Wednesday 20th October 2010

Help Keep The Last Vulcan Flying

We're skint again here at PH, so can you all spare a quid?

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Phwoooarrrr! (Words are not enough.)

The Vulcan To The Sky Trust keeps dropping press releases pleading for donations to help keep the wonderful XH558 flying, and we can't just keep ignoring the issue. They need £323,000 by the end of the month apparently, and as we're living on stale bread and water at PH HQ waiting for an expenses cheque to clear, we thought we'd pass the problem on to you guys...

For those of you not fully up to speed, here's a brief backgrounder from the latest release:

"The Avro Vulcan is an iconic example of British aerospace engineering at its world-beating best. The design brief was issued by the MoD in 1947 and the plane flew for the first time in 1952, just eleven years after the first flight of its predecessor, the Avro Lancaster. Its impressive list of technical achievements includes being the first successful large delta wing aircraft (leading directly to Concorde), innovations such as anti-lock brakes, and an agility that was so close to a jet fighter's that it was given a fighter-style control column in place of the traditional bomber pilot's yoke.

"Success as a Cold War peacekeeper meant that the Vulcan might have flown its entire service life without ever entering combat if it hadn't been for the Falklands Conflict in 1982. After a marathon 8,000 mile flight supported by eleven Victor tankers, Squadron Leader Martin Withers and his crew released the bombs over Port Stanley Airport that prevented Argentina operating its Mirage III fighters from the island and initiated the campaign that recaptured the Falklands. Two years later, the last Vulcans were withdrawn from service.

"Today, only one Vulcan is left flying: XH558, owned by the Vulcan To The Sky Trust, a Registered Charity. Returned to the air in 2007, she has become an airshow phenomenon."

So there you have it. The trust has big plans for 2011 they tell us, including increasing the role in teaching science, technology, maths and helping inspire engineers of the future, creating a permanent home for the aircraft, and makingher more accessible to those who donate money to the cause. And yes, that could be you...

[Luca Brasi]

Saw it last year at Sanicole airshow in Belgium. fking awesome piece of engineering!

[Mr Roper]

I was stood underneath one only last Sunday at RAF Cosford museum. Stunning piece of engineering and amazing to look at. Like a friend says quite simply...when a Vulcan passes the sky goes dark.

[RobM77]

I'll donate tonight.

[madala]

I have been meaning to donate to this worthy cause for a while now....thanks for the linky it has now been done.

[C2james]

They had this fly over at goodwood revival.

[L100NYY]

Donated

[MGZRod]

I did quite a lot of work for Vulcan In the Sky when I was in the air cadets a couple years ago.

Amazing how much goes into this thing! Money and work!

[C2]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djd1pPQZ_LE

Turn the volume up folks, the word Amazing is over used these days, but I can't think of anything else to describe this. That famous Vulcan howl.

[Doshy]

Went over my house twice last summer. Awesome sight. They'll get a few sheckles off me too.

[alex9076]

I saw this awesome aircraft flying over at RAF Culdrose Air Day in 2010. omg the ground shook when it opened up the engines onto full throttle with a low fly over. Beautiful piece of kit!

[havard01]

They have got a Vulcan at Coventry Air Museum, they let you into the cockpit, it's an awesome bit of kit. Wouldn't fancy bailing out of it though, only thepilot and co-pilot have got ejector seats. (Because it cost moremoney to train them, so they were worth saving.)

[halo34]

RAF Leuchars airshow last yr - was best bit of the show IMHO.

Not much left that I will donate to but this is one, we let Concorde die - this one deserves to live and inspire future generations.

[GAjon]

Slightly off topic, but the book 'Vulcan 607' is a very good read.

[Stablelad]

Donated. It would be a National tragedy if this fantastic piece of engineering was grounded.

c'mon Folks!

[Goochie]

Whilst I have great memories of this plane in the air at the Duxford show in 1980 something, I cant help but wondering how much more money they're going to ask for in a few months time?

Time and time again they plead for vast sums of money to eek out the flying time by a few more months.

Surely the time has come to accept the great achievement of those who got it back in the air and respectfully let the Vulcan rest in peace?

[DaveL485]

Saw it at Coventry airport a couple of weeks ago. Truly awe inspiring.

Have donated too

[The Angry Gopher]

Saw the Vulcan on one of her final flights just before retirement at Finningly in the mid nineties. Don't want to see another retirement so pleased to contribute.

[MAD63]

C2 said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djd1pPQZ_LE

Turn the volume up folks, the word Amazing is over used these days, but I can't think of anything else to describe this. That famous Vulcan howl.

I was at the opening of Auckland's(NZ) international airport in 1964 when a Vulcan Bomber came through at very low level and full throttle up the runway ..The pilot banked halfway through and we were shown the underside of the aircraft as it pulled away into a shallow climb.
I can only imagine the Argies surprise on the Falklands when confronted with the same sight but from a very different perspective.

[dublet]

Seriously, am I the only one who thought Spock?

[saaby93]

Why does it cost so much to run?
How did we have enough money in the 50s to design 3 of these type of planes just in case one would be any good?
Here's the Victor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVIHn5GdWhI&NR=...