Magnificent painted cast metal alloy Vickers Valiant ‘V’ bomber in RAF ‘anti-flash white’ livery, on original stand. By the renowned UK model making firm of Westway Models, circa 1955.
Dimensions: 27.5 cm/10⅞ inches (length) x 29.5 cm/11⅝ inches (wing span) x 16.5 cm/6½ inches (maximum height on stand).
The Vickers-Armstrongs Valiant was a British high-altitude jet bomber, and was part of the Royal Air Force's "V bomber" nuclear weapon equipped strategic deterrent in the 1950s and 1960s. It was developed by Vickers in response to a specification issued by the Air Ministry for a nuclear-armed jet-powered bomber. The Valiant was the first of the three types of V bomber to become operational, and was followed by the Handley Page Victor and the Avro Vulcan. The Valiant was intended to be a high-altitude strategic bomber. It was designed to provide a crucial part of the United Kingdom's airborne nuclear deterrent and played a major role during the early period of the cold war and entered service in 1955. The Valiant has the distinction of being the only V bomber to have dropped live nuclear weapons.
During the late 1950s, in response to rapid advances in surface-to-air missile (SAM) technology, the Valiant fleet was switched to flying low-level for the strike role. Beyond the nuclear deterrence role, the Valiant was also used by the RAF for other purposes, as a number were converted to perform support roles such as aerial refuelling tankers and aerial reconnaissance aircraft. Valiants were used for conventional bombing missions over Egypt for Operation Musketeer during the Suez Crisis of 1956.
