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{{short description|British strategic bomber and tanker aircraft}}
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{{Infobox aircraft
 |name = Victor
 |image = File:Handley Page HP-80 Victor K2, UK - Air Force AN1926561.jpg
 |caption = Handley Page HP-80 Victor K2 after landing, with drogue parachute deployed
 |type = [[Strategic bomber]] or [[aerial refueling]] tanker aircraft
 |national_origin = United Kingdom
 |manufacturer = [[Handley Page|Handley Page Limited]]
 |designer =
 |first_flight = 24 December 1952
 |last_flight = 3 May 2009
 |introduction = April 1958
 |retired = 15 October 1993
 |status = Retired
 |primary_user = [[Royal Air Force]]
 |more_users =
 |produced = 1952–1963
 |number_built = 86
 |variants =
}}

The '''Handley Page Victor''' is a British [[jet-powered]] [[strategic bomber]] developed and produced by [[Handley Page]] during the [[Cold War]]. It was the third and final '[[V bomber]]' to be operated by the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF), the other two being the [[Vickers Valiant]] and the [[Avro Vulcan]].

Entering service in 1958, the Victor was initially developed as part of the United Kingdom's airborne [[nuclear deterrent]]. It was retired from the nuclear mission in 1968, following the discovery of [[Fatigue (material)|fatigue crack]]s, which had been exacerbated by the RAF's adoption of a low-altitude flight profile to avoid [[Interceptor aircraft|interception]]. The pending introduction of the Royal Navy's submarine-launched [[Polaris missile#British Polaris|Polaris missiles]] in 1969 meant a large bomber force would no longer be needed, and the decision was made to retire the Victors from front-line service in favour of the Vulcan.

A number of Victors were modified for strategic reconnaissance, using a combination of [[radar]], cameras, and other sensors. Prior to the introduction of Polaris, some had already been converted into [[aerial refueling tanker|tankers]] to replace similar converted Valiants. Further tanker conversions followed and in 1982 some of these re-purposed Victors refuelled Vulcan bombers during the [[Black Buck raids]] of the [[Falklands War]]. The Victor was the last of the V-bombers to be retired from service on 15 October 1993. The Victor was replaced by [[Vickers VC10]] and [[Lockheed TriStar (RAF)|Lockheed Tristar]] tankers.

==Development==

===Origins===
[[File:Painting of Victor XA918.png|thumb|Painting of test Victor B1 XA918 by artist and former Handley Page employee Peter Coombs]]
The origin of the Victor and the other V bombers is linked to the early [[Blue Danube (nuclear weapon)|British atomic weapons programme]] and [[Deterrence theory#Nuclear weapons and deterrence|nuclear deterrent]] policies that were developed after the [[Second World War]]. The atom bomb programme formally began with Air Staff Operational Requirement OR.1001 issued in August 1946, which anticipated a government decision in January 1947 to authorise research and development work on atomic weapons; the U.S. [[Atomic Energy Act of 1946]] (McMahon Act) prohibited the export of atomic knowledge, even to countries that had collaborated on the [[Manhattan Project]].<ref>Wynn 1997, pp. 7, 16.</ref> OR.1001 envisaged a weapon not to exceed {{convert|24|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}} in length, {{convert|5|ft|m|abbr=on}} in diameter, {{convert|10000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} in weight, and suitable for release from {{convert|20000|ft|m|abbr=on}} to {{convert|50000|ft|m|abbr=on}}.<ref>Wynn 1997, p. 18.</ref>

At the same time, the [[Air Ministry]] drew up requirements for bombers to replace the [[piston-engine]]d heavy bombers such as the [[Avro Lancaster]] and the new [[Avro Lincoln]] which equipped [[RAF Bomber Command]].{{refn|[[Frederick Handley Page]], the founder and owner of Handley Page, had anticipated that there would be a need to replace the Lincoln bomber well in advance of any requirement, having issued a memo on 14 June 1945 requesting the immediate investigation of two new bomber designs.<ref>Brookes 2011, p. 6.</ref>|group=N}} In January 1947, the [[Ministry of Supply]] distributed [[List of Air Ministry specifications|Specification B.35/46]] to aviation companies to satisfy Air Staff Operational Requirement OR.229 for "a medium range bomber landplane capable of carrying one {{convert|10000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} bomb to a target {{convert|1500|nmi}} from a base which may be anywhere in the world". A cruising speed of {{convert|500|kn}} at heights between {{convert|35000|ft|m|abbr=on}} and {{convert|50000|ft|m|abbr=on}} was specified. The maximum weight when fully loaded ought not to exceed {{convert|100000|lb|kg|abbr=on}}. The weapons load was to include a {{convert|10000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} "Special gravity bomb" (i.e. a [[gravity bomb|free-fall]] [[nuclear weapon]]), or over shorter ranges {{convert|20000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} of conventional bombs. No defensive weapons were to be carried, the aircraft relying on its speed and altitude to avoid opposing fighters.<ref name="Buttler vital p28–31">Buttler ''Air Enthusiast'' January–February 1999, pp. 28–31.</ref>

The similar OR.230 required a "long range bomber" with a {{convert|2000|nmi|mi km}} radius of action at a height of {{convert|50000|ft|m|abbr=on}}, a cruising speed of {{convert|575|mph}}, and a maximum weight of {{convert|200000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} when fully loaded.<ref>Wynn 1997, pp. 44–46.</ref> Responses to OR.230 were received from [[Short Brothers]], [[Bristol Aeroplane Company|Bristol]], and [[Handley Page]]; the Air Ministry recognised that developing an aircraft to meet these stringent requirements would have been technically demanding and so expensive that the resulting bomber could be purchased only in small numbers.<ref name="BB 7">Butler and Buttler 2009, p. 7.</ref> Realising that the majority of likely targets would not require such a long range, a less demanding specification for a medium-range bomber, [[List of Air Ministry Specifications|Air Ministry Specification B.35/46]] was issued. This demanded the ability to carry the same 10,000&nbsp;lb bomb-load to a target {{convert|1500|nmi}} away at a height of {{convert|45000|–|50000|ft|m|abbr=on}} at a speed of {{convert|575|mph|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Buttler vital p28–31"/>

===HP.80===
The design proposed by Handley Page in response to B.35/46 was given the internal designation of HP.80. To achieve the required performance, Handley Page's aerodynamicist Dr. [[Gustav Lachmann]] and his deputy, Godfrey Lee developed a [[crescent wing|crescent-shaped swept wing]] for the HP.80.<ref>Brookes 2011, pp. 6–7.</ref> Aviation author Bill Gunston described the Victor's compound-sweep crescent wing as having been "undoubtedly the most efficient high-subsonic wing on any drawing board in 1947".<ref name="gunbombp80">Gunston 1973, p. 80</ref> The [[swept wing|sweep]] and [[Chord (aircraft)|chord]] of the wing decreased in three distinct steps from the root to the tip, to ensure a constant [[Mach number|critical Mach number]] across the entire wing and consequently a high cruise speed.<ref>Lee, G.H. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1954/1954%20-%201386.html "Aerodynamics of the Crescent Wing."] ''[[Flight International|Flight]]'', 14 May 1954, pp. 611–612.</ref> The other parts of the aircraft which accelerate the flow, the nose and tail, were also designed for the same critical mach number so the shape of the HP.80 had a constant critical mach number all over.<ref name="gunbombp80"/> Early work on the project included tailless aircraft designs, which would have used wing-tip vertical surfaces instead; however as the proposal matured, a high-mounted, full tailplane was adopted instead.<ref name="Flight59 p463">''Flight'' 30 October 1959, p. 463.</ref> The profile and shaping of the crescent wing was subject to considerable fine-tuning and alterations throughout the early development stages, particularly to counter unfavourable pitching behaviour in flight.<ref name="BB 9">Butler and Buttler 2009, p. 9.</ref>

The HP.80 and Avro's [[Avro Vulcan|Type 698]] were chosen as the best two of the proposed designs to B.35/46, and orders for two prototypes of each were placed.<ref name="Lake 364">Lake 2002, p. 364.</ref> It was recognised, however, that there were many unknowns associated with both designs, and an order was also placed for Vickers' design, which became the [[Vickers Valiant|Valiant]]. Although not fully meeting the requirements of the specification, the Valiant design posed little risk of failure and could therefore reach service earlier.<ref name="Buttler vital p38-9">Buttler ''Air Enthusiast'' January–February 1999, pp. 38–39.</ref> The HP.80's crescent wing was tested on a ⅓-scale [[Glider aircraft|glider]], the HP.87, and a heavily modified [[Supermarine Attacker]], which was given the [[Handley Page HP.88]] designation. The HP.88 crashed on 26 August 1951 after completing only about thirty flights and little useful data was gained during its brief two months of existence. By the time the HP.88 was ready, the HP.80 wing had changed such that the former was no longer representative. The design of the HP.80 had sufficiently advanced that the loss of the HP.88 had little effect on the programme.<ref>Donald 2008, pp. 127–128.</ref>

