As a design engineer myself, I have huge admiration for the folks that designed and developed the V bombers, they were great aircraft that more than proved their worth by satisfying roles that were way outside of their original design brief and operating far beyond their designed service life. I have a very large soft spot for the Vulcan in particular, a stunning aircraft.
I've also had plenty of experience of the 'bean counters' forcing cutbacks and compromises on designs, sometimes to the point where safety was reduced from what was technically achievable! - That's when I worked in the industrial safety equipment industry! Martin-Baker proved that it was technically achievable to safeguard all crew members.
I doubt that the people responsible for designing these aircraft would have had such a cavalier attitude towards the welfare of the crew, but I have little doubt that the powers that be considered them 'expendable', in much the same way as more recent military personnel have been endangered by poor quality or complete lack of suitable equipment.
It is a sad fact, our political masters then and now, put many other factors ahead of the well-being of military personnel.
