Airshow could be Vulcan swansong

[Seedy_r0m]

Airshow could be Vulcan swansong

The Vulcan Bomber has taken five years and £7.5m to make it fly again

The last flying Vulcan Bomber could be making one of its final appearances at Leuchars Airshow at the weekend unless £1.6m can be raised, restorers warn.

Dr Robert Pleming, Vulcan To The Sky Trust chief executive, said after five years and a £7.5m restoration project the cash was needed to run it annually.
The Cold War aircraft, which makes an "earth-shaking roar" on take off, has just been brought back to life.
But now it could be destined for the hangar once again without a sponsor.
The news comes after a major sponsor, which was to invest to keep the aircraft flying, was lost.

Dr Robert Pleming
Vulcan To The Sky Trust

Dr Pleming said: "It looks as if the door may now be closing on the future of the Vulcan in flight.
"I think that anyone wishing to see a Vulcan in flight should do so as soon as possible.
"If we don't achieve a significant change of circumstances soon, we won't be able to carry out our role of 'honouring the past, inspiring the future', providing the once-seen, never-forgotten sight of XH558 in flight to a new generation, stimulating interest in design and engineering and telling people about an important period in our nation's history.
"With the public's help, the triumphant return of the Vulcan this summer became the not-to-be-missed spectacle of the season.
"I sincerely hope that 2008 will not also turn out to be her swansong."
The Civil Aviation Authority gave permission for the plane to fly in July.

Restoration fund
The idea behind the restoration project was to take the bomber to airshows to raise awareness of the project and gain sponsorship.
The Vulcan was restored at the airfield in Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire, where it has been kept since being decommissioned in 1993. It was based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire when it was operational.
About 20,000 people have contributed to the restoration fund for the bomber.
A total of £2.7m funding has come from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Designed in 1948 by Roy Chadwick, the aircraft could travel at speeds of up to 645mph and was capable of carrying nuclear bombs. Thousands of people are expected to turn out to see the aircraft fly for 10 minutes on Saturday at Leuchars Airshow.


By Angie Brown
Edinburgh reporter, BBC Scotland news website

 

[karym6]

so, does this mean that if all the members on DW chip in a tenner or something, we could all collectively own a strategic bomber?

 

[Seedy_r0m]

I'll be there tomorrow

It flew over Blackburn (not the one with the 10,000 holes) at around 11:00 this morning on it's way towards either Edinburgh or the Fife coast.

 

[hatab]

shame if it is "stored" again, as its part of our close history. i am not an aircraft buff but some years ago i was able to see a vulcan close up, maybe this one, at east mids airport. I was supprised how big it was

 

[nozzer]

Are you sure its the last one flying ?

Bae had a couple flying at one of their open days just a couple years ago and the engineering guys I spoke to said they always like to have a couple of examples of every model airworthy at any one time just for airshows etc.

 

[PollyPhfiller]

Its a sad story and i hope will have a happy ending,I truly believe a new sponsor will step forward or another slice of lottery cash will keep the Vulcan in the air. Its to much of an Iconic plane just to be left to rot in a hanger.

 

[karym6]

Are you sure its the last one flying ?

Bae had a couple flying at one of their open days just a couple years ago and the engineering guys I spoke to said they always like to have a couple of examples of every model airworthy at any one time just for airshows etc.

just had a quick read about these on wikipedia - it does actually look like this is the last one still flying:

Avro Vulcan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Seedy_r0m]

Saw it today...what an amazing looking beast.

Pity there was low cloud cover for most of the day.
The best the pilot could muster was a couple of fast taxi runs which lifted the nosewheel off the runway.

It was the first time I've been to RAF Leuchars.
If the weather holds up for the next time they put on an airshow..I'll be there.

Attached is a pic I took today.

 

[nozzer]

just had a quick read about these on wikipedia - it does actually look like this is the last one still flying:

Avro Vulcan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

oh well, I guess Bae must of made some cutbacks recently.

Pity really, the used to put on some really great airshows at their Warton site with examples of every plane they (or the companies that have been absorbed) have ever been involved with since the 1930's

 

[Munkey]

The days of dropping atomic weapons from planes is long over. We have missiles to do the dirty work instead.

Fabulous looking plane though even though I have never seen it in person.

 

[Seedy_r0m]

It's looking good for this years outing.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S0M51L0dT0"]XH558 @ Drem (East Fortune)[/ame]

Roll on next Saturday, hopefully the howl of the 4 x Olympus engines thundering down the runway will be heard

 

[fudgepudge]

Fabulous looking plane though even though I have never seen it in person.

You would know when you've seen it...and heard it.

I saw it at the Barton Aerodrome in the 80's and its a colossus. It came down over the runway and then thrusted up....never heard a noise like it to this day.

 

[Baaheeduk]

Lets hope its better weather this year Seedy? I'm only going if the weathers good! Hopefully see you there again?