Two HP.80 prototypes, ''WB771'' and ''WB775'', were built. ''WB771'' had been partially assembled at the Handley Page factory at [[Radlett]] airfield when the Ministry of Supply decided the runway was too short for the first flight.<ref>The Handley Page Victor The History & Development Of A Classic Jet, Volume One,Roger R. Brooks,{{ISBN|978 1 84415 411 1}}, p.54</ref> The aircraft parts were transported by road to [[MoD Boscombe Down|RAF Boscombe Down]] where they were assembled for the first flight; bulldozers were used to clear the route and create paths around obstacles. Sections of the aircraft were hidden under wooden framing and tarpaulins printed with "GELEYPANDHY / SOUTHAMPTON" to make it appear as a boat hull in transit. GELEYPANDHY was an [[anagram]] of "Handley Pyge", marred by a signwriter's error.<ref name="Barnes p502">Barnes 1976, p. 502.</ref> On 24 December 1952, piloted by Handley Page's chief test pilot [[Hedley Hazelden]], ''WB771'' made its maiden flight, which lasted for a total of 17 minutes.<ref name="Barnes p503">Barnes 1976, p. 503.</ref><ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19530115&id=q8NVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SsMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1926,1289410 "This British Bomber Leads The World."] ''The Age'', 15 January 1953. p. 2.</ref> Ten days later, the Air Ministry announced the aircraft's official name to be ''Victor''.<ref>Brookes 2011, p. 9.</ref>{{refn|According to aviation author Jon Lake, the name 'Victor' had originated from British Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]].<ref name="Lake 364"/>|group=N}}

The prototypes performed well; however, design failings led to the loss of ''WB771'' on 14 July 1954, when the tailplane detached whilst making a low-level pass over the runway at [[Cranfield Airport|Cranfield]], causing the aircraft to crash with the loss of the crew. Attached to the fin using three bolts, the tailplane was subjected to considerably more load than had been anticipated, causing fatigue cracking around the bolt holes. This led to the bolts loosening and failing in shear. Stress concentrations around the holes were reduced by adding a fourth bolt.<ref name="Brooksv1p114">Brooks ''The Handley Page Victor: Volume 1'' 2007, p. 114.</ref> The potential for flutter due to shortcomings in the design of the fin/tailplane joint was also reduced by shortening the fin.<ref name="Barnes p506">Barnes 1976, p. 506.</ref><ref name="Gunston AMFeb81 p61">Gunston ''Aeroplane Monthly'' February 1981, p. 61.</ref> Additionally, the prototypes were tail heavy due to the lack of equipment in the nose; this was remedied by adding large ballast weights to the prototypes.<ref>Darling 2012, p. 49.</ref> Production Victors had a lengthened nose to move the crew escape door further from the engine intakes as the original position was considered too dangerous as an emergency exit in flight. The lengthened nose also improved the [[Center of gravity of an aircraft|center of gravity]] range.<ref name="Gunston AMFeb81 p61-2">Gunston ''Aeroplane Monthly'' February 1981, pp. 61–62.</ref>

===Victor B.1===
[[File:Victor 50s.jpg|thumb|Victor B1A XH588 at an East Anglian [[Battle of Britain]] day event, 1959]]
Production ''B.1'' Victors were powered by the [[Armstrong Siddeley]] [[Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire|Sapphire ASSa.7]] [[turbojet]]s rated at {{convert|11000|lbf|kN|abbr=on|lk=on}}, and were initially armed with the Blue Danube nuclear weapon and later with the more powerful [[Yellow Sun (nuclear weapon)|Yellow Sun]] weapon when it became available. Victors also carried U.S.-owned [[Mark 5 nuclear bomb]]s (made available under the [[Project E]] programme) and the British [[Red Beard (nuclear weapon)|Red Beard]] tactical nuclear weapon.<ref name="Mason Bomber p388"/><ref name="Units p29">Brookes 2011, p. 29.</ref><ref name="Leitch p55,8">Leitch ''Air Enthusiast'' September–October 2003, pp. 55, 58.</ref> A total of 24 were upgraded to ''B.1A'' standard by the addition of [[List of Rainbow Codes|Red Steer]] tail warning radar in an enlarged tail-cone and a suite of radar warning receivers and [[electronic countermeasures]] (ECM) from 1958 to 1960.<ref name="History">{{cite web|url=http://www.gatwick-aviation-museum.co.uk/victor/victor.html|title=Handley page Victor K.2|publisher=Gatwick Aviation Museum|access-date=12 April 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515045401/http://www.gatwick-aviation-museum.co.uk/victor/victor.html|archive-date=15 May 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="Gunston AMFeb81 p63">Gunston ''Aeroplane Monthly'' February 1981, p. 63.</ref>

On 1 June 1956, a production Victor ''XA917'' flown by [[test pilot]] Johnny Allam inadvertently exceeded the [[speed of sound]] after Allam let the nose drop slightly at a high power setting. Allam noticed a cockpit indication of Mach 1.1 and ground observers from [[Watford]] to [[Banbury]] reported hearing a [[sonic boom]]. The Victor maintained stability throughout the event. Aviation author Andrew Brookes has claimed that Allam broke the sound barrier knowingly to demonstrate the Victor's higher speed capability compared to the earlier V-bombers.<ref name="Units p10">Brookes 2011, p. 10.</ref>{{refn|Paul Langston, an observer on-board while ''XA917'' broke the sound barrier, has the distinction of being the first man to break the sound barrier seated backwards.<ref name="Units p10"/>|group=N}} The Victor was the largest aircraft to have broken the sound barrier at that time.<ref name="Gunston AMFeb81 p62">Gunston ''Aeroplane Monthly'' February 1981, p. 62.</ref>

===Victor B.2===
[[File:RAF Victor B.2.jpg|thumb|Victor B.2 at [[RAF Wittering]] undergoing pre-flight preparations]]
The RAF required its bombers to be capable of higher operational ceilings, and numerous proposals were considered for improved Victors. Initially, Handley Page proposed using {{cvt|14000|lbf|kN}} Sapphire 9 engines to produce a "Phase 2" bomber, to be followed by "Phase 3" Victors with the wingspan increased to {{cvt|137|ft}} and powered by [[Rolls-Royce Olympus|Bristol Siddeley Olympus]] turbojets or [[Rolls-Royce Conway]] [[turbofan]]s. The Sapphire 9 was cancelled and the heavily modified Phase 3 aircraft would have delayed introduction, so an interim "Phase 2A" Victor was proposed and accepted, to be powered by the Conway but with minimal modifications.<ref name="Barnes p509-511">Barnes 1976, pp. 509–511.</ref><ref>Darling 2012, p. 50.</ref>

The "Phase 2A" proposal became the '' Victor B.2'', with Conway RCo.11 engines providing {{cvt|17250|lbf|kN}}, which required enlarged intakes to increase the airflow to the engines, and the wingspan was increased to {{cvt|120|ft}}.<ref name="rees 2 p220">ap Rees ''Air Pictorial'' June 1972, p. 220.</ref> The B.2 also added a pair of retractable "elephant ear" intakes on the upper rear fuselage forward of the fin, to feed air to [[Ram air turbine|Ram Air Turbines (RAT)]] to provide electricity should an in-flight engine failure occur.<ref name="Database p86-7">Fraser-Mitchell 2009, pp. 86–87.</ref><ref name="Flight59 p472">''Flight'' 30 October 1959, p. 472.</ref>

The first flight of the Victor B.2 prototype, serial number ''XH668'', was made on 20 February 1959,<ref name="Barnes p514">Barnes 1976, p. 514.</ref> and it had flown 100 hours by 20 August 1959, when it disappeared from radar, crashing into the sea off the [[Pembrokeshire]] coast during high-altitude engine tests carried out by the [[Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment]] (A&AEE). Most of the wreckage had been recovered by November 1960, following an extensive search-and-recovery operation. The accident investigation concluded that the starboard [[Pitot tube|pitot head]] had failed, causing the [[Aircraft flight control system|flight control system]] to force the aircraft into an unrecoverable dive.<ref name="Testing p70-1">Middleton ''Air Enthusiast'' Winter 1993, pp. 70–71.</ref> Minor changes resolved the problem,<ref name="Barnes p516">Barnes 1976, p. 516.</ref> allowing the B.2 to enter service in February 1962.<ref name="Barnes p519-0"/>

===Further development===
A total of 21 B.2 aircraft were upgraded to the B.2R standard with Conway RCo.17 engines ({{convert|20600|lbf|kN|abbr=on|disp=or}} thrust) and facilities to carry a [[Blue Steel (missile)|Blue Steel stand-off nuclear missile]].<ref name="Mason Bomber p388-9">Mason 1994, pp. 388–389.</ref> Anti-radar chaff storage had to be relocated from under the nose as a result of the Blue Steel installation. Coincidentally, Peter White, a senior aerodynamicist attended a symposium in Brussels and learned of Whitcomb's conical bodies set on the top of a wing which would add volume while reducing wave drag. However, the added skin friction drag meant an overall slight drag increase,<ref name="Brookesv2p190">Brooks ''The Handley Page Victor: Volume 2'' 2007, p. 190</ref> so large streamlined fairings were added to the top of each wing to hold the chaff. The fairings behaved like "[[Dietrich Küchemann|Küchemann]] carrots".<ref>Gunston 1973, p. 101</ref> These were [[anti-shock body|anti-shock bodies]] which reduced [[wave drag]] at [[transonic]] speeds (see [[area rule]]).<ref name="rees pt2 p222">ap Rees ''Air Pictorial'' June 1972, p. 222.</ref> Handley Page proposed to build a further refined "Phase 6" Victor, with more fuel and capable of carrying up to four [[GAM-87 Skybolt|Skybolt]] (AGM-48) ballistic missiles on standing airborne patrols, but this proposal was rejected although it was agreed that some of the Victor B.2s on order would be fitted to carry two Skybolts. This plan was abandoned when the U.S. cancelled the Skybolt programme in 1963.<ref name="Barnes p518"/> With the move to low-level penetration missions, the Victors were fitted with air-to-air refuelling probes above the cockpit and received large underwing fuel tanks.<ref name="Steel p241">Rodwell ''Flight'' 13 February 1964, p. 241.</ref>

