Hawker Siddeley Avro Vulcan
Role Strategic bomber
National origin United Kingdom
Manufacturer A V Roe & Co (Avro)
Hawker Siddeley Aviation
Designer Roy Chadwick/Stuart Davis
First flight 30 August 1952
Introduction 20 July 1956
Retired March 1984
Status Retired from service
Primary user Royal Air Force
Produced 19561965
Number built 136 (including prototypes)
Unit cost £750,000 (1956)
Specifications (Vulcan B.1)
General characteristics
Crew: 5 (pilot, co-pilot, AEO, Navigator Radar, Navigator Plotter)
Length: 97 ft 1 in (29.59 m)
Wingspan: 99 ft 5 in (30.3 m)
Height: 26 ft 6 in (8.0 m)
Wing area: 3554 ft² (330.2 m²)
Empty weight: 83,573 lb (including crew) (37,144 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 170,000 lb (77,111 kg)
Powerplant: 4 × Bristol Olympus 101, or 102 or 104 turbojet, 11,000 lbf (49 kN) each
Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 0.96 (607 mph (1,040 km/h)) at altitude
Cruise speed: Mach 0.86 (567 miles per hour (912 km/h)) at 45,000 ft
Range: 2,607 mi (4,171 km)
Service ceiling: 55,000 ft (17,000 m)
Thrust/weight: 0.31
Armament
21 x 1,000 pounds (454 kg) of conventional bombs
1 x Blue Danube nuclear gravity bomb
1 x Violet Club 400 kT nuclear gravity bomb
1 x US Mark 5 nuclear gravity bomb supplied under Project E
1 x Yellow Sun Mk.1 400 kT nuclear gravity bomb
1 x Yellow Sun Mk 2 1.1 MT thermonuclear gravity bomb
1 x Red Beard nuclear gravity bomb
