Engine test beds

The Vulcan’s large size, excellent ground clearance, high speed and outstanding altitude performance made it an ideal vehicle for testing high-performance jet engines. Throughout the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, a small number of Vulcans were assigned to testing duties, including the development of the Olympus engine for Concorde and the ill-fated TSR-2 programme, as well as the RB199 which went on to power the Tornado.