Editing Avro Vulcan (section)

===Overview===
Despite its radical and unusual shape, the airframe was built along traditional lines. Except for the most highly stressed parts, the whole structure was manufactured from standard grades of light alloy. The airframe was broken down into a number of major assemblies: The centre section, a rectangular box containing the bomb bay and engine bays bounded by the front and rear [[Spar (aviation)|spars]] and the wing transport joints; the intakes and centre [[fuselage]]; the front fuselage, incorporating the [[Cabin pressurization|pressure cabin]]; the nose; the outer wings; the leading edges; the wing trailing edge and rear end of the fuselage; and a single swept tail fin with a single rudder was on the trailing edge.<ref>Gunston, W. T. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%201836.html "Building the Vulcan."] ''Flight'', 13 December 1957, p. 926.</ref>

A five-man crew was accommodated within the pressure cabin on two levels; the first pilot and co-pilot sitting on [[Martin-Baker]] 3K (3KS on the B.2) [[ejection seat]]s whilst on the lower level the [[Bombardier (aircrew)|navigator radar]], [[Navigator|navigator plotter]], and air electronics officer (AEO) sat facing rearwards and would abandon the aircraft via the entrance door.<ref name="ReferenceA">''Pilot's Notes'' pt. 1, leading particulars.</ref><ref>''Aircrew Manual'' pt. 1, ch. 2, para. 2.</ref> The original B35/46 specification sought a [[Escape crew capsule|jettisonable crew compartment]], but this requirement was removed in a subsequent amendment; the rear crew's escape system was often an issue of controversy, such as when a practical refit scheme was rejected.<ref name='wynn97'>Wynn 1997, p. 50.</ref><ref name='laming64'>Laming 2002, p. 64.</ref> A rudimentary sixth seat forward of the navigator radar was provided for an additional crew member;<ref>''Pilot's Notes'' pt. 1, introduction, para 2.</ref> the B.2 had an additional seventh seat opposite the sixth seat and forward of the AEO. The visual [[Bombardier (air force)|bomb-aimer's]] compartment could be fitted with a [[Mark XIV bomb sight|T4 (Blue Devil)]] [[bombsight]],<ref name='PB&E102'>Price, Blackman and Edmonson 2010, p. 102.</ref> in many B.2s, this space housed a vertically mounted [[Vinten]] F95 Mk.10 camera for assessing simulated low-level bombing runs.<ref name='brookes65'>Brookes and Davey 2009, p. 65.</ref>

Fuel was carried in 14 bag tanks, four in the centre fuselage above and to the rear of the nosewheel bay, and five in each outer wing. The tanks were split into four groups of almost equal capacity, each normally feeding its respective engine, though cross-feeding was possible. The [[Center of mass|centre of gravity]] was automatically maintained by electric timers, which sequenced the booster pumps on the tanks.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>''Aircrew Manual'' pt. 1, ch. 8, paras. 1, 2, 48.</ref> B.2 aircraft could be fitted with one or two additional fuel tanks in the bomb bay.<ref>''Aircrew Manual'' pt. 1, ch. 8, paras. 3, 12.</ref>

Despite being designed before a low [[radar cross-section]]  and other [[Stealth technology|stealth]] factors were ever a consideration,<ref name="newscientist82">{{cite magazine|magazine=New Scientist|last=Sweetman|first=Bill|title=The Bomber that radar cannot see|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HVJyHCXAOtsC&pg=PA566|date=4 March 1982|publisher=Reed Business Information|page=566}}{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> an RAE technical note of 1957 stated that of all the aircraft so far studied, the Vulcan appeared by far the simplest radar-echoing object, due to its shape; only one or two components contributed significantly to the echo at any aspect, compared with three or more on most other types.<ref>Dawson 1957, p. 3.</ref>{{refn|Writing for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, J. Seddon and E. L. Goldsmith noted that "Due to its all-wing shape, small vertical fin, and buried engines, at some angles [the Avro Vulcan] was nearly invisible to radar".<ref>Seddon and Goldsmith 1999, p. 343.</ref> While writing about radar systems, authors Simon Kingsley and Shaun Quegan singled out the Vulcan's shape as reducing the echo.<ref>Kingsley and Quegan 1999, p. 293.</ref> While aviation author Doug Richardson has credited the Vulcan as having been difficult to acquire on radar, he went on to state that this was unlikely to have conferred a great military advantage.<ref>Richardson 2001, p. 56.</ref> In contrast, [[electronic warfare]] author and ex-Vulcan AEO Dr Alfred Price maintains "the Vulcan [...] possessed a large radar signature."<ref name='PB&E113'>Price, Blackman and Edmonson 2010, p. 113.</ref>|group=N}}