As World War II came to an end, the strategic bombers which had served Britain so well throughout the war had become dated as a result of wartime developments. The immature turbine engine promised power that would enable new-generation aircraft to operate at greater heights and higher speeds; because of such enhanced performance they would require no defensive armament. Airborne electronics had been designed to locate enemy aircraft, moving ever faster in three-dimensional space, or to pin-point one's position in the sky for navigational purposes or accurate bombing attack by day or night. And the atomic bombs which had spurred the end of war in the Pacific meant that a single aircraft could launch a devastating attack on any potential enemy.

Such thinking led to the development of the RAF's V-bomber force, comprising the Avro Vulcan, Handley Page Victor and Vickers Valiant - the latter being the first to enter squadron service. Designed to Air Ministry specification B.9/48, it was a cantilever shoulder-wing monoplane of all-metal stressed-skin construction. The wing had compound sweepback on the leading edge, somewhat similar to that of the Handley Page Victor, air-brakes, double-slotted flaps and powered ailerons. The fuselage was a circular-section semi-monocoque structure, incorporating a pressurised cell to contain the crew of five, and a large bomb bay which later proved capable of accommodating a Blue Steel stand-off weapon. The tail unit was conventional, but the tailplane was mounted almost half-way up the fin to keep it clear of the efflux from the four turbojet engines, buried in the inner wing adjacent to the fuselage. Landing gear was of retractable tricycle type. Despite being an advanced concept, the Valiant was largely conventional in construction. One unusual feature was the extensive use of electrical power for the actuation of practically all movable units, even powered controls. The only exception was a minor hydraulic system for brakes and powered steering, but even this had its pumps driven by electric motors.

Two prototypes were ordered initially, one to be powered by four Rolls-Royce RA.3 Avon turbojets and the other by four Armstrong Siddeley Sapphires. The first prototype made its maiden flight on 18 May 1951, but was lost in an accident on 12 January 1952. The second prototype flew first on 11 April 1952, but was powered by RA.7 turbojets instead of the Sapphires as planned originally.

Named Valiant, B.1 began to enter service in January 1955, the first of the V-bombers to serve with the RAF. They were followed by B(PR).1 long-range strategic reconnaissance; B(PR)K.1 multi-purpose bomber, photo-reconnaissance, tanker; and BK.1 bomber/tanker aircraft. Production totalled 111 examples, including one B.2 pathfinder prototype. Used extensively in service, Valiants dropped the first British hydrogen and atomic bombs and during operations in the Suez campaign operated with high-explosive bombs.

Intended for fast high-altitude strategic bombing (a role frustrated by the evolution of potent surface-to-air missiles), the Valiant - in company with other V-bombers - was switched to low-level operations. There seems little doubt that the stresses imposed by such a role accelerated the wing-span metal fatigue first reported in late 1964, and which led to the scrapping of all Valiants in January 1965.

3-View

A three-view drawing (800 x 549)