Another view of XL165 to compliment my upload at #21927 which carries relevant information

First flight 27 February 1963; later converted to K.2.

Scrapped at St. Athan July 1975.

Date estimated.

XL161 started it's life as a B.2 in 1961 and was used for the Blue Steel missile trials in Australia. During the trials it went into a supersonic stall, the missile had to be jettisoned and the pilot deployed the braking parachute which allowed him to regain control. Converted to B(SR)2 in March 1966 and taken on charge by 543 Squadron at Wyton. Converted to K.2 standard in 1974, later allocated maintenance serial 9214M and scrapped in 1996.

543 Sqd Wyton

The recce version of the Victor was said to be good for altitudes approaching 70,000 feet. From 1965 nine were converted from B.2s with cameras and powerful photoflash gear in the bomb bay and were sometimes referred to as B(SR).2s. Note the large drag-reducing fairings known as Whitecombe Pods or Krucheman Carrots on the wings, which doubled up as useful space for defensive ECM equipment. Served with 543 Sqdn till 1974 when three were again converted (to K.2); this one was scrapped at St Athan 12.91