The Royal Air Force Avro Vulcan bomber was a beast of a plane. With its giant delta wing and 4 engines generating a combined 88,000 lbs of thrust it left an indelible impression on anyone who saw it fly. When the Falklands Islands War broke out between Argentina and the United Kingdom the Vulcan was only months away from retirement. The distance from Ascension Island to the Falklands is approximately 3,800 miles and called for a long distance bomber. The Vulcan, after almost 25 years of operations, would finally be deployed in anger.
Vulcan 607 by Rowland White is a riveting account of that nearly 8,000 mile round trip mission. White tells the history of the plan, the conflict, the planning and execution of the mission. In detail he describes the operational challenges that needed to be overcome, the air defenses they were up against, and every step of the flight as it unfolded. You will find it difficult to put this one down, wondering what will go wrong next, and how/if the crews of the Vulcans and Victor tankers refueling them.
