Avro Vulcan - Thunderball
Legin558
Posts: 5MI6 Agent
Hi guys,
Thanks to Sico for allowing this post.
I have been involved with a project to restore the last airworthy Vulcan back to flight status.
As you will know, The Vulcan appeared in Thunderball
Most people think the Vulcans are dead and buried. Well, they are not. Three Vulcans in the UK are alive, two of them do fast ground taxy runs. However one could fly again – Avro Vulcan XH558.
XH558 was the last Vulcan to fly in air displays around the UK.
The Vulcan club also owns the original Vulcan model which appeared in Thunderball.
Felicity Irwin, one of the trustees of the Vulcan Trust, was a Bond Girl and appeared in the first ever Casino Royale.
So far £4.2 Million has been spent in the last 6 or 7 years.
The project, however still needs support from the public and from aviation enthusiasts.
I am also hoping the Bond Community can be added to the list of supporters and with your help, who knows.?
£1.6 Million of the above figure has come from donations at air displays etc. the remainder from a grant by the UK Heritage Committee.
The Vulcan has the approval of the UK CAA and has no engineering problems, The aircraft is due to roll out from the hanger on August 31st 2006 and to start flight testing in the last quarter of 2006 in readiness for the 2007 air show season. A successful completion of the project will ensure that the Vulcan remains in flying condition for the next 12 -15 years. An educational programme has been set up around the aircraft to aid our younger generation to understand the vital role the aircraft played in the Cold War Era.
I recently discovered that a lot of people do not know about this project and realised that if they did, more support would be forthcoming.
The return to flight status of this aircraft will only be reached if a further £1.2 Million can be found from supporters and donations from the public and or commercial sponsors. The £4.2 Million already spent would have been wasted on static display.
I therefore respectfully ask any of you who would like to see this aircraft in the skies at air displays in the UK and Europe over the coming years, to visit the official Vulcan Trust and Vulcan supporters club club websites and to help this project by making a pledge. No money will be taken from you at this time. Only if all pledges total the £1.2 Million needed for project completion, will any pledges be called in.
On 27th August 2006, an open day at Bruntingthorpe airfield, Leicestershire will allow the Vulcan to be viewed along with a Buccaneer, Victor, Lightnings, a Hunter and a Boeing 747.
Please visit the following site for more information and to pledge your support if you feel you can help.
www.vulcantotheskyclub.co.uk
www.tvoc.co.uk
Thank you for reading this.
Nigel
Thanks to Sico for allowing this post.
I have been involved with a project to restore the last airworthy Vulcan back to flight status.
As you will know, The Vulcan appeared in Thunderball
Most people think the Vulcans are dead and buried. Well, they are not. Three Vulcans in the UK are alive, two of them do fast ground taxy runs. However one could fly again – Avro Vulcan XH558.
XH558 was the last Vulcan to fly in air displays around the UK.
The Vulcan club also owns the original Vulcan model which appeared in Thunderball.
Felicity Irwin, one of the trustees of the Vulcan Trust, was a Bond Girl and appeared in the first ever Casino Royale.
So far £4.2 Million has been spent in the last 6 or 7 years.
The project, however still needs support from the public and from aviation enthusiasts.
I am also hoping the Bond Community can be added to the list of supporters and with your help, who knows.?
£1.6 Million of the above figure has come from donations at air displays etc. the remainder from a grant by the UK Heritage Committee.
The Vulcan has the approval of the UK CAA and has no engineering problems, The aircraft is due to roll out from the hanger on August 31st 2006 and to start flight testing in the last quarter of 2006 in readiness for the 2007 air show season. A successful completion of the project will ensure that the Vulcan remains in flying condition for the next 12 -15 years. An educational programme has been set up around the aircraft to aid our younger generation to understand the vital role the aircraft played in the Cold War Era.
I recently discovered that a lot of people do not know about this project and realised that if they did, more support would be forthcoming.
The return to flight status of this aircraft will only be reached if a further £1.2 Million can be found from supporters and donations from the public and or commercial sponsors. The £4.2 Million already spent would have been wasted on static display.
I therefore respectfully ask any of you who would like to see this aircraft in the skies at air displays in the UK and Europe over the coming years, to visit the official Vulcan Trust and Vulcan supporters club club websites and to help this project by making a pledge. No money will be taken from you at this time. Only if all pledges total the £1.2 Million needed for project completion, will any pledges be called in.
