Blue Steel Operations Woomera with 4 JSTU

Table compiled by John Saxon

DateRound #AircraftLauch HtLaunch flightCarry overComments
6 to 28/02/196110WZ373  9Six successful 3 aborted before range
Mid Apr13Valiant  2Both aborted before range
17/04/196110WZ375HLaunch flight Failure. Roll reversal in FRC. Range Breakup
      No Data
27/07/196112WZ373HA Hyd Supply EPCU fail before launch
28/07/196121WZ373HA A/C Green Satin failure
1/08/196121WZ373HA A/C Green Satin failure
4/08/196122WZ373HLaunch flight Missile MTS failure. Range breakup
22/08/196129ValiantHA L-2 FRC fore plane balance problem
25/08/196129ValiantHA A/C Hydraulics failure
29/08/196129ValiantHA Round EPCU failure
4/09/196127ValiantHLaunch flight Round EPCU failure
21/09/196126ValiantHA A/C Radar fault
27/09/196126ValiantHLaunch flight IN system accelerometer failure. Missile destroyed
6/10/196121ValiantHA A/C Green Satin doppler failure
10/10/196121ValiantHA Round APU fault
13/10/196129ValiantHA IN system Platform toppled. Suspect Gyro
18/10/196121ValiantHLaunch flight Round Motor failure
24-30/10/196138Valiant  3First trials with service version W100A
7/11/196129ValiantHLaunch flight Autopilot loop failure
15-28/11/1961 WP206  4Rapid Take off trials
29/11/196134ValiantHA Mk 2 Autopilot fail
30/11/196136ValiantHA A/C #2 engine fault
1/12/1961 WP206  1Rapid Take off trial O.K
4/12/1961 WP206  1Rapid Take off trial. A/C Green Satin unserviceable
6/12/196134WZ373HA Nitrogen pressure leak
12/12/196134WZ373?HLaunch flight Successful 1200' miss distance
13 to 30/01/1962 Valiant  5Rapid take off trials. 1 failure A/C pack failed
31/01/196235ValiantHA Instrumentation failure
1/02/196211ValiantHA Freon cooling failure
2/02/1962 Valiant  1Successful Rapid Takeoff trial
6/02/196245XH539HA Aircraft pack failure
7/02/196235ValiantHA Abort when APU would not accept EPC load
7/02/1962 Valiant  1Successful Rapid Takeoff trial
8/02/196235ValiantHA APU Failure
12/02/196245XH539  1Hydraulic pack failure
13/02/1962 Valiant  1RTO trial Freon cooling failure
16/02/1962 Valiant  1Successful RTO trial
19/02/196245XH539  1Freon Pack failure
20/02/196245XH539  1Successful carry over
21/02/196238ValiantHLaunch flight Successful Launch
22/02/196235ValiantHLaunch flight Successful Launch
1-8/03/1962 WP206  5Cold start CO trials. Some 4JSTU training
9/03/1962 WZ375  1Successful trial AWRE Telemetry test
13-20/03/1962 WP206  5Successful trials and 4JSTU training
21/03/196246XH539HA 1st Vulcan launch attempt. Incorrect A/C wiring
21-22/03/1962 WP206  2Route proving, 4JSTU training. 1 abort due A/C engine fail
23/03/196246XH539HLaunch flight 1st Vulcan launch. Round motors did not start due broken lanyard
26-29/03/1962 WP206  4Mainly successful. 4JSTU training. Cold starts etc.