Nine B.2 aircraft were converted for strategic reconnaissance purposes to replace Valiants which had been withdrawn due to wing fatigue, with delivery beginning in July 1965.<ref name="Mason Bomber p388"/> These aircraft received a variety of cameras, a bomb bay-mounted radar mapping system and air sampling equipment to detect particles released from [[nuclear testing]].<ref name="History"/> Designated Victor SR.2, a single aircraft could photograph the whole of the United Kingdom in a single two-hour sortie.{{Dubious|date=January 2023}} Different camera configurations could be installed in the bomb bay, including up to four F49 survey cameras and up to eight F96 cameras could be fitted to take vertical or oblique daylight photography; nighttime photography required the fitting of F89 cameras.<ref>Darling 2012, pp. 52–53.</ref>

===Aerial refuelling conversion===
[[File:H.P. Victor K.2 XL188 55 Sqn FFD 13.07.85 edited-2.jpg|thumb|right|Victor K.2 of [[No. 55 Squadron RAF]] in 1985; note the deployed refuelling drogues.]]
Prior to the demise of the Valiant as a tanker, a trial installation of refuelling equipment was carried out using the Victor, including: overload bomb-bay tanks, underwing tanks, refuelling probe and jettisonable [[de Havilland Spectre]] Assisted Take-Off units. The aircraft involved in the trials, B.1 "XA930", carried out successful trials at Boscombe Down at very high all-up weights with relatively short field length take-offs.<ref name="Barnes p513">Barnes 1976, p.P. 513-514.</ref>

With the withdrawal of the Valiant because of [[metal fatigue]] in December 1964 the RAF had no flight-refuelling capability, so the B.1/1A aircraft, by then surplus in the strategic bomber role, were refitted for this duty. To get some tankers into service as quickly as possible, six B.1A aircraft were converted to ''B(K).1A'' standard (later redesignated ''B.1A (K2P)''<ref name="Mason Bomber p389"/>), receiving a two-point system with a hose and drogue carried under each wing, while the bomb bay remained available for weapons. Handley Page worked day and night to convert these six aircraft, with the first being delivered on 28 April 1965, and [[No. 55 Squadron RAF|55 Squadron]] becoming operational in the tanker role in August 1965.<ref name="Gunston AMFeb81 p64-5">Gunston ''Aeroplane Monthly'' February 1981, pp. 64–65.</ref>

While these six aircraft provided a limited tanker capability suitable for refuelling fighters, the Mk 20A wing hosereels delivered fuel at too low a rate to be suitable for refuelling bombers. Work therefore continued to produce a definitive three-point tanker conversion of the Victor Mk.1. Fourteen further B.1A and 11 B.1 were fitted with two permanently fitted fuel tanks in the bomb bay, and a high-capacity Mk 17 centreline hose dispenser unit with three times the fuel flow rate as the wing reels, and were designated ''K.1A'' and ''K.1'' respectively.<ref name="Gunston AMFeb81 p64-5"/>

The remaining B.2 aircraft were not as suited to the low-level mission profile that the RAF had adopted for carrying out strategic bombing missions as the Vulcan with its stronger delta wing.<ref name = "darling 53">Darling 2012, p. 53.</ref> This, combined with the switch of the nuclear deterrent from the RAF to the [[Royal Navy]] (with the [[UGM-27 Polaris|Polaris missile]]) meant that the Victors were declared surplus to requirements.<ref name="History"/> Hence, 24 B.2 were modified to ''K.2'' standard. Similar to the K.1/1A conversions, the wing, which was to have been fitted with tip fuel tanks to reduce wing fatigue, had 18 inches removed from each tip instead and the bomb aimer's nose glazing was replaced with metal. During 1982, the glazing was reintroduced on some aircraft, the former nose bomb aimer's position having been used to mount F95 cameras in order to perform reconnaissance missions during the [[Falklands War]].<ref>Darling 2012, pp. 162–163.</ref> The K.2 could carry {{convert|91000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} of fuel. It served in the tanker role until withdrawn in October 1993.<ref name="History"/>

==Design==
===Overview===
[[File:Handley Page HP-80 Victor K2 AN1103895.jpg|thumb|right|Head-on view of a Victor during a ground taxi run, 2006]]
The Victor was a futuristic-looking, streamlined aircraft, with four turbojet (later turbofan) engines buried in the thick wing roots. Distinguishing features of the Victor were its highly swept [[T-tail]] with considerable [[dihedral (aircraft)|dihedral]] on the tail planes, and a prominent chin bulge that contained the targeting [[radar]], nose [[landing gear]] unit and an auxiliary [[bombardier (air force)|bomb aimer]]'s position.<ref name="parade p495"/> It was originally required by the specification that the whole nose section could be detached at high altitudes to act as an escape pod, but the Air Ministry abandoned this requirement in 1950.<ref name="rees pt1 p166">ap Rees ''Air Pictorial'' May 1972, p. 166.</ref><ref name="Gunston AMJan81 p6-7">Gunston ''Aeroplane Monthly'' January 1981, pp. 6–7.</ref>

The Victor had a five-man crew, comprising the two pilots seated side by side and three rearward-facing crew, these being the navigator/plotter, the navigator/radar operator, and the air electronics officer (AEO).<ref>''Flight'' 19 September 1958, pp. 494–495.</ref> The Victor's pilots sat at the same level as the rest of the crew, due to a large [[Cabin pressurization|pressurised]] compartment that extended all the way to the nose.<ref name="parade p495">''Flight'' 19 September 1958, p. 495.</ref> As with the other V-bombers, only the pilots were provided with [[ejection seat]]s with the three systems operators relying on "explosive cushions" inflated by a [[Carbon dioxide|CO<sub>2</sub>]] bottle that would help them from their seats, but despite this, successful escape for them would have been unlikely in most emergency situations.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A49097307 "The V-Bomber Ejector Seat Story".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013095237/http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A49097307 |date=13 October 2010 }} BBC. Retrieved: 13 September 2010.</ref>{{refn|[[Martin-Baker|Martin Baker]] developed and tested rearward ejection systems for both the Valiant and the Vulcan, proceeding to the point of a modified Valiant undergoing testing; however the company concluded that the same approach on the Victor would be substantially more difficult due to structural reasons.<ref>Hamilton-Paterson 2010, p. 156.</ref>|group=N}}

While assigned to the nuclear delivery role, the Victor was finished in an all-over [[anti-flash white]] colour scheme, designed to protect the aircraft against the damaging effects of a nuclear detonation. The white colour scheme was intended to reflect heat away from the aircraft; paler variations of RAF's roundels were also applied for this same reason. When the V-bombers were assigned to the low-level approach profile in the 1960s, the Victors were soon repainted in green/grey tactical [[camouflage]] to reduce visibility to ground observation; the same scheme was applied to subsequently converted tanker aircraft.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2009, pp. 38–39.</ref>

===Armaments and equipment===
[[File:Handley Page HP-80 Victor K2, UK - Air Force AN0992882.jpg|thumb|right|Victor K2 of [[No. 57 Squadron RAF]] landing at [[RNAS Yeovilton]], 1984]]
The Victor's bomb bay was much larger than that of the Valiant and Vulcan, which allowed heavier weapon loads to be carried at the cost of range. As an alternative to the single "10,000&nbsp;lb" nuclear bomb as required by the specification, the bomb bay was designed to carry several conventional armaments, including a single {{convert|22000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} [[Grand Slam bomb|Grand Slam]] or two {{convert|12000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} [[Tallboy bomb|Tallboy]] [[earthquake bomb]]s, up to forty-eight {{convert|1000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} bombs{{refn|In operational service with the RAF, a maximum payload of 35 1,000&nbsp;lb bombs could be carried.<ref name="Mason Bomber p389">Mason 1994, p. 389.</ref>|group=N}} or thirty-nine {{convert|2000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} sea mines. One proposed addition to the Victor were underwing panniers capable of carrying a further 28 1,000&nbsp;lb bombs to supplement the main bomb bay, but this option was not pursued.<ref name="Barnes p508">Barnes 1976, p. 508.</ref>

In addition to a range of free-fall nuclear bombs, later Victor B.2s operated as missile carriers for standoff nuclear missiles such as Blue Steel.<ref name="Steel p241-242"/> Target information for Blue Steel could be input during flight, as well in advance of the mission. It was reported that, with intensive work, a B.2 missile carrier could revert to carrying free-fall nuclear weapons or conventional munitions within 30 hours.<ref name="Steel p245">Rodwell ''Flight'' 13 February 1964, p. 245.</ref>

Like the other two V-Bombers, the Victor made use of the Navigational and Bombing System (NBS); a little-used optical sight had also been installed upon early aircraft.<ref name="BB 61">Butler and Buttler 2009, p. 61.</ref> For navigation and bomb-aiming purposes, the Victor employed several radar systems. These included the [[H2S radar]], developed from the first airborne ground-scanning radar, and the [[Green Satin radar]].<ref name="BB 40">Butler and Buttler 2009, p. 40.</ref> Radar information was inputted into the onboard [[Electromechanics|electromechanical]] analogue bomb-aiming apparatus. Some of the navigation and targeting equipment was either directly descended from, or shared concepts with, those used on Handley Page's preceding [[Handley Page Halifax|Halifax]] bomber. Operationally, the accuracy of the bomb-aiming system proved to be limited to roughly 400 yards, which was deemed sufficient for high-level nuclear strike operations.<ref>Brookes 2011, p. 21.</ref>

