XH558 wrong doors

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flashman8
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XH558 wrong doors

Post by flashman8 »

Just had this comment on one of my pictures on flickr.

Oh dear 558 was never fitted with X Band- wrong ECM door boys! This first batch of B.2's were originally designed as B.1's.
In order to utilise most of the original components were re-used to build the first B.2's. Unfortuately the engine bays could only take the 200 series engines as the later 300's were to big.
Many of this first batch were used for trials as they were basically non standard.


Image

Maybe some one here can clarify, I doubt very much that the exterior look was changed after being demobbed
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MicrolightDriver
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Re: XH558 wrong doors

Post by MicrolightDriver »

I'd imagine any changes to the ECM area would originate from the conversion to/from K2 standard in the early / mid eighties.

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jalfrezi
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Re: XH558 wrong doors

Post by jalfrezi »

Thread cleaned up.

Happy to let this stand providing it stays on topic, any posts relating to VTTS, Doncaster, etc, will be deleted.

XR219
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Re: XH558 wrong doors

Post by XR219 »

I can perhaps add something.

As you are probably aware, XH558 was converted to K2 standard in 1982, which involved removing the contents of the ECM bay and replacing with the HDU and associated doors/fairings. In turn, when returned to outwardly the appearance of a B2 for the VDF, the ECM bay doors were refitted. However, there are images of the aircraft during this process that show ECM bay doors in various colours, implying they were robbed from other aircraft or were spares. This is perhaps where the X-band aerial came from - I'm fairly confident that additional ECM gear was not installed as part of the restoration by VTTST.

The rest of the statement is perhaps not applicable to XH558. The first few B2s used B1 sized intakes, however the definitive B2 intake was embodied on XH557 onwards. In fact, that aircraft also served as the Olympus 301 trials aircraft. Of the 'B1 inlet' aircraft, some were used on trials but the majority (XH534/6/7/8, XH554/5/6) served eventually with the RAF. XH558 could have been modified to have Olympus 301s if the re-engining programme had continued, but the extra thrust was not for free and less valuable in low level penetration.
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Marka1967
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Re: XH558 wrong doors

Post by Marka1967 »

When the Vulcan tanker fleet was decommissioned 558 was flown to Marham to go on the fire dump. The HDU was removed and the back end probably left open with no doors as there was no point refitting any. XH560 was going to replace XL426 on the VDF but was found to be lacking hours before a major was due so the RAF looked at all of the retired airframes and found 558 had more hours so the two airframes were swapped. Doors were fitted to make 558 airworthy and look like a normal B2.

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flashman8
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Re: XH558 wrong doors

Post by flashman8 »

jalfrezi wrote:Thread cleaned up.

Happy to let this stand providing it stays on topic, any posts relating to VTTS, Doncaster, etc, will be deleted.


thanks for that, I don't want this to turn into another `what if` thread :roll: , was a genuine question which I believe has been answered.... :biggrin:
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