So the Vulcan is a jet-powered tailless delta wing high altitude strategic bomber powered by 4 x 301 Bristol Olympic twin-spool turbojet engines capable of a maximum speed of 646 mph or Mach 0.96 with a range of 2,607 miles and ceiling of 55,000 feet.
It celebrates its Diamond Jubilee this year (60 years!) 1956 to 1984 but the only combat missions it ever flew were at the end of its service life when the squadrons were about to be disbanded for the Falklands War, the Black Buck Raids in 1982.
The story of how the RAF patched things together, raided museums and people’s memories to achieve the longest bombing raid ever accomplished, defies rational explanation and beggars belief. It should have been mission impossible but the ingenuity, bravery and tenacity of the crews and engineers made it happen again all the odds.