===Avionics and systems===
The Victor had fully powered flying controls for the ailerons, elevators and rudder, with no manual reversion which required duplication as back-up. Since the control surfaces were fully powered an artificial feel unit was provided, fed by ram air from the pitot in the nose. Pilot control movements were transmitted via a low-friction mechanical system to the flying control units. Duplication was provided on the premise that the single pilot's input would remain functional and that neither hydraulic motors nor screwjack on a unit would jam. A separate hydraulic circuit was used for each of the following: landing gear, flaps, nose flaps, air brakes, bomb doors, wheel brakes, nose-wheel steering, ram-air-turbine air scoops.<ref name="Flight59 p472"/> An [[alternating current|AC]] electrical system and [[auxiliary power unit]] were significant additions to the later Victor B.2, electrical reliability being noticeably improved.<ref name="BB 44">Butler and Buttler 2009, p. 44.</ref>{{refn|Godfrey Lee, one of the aircraft's designers, stated of the electrical changes that "an unbelievable improvement followed from going over from DC to AC".<ref>Brookes 2011, p. 13.</ref>|group=N}}

To evade enemy detection and interception efforts, the Victor was outfitted with an extensive [[Electronic countermeasure|ECM]] suite which were operated by the air electronics officer (AEO), who had primary responsibility for the aircraft's electronics and communication systems. The ECM equipment could be employed to disrupt effective use of both active and passive radar in the vicinity of the aircraft, and to provide situational awareness for the crew. Enemy communications could also be jammed, and [[Active radar homing|radar guided missiles]] of the era were also reportedly rendered ineffective.<ref name="auto">Brookes 2011, p. 24.</ref> The Victor B.2 featured an extended area located around the base of the tail fin which contained cooling systems and some of the ECM equipment.<ref name="Barnes p519">Barnes 1976, p. 519.</ref>

Some of the ECM equipment which initially saw use on the Victor, such as the original [[Chaff (countermeasure)|chaff]] dispenser and Orange Putter tail warning radar, had been developed for the earlier [[English Electric Canberra]] bomber and was already considered to be nearly obsolete by the time the Victor entered service.<ref name="BB 39">Butler and Buttler 2009, p. 39.</ref> Significant improvements and alterations were made to the avionics and ECM suites, as effective ECMs had been deemed critical to the Victor's role;. For example, the introduction of the more capable [[Red Steer]] [[tail warning radar]].<ref>Butler and Buttler 2009, p. 39-40.</ref> The introduction of the Victor B.2 was accompanied by several new ECM systems, including a passive radar warning receiver, a metric radar jammer and communications jamming equipment. Streamlined [[Aircraft fairing|fairings]] on the [[trailing edge]]s of the wings that could house large quantities of defensive [[Chaff (countermeasure)|chaff]]/[[Flare (countermeasure)|flares]] were also new additions.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2009, pp. 44, 47.</ref> While trials were conducted with terrain-following radar and a side scan mode for the bombing and navigation radar, neither of these functions were integrated into the operational fleet.<ref name="History"/>

===Engines===
[[File:Conway RCo 17 (26856340848).jpg|thumb|Rolls-Royce Conway RCo.17 Mk 201 on static display]]
The Victor B.1 was powered by four Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire turbojet engines. The engines were embedded in pairs in the wing roots. Because of the mid wing position, the tail was mounted at the tip of the fin to keep clear of the jet efflux.<ref>''Flight'' 30 October 1959, pp. 463–465.</ref> Sapphire engines installed in the Victor suffered 'centre-line closure' failures flying in dense cloud or heavy rain flying in the tropics.<ref name="BB 61"/><ref name="Brooksv2p282">Brooks ''The Handley Page Victor Volume 2'' 2007, p. 282</ref> The Victor B.2 was powered by the newer Rolls-Royce Conway turbofan which at one point was the most powerful non-[[afterburner|afterburn]]ing engine outside the Soviet Union. The Conway had significantly higher thrust than the Sapphire engine in the B.1.<ref>''Flight'' 30 October 1959, pp. 463–466.</ref>

The Victor B.2 had a [[Turbomeca Artouste|Blackburn ''Artouste'']] auxiliary power unit (AAPU) installed in the starboard wing root. It provided high-pressure air for starting the engines, and also provided electrical power on the ground or in the air as an emergency power supply if the engine-driven generators failed. It also reduced the need for some ground support equipment. Two turbine-driven alternators, otherwise known as ram air turbines (RATs), had been introduced on the B.2 to provide emergency power in the event of electrical power being lost. Retractable scoops in the rear fuselage would open to feed ram air to them enabling them to generate sufficient electrical power to operate the flight controls. In the event of engine [[flameout]] RATs would enable the crew to keep control of the aircraft until the engines could be relit.<ref name="Database p86-7"/><ref name="Flight59 p472"/>

===Flight profile===
The Victor was commonly described as having good handling and excellent performance, along with favourable low speed flight characteristics.<ref name="BB 60">Butler and Buttler 2009, p. 60.</ref> During the flight tests of the first prototype, the Victor proved its aerodynamic performance, flying up to Mach 0.98 without handling or buffeting problems; there were next to no aerodynamic changes between prototype and production aircraft.<ref name="BB 31">Butler and Buttler 2009, p. 31.</ref>{{refn|[[Hedley Hazelden]], Handley Page's chief test pilot, stated that "From a pilot's point of view, the Victor wasn't that much of a problem. In spite of innovations such as powered controls and nose flaps, it flew like any other aeroplane".<ref name="Brookes 2011, p. 18">Brookes 2011, p. 18.</ref>|group=N}} Production aircraft featured an automated nose-flap operation to counteract a tendency for the aircraft to pitch upwards during low-to-moderate Mach numbers.<ref name="BB 33">Butler and Buttler 2009, p. 33.</ref> At low altitude, the Victor typically flew in a smooth and comfortable manner, in part due to its narrowness and flexibility of the crescent wing.<ref>Hamilton-Paterson 2010, p. 112.</ref> One unusual flight characteristic of the early Victor was its self-landing capability; once lined up with the runway, the aircraft would naturally [[Flare (aviation)|flare]] as the wing entered into [[Ground effect (aircraft)|ground effect]] while the tail continued to sink, giving a cushioned landing without any command or intervention by the pilot.<ref name="Gunston AMFeb81 p63"/><ref name="BB 29">Butler and Buttler 2009, p. 29.</ref> However, this characteristic was considered to be of no special advantage according to an assessment of the second prototype by the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment.<ref name="Brooksv1p124">Brooks ''The Handley Page Victor: Volume 1'' 2007, p. 124</ref>

The Victor has been described as an agile aircraft, atypical for a large bomber aircraft; in 1958, a Victor had performed several loops and a [[barrel roll]] during practices for a display flight at [[Farnborough Airshow]].<ref name="BB 35">Butler and Buttler 2009, p. 35.</ref><ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1958/1958-1-%20-%200438.html "Farnborough Week: The most Memorable S.B.A.C. Display Yet."] ''Flight International'', 12 September 1958. pp. 438, 442.</ref> Manoeuvrability was greatly enabled by the light controls, quick response of the aircraft, and the design of certain flight surfaces such as the infinitely-variable tail-mounted airbrake.<ref name="BB 32">Butler and Buttler 2009, p. 32.</ref> The Victor was designed for flight at high subsonic speeds, although multiple instances have occurred in which the [[sound barrier]] was broken.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2009, pp. 33–34.</ref> During development of the Victor B.2, the RAF had stressed the concept of tactical manoeuvrability, which led to much effort in development being given to increasing the aircraft's height and range performance.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2009, pp. 60–61.</ref>

==Operational history==
[[File:Handley Page Victor B.1 in flight c1957.jpg|thumb|right|Victor B.1 (''XA922'') on a landing approach, circa 1959]]

The Victor was the last of the V bombers to enter service, with deliveries of B.1s to [[No. 232 Operational Conversion Unit RAF]] based at [[RAF Gaydon]], [[Warwickshire]] taking place in late 1957.<ref name="Mason Bomber p387">Mason 1994, p. 387.</ref> The first operational bomber squadron, [[No. 10 Squadron RAF|10 Squadron]], formed at [[RAF Cottesmore]] in April 1958, with a second squadron, [[No. 15 Squadron RAF|15 Squadron]], forming before the end of the year.<ref name="Gunston AMFeb81 p62-3">Gunston ''Aeroplane Monthly'' February 1981, pp. 62–63.</ref> Four Victors, fitted with Yellow Astor reconnaissance radar, together with passive sensors, were used to equip a secretive unit, the Radar Reconnaissance Flight at [[RAF Wyton]].<ref name="Mason Bomber p387"/><ref name="Gunston AMFeb81 p62-3"/> The Victor bomber force continued to build up, with [[No. 57 Squadron RAF|57 Squadron]] forming in March 1959 and 55 Squadron in October 1960.<ref name="Mason Bomber p389"/><ref name="BB 63">Butler and Buttler 2009, p. 63.</ref> At its height, the Victor was simultaneously operating with six squadrons of RAF Bomber Command.<ref name="BB 61"/>

According to the operational doctrine developed by the RAF, in the circumstance of deploying a large-scale nuclear strike, each Victor would have operated entirely independently; the crews would conduct their mission without external guidance and be reliant upon the effectiveness of their individual tactics to reach and successfully attack their assigned target; thus great emphasis was placed on continuous crew training during peacetime.<ref name="parade p493">''Flight'' 19 September 1958, p. 493.</ref> Developing a sense of a crew unity was considered highly important; Victor crews would typically serve together for at least five years, and a similar approach was adopted with ground personnel.<ref>''Flight'' 19 September 1958, pp. 493–495.</ref> In order to maximise the operational lifespan of each aircraft, Victor crews typically flew a single five-hour training mission per week.<ref name="parade p494">''Flight'' 19 September 1958, p. 494.</ref> Each crew member was required to qualify for servicing certificates to independently undertake inspection, refuelling and turnaround operations.<ref name="Brookes 2011, p. 18"/>

