Door Marco Kleijer op
Handley Page Victor B1 XH648
Op 2 augustus 2025 bezocht ik Imperial War Museum Duxford. Hier wordt een Handley Page Victor tentoongesteld. Dit vliegtuig is van het type V-bomber, bestemd als strategische nucleaire bommenwerper tijdens de Koude Oorlog. Ik vind het een fascinerend ontwerp, net zoals het andere type V-bomber, de Avro Vulcan. Dit exemplaar is één van vier overgebleven vliegtuigen.
The “V bombers” were the Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft during the 1950s and 1960s that comprised the United Kingdom’s strategic nuclear strike force known officially as the V force or Bomber Command Main Force. The three models of strategic bomber, known collectively as the V class, were the Vickers Valiant, which first flew in 1951 and entered service in 1955; the Avro Vulcan, which first flew in 1952 and entered service in 1956; and the Handley Page Victor, which first flew in 1952 and entered service in 1957. The V Bomber force reached its peak in June 1964 with 50 Valiants, 70 Vulcans and 39 Victors in service.
