Plane of the Day: The Avro Vulcan

The Avro (later Hawker Siddeley) Vulcan was a long-range bomber operated by the Royal Air Force. With a futuristic delta wing design, jet engines, and no tail, the Vulcan soon found a nickname, the "tin triangle". The Vulcan was the aircraft tasked with carrying Britain's first nuclear weapon and was the backbone of the RAF's nuclear deterrence fleet during the cold war. Despite its retirement, the Vulcan remains remembered as an incredibly important and no less interesting aircraft that protected and defended NATO airspace at a time when humanity's future lay in limbo.

Specifications

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Speed: 646 mph

Armament: Assorted Bombs

Range: 2,607 mi

Max Takeoff Weight: 170,000 lbs

Powerplant: 4 × Bristol Olympus Mk.101 / Mk.102 / Mk.104 twin-spool turbojet engines, 11,000 lbf (49 kN) thrust each

Service Ceiling: 56,000 ft

Crew: 5

Length: 97 ft 1 in

Wingspan: 99 ft 5 in

Height: 26 ft 6 in