[[File:Handley Page HP-80 Victor K2, UK - Air Force AN0992865.jpg|thumb|left|Victor K2 (''XH669'') refuelling a pair of [[English Electric Lightning]]s, September 1978]]
In times of high international tension, the V-bombers would have dispersed and been maintained at a high state of readiness; if the order was given to deploy a nuclear strike, Victors at high readiness would have been airborne in under four minutes.<ref>Brookes 2011, pp. 23–24.</ref> British intelligence had estimated that the Soviets' radar network was capable of detecting the Victor at up to 200 miles away, so to avoid interception, the Victor would follow carefully planned routes to exploit weaknesses in the Soviet detection network.  This tactic was employed in conjunction with the Victor's extensive onboard ECM to increase the chances of evasion.<ref name="auto"/> Whilst originally the Victor would have maintained high-altitude flight throughout a nuclear strike mission, rapid advances of the Soviet [[anti-aircraft warfare]] capabilities (exemplified by the [[1960 U-2 incident|downing of a U-2 from 70,000 ft]] in 1960) led to this tactic being abandoned: a low-level high-speed approach supported by increasingly sophisticated ECMs was adopted in its place.<ref name="BB 49">Butler and Buttler 2009, p. 49.</ref><ref>Windle and Bowman 2009, p. 21.</ref>

The improved Victor B.2 started to be delivered in 1961, with the first B.2 Squadron, [[No. 139 Squadron RAF|139 Squadron]], forming in February 1962, and a second, [[No. 100 Squadron RAF|100 Squadron]], in May 1962.<ref name="Barnes p519-0">Barnes 1976, pp. 519–520.</ref> These were the only two bomber squadrons to form on the B.2, as the last 28 Victors on order were cancelled.<ref name="Mason Bomber p388">Mason 1994, p. 388.</ref> The prospect of [[Skybolt]] ballistic missiles, with which each V-bomber could strike at two separate targets, meant that fewer bombers would be needed.<ref name="Barnes p518-9">Barnes 1976, pp. 518–519.</ref> The government was also unhappy with [[Sir Frederick Handley Page]]'s resistance to its pressure to merge his company with competitors.<ref name="lake 369"/> Following Skybolt's cancellation, Victor B.2s were retrofitted as carrier aircraft for the Blue Steel standoff nuclear missile.  The introduction of standoff weapons and the switch to low-level flight in order to evade radar detection were said to be decisive factors in the successful penetration of enemy territory.<ref name="Steel p241-242">Rodwell ''Flight'' 13 February 1964, pp. 241–242.</ref>

[[File:Avro Vulcan & Handley Page Victor nuclear bombers at the 1964 Richmond Air Show, NSW.jpg|thumb|right|A Victor and a Vulcan at Richmond Air Show, [[New South Wales]], 1964]]
In 1964–1965, a series of detachments of Victor B.1As was deployed to [[RAF Tengah]], Singapore as a deterrent against Indonesia during the [[Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation|Borneo conflict]], the detachments fulfilling a strategic deterrent role as part of [[Far East Air Force (Royal Air Force)|Far East Air Force]], while also giving valuable training in low-level flight and visual bombing.<ref name="Barnes p527"/><ref name="Lo p703">Rodwell ''Flight'' 6 May 1965, p. 703.</ref> In September 1964, with the confrontation with Indonesia reaching a peak, the detachment of four Victors was prepared for rapid dispersal, with two aircraft loaded with live conventional bombs and held on one-hour readiness, ready to fly operational sorties.  However, they were never required to fly combat missions and the high readiness alert finished at the end of the month.<ref name="Units p65">Brookes 2011, p. 65.</ref>

Following the discovery of fatigue cracks, developing due to their low-altitude usage,<ref name="lake 369">Lake 2002, p. 369.</ref> the B.2R strategic bombers were retired and placed in storage by the end of 1968. The RAF had experienced intense demand on its existing aerial refuelling tanker fleet, and its existing fleet of Victor B.1 tankers that had been converted earlier were due to be retired in the 1970s, so it was decided that the stored Victor B.2Rs would be converted to tankers also.<ref>Darling 2012, pp. 110–111.</ref> Handley Page prepared a modification scheme that would see the Victors fitted with tip tanks, the structure modified to limit further fatigue cracking in the wings, and ejection seats provided for all six crewmembers.<ref name="Barnes p526">Barnes 1976, p. 526.</ref><ref name="Database p88-9">Fraser-Mitchell 2009, pp. 88–89.</ref> The Ministry of Defence delayed signing the order for conversion of the B2s until after Handley Page went into [[liquidation]]. The contract for conversion was instead awarded to [[Hawker Siddeley]], who produced a much simpler conversion proposal, with the wingspan shortened to reduce wing bending stress and hence extend airframe life.<ref name="Database p90-1">Fraser-Mitchell 2009, pp. 90–91.</ref>

[[File:Handley Page HP-80 Victor K2, UK - Air Force AN2272519.jpg|thumb|left|Victor K2 (''XL161'') approaching [[RAF Abingdon]], September 1979]]
While the Victor was never permanently based with any units stationed overseas, temporary deployments were frequently conducted, often in a ceremonial capacity or to participate in training exercises and competitions. Victor squadrons were dispatched on several extended deployments to the [[Far East]], and short term deployments to Canada were also conducted for training purposes.<ref>Butler and Buttler 2009, pp. 72, 75.</ref> At one point during the early 1960s, South Africa showed considerable interest in the acquisition of several bomber-configured Victors.<ref name="BB 75">Butler and Buttler 2009, p. 75.</ref>

Several of the Victor B.2s had been converted for Strategic Reconnaissance missions following the retirement of the Valiant in this capacity. In service, this type was primarily used in surveillance of the [[Atlantic Ocean]] and [[Mediterranean Sea]]s, capable of surveying 400,000 square miles in an eight-hour mission; they were also used to sample the fallout from French nuclear tests conducted in the [[Pacific Ocean|South Pacific]].<ref name="BB 72">Butler and Buttler 2009, p. 72.</ref> Originally reconnaissance Victors were equipped for visual reconnaissance; it was found to be cheaper to assign Canberra light bombers to this duty and the cameras were removed in 1970. Subsequently, radar-based reconnaissance was emphasised in the type's role.<ref>Brookes 2011, p. 69.</ref> The reconnaissance Victors remained in use until 1974 when they followed the standard bombers into the tanker conversion line; a handful of modified Avro Vulcans assumed the maritime radar reconnaissance role in their place.<ref name="Barnes p527"/>

Both the Victor and the Vulcan played a high-profile role during the 1982 Falklands War. In order to cross the distance of the South Atlantic, a single Vulcan required refuelling several times from Victor tankers. A total of [[Operation Black Buck|three bombing missions]] were flown against Argentine forces deployed to the Falklands, with approximately 1.1 million&nbsp;gal (5 million&nbsp;L) of fuel consumed in each mission.<ref name="Falklands">[http://www.raf.mod.uk/falklands/bb.html "The Falkland Islands: A history of the 1982 conflict."] Royal Air Force, 29 April 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/OperationBlackBuck.cfm "Operation Black Buck."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214215009/http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/OperationBlackBuck.cfm |date=14 February 2014}} Royal Air Force, Retrieved: 20 April 2014.</ref> At the time, these missions held the record for the world's longest-distance bombing raids.<ref name="stbull84">Bull 2004, p. 84.</ref> The deployment of other assets to the theatre, such as the [[Hawker Siddeley Nimrod]] and [[Lockheed C-130 Hercules|Lockheed Hercules]], required the support of the Victor tanker fleet, which had been temporarily relocated to [[RAF Ascension Island]] for the campaign.<ref>Thompson, Julian. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/recent/falklands/falklands_gallery_04.shtml "Falklands Conflict Gallery."] BBC, June 2007.</ref><ref>[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20071104162619/http://www.operations.mod.uk/falklands25/NARRATIVE%20OF%20RAF%20CONTRIBUTION.doc "Narrative of RAF Contribution to the Falklands Campaign."] The National Archives, Retrieved: 20 April 2014.</ref> The Victor also undertook several reconnaissance missions over the South Atlantic. These missions provided valuable intelligence for the retaking of [[South Georgia Island|South Georgia]] by British forces.<ref>Darling 2012, pp. 162–165.</ref>

{{External media|topic= |width=20% |float=right |video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40knj0qg_Us Documentary on the Black Buck raids] |video2= |video3=}}
Following the [[invasion of Kuwait]] by neighbouring [[Iraq]] in 1991, a total of eight Victor K.2s were deployed to [[Bahrain]] to provide in-flight refuelling support to RAF and other coalition aircraft during the subsequent [[1991 Gulf War]].<ref name="lake 369"/><ref>[http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/RAFAircraftinOperationGranby.cfm "RAF Aircraft in Operation Granby."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011214513/http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/RAFAircraftinOperationGranby.cfm |date=11 October 2011}} Royal Air Force, Retrieved: 20 April 2014.</ref> RAF strike aircraft such as the [[Panavia Tornado]] would frequently make use of the tanker to refuel prior to launching cross-border strikes inside Iraq. The remaining Victor fleet was retired in 1993, at which point it had been the last of the three V-bombers in operational service.<ref>Brookes 2011, pp. 90–91.</ref>

