About This Aircraft
The Avro Vulcan XM607 is perhaps the most famous Vulcan in aviation history, renowned for carrying out the first Operation Black Buck raid during the 1982 Falklands War. This B.2 variant became the aircraft that conducted what was, at the time, the longest bombing mission in military aviation history.
Built in 1963, XM607 served with the RAF's strategic nuclear deterrent force throughout the Cold War, operating with various squadrons as part of the Waddington Wing. By 1982, the aircraft was assigned to No. 44 Squadron and was scheduled for retirement along with the rest of the Vulcan fleet in June of that year. However, the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands in April 1982 gave these veteran bombers an unexpected final chapter.
XM607's moment of fame came on the night of 30th April to 1st May 1982, when it executed Black Buck 1, the opening strike of Operation Black Buck. Originally, XM598 piloted by Squadron Leader John Reeve was designated as the primary aircraft, with XM607 flown by Flight Lieutenant Martin Withers serving as the reserve. However, shortly after takeoff from Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island, XM598 developed a pressurisation failure due to a seal leak around one of the cockpit windows, forcing it to abort the mission.
XM607 was thrust into the lead role for this historic mission. The round trip of nearly 8,000 miles required complex aerial refuelling from up to eleven Victor tankers in an intricate "daisy chain" formation. During the outbound journey, the crew faced a dramatic challenge when two Victor tankers encountered a severe electrical storm during a crucial refuelling operation. The turbulence was so severe that one Victor's refuelling probe sheared off, forcing a rapid rearrangement of the refuelling plan.
Despite these difficulties and concerns about fuel levels, Withers made the crucial decision to continue the mission, famously stating: "We're short on fuel, but we've come this far, I'm not turning back now." The aircraft descended to low level to avoid Argentine radar detection, then climbed steeply to 10,000 feet for the bombing run across Port Stanley Airport.
XM607 carried twenty-one 1,000-pound bombs configured to drop sequentially across the runway at a 35-degree angle to maximise the chance of scoring a hit. The mission was successful - one bomb struck the centre of the runway, putting it out of action for fast jets. Withers transmitted the codeword "superfuse" to confirm the successful attack, marking the first time a Vulcan had been used in anger.
The psychological impact of the raid was profound. Although the runway was repaired within 24 hours for use by transport aircraft, the demonstration that British bombers could strike over such vast distances convinced Argentine military leaders that their mainland bases were also vulnerable. This forced them to retain significant numbers of aircraft for homeland defence rather than deploying them against the British Task Force.
XM607 went on to fly two more Black Buck missions during the conflict - Black Buck 2 and the final mission, Black Buck 7, which took place on 12th June 1982, just two days before the Argentine surrender. This made XM607 and its crew unique in participating in both the first and last Vulcan bombing missions of the war.
Following the Falklands conflict, XM607 was retired from service on 17th December 1982. On 21st December, the aircraft served as the centrepiece for the disbandment ceremony of No. 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron in Hangar 2 at RAF Waddington. In January 1983, XM607 was allocated to static display.
Today, XM607 stands as the guardian of RAF Waddington, positioned alongside the A15 road opposite the main gate. The aircraft has undergone structural surveys to assess its condition and has been found to be in relatively good order. It remains as Waddington's guardian, serving as a permanent memorial to the crews who flew these remarkable missions and as a testament to one of the most audacious bombing campaigns in military aviation history.
XM607 represents not just the technological achievement of the Vulcan programme, but also the courage and skill of the RAF crews who pushed these aircraft to their absolute limits in defence of British interests 8,000 miles from home.
**Update: this aircraft is currently not on display and is undergoing restoration.
