In 1963, Valiants in NATO service were repainted in a grey/green camouflage with grey undersides, in keeping with their new low-level tactical-bomber role.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

Changing а wheel on the Valiant was a fairly simple process - the oleo leg was lifted and supported by a bottle-jack, and the wheel kicked off and replaced.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

Groundcrew check the nitrogen and air charging points in the starboard underwing fuel tank.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

Valiants being assembled at Weybridge. New techniques were introduced to meet the new design requirements - powered stretching, sculptural milling and synthetic bonding were all used in the production of the Valiant.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

Valiant WZ365 demonstrates the dive-brakes hinged to the undersurface of the wing.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

Valiants were built on a twin production line at the Weybridge factory, and all were delivered on time or early.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

A Military Policeman stands guard over an anti-flash-painted Valiant - the white gloss finish was designed to be able to withstand over 70 calories of energy per square centimetre.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

A typically stunning Charles E. Brown study of WB210, the Valiant prototype, taken in August 1951.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

"The most formidable weapon of war in its class in the world" was how the Valiant was described by the press after the 1952 Farnborough display of the second prototype, WB215.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

The Valiant B.2 "Pathfinder" was intended for use as a low-level bomber and therefore required a strengthened main stress-bearing structure. The wheel wells were filled in and the undercarriage retracted into nacelles on the trailing edge.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

On July 31, 1955, WP209 left Farnborough for Woomera in Australia to take part in bomb-ballistic research, setting a new world record between London and Baghdad of 4hr 51min.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

Во время первых опытов по дозаправке выяснилось, что Valiant прекрасно подходит на роль воздушного танкера. Длина шланга позволяла заправляемому самолету находиться на относительно безопасном расстоянии от заправщика.
In-flight refuelling extended the range of the Valiant, the trials being conducted at Boscombe Down using WZ390, the 51st aircraft and WZ376 which coincidentally, was the 41st production example.
WZ376 and WZ390 “mate” in one of a series of innovative flight refuelling trials performed by Valiants during 1955-56.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

Valiant B(PR) Mk 1 WP223 of 90 Squadron, piloted by Sqn Ldr Norfolk, drops a dummy 10,000lb Blue Danube atomic bomb casing at the Jurby range on the Isle of Man.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

Groundcrew complete last-minute preparations on a 148 Sgn Valiant on the runway at RAF Marham.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

In July 1957 WZ390 and WZ376 were taken from the production line and delivered to Flight Refuelling at Tarrant Rushton to be fitted with the prototype Mk 16 Hose Drum Unit.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

Valiant WP199 as a test bed for the Pegasus vectored thrust engine, fitted in a Harrier-type dummy fuselage.
In March 1963 WP199 was used for trials on the Bristol Siddeley Pegasus engine. Using the Valiant as the testbed for the project proved problematic, but 50 flights were completed.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

This rear view of WB210 shows the flap arrangement, with the inboard flaps hinged from the fixed top structure containing the jet pipes.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

The Valiant prototype, WB210, first flew on May 18, 1951, with Vickers CTP "Mutt" Summers at the controls.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

No 138 Sqn was reformed at RAF Gaydon on January 1, 1955, and became the first RAF unit to receive Valiants, in February 1955. Gaydon was also home to No 232 OCU, being designated as such in February 1955.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

Four RollsRoyce Avon RA.28 turbojets were fitted into later production Valiants, each giving 10,000lb-thrust.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

The external fuel tanks were attached to the pylon using a crane-and-rod-type hoist which connected to a C-ring bracket on the tank.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

At the behest of the Royal Horticultural Society, whose famous gardens were located near the company’s factory at Wisley, Vickers built a huge pair of silencers for Valiant engine trials and ground running.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

Trainees of No 232 OCU at Gaydon get to grips with the Valiant's variable incidence tailplane. A few Valiants were kept at Gaydon for training groundcrew.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

On February 28, 1958, four Valiants of 207 Sqn took off from Marham to participate in Operation Ghana, a combined goodwill/training mission to Accra as part of the Gold Coast independence celebrations.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

WZ378 of No 7 Sgn loads up with bombs at Luqa in Malta for a bombing exercise at El Adem in November 1961. Note the tail squadron badge of the constellation Ursa Major.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

The 28ft-track outward-retracting main undercarriage was designed by Vickers and built by Rotol, with Dunlop Maxaret anti-skid braking.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

The bare-metal prototype, WB210, with straight-slotted intakes and airflow straighteners.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

A group of Valiants stand on the tarmac, probably at Wisley, where the type was test-flown after delivery by air from the nearby Weybridge factory.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

The sleek all-black В.2 was the last prototype to be built at Vickers' experimental shop at Foxwarren.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

Although the Avro W-100 Blue Steel nuclear stand-off weapon was never intended for use by Valiants, the type played a significant part in clearing the bomb for service.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

Brian Trubshaw and Jock Bryce displayed WZ365 at the SBAC show at Farnborough in September 1955, but were somewhat upstaged by "Roly" Falk's rolling of Vulcan XA890.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

The Type 733, or B(PR)K.1, was fitted with a purpose-built cradle to carry an array of up to 12 cameras, seen here about to be loaded on to WZ391 at RAF Wyton in 1958.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

In June 1956 the Valiant was fitted with de Havilland Super Sprite rockets for RATO trials. The idea was not adopted.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

The Vickers Valiant, the first of the V-Bombers

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

Access to the Avon engines on the Valiant was fairly straightforward, the most time-consuming task being the removal of the fasteners holding the access panel in place.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

The Martin-Baker company did design an ingenious system for the three rear seat crew members (seen here), in which all three seats were fired sequentially through a single escape hatch in the centre of the cabin roof. The centre seat was fired first, followed by the port and starboard seats, which had to move sideways before firing. Although such a system would have been suitable for high-level escapes, at low level the time taken to fire all three seats would have made a successful escape of the entire crew unlikely. Test firings of a rear crew ejection seat were made from a Valiant, but the cost of introducing the system on Service aircraft proved prohibitive.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

While performing Navigation Bombing System trials in 1961, WP200 ran off the end of Runway 21 at Pershore, having struck an infilled cable trench; one crew member was injured.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

WP199 was struck off charge on March 24, 1966, and taken to Bristol Siddeley at Filton, where it was scrapped.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

Arthur Bowbeer's cutaway drawing of a late-model Valiant BK.1 first appeared in the July 4, 1958, Valiant BK.1 issue of Flight. Bowbeer included the de Havilland Super Sprite rocket pack and, under the bomb bay, the Flight Refuelling hose reel and drogue unit.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

Vickers Valiant B Mk 1

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Vickers Valiant - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

Vickers' chief rival in the OR229 tender was the Short Sperrin, essentially a World War Two bomber with jet engines.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Short SA.4 Sperrin - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951