3/04/196140WZ375HA AWRE pod bay temps out of limits
4-6/04/1962 WP206  24JSTU crew. 1 O.K.  1 abort due GSR fault
9/04/196240WZ375HA GSR Fault
10/04/1962 WP206  14JSTU crew. Normal cold start
11/04/196240WZ375HLaunch flight Green Satin poor
12/04/1962 WP206  1Cold Start EPCU failure 4JSTU crew
13/04/196245WZ375HA APU Fault
16-19/04/1962 WP206  31 warm start 2 cold. 2 aborts Green Satin faulty
30/04/196245XH539  1U-Turn OK
1/05/1962 WP206  1Warm start 4JSTU crew Suspect heading
4/05/196237WZ375HLaunch flight Impact within target area
7-10/05/62 WP206  44JSTU crew training
11/05/196245WZ375HLaunch flight Motor Misfire. APU failure after bunt
14-16/05/1962 WP206  24JSTU crew. 2 Aborts Suspect GSR and GPI problems
18/05/196250XH539HA 2nd stage Nitrogen Valve failure
23/05/196250XH539HA Pitch rate demand suspect
25/05/196244XH539HA IN 28V fuse blew 35 mins after take off
28/05/196250XH539HLaunch flight Power failure after start of bunt
31/05/196244XH539  1Successful carry over
31/05/1962 WP206  14JSTU crew. Op error with GPI6
01-20/06/1962 WP206  7Mostly successful
26/06/196236ValiantHA Fixing errors
28/06/196236ValiantHLaunch flight Angle off launch. Destroyed due Motor malfunction
2/07/196244XH539HLaunch flight Successful launch
4/07/1962 WP206  1US pack in A/C
6/07/196251XH539HA US doppler and TLM (Telemetry)
9/07/1962 WP206  1Successful
12/07/196251XH539HA US TLM
13-16/07/1962 WP206  2Both Successful - 1 cold start
18/07/196256XH539HLaunch flight Angle off launch. Destroyed due missile roll problem
23/07/1962 WP206  1Successful cold start
27/07/196248XL161  1Successful carryover
3/08/196248XL161  1Successful carryover
9/08/196255XH539HLaunch flight Successful launch
10-14/08/1962 WP206  2Successful warm starts
17/08/196248XL161HA A/C emergency. Round jettisoned at Port Wakefield range
20-24/08/1961 WP206  2Successful warm starts
30/08/196251XH539HLaunch flight Successful
3-5/09/1962 WP206  2Successful
6/09/196257XH539  1Successful
11-17/09/196257XH539HA 3 Abort flights - various reasons
24/09/1962 WP206  1Successful cold start
25/09/196257XH539HLaunch flight Successful launch angle off
2-3/10/1962 WP206  2Successful cold starts
4/10/196260XL161HLaunch flight Successful launch
11/10/1962 WP206  1Successful cold start. A/C Hydraulic pack failed on return
16/10/196263XL161HA APU malfunction
18-25/10/1962 WP206  2Successful warm starts
30/10/196262XL161HA Poor Green Satin performance
31/10- 2/11/1962 WP206  2Successful cold starts
5/11/196262XL161HA Green Satin problems
6/11/1962 WP206  1GPI6 failure
6/11/1962 XL161  1Green Satin Test O.K.
12/11/196262XL161HA D.R. Errors too large
13-16/11/1962 WP206  2Successful
19/11/196262XL161HA A/C Freon pack failed
22/11/196262XL161HA Range Abort. FPS16 failure
23/11/1962 WP206  1Successful
3/12/196261XH539HLaunch flight Successful
5-6/12/1962 WP206  2Crew training
10/12/196269XH539HA RTO Hydraulic pack failed
12/12/196269XH539HA Warm Start Hydraulic pack failed
13/12/196267XH539HA Warm Start Hydraulic pack failed
16/01/196363XH539  1Check range instrumentation for 160 NM Trajectory
23/01/196363XH539HLaunch flight Successful 160 NM Trajectory
24/01-5/02/1963 WP206  5Long range trials - some O.K
11/02/196362XL161HA Freon pack overheat
13/02/196362XL161HLaunch flight Angle off launch. Missile motor problem
18-19/02/1963 WP206  2Both Aborted. Hydraulic pack failures
26/02/1963 WP206  1Aborted due Operator error
27/02/196372XL161HA Range Abort. FPS16 failure
1/03/1963 WP206  1Long range carry over O.K.
