Ebook: Vickers Valiant The First of the V-Bombers

This title tells the story of the Valiant-the shortest lived of the British post-war V-bomber force, first flying in 1951 and with production of 104 aircraft ending in 1957, and an official withdrawal in January 1965 after investigation had shown that the main wing spars were suffering from metal fatigue. It operated in four versions, bomber/photo-reconnaissance, flight refueling tanker and model covering all three tasks.

Additionally, several aircraft were modified for a variety of special roles. The all-black B.2 low-level pathfinder bomber was flown as a prototype in 1953. Valiants participated in British atomic bomb tests and made noteworthy long-distance flights. In a change of task shortly before retirement, the aircraft were painted in a camouflage scheme better suited to their new low-level penetration role.