Thread: Victor Bomber to be given away by RAF

Yours for nothing! RAF Marham jet being given away

RAF jet being offered for free as base can not afford restoration | Latest Norfolk and Suffolk News | Eastern Daily PressIt is RAF Marham's much-loved Gate Guardian: a familiar sight to air personnel and visitors.



Actor Kenneth Moore star of "The Battle of Britain" and "Reach for the Sky" played the role of a real-life flier when he joined the crew of a Victor tanker aircraft for a two and a-half hour training flight from RAF Marham. Picture: Archant
But the Victor bomber that stands sentinel by the entrance to the west Norfolk base will soon be moving on.
Following a number of surveys it has been found that the plane needs extensive restoration work which the base cannot afford.
A spokesman for RAF Marham said: "Following recent structural integrity surveys it has been discovered that the Victor Gate Guardian at RAF Marham is suffering from structural weaknesses and would require urgent rectification work to prevent it breaking apart.
"The costs associated with the repairs are well beyond the financial provision allocated to Gate Guardian maintenance so the difficult decision has been made to offer the Victor to anyone that may wish to remove the aircraft and take on its restoration."

The Victor jet outside RAF Marham has been offered up for free. Picture: Ian Burt
The Victor was the last V-bomber to be used by the RAF and was part of the country's airborne nuclear deterrent.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

The Victor, from memory, suffered from an unexpectedly short airframe fatigue life. I think the Vulcan just became obsolete.

Perhaps you are thinking of the Valiant?

This was the first V bomber which was a more conservative design that could be put into production quickly. If the other designs did not come good they would still have one that worked

It was then replaced by the Vulcan and Victor which were more advanced designs.All were ordered at about the same time