Handley Page Victor

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Victor
Image:Victor V Bomber.jpg
RAF Victor in anti-flash white
Type	Strategic bomber
Manufacturer	Handley Page Aircraft Company
Maiden flight	December 1952
Introduced	1957
Retired	1993
Primary user	Royal Air Force

The Handley Page Victor was a British jet bomber aircraft, one of the 'V bombers' intended to carry Britain's nuclear arsenal. The other two V-bombers were the Avro Vulcan and the Vickers Valiant. During the Borneo conflict of 1962-66, two Victor B Mk 1A bombers flew the Victor's only offensive mission.

With the grounding of the Vickers Valiant due to structural problems, the programme for the first production model Victors to replace it in the inflight refuelling role was sped up.

On 1956-06-01 a production Victor XA917 flown by test pilot Johnny Allam inadvertently exceeded the speed of sound after Allam let the nose drop slightly at a high-power setting. Allam noticed a cockpit indication of Mach 1.1 and ground observers from Watford to Banbury reported hearing a sonic boom.

After finally being phased out of bomber service with the Royal Air Force, the Victor saw continued and extensive use as a tanker aircraft. In this role it flew in support of the Vulcan bombing raids during the Falklands War. It was finally withdrawn from service in 1993, having lasted nine years longer in service than any of the other V bombers, albeit not in its original role.

1 Variants
2 Operators
3 Units Using the Victor
4 Specifications (Handley-Page Victor B.1)
5 External links
6 Related content

[edit] Variants

Victor B.1 : Strategic bomber aircraft.
Victor B.1A : Strategic bomber aircraft.
Victor B.1A (K.2P) : Inflight refuelling tanker, retaining bomber capability.
Victor BK.1 : In-flight refuelling tanker (renamed K.1 after bombing capability removed)
Victor BK.1A : In-flight refuelling tanker.(renamed K.1A as for K.1)
Victor B.2 : Strategic bomber aircraft.
Victor B(SR).2 : Strategic reconnaissance aircraft.
Victor K.2 : Inflight refuelling tanker.