Channel 4, 8pm tonight

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/falklands-most-daring-raid

Already to watch and record!

If you get a chance go to Wellesbourne to look at XM655.

I did a couple of years ago.

http://evergreen.zenfolio.com/p72148015#h79929f4

It was just an excuse to let the RAF do something in the Falklands.

Of dubious worth considering the effort expended.

True, and it didn’t really work either, but, it’s the Vulcan!

Excellent, thanks p-d-f… I had spotted this earlier in the week but forgotten. Liked the book a lot. Been out to see the Vulcan at East Fortune today…

Would love to have seen the faces on those Argie conscripts as that roared over. Awsome machine.

I read the book Vulcan 607 for the second time and finished just the other day.

I am sure the program will be good as the book was excellent.

Hope they cover the amount of fuel used as it was simply astounding and the fact that the RAF had to visit museums they’d recently delivered Vulcans to to remove bits for spares for the raid.

Of dubious worth considering the effort expended.

It showed intent. I bet the Argentinian top brass didn’t sleep too easily in their beds after they got hit from half a world away.

‘This is the untold story’?

I think we all know it now!

Well, it’s Mothers Day so Dancing on Ice is what we’re gonna watch, but we did visit Cosford RAF museum on Saturday so I’m okay with that. Plus, Katarina Witt!

Really enjoyed the programme, was left thinking it would make a brilliant Hollywood style film; has so many of the elements of a ‘cheesy’ blockbuster.

I read the book ages ago which I thoroughly enjoyed. Roland White’s next book about a Buccaneer mission to save Belize from invasion is also excellent and a great story.

They should have mentioned at the end that the Vulcan crews went on to bomb the Argentinians a further 4 times.

Enjoyed it and it did show exactly what it was for, to allow the task force to get through without being hit by air attacks and put the frighteners on the Argentineans by showing even though they’re 1000s of miles away they could still be struck. Sent their airforce running back home allow us to gain control of the Falklands airspace. Was it an excuse to use the Vulcan? Not really 6 months later it was still gone at the time there was no other craft that could do this.

Did it really sound like that?

Really enjoyed the programme, was left thinking it would make a brilliant Hollywood style film; has so many of the elements of a ‘cheesy’ blockbuster.

I thought that too….then I thought the Yanks would make it and it’d end up as some sort of Broken Arrow movie.

Whilst riding around Hawkley last summer, a Vulcan came in low over the tree canopy and on towards Dunsfold area – a staggering shape certainly! Yet i find the Victor is an even more impressive machine – straight out of Thunderbirds… any still flying?

What’s our vector, Victor?

Don’t think there are any airworthy Victors left. And only one Vulcan still flying.

EDIT: Roger, Roger!

Really enjoyed this though it was slightly gung-ho in the re-telling but fair enough. Have my doubts over the mission itself and I remember reading Sea Harrier over the Falklands years ago and the guy who wrote that was very disparaging about the whole mission, though being in the navy I suppose he would be.

Here’s the thing though- I realise there was a large psychological element to the mission but on a practical level- one single bomb from the stick that was dropped actually landed on the runway and they counted this as a success. Surely even the most ill-equipped forces could easily repair a single crater in a runway fairly easily?

Also did anyone else catch the bit about the navigator not having a map of the southern hemisphere so he used another map turned upside down or something? Can anyone explain what they meant here? I didn’t catch it properly but was really intrigued.

ive recorded the programme havent seneit yet, the book was great

Surely even the most ill-equipped forces could easily repair a single crater in a runway fairly easily?

ive always wondered this.

the best bit of the book, when they were calling round all the old RAF bases and asking if they had a bit of equipment hidden away (think it was part of the refueling nozzle) they called the one base and they said what does it look like and it turns out it was on the desk infront of the guy being used as an ashtray!

Saw the programme and thought it was the usual Channel 4 rubbish style documentary putting 20 minutes of content in an hour. More holes than in the runway.
There was a lot of work done at RAE Farnborough that wasn’t referenced. Maybe that was for the later runs.
No explanation why low level bombing was practiced and then they dropped from altitude.
Why fly below radar then go up to 10,000 ft to drop the bombs, does it not defeat the object?

I realise there was a large psychological element to the mission but on a practical level- one single bomb from the stick that was dropped actually landed on the runway and they counted this as a success. Surely even the most ill-equipped forces could easily repair a single crater in a runway fairly easily?

It was a success in that it showed capability and intent. The accuracy could increase with repeat raids. It is pretty difficult to repair runways to ensure the final surface is suitably strong and flush so something as unforgiving as aircraft can land, taxi and take off. The Royal Engineers have a specialist unit to provide this exact support to the RAF (and used to have lots more in the recent past).

Surely even the most ill-equipped forces could easily repair a single crater in a runway fairly easily?

But not well enough for fast jet operations.

one single bomb from the stick that was dropped actually landed on the runway and they counted this as a success

The bombs were dropped at 35° across the runway. They only intended to get one or possibly 2 hits. If they had flown down the length of the runway there was a risk that they would get 21 hits or nothing at all.

Why fly below radar then go up to 10,000 ft to drop the bombs, does it not defeat the object?

Detonation shockwave?

Increased chance of hitting it and getting away. Been a while since I read the book but I think there was a mountain in the way.

Yeah it could have done with more detail in some bit but was covered well.

Hitting a runway when they didn’t have the right navigation maps, had to come into to radar view and line up for the strike using aged technology even for then but still hit at 10,000 feet is pretty impressive. No wire or laser guided bombs just good old navigation and calculations using a pretty basic radar.

Why fly below radar then go up to 10,000 ft to drop the bombs, does it not defeat the object?

The Argies air defences needed a visible target
10,000 at night isn’t very visible

Surely even the most ill-equipped forces could easily repair a single crater in a runway fairly easily?

I dare say they could but the cluster bombs that the Harriers followed up with put paid to any such idea

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Black_Buck