Avro 698 Vulcan, 707 and 710

Tailless delta wing, long range, high-altitude nuclear bomber to Specifications B.35/46 and B.129P to meet the requirements of OR.229. Except for the most highly stressed parts, the whole structure was manufactured from standard grades of light alloy. The airframe was broken down into a number of major assemblies: the centre section, a rectangular box containing the bomb-bay and engine bays bounded by the front and rear spars and the wing transport joints; the intakes and centre fuselage; the front fuselage, incorporating the pressure cabin; the nose; the outer wings; the leading edges; the wing trailing edge and tail end of the fuselage; and there was a single swept tail fin with a single rudder on the trailing edge. Both prototypes had almost pure delta "Phase 1" wings with straight leading edges, but undesirable flight characteristics were experienced while approaching the speed of sound, including an alarming tendency to enter an uncontrollable dive, resulting in the "Phase 2" wing, featuring a kinked and drooped leading edge and vortex generators on the upper surface, introduced on the second prototype. A five-man crew was accommodated within the pressure cabin on two levels; the first pilot and co-pilot sitting on Martin-Baker 3K ejection seats whilst on the lower level the navigator radar, navigator plotter and air electronics officer (AEO) sat facing rearwards and would abandon the aircraft via the entrance door. A rudimentary sixth seat forward of the navigator radar was provided for an additional crew member. The visual bomb-aimer's compartment could be fitted with a T4 (Blue Devil) bombsight. Fuel was carried in 14 bag tanks, four in the centre fuselage above and to the rear of the nosewheel bay and five in each outer wing. The tanks were split into four groups of almost equal capacity, each normally feeding its respective engine, though cross-feeding was possible. The centre of gravity was automatically maintained by electric timers which sequenced the booster pumps on the tanks. Offensive armament included one free-fall nuclear bomb or 21 × 1,000 lb conventional bombs. Four 11,000 lb.st. Bristol Olympus 101, 12,000 lb.st. Olympus 102 or 13,500 lb.st. Olympus 104 powerplants (Rolls-Royce Avon and later Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire (Sa6).on the first prototype only)

Type 698 Vulcan B.1 Specification
Span	Length	Height	Wing Area	Empty Wt	Max AUW	Cruise Speed	Maximum Speed	Range	Service Ceiling
99 ft 5 in	97 ft 1 in	26 ft 6 in	3554 sq ft	83573 lb	167000 lb	567 mph/ 493 kn	646 mph/ 561 kn	2265 mi	55000 ft
30.3 m	29.59 m	8.08 m	330.18 m2	37908 kg	75750 kg	912 km/h	1040 km/h	3645 km	16764 m

B.1 with an ECM system in a new larger tail cone.

New larger, thinner "Phase 2C" wing, the trailing edge of which had eight elevons instead of separate ailerons and elevators. Each elevon had an independent power source. Uprated electrics were fitted, ECM similar to B.1A and a ram air turbine (RAT) and Airborne Auxiliary Power Plant (AAPP) replaced batteries for emergency electrical system. Terrain Following Radar in a nose thimble radome was fitted to most aircraft in mid-1960s and new Radar Warning Receiver aerials on tail fin, giving it a square top, from the mid-1970s. The aircraft could be fitted with one or two additional fuel tanks in the bomb-bay and an additional seventh seat was located opposite the sixth seat and forward of the AEO. In many B.2s the visual bomb-aimer's compartment housed a vertically mounted Vinten F95 Mk.10 camera for assessing simulated low-level bombing runs. Offensive armament as B.1 plus the option of one Blue Steel missile. 17,000 Bristol Olympus 201 powerplants. Nine aircraft later converted to 18,000 lb.st. Olympus 301 powerplants.

Type 698 Vulcan B.2 Specification
Span	Length	Height	Wing Area	Empty Wt	Max AUW	Cruise Speed	Maximum Speed	Range	Service Ceiling
111 ft	105 ft 6 in	27 ft 1 in	3964 sq ft		204000 lb	627 mph/ 545 kn	646 mph/ 561 kn	3450 mi	56000 ft
33.83 m	32.16 m	8.26 m	368.27 m2		92533 kg	1009 km/h	1040 km/h	5552 km	17069 m

(Also known as Vulcan SR.2). B.2 converted to Maritime Radar Reconnaissance. Low level terrain following radar was removed and replaced by LORAN C navigation equipment. Some aircraft carried atmospheric-sampling pods beneath the wing.