On 27th August 2006, an open day at Bruntingthorpe airfield, Leicestershire will allow the Vulcan to be viewed along with a Buccaneer, Victor, Lightnings, a Hunter and a Boeing 747.
Please visit the following site for more information and to pledge your support if you feel you can help.
www.vulcantotheskyclub.co.uk
www.tvoc.co.uk
Thank you for reading this.
Nigel
Comments
I have been donating to XH558's upkeep for more years than I care to remember, and will continue to do so until she is back where she belongs - and probably afterwards too. Another donation will be given at the Spitfire Air Display at Duxford next weekend.
Best of luck.
Whilst I never appreciated it as a kid I certainly can now. I wish more was done to preserve such history and these societies shouldn't have to fight so hard for the funds.
Keep up the good work and hopefully you will get the donations you need. {[]
( Its a shame I cant get to Duxford next weekend, that sounds fabulous, To see the Spitfires flying would be a fabulous sight )
It's the noise; that's the best bit! They sound fantastic!
Videos of the BBC coverage can be seen on www.bbc.co.uk
Nigel
I am very keen to see a Vulcan in action. This is a most worthy cause. I hope that the funds can be raised, and I will try to do my bit to help ensure that happens.
I was there at the beginning of the year Goldrush and yes, it is well worth a visit. Another project that relies on donations I believe. Seeing the workshops were great and the people working on the planes all appear so dedicated.
Indeed they are. One of our engineers has worked for the collection since he was 16, his entire working life. And he must be mid forties now I reckon. Lots of the people who work on the planes are volunteers, especially those you see on airshow days in the white overalls.
We're nearing the end of the arishow season now, so if people are interested in a Shuttleworth airshow, there are only a couple left this year.
Hats off to you Golrush007, the voluteers at Old Warden do a great job, I have been visiting annually since 1978, the Mlitary Air displays being my most visited, I recently rejoined the SVAS after a lapse of a few years (initially caused by unemployment).
Have you got any influence on tryiing to get the Vulcan to display at Old Warden? Now that would be something - I don't recall ever seeing it there.
I've just checked my photo log, the last time I saw XH558 flying (with 'farewell' inside the bomb bay) was in 1992, was it really that long ago, how I look forward too her thundering over airfields again, setting off all the car alarms
http://www.pistonheads.tv/video.asp?id=680&nr=1
Great piece on the Beeb last week ... handsome beast the Vulcan. I remember seeing one fly over my hometown in Sussex when I was a nipper. Huge, loud and brash ... how very un-English, but mightily impressive nonetheless.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolavconsole/ukfs_news/hi/newsid_5300000/newsid_5300100/bb_wm_5300142.stm
And look at the 558 Club page headlines.
www.vulcan558club.com
Nigel
Latest from BBC News.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/5300748.stm
Next air dsiplay season is going to be fantastic.
Roll out is Today.. Champers over the wing I think.
Great news!! I have never seen a Vulcan flying, so hopefully I will have a chance to see it in action before I return to South Africa, which will be sometime during next year.
http://www.concordesst.com/duxford/archive/pictures/52.jpg
It was meant to be a B-1B Lancer in the film, but the undercarriage here was a "stand in". The aircraft used was/is on the static display at Duxford Imperial War Museum.
She IS still on static display at Duxford, in the new Airspace hangar, had a preview of the place last weekend, which is due to officially open next summer. Also of interest, is that there is a Vulcan in the same hangar.
She looked mightly impressive this morning on her low, fast pass over Prestwick on her way to the annual Battle of Britain air show at RAF Leuchars. After 16 years it was brilliant to see, and hear! Steep climb and 90deg turn, fantastic!
Plenty of life in the old dear yet! Well done to all involved {[]
Great to see her in the air again. I saw her last Saturday at Duxford (bad weather kept her away on the Sunday, although I believe she did manage Southport). Unfortunately the bad weather also curtailed the Spitfire parade at Duxford on the Saturday.
What I missed with the Vulcan though was the sound, she was almost silent and I didn't hear a single car alarm - although when the display pilot gets the practice in I'm sure that next year no car alarm will be safe from her.
Just read on their website: http://www.tvoc.co.uk/ that they still need money to keep her flying, please give if you can. Also a plug for the last air show that she will be appearing at this year (she's also appearing at Silverstone and Goodwood) which is again at Duxford: http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/conEvent.2138 - weather permitting of course, and in any case wrap up well.