Lion Roar Aircraft 1/144 RAF Strategic Bomber Victor B.2 Kit

The Handley Page Victor was one of three bomber types built as part of Great Britain's V-Bomber force as part of the Cold War nuclear deterrent. Each of the V-bombers was required to be able to scramble away from their bases in very quick time due to the much shorter time of flight for incoming bombers or missiles that might strike the UK. In the case of the Victor, the B.1 was powered by four non-afterburning Sapphire engines that gave the aircraft the ability to speed away from home and provide an appropriate response to any hostility.

The Victor was upgraded to the B.2 configuration powered by four Conway turbofans which required intake modifications and the aircraft was also fitted with extended wingtips. In 1956, the Victor B.2 was the largest aircraft to exceed Mach 1 and the aircraft maintained its stability throughout the speed excursion. When wing cracks were discovered in the Victor fleet, the aircraft was withdrawn from bomber duties with a number of them rolled initially as strike reconnaissance platforms and later as tankers. Victor supported long-range combat operations in the Falklands and again in Desert Storm before being retired in 1993.