Buy a ticket to win Arrows’ Vanquish S
NINE lucky buyers will be given the chance to lay their hands on a limited-run Vanquish S Red Arrows Edition, pictured (and driven) here.
A total of 10 will be built, with the last gifted to the RAF Benevolent Fund – a charity that supports former servicemen and women and their families. You can purchase raffle tickets for £20 each at www.rafbf.org/red10, with the competition closing on 1 December 2017.
The Vanquish S Red Arrows Edition showcases the brand’s Q division, with special Eclat Red paint, blue and white detailing and a carbon fibre roof. It gets a similarly unique treatment inside, while Union Jack wing badges and a titanium exhaust also feature.
said. “What’s more, they’re used to learning stuff, and they’re accustomed to training. You can say something and straight away they’re on top of it.
“Although it’s a different skill set – they’ve got a steering wheel and pedals rather than a joystick and rudders – it’s still a mechanical interaction. They’re very brave, though. Speed certainly isn’t an issue.”
On the subject of speed, another aspect of the day’s tests includes a run around Millbrook’s highspeed bowl. A two-mile banked loop that circles the complex facility, it allows the team to test the Aston Martins flat out – at speeds of more than 150mph.
“This was really enjoyable,” Montenegro said. “You had to learn how to manage the throttle, how to let the car gain speed and travel from lane to lane. It’s like a flying lesson.”
After the pilots are done, it’s time for a debrief. The Arrows are particularly good at reflecting on their performance, as doing so ensures constant perfection in their relentlessly high-tempo shows and displays. It’s an important part of their relationship with the engineers (all of whom wear blue overalls), too, who rely on the pilots’ intelligence to pre-empt problems and issues that may arise during flying. This allows the RAF to continue flying 30-year-old planes with the utmost precision, accuracy and speed.
So is there anything they found particularly difficult? Or something that perhaps surprised them while at the wheel of Aston’s highest-performing supercars?
“Braking technique was one of the hardest things for us,” Montenegro said. “Acceleration is great and cornering is incredible, but the technique of being able to put your foot as hard as you can on the brake – and letting the technology stop that inertia – was very impressive indeed.
“Unlike stopping a 5.5-tonne jet, where you have to nurture it from high speeds and can’t be too aggressive when you land, here they’re designed to be really punished.”
You’d expect these nitrous-fuelled thrill seekers to drive supercars and hot hatches. But the amount of time the Red Arrows spend away from home means they’ve very little chance to enjoy their time behind the wheel. As a result, the pilots’ own cars are largely run-of-the-mill saloons and hatchbacks – ranging from diesel VW Golfs and Honda Civics, to Montenegro’s battered Audi A3. In fact, there’s not a sports car in sight. Maybe that will change now they’ve had a taste of what Aston Martin has to offer...
“Reflecting on their performance ensures constant perfection in the Red Arrows’ high-tempo displays”