Victor K2 XL231

[Blue_2]

For those of you not familiar with our girl, she's one of 5 surviving Handley Page Victors. Of those 5, only 2 are runnable, '231 (better known by her Gulf War name 'Lusty Lindy') and Bruntingthorpe's example 'Teasin Tina'.
Lindy is more complete than she was when she was delivered to Elvington 18 years ago, with her underwing refuelling pods and centreline HDU all fitted, as well as all her nav aids, H2S radar etc. We aim to keep her as complete and operational as we can.
Over the last year we've had the Artouste APU out for a generator change and de-corrosion work in its bay, done various electrical jobs, got the hydraulics for the skip operational again, and are currently part way through reinstating the original door key lock. Hopefully this year will see a repaint commence.
We have ground power on every weekend, and run the Artouste each month. While it hasn't been possible to run the engines very much this year, we hope to do more engine runs and get back to fast taxying this year. This will however rely on us sourcing fuel; Victors are thirsty beasts!
In the meantime, here's some pics from over the last year.
Our girl

AEO's panel

Skip deployed

Hard at work lubricating the throttle runs

One of the engine running days

All four Conways up and running

At rest

It gets cold in Yorkshire!

[Dan4th]

Thank You, Mister Blue!

You know, I used to think the Victor was
a very odd-looking aircraft, but with time
and a little education from the Iconic
Forumeers, I have gained an appreciation
of her functionality and purposeful nature.....

Oh, and what's that in the foreground in
the last shot????????

Danf.

[Mayfly]

I think the Victor is one of those designs that you either love or hate, she perhaps takes little getting used too but has a beauty all of her own,

Thanks for posting Blue.

[Blue_2]

She's certainly a different looking aircraft! We love her though and she did an excellent job for the RAF as part of the Nuclear Deterrent, then another excellent job as a tanker!
I'll keep updating on this thread each week with what jobs we get up to.

Dan that be the (very frosty!) wingtip!

[Richw_82]

Welcome to Iconic Aircraft Blue_2 and Lusty Lindy! Good to see you over here.

[Blue_2]

Cheers Rich! It's all your fault...

[Yorkie]

I tried to throw some pictures up for you all but it's not playing!

I love this aircraft and hats off to the guys looking after it.

I spend many an hour looking at her, she is such a good looking aircraft... I will try to post pick but they may just appear.....





When you could get her all in before they parked a Nimrod in the way!!

[Xplumberlives]

Nice shots B2, don't forget she was also a pretty good conventional bomber with 35 x 1000 Lb bombs!

[Blue_2]

True, even though they had to fit an airflow spoiler to actually get the bombs to leave the bay!

[Xplumberlives]

True, even though they had to fit an airflow spoiler to actually get the bombs to leave the bay!

Indeed, but that's where the use of electriaclly fired cartridges in EXPLOSIVE RELEASE UNITS started to become necessary!

GRAVITY alone was not enough anymore!

[Jigsaw]

I have always loved the Victor (even when they kept me awake through the night when I was a kid at Marham)
Always thought they were a lovely looking aircraft

[MOD]

Well done to all at YAM for keeping this aircraft in good order.

Here she is in the early 90s - could be at an IAT Fairford?





Is this XL231? I can't find any reference to this graphic anywhere. Do you guys know which Victor wandered across the grass at Offutt?


Hopefully see you soon.

Ian

[Jigsaw]

Great pics (no shock there) Ian
Great to see 55sqn in the air
Can't help with the offutt info sorry mate. I did see one do the same at the end of Marham's runway though.

[Sooty655]

Thanks for the great pics and update, Blue_2.

It's good to get some detail on another cold war veteran.

[Blue_2]

I think it was the one who's nose is in the RAF museum. It wore 'I ran off at Offutt' art on the crew door, not sure if it still does though.

[MOD]

I have always loved the Victor (even when they kept me awake through the night when I was a kid at Marham)
Always thought they were a lovely looking aircraft

Kev where are the photos???

Yes they were extremely photogenic. I just wish I had got to see more of them.

There is a story, from way back, concerning a very late deployment of Victors to Nellis. I believe they were 'tanking' Vulcans (or even GR1 Tornados) during a 'Red Flag' exercise when they were spotted by a very senior USAF officer who, apparently, turned to his RAF 'guest' Senior officer and said 'You kept these quiet!! What the ++++ are they??' Only to be told that they were Victor 'V' bombers, turned Tankers, and they were just about to be scrapped.!!!

This may well be an apocryphal story but it just goes to show how futuristic the Victor design really was.

Mod

[Jigsaw]

Pictures Ian? Sorry mate I was but a child (without a camera)

[Ramshornvortex]

Is this XL231? I can't find any reference to this graphic anywhere. Do you guys know which Victor wandered across the grass at Offutt?

It's XH672. See here: http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/victor/history.php

[Jigsaw]

Is this XL231? I can't find any reference to this graphic anywhere. Do you guys know which Victor wandered across the grass at Offutt?

It's XH672. See here: http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/victor/history.php

Beat me to it Rhv (about 3/4 down the page Ian)

[Blue_2]

MOD, lovely shots of our Lindy! Must've been taken early 90's, as the nose art was applied for Desert Storm, as it was for the other 'named' jets in the fleet. If anyone else has any photos of Lindy or any of the fleet in service (or any spares or fuel!) please do share

[Sploosher]

Great photos guys.................

Its nice to see and hear these big jets in operation............

will try to get to some of the thunder days at YAM this year....

[MOD]

Is this XL231? I can't find any reference to this graphic anywhere. Do you guys know which Victor wandered across the grass at Offutt?

It's XH672. See here: http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/victor/history.php

Thanks Charles. I was not at Finningley in 93 so I wonder where I took this photo?

Ian

[Hihonyr8811]

I hope to get back to YAM sooner rather than later as my one and only trip last June was cut short as we had to be somewhere

Hope you don't mind me posting some of mine, I never got around to posting these at the time for some reason.








That one didn't really work but it's different I guess.


Love the photo with the frost on the wings, beautiful

[Avro683]

I have often wondered why Victor intake blanks were not red like the Vulcan?

[Jigsaw]

I have often wondered why Victor intake blanks were not red like the Vulcan?

I mostly remember them being red mate