The Handley Page Victor was a British jet bomber aircraft produced by the Handley Page Aircraft Company during the Cold War. It was the third and final of the V-bombers that provided Britain's nuclear deterrent. The other two V-bombers were the Avro Vulcan and the Vickers Valiant. Some aircraft were modified for strategic reconnaissance role using both cameras and radar. After the Royal Navy assumed the nuclear deterrence mission using submarine-launched Polaris missiles in 1969 many surviving bombers were converted into aerial refuelling tankers. The last Victor was retired from service on October 15th, 1993.

The RAF required a higher ceiling for its bombers, and a number of proposals were considered for improved Victors to meet this demand. At first, Handley Page proposed use of the 14,000 lbf (62.4 kN) Sapphire 9 engines to produce a "Phase 2" bomber, to be followed by "Phase 3" Victors with much greater wingspan (137 ft (42 m)) and powered by Bristol Siddeley Olympus turbojets or Rolls-Royce Conway turbofans. The Sapphire 9 was cancelled, however, and the heavily modified Phase 3 aircraft would have delayed production, so an interim "Phase 2A" Victor was proposed and accepted, to be powered by the Conway and having minimal modifications.

The "Phase 2A" proposal was accepted by the Air Staff as the Victor B.2, with Conway RCo.11 engines providing 17,250 lbf (76.7 kN). This required enlarged and redesigned intakes to provide greater airflow. The wingtips were extended, increasing the wingspan to 120 ft (36.6 m). Unlike the B.1, the B.2 featured distinctive retractable "elephant ear" intakes on the rear fuselage forward of the fin. These scoops fed ram air to turbine-driven alternators, thus their name "Ram Air Turbine" (RAT) scoops. In the event of a high-altitude flameout, the loss of electrical or hydraulic power would trigger the RATs to open and provide sufficient electrical power to work the flight controls until the main engines could be relit. The right wing root also incorporated a Blackburn Artouste airborne auxiliary power plant (AAPP) or airborne auxiliary power unit (AAPU). This small "5th" engine provided high-pressure air for engine starting, and provided electrical power on the ground, or in the air as an emergency back-up in the event of main engine failures or flameout. The APU was also a useful feature to support operations away from specialist Victor support equipment. The aircraft also featured an extension at the base of the fin containing ECM cooling equipment.

Pictured here is a 1:144 scale replica of a RAF Handley Page Victor B2 strategic bomber that was attached to 139 Jamaica Squadron, then deployed to RAF Wittering during 1964. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 11 inches
Length: 11.25 inches

Release Date: February 2013

Historical Account: "The Jamaican Connection" - The Handley Page Victor was the third and final of the RAFs V Bomber trio to enter service and was also the last one to be retired. A very advanced aircraft for its time, the Victor, like the Valiant and Vulcan, entered service as Britains airborne nuclear deterrent.

Originally designed to operate at high altitude and deliver the nuclear payload straight to the target, the Victor was later able to carry the Blue Steel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. This gave the RAF V bombers stand-off capability and made them a far more potent force.

139 Jamaica Squadron was formed July 1918 in Italy as a fighter squadron equipped with Bristol F2bs. The Jamaica connection stems from an appeal by a Jamaican newspaper to raise money to purchase bombers for the Royal Air Force. In order to say thank you and boost morale, 139 Squadron received the title of Jamaica Squadron. The Squadron was disbanded in 1968.