Avro Vulcan and its Blue Steel missile on display at RAF Museum, London
Posted by vtereshkov@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 6 comments
Posted by vtereshkov@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 6 comments
PeteyMcPetey@reddit
Is the blue steel the missile that had that crazy fuel that was prone to leaking and cooking off when stored on the ground?
I think I remember it being mentioned in one of those "Into The Blue" books where the guy was talking all the RAF bases listed as possible diverts for an aircraft carrying these had a big pit next to the flightline where they would store these.
MudMonyet22@reddit
If you liked that you'd love the nightmare warhead that was the precursor to that on Blue Steel: the Violet Club warhead
Underdelivered on its yield, but severely overdelivered on how unsafe it was to handle.
vtereshkov@reddit (OP)
Yes, but self-igniting liquid propellants are still widely used, even if not this particular kerosene + hydrogen peroxide combination:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypergolic_propellant
Leek_Soup04@reddit
good lord, the more i read about these aircraft the more they sound like absolute death traps.
Known-Associate8369@reddit
The aircraft were fine.
The ordnance not so much.
matrixbadger@reddit
Famously the inspiration for Zoolander.