==Variants==
<!-- [[File:RAF T6171 (Victor B.2).jpg|thumb|right|Victor B.2 under tow from an RAF towing truck]] -->
[[File:HP Victor K2.png|thumb|right|[[Ventral]] plan of a Victor K.2]]
[[File:HP Victor B1.png|thumb|right|3-view of Victor B.1]]
[[File:HP Victor B2.png|thumb|right|3-view of Victor B.2]]
;HP.80
:Prototype, two aircraft built.<ref name="Mason Bomber p389"/>
;Victor B.1
:Strategic bomber aircraft, 50 built.<ref name="Mason Bomber p389"/>
;Victor B.1A
:Strategic bomber aircraft, B.1 updated with [[Rainbow codes|Red Steer]] tail warning radar and ECM suite, 24 converted.<ref name="Units p14-5">Brookes and Davy 2011, pp. 14–15.</ref>
;Victor B.1A (K.2P)
:2-point in-flight refuelling tanker retaining bomber capability, six converted.<ref name="Variants">[http://www.nationalcoldwarexhibition.org/explore/aircraft-information.cfm?aircraft=Handley%20Page%20Victor%20K2&topic=Variants "Handley Page Victor K2"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008214628/http://www.nationalcoldwarexhibition.org/explore/aircraft-information.cfm?aircraft=Handley%20Page%20Victor%20K2&topic=Variants |date=8 October 2011 }}. Royal Air Force Museum, 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2011.</ref>
;Victor BK.1
:3-point in-flight refuelling tanker (renamed ''K.1'' after bombing capability removed), 11 converted.<ref name="Variants"/>
;Victor BK.1A
:3-point in-flight refuelling tanker (renamed ''K.1A'' as for K.1), 14 converted.<ref name="Variants"/>
;Victor B.2
:Strategic bomber aircraft, 34 built.<ref name="Mason Bomber p389"/>
;Victor B.2RS
:[[Blue Steel missile|Blue Steel]]-capable aircraft with RCo.17 Conway 201 engines, 21 converted.<ref name="Variants"/>
;Victor B(SR).2
:Strategic reconnaissance aircraft, nine converted.<ref name="Mason Bomber p389"/>
;Victor K.2
:In-flight refuelling tanker. 24 converted from B.2 and B(SR).2.<ref name="Mason Bomber p389"/>
;HP.96
:Proposed military transport of 1950 with new fuselage carrying 85 troops. Unbuilt.<ref name="Barnes p498">Barnes 1976, p. 498.</ref>
;HP.97
:1950 civil airliner project. Not built.<ref name="Barnes p498"/>
;HP.98
:Proposed [[Pathfinder (RAF)|pathfinder]] version with remotely operated tail guns and powered by Conway engines. Rejected in favour of [[Vickers Valiant|Valiant B.2]].<ref name="Barnes p501">Barnes 1976, p. 501.</ref>
;HP.101
:Proposed military transport version of HP.97. Not built.<ref name="Barnes p527">Barnes 1976, p. 527.</ref>
;HP.104
:Proposed "Phase 3" bomber of 1955 powered by [[Rolls-Royce Olympus|Bristol Olympus]] or Sapphire engines. Not built.<ref name="Barnes p605">Barnes 1976, p. 605.</ref>
;HP.111
:1958 project for military or civil transport, powered by four Conway engines. Capacity for 200 troops in military version or 145 passengers in airliner in a double-decker fuselage.<ref name="Barnes p527-9">Barnes 1976, pp. 527–529.</ref>
;HP.114
:Proposed "Phase 6" bomber designed for standing patrols carrying two or four [[GAM-87 Skybolt]] ballistic missiles.<ref name="Barnes p518">Barnes 1976, p. 518.</ref>
;HP.123
:Proposed military tactical transport based on HP.111 and fitted with [[blown flap]]s. Rejected in favour of [[Armstrong Whitworth AW.681]].<ref name="Barnes p529">Barnes 1976, p. 529.</ref>

==Operators==
[[File:Victor IWM Duxford.JPG|thumb|right|Victor B.1A (K.2P) ''XH648'' on display at the [[Imperial War Museum Duxford]] in 2006, prior to its completed restoration in 2022]]
* [[Royal Air Force]]
** [[No. 10 Squadron RAF]] operated B.1 from April 1958 to March 1964 at RAF Cottesmore.<ref name="Mason Bomber p389"/>
** [[No. 15 Squadron RAF]] operated B.1 from September 1958 to October 1964 at RAF Cottesmore.<ref name="Mason Bomber p389"/>
** [[No. 55 Squadron RAF]] operated B.1 and B.1As from RAF Honington from October 1960,<ref name="Mason Bomber p389"/> moving to RAF Marham and receiving B.1(K)A tankers in May 1965.<ref name="Gunston AMFeb81 p65">Gunston, ''Aeroplane Monthly'', February 1981, p. 65.</ref> These were replaced by K.2 in July 1975,<ref name="Ashworth p131">Ashworth 1989, p. 131.</ref> with the squadron continuing to operate Victors in the tanker role until disbanding in October 1993.<ref name="Mason Bomber p389"/>
** [[No. 57 Squadron RAF]] operated B.1As from RAF Honington from March 1959, moving to RAF Marham in December 1965 for conversion to K.1 and later K.2 tankers until disbanding in June 1986.<ref name="Mason Bomber p389"/><ref name="Brookes 2011, p.75,92">Brookes 2011, pp. 75, 92.</ref>
** [[No. 100 Squadron RAF]] operated B.2s at RAF Wittering from May 1962 to September 1968.<ref name="Mason Bomber p389"/>
** [[No. 139 Squadron RAF|No. 139 (Jamaica) Squadron RAF]] operated B.2s from RAF Wittering from February 1962 to December 1968.<ref name="Mason Bomber p389"/>
** [[No. 214 Squadron RAF]] operated K.1 tankers from RAF Marham from July 1966 to January 1977.<ref name="Mason Bomber p389"/>
** [[No. 543 Squadron RAF]] operated B(SR).2s from RAF Wyton from December 1965 to May 1974.<ref name="Mason Bomber p389"/>
** [[No. 232 Operational Conversion Unit RAF]].<ref name="Mason Bomber p389"/>
** Radar Reconnaissance Flight RAF Wyton.<ref name="Mason Bomber p387"/>

