I still recall with
schadenfreude the following incident in the early 70's relating to a Vulcan. I was at Waddington with a Nimrod and also with most, if not all, other RAF A/C types, for an air display for the Imperial Defence College, guests at which were high ranking officers from - it seemed - all the world's armed forces. At some point before the show all the display crews were gathered in a briefing room, probably with about 100 crew members altogether. A junior officer came in and shouted "Is the Vulcan Captain here?" Cue a tall suave Sqn Ldr, who tried not to swagger as he left the room. Two minutes later he came back in, less the swagger, and to his 5 man crew, including the crew chief, said: " I'm sorry chaps, the station commander wants us to clean the aircraft!"
The sight of the six of them trying to polish the football field sized underwing area of the Vulcan with Wadpol will remain with me forever.