The Avro Vulcan, sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, is a delta wing subsonic jet strategic bomber that was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1953 until 1984. It was developed in response to a specification released by the Air Ministry. At the time, both jet engines and delta wings were considered cutting-edge and relatively unexplored; thus, the small-scale Avro 707 was produced to test the principles of the design. In flight, the Vulcan was an agile aircraft for its size.

The Vulcan B.1 was first delivered to the RAF in 1956. In service, the Vulcan was armed with nuclear weapons and was a part of the RAF's V bomber force, the United Kingdom's airborne deterrent against aggression from other powers such as the Soviet Union during the Cold War. In addition to an extensive electronic countermeasures suite, the Vulcan had a small radar cross-section, aiding its deterrent role by evading detection and therefore increasing the likelihood of penetrating Soviet airspace and deploying its weapons load successfully. A second batch of aircraft, the B.2, was produced with new features, including a larger wing and greater fuel capacity, along with more advanced electronics and radar systems.

The B.2s were adapted into several other variants, the B.2A carrying the Blue Steel missile, the B.2 (MRR) for Marine Radar Reconnaissance use, and the K.2 tanker for air-to-air refuelling. The Vulcan was also used in the secondary role of conventional bombing near the end of its service life in the 1982 Falklands War against Argentina during Operation Black Buck. One example, XH558, was recently restored for use in display flights and commemoration of the employment of the aircraft in the Falklands conflict.

Pictured here is a 1:144 scale replica of a RAF Avro Vulcan strategic bomber that was attached to No.617 Squadron, then deployed to Scampton, Lincs, during 1969. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 11-inches
Length: 11-1/4-inches

Release Date: July 2011

Historical Account: "Live Long and Prosper" - XL427 was completed in September 1962 before being equipped to carry the Blue Steel stand-off nuclear missile and put on strength with 83 Squadron. After several years of operation with 83 Squadron, XL427 was transferred to the Scampton wing and 617 Squadron in 1969.

This model represents the aircraft during its first spell with 617 Squadron, the famous "Dambusters", in 1969, and is depicted carrying a Blue Steel missile and proudly displaying the triple lightning bolts of 617 Squadron's crest on the tailfin.

XL427 was to go on to have a somewhat nomadic career, serving variously with 27, 9, 50, 44 and 230 (OCU) Squadrons before finally being delivered to Macrihanish for crash rescue training in 1982. The aircraft lingered on a little longer, finally being removed from the RAF's books as destroyed in 1986, a sad end for such a fine aircraft.