This is my humble entry in MEERKAT’s Total Destruction Challenge. I don’t know if she’ll do the destroying business adequately because I’m crap at making custom bombs, but I had a lot of fun making her. After I built the Vindicator I realised that I really enjoyed playing about with V-Bomber type designs, so I had another go. This is it, and I hope you like it.

Here’s some invented history to put some meat on the bones...

After the Vickers Vindicator gained its reputation as the V- Bomber to beat, Hawker decided to pull out the blueprints for their entry into the original V-Bomber fight. The original project was so different to anything else the company had undertaken in the past, time played against them and they missed the deadline for submission of entries for consideration. Some of their innovations were incorporated into a design produced by Siddeley, but the joint name wasn’t satisfactory – Hawker wanted a unique place in V-Bomber history too, because there were big gaps in the picture gallery where the successors to the Hunter should have been hanging, and the piffling English Electric company had even had the nerve to come up with an uncivilised creation that dared to stomp all over Mach 2. Of course, there was the fledgeling P.1127 in the works, but the public’s immagination was directed towards a sinister looking, bat-like beauty with a nuke under its belly. Something had to be done, and quickly.

With the acceptance of the Vickers Vindicator by the Air Ministry, Hawker decided that the door was open; they dusted off the blueprints, hauled out the jigs, and called on all its fighter experience to build the heavy bomber that had been designed to handle well and could cut it in heavily defended airspace. The once shelved project XVB 1 was christened “Vendetta”, meaning “Revenge”, and Hawker went into overdrive.

The new aircraft was slightly smaller than the Vindicator, with arguably cleaner lines and was choc-a-bloc with the newest technology. She was faster at all altitudes, and had a super efficient boomerang wing shape that made slow speed handling a doddle, so she doesn’t even need flaps at takeoff or airbrakes during approach. The wing profile also behaved well at high speed, with no tendency to flutter under high energy manoeuvres, and airflow remaining laminar. She was controlled like a fighter, with what came to be known as HOTAS – Hands On Throttle and Stick, and unlike all other big aircraft, each pilot had a throttle quadrant to the left of his seat, as opposed to a central console with a common quadrant.

Crew was 5 - with new instrumentation there was no need for a Flight Engineer, and there were only two Weapons Systems Operators. In addition to Observing, the Navigator covered Electronic and Defensive Contermeasures. All crewmembers had ejector seats, the pilots and navigator firing upwards and the WSOs downwards, because the capsule type ejection system fitted to the Vindicator was considered too vulnerable to ground fire.

Maintenance tasks were eased by modular construction, and engines could be separated “en bloc” from the intakes and disembarked when necessary. All essential systems were accessible via large hatches, and lightweight materials employed where possible.

FLIGHT MANUAL
Vmc – 145
Vmax – 1200
Vne – 1400
Ceiling – 88,000ft

AG1 Drop External Bombs (4);
AG2 + VTOL Open/Close Bomb Bay (33 Bombs, auto armed) Select Air to Ground and hold Fire button to drop;
AG3 + VTOL Raise Refuelling Probe;
AG4 Countermearsures (Chaff);
AG5 Countermeasures (Flares);
AG6 You can see me now ‘cos I’ve got my lights on.
CAMERAS: Tail Gun Camera, Bomb Aimer Camera, Bomb Bay Condition Camera

The Vendetta also has 6 AAMs for air defense and a camera controlled twin tail gun to spoil the day of any clown pilot who tries rolling in behind for a close range gun kill.

Elite aircrews from N° 31 Squadron “Gold Stars” were creamed off to fly the Vendetta, and took part in many “Black Ops” missions in support of national and NATO operations. Originally based at Marham in Norfolk, Vendetta aircraft have not been seen there for some years, although some blurred photographs have recently emerged of similar looking aircraft making low-level incursions over a desert landscape. A black liveried aircraft similar to the Vendetta was recently seen by an ex-RAF British Airways pilot as it climbed through 40,000ft at a calculated 900KTS. The pilot estimated the aircraft had reached 60,000ft and was still climbing when he lost sight of it. The MOD refuses to comment.