4/03/196366XH539  1Stage 2 rapid takeoff
6/03/196372XL161HA Missile Hydraulics fault
11-13/03/1963 WP206  2Training flights
15/03/196367XH539HLaunch flight Successful
18-20/03/1963 WP206  2Long range carry over and training
22/03/196376XL161HA Missile APU fault
25/03/1963 WP206  1Long range carry over and training
27/03/196372XL161HLaunch flight Missile EPCU malfunction
29/03/1963 WP206  1Aborted. Green Satin failure
30/03-10/04/1963WP206  3Local training flights
23/04-2/05/1963 WP206  2Low level route surveys
17/05/196376XL161HA Green Satin fault
20/05/196376XL161HA I.N. W sub I term out of spec
      Contractor hand over to RAF
31/05/196381XL161HLaunch flight Suspected missile foreplane problem
25/06-03/07/196376 and 77XL161  4Low level route proving and carry overs
11-12/07/196364XH539  2Low level carry overs
18/07/196376XL161HA APU malfunction
22/07/196366XL161HA APU malfunction
30/07/196376XL161HLaunch flight Successful
8/08/196364XH539  1Successful carry over
9/08/196366XL161HA Aborted in error by Nav/Plotter
13/08/196366XL161HLaunch flight Successful
16/08/196364XH539  1Low Level carry over.
23/08/196377XL161HA D/R error at final fix
27-29/08/196365XH539  2Low Level carry overs. One abort due A/C radar fault
30/08/196377XL161HA INS malfunction
6-13/09/196364 and 65XH539  3Successful Low level carry overs
17/09/196377XL161HLaunch flight Successful
19-20/09/196364XH539  2Successful Low Level carry overs
24/9-3/10/196365XL161  4Successful Low level carry overs
22/10/196368XH539HLaunch flight Successful angle off launch
29/10/196365XH539  1Freon fault
7/11/196364XL161HA Missile Aileron sum channel problem
14/11/196364XL161HA A/C cabin Overheat
15/11/196362XH539LA Range radar U/S
19/11/196362XH539LLaunch flight Successful
21/11/196364XL161HLaunch flight Successful angle off launch
26/11/196359XL161LLaunch flight Successful
6/12/196365XH539LA Intermittent I.N. X acceleration error
9/12/196365XH539LLaunch flight Successful Launch - Range broke up round in error
18/02/196474XL161HA Navigator burst disk rupture
25/02/196474XL161HA Foreplane indication faulty
3/03/196452XL161HLaunch flight Only 50 secs of TLM. Otherwise O.K?
6/03/196479XH539HA Unserviceable A/C pack
10/03/196479XH539HA Autopilot rates out of spec
12/03/196479XH539HLaunch flight Motor Malfunction
13/03/196458XL161  1Crew training
17/03/196458XH539  1Crew training
24/03/196474XL161HLaunch flight Successful launch Int TLM
8/04/196458XH539LA Aborted by Range. Table plots faulty
10/04/196454XH539LLaunch flight Successful
14/04/196458XL161LLaunch flight Successful L/L and angle off
6/05/196442XL161HA No TLM received
12/05/196442XL161HA Foreplane malfunction
19/05/196484XL161HA Excessive D.I. offsets
27/05/196447XL161HA H2S9 malfunction
3/06/196447XL161HLaunch flight Motor malfunction
4/06/196442XL161HA H2S9 malfunction
9/06/196484XH539LA Aborted in error by I.N. operator
17/06/196484XH539LLaunch flight Successful
18/06/196480XL161LA Aborted by Range. Table plots faulty
23/06/196442XH539LLaunch flight I.N. Power supply failure
24/06/196480XL161LLaunch flight Successful angle off launch
7/07/196473XH539LA A/C Radar problem
10/07/196473XH539LA I.N. Bank angle demand problem
14/07/196469XL161  1Low Level A/C doppler evaluation
16/07/196469XH539  1Successful Low level
21/07/196469XH539  1Missile refrigeration problem
22/07/196469XL161  1Green Satin poor
29/07/196473XH539LLaunch flight Successful Offset angle launch
11/08/196469XL161HA Possible I.N. problem
19/08/196469XL161HLaunch flight Successful
25/08/196483XH539HA Folding fin circuit problem
28/08/196483XH539HA Faulty Range system
2/09/196483XH539HA Faulty Range system
11/09/196483XH539HLaunch flight Successful
23/09/196478XH539  1To check Green Satin at low level
2/10/196478XH539HA I.N. Burst disk ruptured
8/10/196478XH539HLaunch flight Missile motors malfunction
14/10/196471XH539HA APU pressure indication fluctuating
16/10/196471XH539HLaunch flight Successful

So there we have it - I feel it was quite an acheivement - certainly a very busy 42 Months. Cheers - John Saxon. 29 Oct 2011