Mate of mine joined the RAF a year before I joined the Army and made it into the AAC. He always said that he wanted to work on V-bombers, particularly the Vulcan. Became an avionics Tech, started on Victors, wound up on Vulcans. He said that they were fiendishly complicated systems and he had to concentrate on the work: decided that booze was not good so stopped drinking. Paid off and he rose through the ranks, but when they gradually started phasing out the V-bomber force he took redundancy.
Being an aircraft nutter, I loved the Vulcan, but the really impressive RAF aircraft for me was the Canberra. First RAF jet bomber, so good that the USAF bought it and it was built there under licence by Martin. It was built in so many variants and fitted for so many different roles. Its maiden flight was actually 70 years ago this year and the last 2 flying examples were either scrapped or stored after serving with High Altitude Mapping Missions of Spokane, Washington, until around 2000 or 2001. The 2 aircraft had long exceeded their working life by then, so the company must have wrung out as much life as they could from them.
The Canberra saw service all over the world as a bomber and reconnaissance type. Many other air forces bought the Canberra, including Argentina. At the end of its active service, the Canberra was used to test radar systems, engines, missiles and bombs that were to be used in later aircraft. It was such a stable platform that it was even used to test a rocket motor in its bomb bay, that was meant to be used in the English Electric Lightning. That was never used in the Lightning, as the Avon engine eventually developed so much power that it became unnecessary.
Truly, a great servant to the RAF and the country, one of the longest-serving aircraft for the UK.
When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.
.