==Accidents and incidents==
* 14 July 1954: ''WB771'', the prototype HP.80, crashed during a test flight at [[Cranfield Airport|Cranfield, England]]. All four crewmen died. The tailplane detached from the top of the fin.<ref>The Determination of the Flutter Speed of a T-tail Unit by Calculations, Model Tests and Flight Flutter Tests, Baldock, October 1958, AGARD Report 221 para.2.6</ref>
* 16 April 1958: ''XA921'', a B.1 undertaking [[Ministry of Supply]] trials, experienced a collapse of the rear bomb bay bulkhead while cycling the bomb bay doors, damaging hydraulic and electrical systems; the aircraft successfully returned to base. Following the incident, in-service Victors had restrictions put in place on the opening of the bomb doors until Modification 943 was applied to all aircraft.<ref>Darling 2012, p. 55.</ref>
* 20 August 1959: ''XH668'', a B2 of the A&AEE, lost a [[Pitot tube|pitot head]] and dived into the sea off [[Milford Haven]], [[Pembrokeshire]].<ref name="Halley42">Halley 2001, p. 42.</ref> More than 40 ships and 4,000 people were involved in the recovery of 600,000 pieces of the missing bomber, an exercise referred to as 'Operation Victor Search'.<ref>{{cite news |last=McCracken |first=Niall |title=Operation Victor search: A missing military plane and the Mourne fishermen |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66203375 |access-date=23 July 2023 |publisher=BBC News |date=23 July 2023}}</ref>
* 19 June 1960: ''XH617'', a B1A of [[No. 57 Squadron RAF|57 Squadron]], caught fire in the air and was abandoned near [[Diss, Norfolk|Diss]], [[Norfolk]].<ref name="Halley42" />
* 23 March 1962: ''XL159'', a B2 of the A&AEE, stalled and dived into a house at [[Stubton]], [[Lincolnshire]].<ref name="Halley54">Halley 2001, p. 54.</ref>
* 14 June 1962: ''XH613'', a B1A of [[No. 15 Squadron RAF|15 Squadron]], lost power on all engines and was abandoned on approach to [[RAF Cottesmore]].<ref name="Halley42" />
* 16 June 1962: ''XA929'', a B1 of [[No. 10 Squadron RAF|10 Squadron]], overshot the runway and broke up at [[RAF Akrotiri]] following an aborted takeoff.<ref name="Halley9" />
* 2 October 1962: ''XA934'', a B1 of 'A' Squadron, [[No. 232 Operational Conversion Unit RAF|232 OCU]], had an engine failure and deliberate shutdown of the adjacent engine on takeoff from [[RAF Gaydon]]. During the approach to land the other two engines flamed out.<ref name="Halley9">Halley 2001, p. 9.</ref> The aircraft crashed into a copse several miles from RAF Gaydon. Of the four crew on board only the co-pilot survived. The RAF accident record states the prime cause as mis-management of the fuel system and consequent fuel starvation of the two running engines.
* 20 March 1963: ''XM714'', a B2 of [[No. 100 Squadron RAF|100 Squadron]], stalled after takeoff from [[RAF Wittering]].<ref name="Halley64">Halley 2001, p. 64.</ref>
* 29 June 1966: ''XM716'', a SR2 of [[No. 543 Squadron RAF|543 Squadron]], was giving a demonstration flight for the press and television at [[RAF Wyton]].<ref name="times56671">"A Victor 2 Falls in Flames Four killed in display run", ''The Times'', issue 56671, 30 June 1966, p. 1, column G.</ref> The aircraft had made one high-speed circuit and was flying low in a wide arc to return over the airfield when the starboard wing was seen to break away and both it and the rest of the aircraft burst into flames.<ref name="times56671" /> All four crew were killed.<ref name="times56671" /> The aircraft was the first SR2 to enter service with the squadron. The aircraft had exceeded its operational limitations causing overstressing.<ref name="EjectionHistory">{{cite web |url=http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/Aircraft_by_Type/Victor.htm |title=Handley Page Victor |publisher=Ejection History |access-date=12 April 2011}}</ref><ref name="Brooksv2p268">Brooks ''The Handley Page Victor Volume 2'' 2007, p. 268</ref>
* 19 August 1968: Victor K1 ''XH646'' of [[No. 214 Squadron RAF|214 Squadron]] collided in midair near [[Holt, Norfolk|Holt]], [[Norfolk]], in bad weather, with a [[No. 213 Squadron RAF|213 Squadron]] [[English Electric Canberra]] ''WT325''; all four crew members of the Victor died, as did all three on board the Canberra.<ref name="Halley42" /><ref name="Barnes p525">Barnes 1976, p. 525.</ref><ref>[http://www.ukserials.com/losses-1968.htm "UK Military Aircraft Losses: 1968"]. ukserials.com. ''Wolverhampton Aviation Group''. Retrieved 19 April 2011.</ref>
* 10 May 1973: ''XL230'', a SR2 of [[No. 543 Squadron RAF|543 Squadron]], bounced during landing at [[RAF Wyton]] and exploded.<ref name="Halley54" />
* 24 March 1975: Victor K1A ''XH618'' of [[No. 57 Squadron RAF|57 Squadron]] was involved in a midair collision with [[Blackburn Buccaneer]] ''XV156'' during a simulated refuelling. The Buccaneer hit the Victor's tailplane, causing the Victor to crash into the sea 95&nbsp;mi (153&nbsp;km) east of [[Sunderland, Tyne and Wear|Sunderland]], [[Tyne and Wear]]; four crew were killed.<ref name="Halley42" /><ref name="EjectionHistory"/>
* 29 September 1976: ''XL513'' a K2 of No 55 Squadron aborted take off and overshot the runway at [[RAF Marham]] after a bird strike. The crew escaped with no serious injuries. The aircraft caught fire and was damaged beyond repair.<ref name=ASN55300>{{citation |title=ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 55300 |url=http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=55300 |access-date=22 August 2015}}</ref>
* 15 October 1982: ''XL232'', a K2 of No 55 Squadron, suffered an uncontained turbine failure early in the take-off run. The aircraft was stopped, and the crew evacuated the aircraft with no injuries. Debris from the turbine penetrated a fuselage fuel tank, starting an uncontrolled fire, destroying the aircraft and damaging the runway at RAF Marham.<ref name=ASN55299>{{citation |title=ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 55299 |url=http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=55299}}</ref>
* 19 June 1986: ''XL191'', a K2 of [[No. 55 Squadron RAF|57 Squadron]], undershot approach at [[Hamilton, Ontario]].<ref name="Halley54" />
* 29 February 1988: Landing accident at USAF Offutt; AB-hydraulic failure resulted in the aircraft running off the runway. As recorded and illustrated in ''Flypast'', October 2008, p.&nbsp;107, this resulted in 'I Ran Offut' artwork being applied to the crew door. Many of the USAF groundcrew at Offutt were Irish-American, so the tongue-in-cheek phrase is meant to be said in an Irish accent, 'I ran off it'.
* 3 May 2009: During a "fast taxi" run at [[Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome]], ''XM715'' (''Teasin' Tina'') made a brief unplanned flight, reaching a height of about {{convert|30|ft|m|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} at maximum, then carrying out a safe landing before the aircraft could reach the runway threshold. The aircraft did not have a permit to fly; however, the [[Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom)|Civil Aviation Authority]] (CAA) stated that they would not be conducting an investigation.<ref name=Noinvest>[http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/05/05/326067/pictures-victor-bomber-accidentally-becomes-airborne-during-taxi.html "Pictures: Victor bomber accidentally becomes airborne during taxi demo."] ''Flight International'', 9 September 2009. Retrieved: 24 July 2010.</ref> ''Teasin' Tina'' became airborne after the plane's co-pilot had failed to reply to the command "throttles back"; the pilot then had to control the throttles himself, the confusion temporarily disrupting firm control of the aircraft.<ref name=Hop>[http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/news/Probe-launched-10-second-Victor-flight/article-1003711-detail/article.html "Probe into unauthorised Victor flight."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090926054425/http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/news/Probe-launched-10-second-Victor-flight/article-1003711-detail/article.html |date=26 September 2009 }} ''Leicester Mercury'', 9 September 2009. Retrieved: 24 July 2010.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh2YSzBdWFg "Victor test flight."] ''YouTube video''. Retrieved: 25 July 2010.</ref>

==Surviving aircraft==
{{multiple image
| align     = right
| direction = vertical
| header    =
| width     = 225
| image1    = IWM_Duxford-Victor.jpg
| caption1  = Victor ''XH648'', 2023
| image2    = Victor K2 Lusty Lindy (5580797156).jpg
| caption2  = Victor ''XL231'' ''Lusty Lindy'', 2011
| image3    = Victor XM705.jpg
| caption3  = Victor ''XM715'' ''Teasin' Tina'', 2008
}}
A total of four Victors have survived and are on display in the United Kingdom. None are flightworthy.<ref>[http://www.imeche.org/news/engineering/concorde-will-never-fly-again-says-vulcan-restoration-expert "Concorde will never fly again, says Vulcan restoration expert"] ''Institute of Mechanical Engineers'', 28 June 2013.</ref>
* Victor B.1A ''XH648'': a B.1A (K.2P) at the [[Imperial War Museum Duxford]], [[Cambridgeshire]]. This is the sole B.1 to survive.<ref>[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100402100648/http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.1205 "Handley Page Victor."] ''Imperial War Museum Duxford'' via ''The National Archive'', Retrieved: 20 April 2014.</ref> This aircraft is on display following a five year restoration project, which was formally completed in September 2022.<ref>[https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford/handley-page-victor-xh648"Handley Page Victor: XH648."] ''Imperial War Museum Duxford'', Retrieved: 04 December 2023.</ref>
* Victor K.2 ''XH672'': ''Maid Marian'', at the [[Royal Air Force Museum Midlands]], [[Cosford, Shropshire]], in the National Cold War Exhibition.<ref>Simpson, Andrew. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090416155111/http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford/collections/aircraft/aircraft_histories/1995-1001-A%20Victor%20K2%20XH672.pdf "Individual History: Handley Page Victor K.2 XH672/9242M: Museum Accession Number 1995/1001/A"]. ''Royal Air Force Museum Cosford''. Retrieved 12 April 2011.</ref>
* Victor K.2 ''XL231'': ''Lusty Lindy'', at the [[Yorkshire Air Museum]], [[York]]. The prototype for the B.2 to K.2 conversion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thevictorassociation.org.uk/?page_id=732 |title=XL 231 Lindy Updates |author=The Victor Association |publisher=The Victor Association |access-date=12 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208151719/http://www.thevictorassociation.org.uk/?page_id=732 |archive-date=8 February 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
* Victor K.2 ''XM715'': ''Teasin' Tina''/''Victor Meldrew'', taxiable at the [[Cold War Jets Collection]], [[Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome]], [[Leicestershire]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/victor/survivor.php?id=88 |title=Survivor XM715 |author=Thunder & Lightnings |date=25 May 2010 |publisher=Thunder & Lightnings |access-date=12 April 2011}}</ref>  XM715, during a fast taxi demonstration, inadvertently left the ground and carried out an unplanned flight at [[Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome]] in 2009.

A fifth airframe, Victor K.2 ''XH673'': A K.2 served as [[Gate guardian]] at [[RAF Marham]] when retired in 1993, but in early 2020 she was offered up for disposal, with the word being that she was in a structurally unsafe condition. In spite of preservation attempts as of December 2020 most of the airframe had been scrapped.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/victor/survivor.php?id=88 |title=XH673 Scrapped|author=Thunder & Lightnings |date=2 December 2020 |publisher=Thunder & Lightnings |access-date=20 December 2020}}</ref> In February 2021, the RAF released the time-lapse footage of this airframe being dismantled.<ref>{{Cite news|title=How to dismantle an RAF bomber|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-norfolk-56104311|access-date=2021-02-17}}</ref>

==Specifications (Handley Page Victor B.1)==
[[File:Handley Page Victor 3.svg|thumb|3 view of Victor]]
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Handley Page Aircraft since 1907<ref name="Barnes p529"/>
|prime units?=kts
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew=5
|length ft=114
|length in=11
|length note=
|span ft=110
|span in=
|span note=
|height ft=28
|height in=1.5
|height note=<ref name="Mason Bomber p389"/>
|wing area sqft=2406
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil=Root: 16% Modified RAE Airfoil; Tip: 6% Modified RAE Airfoil<ref name="Selig">{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |date=15 September 2010 |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=UIUC Applied Aerodynamics Group |access-date=16 April 2019}}</ref>
|empty weight lb=89030
|empty weight note=<ref name="Database p86">Fraser-Mitchell 2009, p. 86.</ref>
|gross weight lb=
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight lb=205000
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=4
|eng1 name=[[Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire|Armstrong Siddeley A.S.Sa.7 Sapphire]]
|eng1 type=[[turbojet]] engines
|eng1 lbf=11050
|eng1 note=
<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed kts=545
|max speed note=at {{cvt|36000|ft}}<ref name="Mason Bomber p389"/>
|max speed mach=<!-- supersonic aircraft -->
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed kts=
|minimum control speed note=
|range nmi=5217
|range note=
|combat range nmi=
|combat range note=
|ferry range nmi=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling ft=56000
|ceiling note=
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|thrust/weight=0.216 (at MTOW)
|more performance=
<!--
        Armament
-->
|bombs=
** Up to 35 × {{convert|1000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} bombs ''or''
** 1× [[Yellow Sun (nuclear weapon)|Yellow Sun]] free-fall nuclear bomb

|avionics=
}}

==Notable appearances in media==
{{main|Aircraft in fiction#Handley Page Victor|l1=Handley Page Victor in fiction}}
<!-- ===============({{NoMoreCruft}})===============-->
<!-- Please READ [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content#Popular culture]] and [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Military history/Style guide#Popular culture]] before adding any "Popular culture" items.

