Vickers Valiant B(PR)K1 WZ396 was written off following a wheels-up landing at RAF Manston in Kent on May 23, 1964. Right on the Kent coast just outside Ramsgate, (RAF) Manston, currently not operational, (still) has one of the longest runways in the UK. The aircraft landed on a "foam carpet" (fire suppression foam applied to the runway) after its main undercarriage failed to deploy properly. It was operated by 543 Squadron, a specialized unit that performed long-range mapping, photographic survey, and maritime reconnaissance. Following the incident on 23 May 1964, the aircraft was deemed a write-off and later broken up on-site. The aircraft had been delivered to the Royal Air Force on 18 September 1956.
