Wayne's Vickers Valiant B(PR)K Mk.1

[waynos]

Hi all,

After the disappointment of the canberra and the lack of canopy, I have decided to build my Valiant. I will have one finished in this SiG.

So, to build the PR variant I had to purchase the additional parts and decals set from airfix. I am very pleased with this as it allows me to build another aircraft from RAF Wyton. As you may have read in my canberra build, it is a base very close to where I live so have a connection with the place,

I shall post some pictures of the box and sprue's once I have uploaded them to Photobucket.

Here is the story of the night WZ399 (The model I will be building) crashed on return to RAF Wyton. THe story is from Bill Yates who was onboard the aircraft the night:

"Back to the distant past, it was Friday 3rd November 1961 that we were planning a return back to our base RAF Wyton. We had been at US Air base Offutt for 5 days carrying out radar training along the US and Canadian Border, the weather factor had not been good due to several deep depressions over the central and northern parts of the USA. We had strong winds and very low temperatures.

The previous day Thursday 2nd November our sortie was cancelled due to bad weather, so the aircraft was put to bed on the disused runway. During the night another weather pattern went through the area with below zero temperatures.

I was our habit to always to get airborne on time to the exact minute, so after Met Briefing I completed my route plan back to Newfoundland on the homeward bound leg, and the Flight Plan was filed with Air Traffic Control with our take off time as 0800 local time.

From there we took the flight ops coach to the aircraft, it had been prepared by the ground crew, the only think the Captain or the Co pilot had to do was make a visual check to the outside of the aircraft. We all climbed aboard, closed the cabin door, and all went though our checks then moved on to the runway for take off.

During the night the temperature had dropped, and despite this we didn't know what was to follow. The pilots did the final pre-take off checks, on to max power, brakes off, the runway was long about 10,000 ft, checks were made to all ASI's (air speed indicators) and the take off speed was in the region of 170 Knots.

By the time max power was reached, one air speed indicator was fluctuating and it may have even stopped. We had reached our time to lift off, but then the other pilots ASI went the same way as the other. You must realise the Captain had to make AN INSTANT DECISION - Abandon Take Off or continue with the Take Off. He decided to shut down all Four Engines and apply Max Braking.....travelling at over 200 miles per hour and this aircraft with max fuel on board.

Next all the main tyres burst, we were still at a possible take off speed when we reached the end of the runway, and what did the Men up front see beyond the runway? to their horror they saw that "THE GROUND FELL AWAY, A POSSIBLE 30 DEGREE DOWNWARD SLOPE, AND AT THE BOTTOM A SIX LANE HIGHWAY".

The aircraft did get airborne, then hit the ground. All the equipment in front of me was on fire, we cleared the highway still airborne and the next impact was on a minor railway line which finally caused the aircraft to break up and burn out completely.

At the enquiry the Pilots were found responsible. One small thing triggered the accident - unknown to the crew, the Pitot Head covers used overnight (low freezing temperatures remember) were of the wrong type, which allowed water to get into the ASI system.

It was later discovered that ice was seen in the pitot head, and the ground crew whilst having power to the aircraft during their checks melted the ice, then it drained down into the air speed mechanism. Whilst we were taking off with the minus temperature, it re-froze which caused the ASI to fluctuate and then failed with catastrophic results.

Unfortunately even after hospitalisation, treatment and rehabilitation over three years it resulted in losing my flying status, and 12 years later my flying was terminated with the loss of my flying pay and I eventually retired aged 51 & then took up a satisflying job in Air Traffic Control, and, with the combination of Flying and Air Traffic, joined Civil Aviation instructing airlines in navigation and aircraft performance. You should be able to deduce my experience of looking at death in that my time was not up. "

Information courtesy of http://www.classicaircraft.co.uk/valiant_crash.htm

[Gav0909]

Looking forward to seeing this come together. The Valiant is a cool looking aircraft.

[waynos]

Managed to get the photo's uploaded. Here are the box shots.

Next step is building and painting the cockpit area.














(all clear parts appear present on this one thank god!)







Thanks for looking,

Wayne

[hiram]

Hi Wayne..... Another military friend of mine sent me an e mail, (Low Flying In the Navy it's "Flat Hatting" ... in the Army / Air Force it's "Buzzing") I gather that they were taken from a book called "Lower than a Snake's Belly in a Wagon Rut" And other stories of Low Flying. Great old pictures of people flying near the pavement. or grass in some instances. One of the pictures shows a Vulcan doing a low pass and it reminded me of the Vulcans we had at Offutt when I was stationed there... I was also there when a Vickers Valiant WZ 399 went off the end of the runway, back in 1961. Well it was so long ago, that I had even forgot what month that was, but I was sure it was in 61'. I did some searching on the net and found Bill Yates story and then your comments... I am forwarding the Low Flying e mail to my e friends and wanted to add some interesting comments about the Vickers Valiant that went down at the end of the runway... . So I am writing the story as I remember it back in 1961. I will send you a copy when I get it done.... Make it a nice day.... john