Please do not add the many minor appearances of the aircraft. This section is only for major cultural appearances where the aircraft plays a MAJOR part in the story line, or has an "especially notable" role in what is listed. A verifiable source proving the appearance's notability may be required. Random cruft, including ALL Ace Combat, Battlefield, and Metal Gear Solid appearances, and ALL anime/fiction lookalike speculation, WILL BE removed.

If your item has been removed, please discuss it on the talk page FIRST. A verifiable source proving the appearance's notability may be required. If a consensus is reached to include your item, a regular editor of this page will add it back. Thank you for your cooperation.-->

A 1964 [[Gerhard Richter]] painting titled ''XL 513'' depicts Victor K.2, which was lost in a 1976 accident at [[RAF Marham]].<ref>{{citation|title=XL 513 » documenta 9 » Exhibitions » Gerhard Richter|url=https://www.gerhard-richter.com/en/exhibitions/documenta-9-376/xl-513-5487/?p=1|access-date=22 August 2015}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|UK|Aviation}}
{{aircontent
|related=
* [[Handley Page HP.88]], British research aircraft
|similar aircraft=
* [[Avro Vulcan]]
* [[Boeing B-47 Stratojet]]
* [[Short Sperrin]]
* [[Tupolev Tu-16]]/[[Xian H-6]]
* [[Vickers Valiant]]
|lists=<!-- related lists -->
* [[List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force]]
* [[List of V Bomber dispersal bases]]
|see also=<!-- other relevant information -->
}}

==References==

===Notes===
{{reflist|group=N|30em}}

===Citations===
{{reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
* ap Rees, Elfan. "Handley Page Victor: Part 1". ''Air Pictorial'', May 1972, Vol. 34, No 5., pp.&nbsp;162–167.
* ap Rees, Elfan. "Handley Page Victor: Part 2". ''Air Pictorial'', June 1972, Vol. 34, No 6., pp.&nbsp;220–226.
* Ashworth, Chris. ''Encyclopaedia of Modern Royal Air Force Squadrons''. Wellingborough, UK: Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. {{ISBN|1-85260-013-6}}.
* Barnes, C.H. ''Handley Page Aircraft since 1907''. London: Putnam, 1976. {{ISBN|0-370-00030-7}}.
* Bull, Stephen. [https://books.google.com/books?id=EGKATNM4scMC ''Encyclopedia of Military Technology And Innovation.''] Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004. {{ISBN|978-1-57356-557-8}}.
* Butler, Phil and Tony Buttler. ''Aerofax: Handley-Page Victor''. Midland Publishing, 2009. {{ISBN|1-85780-311-6}}.
* Buttler, Tony. "Vital Bombers: Origins of the RAF's 'V-Bomber' Force". ''[[Air Enthusiast]]'', No. 79, January–February 1999, pp.&nbsp;28–41. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}.
* Brookes, Andrew. [https://books.google.com/books?id=NBOOQWxn9k4C ''Victor Units of the Cold War''.]{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}} Osprey Publishing, 2011. {{ISBN|1-84908-339-8}}.
* Brooks, Roger R. ''The Handley Page Victor: The History & Development of a Classic Jet: Volume 1 The HP80 Prototype & The Mark I'', Barnsley, UK: Pen & Sword Aviation, 2007, {{ISBN|978 1 84415 411 1}}.
* Brooks, Roger R. ''The Handley Page Victor: The History & Development of a Classic Jet: Volume 2, The Mark 2 and Comprehensive Appendices and Accident Analysis for all Marks'' Barnsley, UK: Pen & Sword Aviation, 2007. {{ISBN|978 1 84415 570 5}}
* Darling, Kev. ''RAF Strike Command 1968 -2007: Aircraft, Men and Action''. Casemate Publishers, 2012. {{ISBN|1-84884-898-6}}.
* Donald, David. "Warplane Classic: Handley Page Victor". ''International Airpower Review'', Issue 25, 2008, pp.&nbsp;124–153. Westport, CT: AIRtime Publishing. {{ISSN|1473-9917}}.
* Fraser-Mitchell, Harry. "Database: Handley Page Victor". ''[[Aeroplane Monthly|Aeroplane]]'', Vol. 37, No. 7, July 2009, pp.&nbsp;73–94. {{ISSN|0143-7240}}.
* [[Bill Gunston|Gunston, Bill]]. ''Bombers of the West''. London: Ian Allan, 1973, pp.&nbsp;78–102. {{ISBN|0-7110-0456-0}}.
* {{cite magazine|last=Gardner|first=Brian|title=Talkback|magazine=[[Air Enthusiast]] |date=Spring 1994|issue=53 |pages=78–79 |issn=0143-5450}}
* Gunston, Bill."The V-Bombers: Handley Page Victor—Part 1". ''[[Aeroplane Monthly]]'', Vol. 9, No 1, January 1981, pp.&nbsp;4–9. {{ISSN|0143-7240}}.
* Gunston, Bill."The V-Bombers: Handley Page Victor—Part 2". ''Aeroplane Monthly'', Vol. 9, No 2, February 1981, pp.&nbsp;60–65. {{ISSN|0143-7240}}.
* Gunston, Bill."The V-Bombers: Handley Page Victor—Part 3". ''Aeroplane Monthly'', Vol. 9, No 3, March 1981, pp.&nbsp;136–139, 142–146. {{ISSN|0143-7240}}.
* Halley, James. ''Royal Air Force Aircraft XA100 to XZ999''. Tonbridge, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2001. {{ISBN|0-85130-311-0}}.
* Hamilton-Paterson, James. ''Empire of the Clouds: When Britain's Aircraft Ruled the World''. Faber & Faber, 2010. {{ISBN|0-57127-173-1}}.
* Lake, Jon. [https://books.google.com/books?id=OGTGKbnQgFEC ''The Great Book of Bombers: The World's Most Important Bombers from World War I to the Present Day''.]{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}} Zenith Imprint, 2002. {{ISBN|0-7603-1347-4}}.
* Leich, Andy. "V Force Nuclear Arsenal: Weapons for the Valiant, Victor and Vulcan". ''Air Enthusiast'', No. 107, September–October 2003, pp.&nbsp;52–59. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}.
* Mason, Francis K. ''The British Bomber since 1914''. London: Putnam, 1994. {{ISBN|0-85177-861-5}}.
* Middleton, Don. "Testing the Victor". ''Air Enthusiast'', Fifty-Two, Winter 1993. pp.&nbsp;60–75. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}.
* [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1958/1958-1-%20-%200489.html "Parade of Victors: No. 10 Squadron at RAF Cottesmore"]. ''Flight'', 19 September 1958, pp.&nbsp;493–496.
* Rodwell, Robert R. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1965/1965%20-%201270.html "Lo-Hi Victor: Mixed Mission over Malaya"]. ''Flight'', 6 May 1965. pp.&nbsp;700–703.
* Rodwell, Robert R. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1964/1964%20-%200386.html "The Steel in the Blue: Last Week's Glimpse of the V-force"]. ''Flight'', 13 February 1964, pp.&nbsp;241–245.
* [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1959/1959%20-%202812.html "Victor: A Technical Description of Britain's Latest V-Bomber."] ''Flight'', 30 October 1959, pp.&nbsp;463–472.
* Windle, Dave and Martin Bowman. ''V Bombers: Vulcan, Valiant and Victor'', Casemate Publishers, 2009. {{ISBN|1-84415-827-6}}.
* Wynn, Humphrey. ''RAF Strategic Nuclear Deterrent Forces: Origins, Roles and Deployment 1946–1969''. London: The Stationery Office, 1997. {{ISBN|0-11-772833-0}}.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Handley Page Victor}}
* [http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/victor/ Victor information from "Thunder and Lightnings"]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20050525180337/http://www.vectorsite.net/avvictor.html The Handley Page Victor at Greg Goebel's "In The Public Domain"]}}
* [http://nuclear-weapons.info/images/deliverymethods.ppt Nuclear weapon drop methods including from a Victor]
* [http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/VictorNoseArt.cfm RAF gallery of Victor nose art]

{{Handley Page aircraft}}
{{British military aircraft since World War II}}
{{Strategic nuclear weapon systems of the United Kingdom}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1950s British bomber aircraft]]
[[Category:Handley Page aircraft|Victor]]
[[Category:Military tanker aircraft]]
[[Category:Quadjets]]
[[Category:T-tail aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1952]]
[[Category:Mid-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Strategic bombers]]
[[Category:V bombers|Victor]]
[[Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear]]