Gate guard

Only complete Valiant out of 107 built that survives at RAF Museum Cosford, which also has on display a Victor and a Vulcan. This triad of V-bombers formed Britain's airborne nuclear deterrent. A Valiant test dropped Britain's first A-bomb in 1956. XD818 from No. 49 Sqn. dropped Britain's first live H-bomb in 1957 during Op. Grapple. It was converted to a tanker in 1961. By Dec. 1964, all Valiants were grounded due to metal fatigue and withdrawn in 1965.

The RAF Museum at Cosford has the only surviving, complete example of the Valiant. Indeed, at Cosford one can also see a Vulcan and a Victor, so is the only place where all three British V-bombers are on display.

The RAF Museum at Cosford has the only surviving, complete example of the Valiant. Indeed, at Cosford one can also see a Vulcan and a Victor, so is the only place where all three British V-bombers are on display.

The only remaining full example of a Valiant anywhere on the planet, XD818 was the actual aircraft that dropped Britain's first hydrogen bomb. It was later moved to the RAF Museum at Hendon and now resides in the new Cold War museum at Cosford, restored to its original anti-flash white colour scheme (but very difficult to photograph)