 

[Firemouth]

Airshow could be Vulcan swansong

The Vulcan Bomber has taken five years and £7.5m to make it fly again

The last flying Vulcan Bomber could be making one of its final appearances at Leuchars Airshow at the weekend unless £1.6m can be raised, restorers warn.

Dr Robert Pleming, Vulcan To The Sky Trust chief executive, said after five years and a £7.5m restoration project the cash was needed to run it annually.
The Cold War aircraft, which makes an "earth-shaking roar" on take off, has just been brought back to life.
But now it could be destined for the hangar once again without a sponsor.
The news comes after a major sponsor, which was to invest to keep the aircraft flying, was lost.

Dr Robert Pleming
Vulcan To The Sky Trust

Dr Pleming said: "It looks as if the door may now be closing on the future of the Vulcan in flight.
"I think that anyone wishing to see a Vulcan in flight should do so as soon as possible.
"If we don't achieve a significant change of circumstances soon, we won't be able to carry out our role of 'honouring the past, inspiring the future', providing the once-seen, never-forgotten sight of XH558 in flight to a new generation, stimulating interest in design and engineering and telling people about an important period in our nation's history.
"With the public's help, the triumphant return of the Vulcan this summer became the not-to-be-missed spectacle of the season.
"I sincerely hope that 2008 will not also turn out to be her swansong."
The Civil Aviation Authority gave permission for the plane to fly in July.

Restoration fund
The idea behind the restoration project was to take the bomber to airshows to raise awareness of the project and gain sponsorship.
The Vulcan was restored at the airfield in Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire, where it has been kept since being decommissioned in 1993. It was based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire when it was operational.
About 20,000 people have contributed to the restoration fund for the bomber.
A total of £2.7m funding has come from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Designed in 1948 by Roy Chadwick, the aircraft could travel at speeds of up to 645mph and was capable of carrying nuclear bombs. Thousands of people are expected to turn out to see the aircraft fly for 10 minutes on Saturday at Leuchars Airshow.


By Angie Brown
Edinburgh reporter, BBC Scotland news website

its a shame for all those who contributed.

but why on earth do we want one of these things flying anyway? its was a disaster, the only time it was asked to do a "real" job. (Port Stanley airport, missed the runway with all except one bomb). its fitly, very inefficient, and as i said, useless for its job. when it went on a mission, they had to send three, just to make sure one got to the target. (it had appalling reliability).
lets put a few outside airbases, but should the planes we choose to keep flying not, at least, have been some use?

 

[nara]

I presume they must have raised the money, since the OP was a year ago?

 

[Baaheeduk]

You would know when you've seen it...and heard it.

I saw it at the Barton Aerodrome in the 80's and its a colossus. It came down over the runway and then thrusted up....never heard a noise like it to this day.

Funnily enough I used to hate things like this as a kid! With living fairly close to an RAF base me and my sister used to get dragged to the airshow every year.

Way back then it was all Vulcan Bombers & Electric Lightning's taking to the skies!

I'm surprised I can still hear to this day! When any of the forementioned took off it felt like your insides were getting ripped out.....lol

When a lightning switched on the afterburners and went vertical on a wet day you could see the runway drying in it's wake.

 

[MH]

I seen it test flying back in July ready for the Kemble Air Show, its an awesome piece of kit

 

[MH]

I'm surprised I can still hear to this day! When any of the forementioned took off it felt like your insides were getting ripped out.....lol

And the eerie groan it makes just before is starts to roll.....

 

[dannyrp03]

was on a weekend away in bournmouth ,(dont hold me to this ) when the air show was on it was twice asloud as most aircraft there ,good looking aircraft tho ,ashame was to drunk and slept thro most of show lol

 

[Seedy_r0m]

Lets hope its better weather this year Seedy? I'm only going if the weathers good! Hopefully see you there again?

Got my ticket already, just need to work out if I'm using the park 'n' ride, train, driving in myself, or cadging a lift with my mates

its a shame for all those who contributed.

but why on earth do we want one of these things flying anyway? its was a disaster, the only time it was asked to do a "real" job. (Port Stanley airport, missed the runway with all except one bomb). its fitly, very inefficient, and as i said, useless for its job. when it went on a mission, they had to send three, just to make sure one got to the target. (it had appalling reliability).
lets put a few outside airbases, but should the planes we choose to keep flying not, at least, have been some use?

It wasn't a disaster depending on your viewpoint.

They used steel bombs rather than iron.
Iron ones would explode on impact, Steel bombs tend to dig in to the ground before exploding, hence bursting upwards to create more of a crater.

One bomb hit the runway, another two hit each side of the runway, thus splitting it in half so that the Argie fast jets couldn't use it.

Why would you want to completely destroy a runway, when you would be using it shortly afterwards?
The mission was to disable it for the short term rather than obliterate it, hence the diagonal pass on the bombing run.

They had to send three? Yeah, and the rest LoL.
Try adding a standby & also the eleven Victor tankers for in-flight fuelling

Have a read at Victor 607 by Rowland White, 'tis a good read.