Hawker-Siddeley Vulcan B.2 XL318

The Vulcan was the second of the Royal Air Force’s ‘V bombers’ and like the Valiant and Victor provided part of Great Britain’s nuclear deterrent force for 15 years until the Royal Navy’s Polaris submarines took over the the deterrence role in 1969.

This aircraft, XL318, was the second of the third production run. It made its first flight on 12 August 1961, and its last on 11 December 1981. During the Falklands Conflict of 1982, the aircraft was dissembled and in crates awaiting being assembled in the Bomber Hall of the RAF Museum, where it was raided for parts to equip the Vulcans taking part in the Black Buck raids. As far as we know, it is the only Vulcan to ever have been dismantled, road moved, and then reassembled.