Black Buck missions, fuel use was high why?

[Maury Markowitz]

Some time ago I watched an excellent documentary on the Black Buck missions. According to the list that appeared above when I typed in my subject line, it may have been "Falklands Most Daring Raid".

One question: a plot point mentioned but then left unexplained was that the navigators on the Vulcans calculated they were burning (much?) more fuel than initially calculated.

Does anyone know why? And was this just the Vulcans, or were the Victors having the same issue?

 

[TomS]

Bad weather during the initial fueling contacts.

https://vulcantothesky.org/articles/falklands-war-1982-operation-black-buck/

After over 20 minutes of intensive flying through the storm, the jets had burned more fuel than planned. Martin and his Vulcan crew flew in formation with the tankers during the storm, but as air-to-air refuelling was carried out in radio silence they were unaware of the full detail of the Victors’ problems. When they received a little over half the fuel they expected and the Victor signalled they had given all they could spare, the Vulcan crew were surprised. They had much lower levels than needed to complete the mission and return to Ascension. In reality XL189 had given more than they could spare.

 

[Maury Markowitz]

Most useful, thanks!