Retired in March of 1984 by the RAF, the Avro Vulcan was, in my opinion, one of the most remarkable bombers of the 20th century. Powered by 4 Rolls-Royce Olympus 201 turbojets, the Vulcan’s top speed was around 645 mph. It, and two other bombers, the Handley Page Victor, and the Vickers Valiant, made up the V-bombers. in 1982, Argentine forces invaded the Falkland Islands, touching off the Falkland islands war. But, the Argentines were not ready for what was going to happen next. One day, on Ascension Island, Vulcans, and Victors were lined up and ready to reach the Falkland Islands. The trip from Ascension Island was long. Very long. It was 4,000 miles long! Code named the black buck raids, the bombers destroyed airfields holding Argentine mirage and Skyhawk fighters. A clear victory for the British. At the end of the raids, the Argentines feared that if the Vulcans could go from Ascension Island to the Falkland Islands, they could reach the Argentine homeland. But, it was true, that Avro Vulcans were one of the best, most remarkable bombers of all time.
Sources:
Crosby, Francis. The World Encyclopedia of Fighters & Bombers. London, Southwater, 2010.
Jackson, Robert. 101 Great Bombers. New York, Rosen Publishing, 2010.
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