Vulcan bomber XH558 to be grounded

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

The last airworthy Vulcan bomber will fly for the final time next year, the trust which funds the aircraft has confirmed.

The XH558 has been based at South Yorkshire's Robin Hood Airport since March 2011 after the RAF Lyneham base closure was announced.

It has been decided that "challenging modifications" to both wings would not be sustainable to the old aircraft.

The Vulcan to the Sky Trust said it decided not to fund the repairs.

Trust chief executive Dr Robert Pleming told supporters: "At the end of next year, she will need a £200,000 modification to her wings to increase her flying life.

"We know that you would do your upmost to fund this work, but for a number of reasons we have decided not to ask you to take this risk."

**LINK**

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

[TerrydParticipant @terryd72465]

Shame,

The aircraft was housed at Bruntingthorpe airfield near where I live while the fundraising to make it airworthy was being organised and much of the work to get her airworthy took place here. I remember going along to see her first taxi from the hangar and her first test flight after she was finished. End of a great era.

I experienced the power of one of these while driving up to Lincoln, probably in the late 70s and on passing the airfield one of these things took off, an impressive sight.

Regards

Terry

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Sorry about the grounding of the Vulcan, but the Trust should keep it well maintained as an exibit, are there any of the other V bombers in museums. Its difficult to keep such a complex bit of machinery going, I imagine it was even dificult for the RAF! Ian S C

[SkarvenParticipant @skarven]

About 10 years ago when I was working in Rugby, I made a trip to what I think was called Midland Air Museum close to Coventry. They had a Vulcan Bomber. I was very impressed! The guy who looked after it was what I would call a young old man who had flown Hurricanes during the war! You could climb into it and have a real look at it.

This was one of my best museum experiences.

[AndyfParticipant @andyf]

There was a Vulcan indoors at Duxford when I visited 6 years ago, Ian. A fellow university student (in the 60s) joined the RAF, and his name (as a Flt Lt) topped the list of crew members stencilled on the belly of the fuselage. He was the pilot of the Vulcan which bombed Stanley Airfield at the beginning of the Falklands contretemps. I don't know if that Vulcan is the one from the raid.

Andy

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

There's one at east fortune airfield

Edited By Ady1 on 13/10/2012 10:52:01

[Richard MarksParticipant @richardmarks80868]

Surely its time the goverment stepped in and spent some of money on trying to save our heritage instead of giving it to foreign powers who dont need it, even if they hand it over as a loan on a payback as and when basis it would help, It really annoys me to see this happening when this country pays people not to go to work yet ignores our heritage.

Dick

[AndyBParticipant @andyb47186]

There is one at Norwich: **LINK**

I have not been to see it as diesels don't really do it for me but I remember, back in the 80's, we were resurfacing all the roadways at RAF Marham, and while in the bomb dump (I kid you not!) a Vulcan was being stunt flown overhead in practice for their open day.

It was so low you could almost reach out and touch it (yes I know that is an exaggeration but it felt like it!), doing swoops and rolls. The ground was shaking and my chest vibrated with the engine thrust!

Fantastic!

Andy

[TerrydParticipant @terryd72465]

Posted by Ady1 on 13/10/2012 10:49:31:

There's one at east fortune airfield

Edited By Ady1 on 13/10/2012 10:52:01

While on that site I had a look at the Buccaneer which I had fond memories of. As a child it was my first Airfix kit I built, with the rear air brake open.

Terry

Edited By Terryd on 13/10/2012 11:41:35

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Didn't they strap a Bristol Sydney Olympus engine on a Vulcan for the Concord(e) – remember the (e) when the British govt succumbed to the French and added the (e). Sorry I digressed. The Vulcan was shown off at the Farnborough airshow circa 1964 flying around on just the one Olympus – great stuff.

[Francis SykesParticipant @francissykes95134]

Yes, I believe they did. The Vulcan itself used non afterburning versions of the Olympus engines.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

These aircraft won't last for ever if they are kept in the open, one of our local museums found that out with their Vickers Viscount, and R4D/ DC 3, they now have them hangered, I think the Transport museum in Auckland had similar problems. Trouble is aeroplanes take up a lot of space.

Think the best display I'v seen was Howard Hughs' Spruce Goose, at Los Angeles, in a large geoditic dome, next to the Queen Mary (theres been changes, things may have moved), that was 1984, mum was interested in the Queen Mary, she was at the launching 50yrs earlier. Ian S C

[Ken-01Participant @ken-01]

I can remember the Valcun that was used by the then Bristol Sidley. It was called a flying test bed, the airdraft was all white and the houseing with the Olympus 593 engine inside was blue. It was located where the bomb doors would have been. It was housed in Bristol Sidley's Flight Shed. My dad was the man that towed it in and out of the hanger. He was on the ground crew. They had two hangers one large one with the Vulcan in and a smaller one with loads of othere aircraft in. I can remember as a boy of 13, 14 years old my dad would work it so I could go to work with him on a Sunday, when he had overtime to get ready one or two aircraft ready for flight and wait for otheres to come back. I remember a few times I went up inside the Vulcan and sat in the pilots seat. I thought it was so cool. There was the pilot and co-pilots seat and a deck behined and lower three seats for the Navigator, Filght Engineer and Bomber I think. I had never seen so many clocks, dial, switches ect in my life. I spent many happy hours on a Sunday when my dad could take me to work with him. Looking around all the Aircraft.

