Victor Boys: True Stories from Forty Memorable Years of the Last V Bomber

Description

The Handley Page Victor was the third of the three V Bombers and the longest lasting, serving in the RAF until 1993, and still doing invaluable service in the first Iraq war. Moreover, in 1982 it was only the Victor tanker fleet based on Ascension Island that made possible the Vulcan Black Buck bombing of Port Stanley airfield and the long-range reconnaissance of Argentina by Nimrods. Victor Boys tells the story of all the great things that were achieved, recounted first hand by the operators themselves, aircrew and ground crew. Starting with accounts by test pilot Johnny Allam, who undertook the major development of the aircraft, through its work as a nuclear bomber during the Cold War, testing Blue Steel in Australia, to its superb performance during the Falklands war and later as a first class air-to-air refuelling tanker and vital support tool for fighters and other aircraft. The stories are collated and set in context by Tony Blackman, ex-chief test pilot of Avros who helped develop the Vulcan and initiated the development of the Victor K2 tanker. For him, initially, the Victor seemed a competitor but he now readily admits what a wonderful aircraft the Victor became. AUTHOR: Tony Blackman OBE, MA FRAes obtained an honours degree in Physics at Trinity College Cambridge. He learnt to fly in the RAF, trained as a test pilot, and then joined A V Roe to become chief test pilot. As an expert in aviation electronics he was subsequently invited by Smiths Industries to join their Aerospace Board, initially as technical operations director. On leaving Smiths he joined the board of the UK Civil Aviation Authority. He is a fellow of the American Society of Experimental Test Pilots, a fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation and a liveryman of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots.

Tony Blackman has spent his life in the aircraft industry as a test pilot, as an avionics specialist and then on the Board of UK Civil Aviation Authority as the Technical Member.

The Victor fans will enjoy this generous assemblage of first-hand accounts. The text is both authoritative and informative. * The Aviation Historian * A "hard to put down" book. Highly recommended! * Air Mail * This is a very readable account of the development as seen by the engineers and air crews of the Victor. * Aeromilitaria *