famous company I know like that - Harley Davidson! Each Harley component or part thereof has a five or six digit number....followed by a two-digit year code I.E a part no. that read "XXXXXX-99" would have first been made to that spec and never susequently altered from it...in 1999. Buried away in the heart of the oil pump in EVERY Harley on the raod today, there's a little gear shaft with a year suffix of "-17"!!! In other words...it was first made to that spec in 1917 - and has not been changed or upgraded since! :p That either says something good about the quality of H-D's and AV Roe's engineering....or something very very baaaaaaaaaaad! If it ain't broke - don't fix it.