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Much as I love the Vulcan, I was amazed when teh Heritage Lotytery Fund supported the restoration – their stated policy is they don't give grants fr the restoration of historic aircraft to flying condition.

I queried this and got the response that the Trutsees do not have to follow the 'guidelines' if a special case can be made. It is definitiely useful to know that the Lottery funders can, in effect, ignore the rules if you can make a good case.

Neil

[Steve GarnettParticipant @stevegarnett62550]

There's also a Vulcan at Newark Air Museum…

[nigel jones 5Participant @nigeljones5]

My old art teacher flew a Vulcan in the war, was shot down and ended up in a POW camp. The day he retired from teaching the whole school went outside to see a vulcan fly over. this was mid 80's. RIP mr. Wulley

[JoParticipant @jo]

£200,000 is peanuts for the wing work she needs. I wonder if they have thought of parking her at the end of the runway at Warton, I suspect the work would get done…..

If she is looking for a long term home I am sure RAF Mount Pleasant would love to look after her.

Jo

[Terence Yates 1Participant @terenceyates1]

My son Neil, made some parts for the fuel system for it at the time. He started an apprentiship at Lucas Aerospace in the 1980's. Two weeks ago he had an invite to attend the Lucas factory, which is at the end of Birmingham International Airport's main runway. As the Vulcan was visiting sites that helped with it's restoration and flying over and waggling it's wings. He filmed it for posteritory.

Terry Y

[nigel jones 5Participant @nigeljones5]

The money will be much better spent helping one legged ethiopian transvestites come to terms with their sexuality…well, thats what the lottery fund was set up for after all!

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Fizzy, the Vulcan was post world war 2, which war did your art teacher fly in?

[JAParticipant @ja]

The Vulcan was also used as a flying test bed for the TSR2 engine (yet another version of the Olympus). During ground running at Filton the engine experienced severe vibration problems with one of its shafts and "let go". The debris punctured the Vulcan's fuel tanks and the plane was destroyed in the ensuing fire. Also destroyed was the airfield's new fire engine which had unwisely parked down hill of the aircraft.

About half a mile from where this took place stands unprotected from the weather a Concorde. It has been a tourist attraction but is now just rotting away. It is said to be destined for a museum of Bristol aviation but this is just a dream.

JA

[Keith Wardill 1Participant @keithwardill1]

Frightening how time flies – I can remember visiting RAF Oakington near Grantham with the CCF sometime in the early sixties, and being kept awake all night by the noise from taxi-ing Vulcans, then in operational use. I believe it is now HMP Oakington. We spent many hours clambering over them in the hangars – beautifull pieces of work.

I was at RAF Abingdon during my RAF service, when a Valiant (one of the other of the trio of V-bomber types) was flown in for an air display. Apparently some certification expired while it was there, so it was left standing near the firestation on the airfield – it was still there when I left some months later, having been 'robbed' of many of its parts for use in other aircraft.

Also at Abingdon was an Avro York (I think it was) and a Shackleton, which were eventually used by the station fire service for practise. This caused a big outcry at the time, because it was alleged that the York was one of the aircraft used to transport Britains early atomic weapons to their test sites, and some museum was attempting to get it. When the brigade did set fire to it, they parked a fire truck too close to it, and this also went up in flames – I can remember walking down from the Radio Section (my job) to look at it (and have a laugh at the fire people – such was life!)

The Shackleton was complete when I saw it – it was fully equipped, with all its search equipment, including cooking facilities for long distance flights. I can remember looking at a number of large lead blocks in the fuselage, and being told they were used to adjust the CG of the aircraft (I don't know if this is true – just what I was told). I believe this aircraft was burnt 'as it stood' – in those days they only had minimal scrap value, and no historical value.

[Steve GarnettParticipant @stevegarnett62550]

Posted by fizzy on 13/10/2012 17:17:26:

My old art teacher flew a Vulcan in the war, was shot down and ended up in a POW camp. The day he retired from teaching the whole school went outside to see a vulcan fly over. this was mid 80's. RIP mr. Wulley

I don't think you'll find it was a Vulcan he flew! They've only been involved in any combat situation once, that was in the Falklands, and none of them were shot down. Vulcans weren't introduced into active service until 1956, by which time WWII was well and truly over (apart from clearing up the mess, that is).

Have now just seen KWIL's post, but hey never mind!

Edited By Steve Garnett on 13/10/2012 19:19:16

[GaryMParticipant @garym]

Thanks for highlighting this Ady. It'll be a great shame if it stops flying. I'm sure it inspires lots of youngsters to want to work in engineering. Planes are like steam engines they come alive when they are running especially to children. It's interesting to note that the cost of the wing repairs are one week's salary for Cristiano Ronaldo or Lewis Hamilton. Strange priorities in where we spend our money.

Gary

[Author]

Posts