Initially designated B.2(K); B.2 converted for air-to-air refuelling with Mark 17 hose drum mounted semi-recessed below the tail cone. Fitted with three bomb-bay drum tanks.

1/3-scale test aircraft for B.35/46 development, featuring a dorsal intake, to Specification E.15/48 to meet the requirements of OR.229. The aircraft initially incorporated a wing with about 50° sweep, with no horizontal tail. The two spar mid mounted wing had a leading edge sweep of 52.72 degrees, 45 degrees at the main spar, and featured closely spaced pressed sheet ribs. It was joined to the fuselage by massive pin jointed fittings. The trailing edge of the wing carried two pairs of control surfaces: the unswept inboard section carried the elevators, while the outboard section, swept at 6 degrees,carried the ailerons. The fuselage itself was of a mixed construction; the nose portion was a welded tubular structure covered with light alloy unstressed panels, and included the pilot's cockpit, the canopy of which,along with the nosewheel, was taken from a Gloster Meteor III. The centre fuselage was a light alloy cylinder, of conventional frame, stringer and skin structure, designed to carry the 'automatic observer' and fuel at approximately the designed c.g. of the aircraft. The aft part of the fuselage consisted of two cantilever steel box beams carrying the engine, and forming the longerons of a half hoop double skin structure which also carried the central fin. The bottom of the engine bay was completed by a detachable door of semi-circular section carried below the two steel box beams. The dorsal air intake was built into the roof of the plenum chamber formed by the rear fuselage with the minimum of interference to the structure in this vicinity. Retractable airbrakes were provided above on the upper fuselage sides near the tailpipe. One 3,500 lb.st. Rolls-Royce Derwent 5 powerplant.

Type 707 Specification
Span	Length	Height	Wing Area	Empty Wt	Max AUW	Cruise Speed	Maximum Speed	Range	Service Ceiling
33 ft	40 ft 2 in	11 ft 3 in	366.5 sq ft		8600 lb		403 mph/ 350 kn
10.06 m	12.24 m	3.43 m	34.05 m2		3901 kg		649 km/h

Dedicated high speed variant of Type 707. Chronologically following the 707B, the fuselage forward of the main spar joint was identical with the 707B in its later form, but now featured wing root intakes. Aft, the structure was almost identical to the previous aircraft, including the fin and rudder, except for the removal of the dorsal intake and the fin dorsal fairing extending further forward. The wing was changed in design to conform as closely as possible to the proposed latest configuration for the Type 698. The leading edge sweep was reduced slightly to 49.9 degees while the inboard, unswept, part of the trailing edge was now shorter by 3 ft. and featured a dive recovery flap, whle both elevators and ailerons were now in the swept section of the trailing edge, the sweep now reduced to 4 degrees. One 3,600 lb.st. Rolls-Royce Derwent 8 powerplant.

Dedicated low speed variant of Type 707 to meet Specification E.10/49. Compared to the original Type 707, it had a longer forward fuselage, now a monocoque structure of frames and stringer-stiffened skins, with a new cockpit canopy needed to fit an ejector seat. The Meteor nosewheel no longer being suitable for this design, so a Hawker P.1052 unit was substituted, eventually modified with a longer oleo to provide the high angle of incidence required by deltas for landing and take off. The fin height was increased to compensate for the longer nose. It was given the same dorsal engine intake as the Type 707, although after flight testing this was enlarged and eventually modified to a NACA design. The wing was basically as the Type 707, as were the main undercarriage units. One 3,500 lb.st. Rolls-Royce Derwent 5 powerplant.

Two seat training variant of Type 707 to Specification E.10/49/2 to meet the requirements of OR.229, and originally intended for use in orientation training revolving around flying aircraft with delta wing configurations. Identical to the Type 707A except for the cockpit, provided for side by side seating, though the fuselage itself was not widened. One 3,600 lb.st. Rolls-Royce Derwent 8 powerplant.

Half scale flying model of Type 698 to meet Specification E.11/49. Two Rolls-Royce Avon powerplants. Serials allocated but project cancelled.