IWM Duxford launches funding campaign as conservation work starts on rare Handley Page Victor

Based at IWM Duxford, the Handley Page Victor XH648 is undergoing conservation so that future generations can continue to experience the Victor and the story it tells about Cold War conflict.

Chris Knapp, Section Head, Industrial and Large Object Conservation, Imperial War Museums said: “The Victor is a significant aircraft from the Cold War period and has been a mainstay of many RAF operations  both in its V Bomber role and  in the air-to-air refueling role from the early 1950s until its retirement in 1993. Victors made possible the extreme long-range bombing missions carried out by Avro Vulcan bombers during the Falklands conflict in 1982, at the time the longest bombing raid in history and still the longest in the history of the RAF. It is fair to say that the aircraft has found a place in the hearts of many of the thousands of ground crew and aircrew that worked on or flew in the type during their military careers.”

The Handley Page Victor XH648 is a large and important object in IWM’s collection. However, it is one of many objects that need attention and work and it is estimated that the conservation work will take between three and five years to complete.

Conserving the Victor for future generations cannot take place without the assistance of a public appeal.  To fully conserve the Victor, IWM Duxford needs to raise a total of £450,000.  To donate to conserve the Victor, please go to http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/iwm/victor

Less than 40 per cent of IWM’s income comes from the government. This funding has been decreasing at a rate of 5% per annum since 2010 and reductions are likely to continue in the coming years. At the same time, raising income from the private sector has become more challenging.

The IWM collection comprises the exceptional and the everyday, the beautiful and the apparently ordinary. It includes art, artefacts, archives, photography, film, books and sound recordings. All of these items need to be taken care of, through appropriate conservation, storage and display conditions so that future generations can continue to enjoy and learn from the stories they tell.


Conserving the Victor

IWM Duxford’s Conservation team has recently removed the wings from the Victor in preparation for long-term conservation work on the aircraft.  The Victor is in better condition internally than the external condition would indicate but there is extensive corrosion externally. Some of the components made of lighter materials are beginning to show significant signs of corrosion. This must be dealt with now as these components are impossible to replace.

About the Victor

Victor XH648 was originally built as a B1 model. Its first flight was on 27 November 1959 and it was delivered to No.57 Squadron at Honington on 21 December that year.

In October 1960, it returned to Handley Page at Radlett, Hertfordshire for conversion to a B1A status. This involved equipping it with new electronic countermeasure equipment, improved radio and radar equipment and changing the engines to Sapphire Mark 20701s.

Following conversion and test flights, XH648 was delivered to RAF Cottesmore on 11 May 1961 to join No.15 Squadron. Flown as part of the Far East Air Force during the confrontation with Indonesia in 1962-63 it was the only Victor to drop 35 1000lb bombs at the same time over the Song Song area.   On return from Indonesia, XH648 remained with 15 Squadron until it was delivered back to RAF Honington to join 55 Squadron on 3 April 1964.

Less than a year later, in 1965, it was converted by Handley Page into a two-point tanker, making it a          B (K) IA model. This involved the fitting of Mark 20B refueling pods under each wing. It then returned to 55 Squadron, who shortly afterwards moved to RAF Marham, where XH648 resided for the next ten years.

On 23 June1975, Victor XH648 was transferred to 57 Squadron, also based at RAF Marham, where it supported the Squadron’s final year as a Mark I tanker squadron. It was retired to Duxford on 2 June 1976.

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For further press information please contact:
Esther Blaine on [email protected]/ 01223 499 320
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