Handley Page Victor K.2

Handley Page · UK · first flew 1972 · bomber

The Victor K.2 is the tanker conversion of the B.2 strategic bomber, distinguished by an extended HDU fairing at the tail and underwing refuelling pods that replace the bomb bay as the aircraft's primary purpose.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, swept
E — Engines	4 × turbojet, embedded-mounted
F — Fuselage	35.05 m fuselage
T — Tail	T-tail

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Hose Drum Unit (HDU) in extended tail cone replacing bomb bay — tail visually fattened compared to B.2 bomber
Wing-root HDU pods added under outer wing for three-point refuelling; no free-fall bomb doors
RAF camouflage or overall grey; 'tanker' hump visible at tail base distinguishing it from the clean B.2

Against the B.2: tail HDU fairing bulge and absence of bomb bay doors; both share the distinctive crescent wing; the K.2's crescent wing is slightly larger than the K.1's.

Specifications

The Handley Page Victor K.2 has a length of 35.05 m (115 ft).
It has a wingspan of 36.58 m (120 ft).
Its maximum speed is 1030 km/h (640 mph).
Typical crew: 5.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Converted from B.2 bombers from 1974 as the V-force transitioned to low-level attack, the K.2 served with No. 55 and 57 Squadrons at RAF Marham, playing a critical role in the 1982 Black Buck Vulcan bombing raids on the Falklands.

Variants

The earlier K.1 was converted from B.1 airframes; the K.2 used the more powerful B.2 with its larger crescent wing.

Where you'll see it

No. 55 Squadron RAF Marham was the last Victor operator, retiring the K.2 in 1993 after the Gulf War tanking commitment; the type has no foreign operators.

Related aircraft

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