Avro Vulcan XH558
Encyclopedia
Avro Vulcan XH558
United Kingdom military aircraft serials
In the United Kingdom to identify individual aircraft, all military aircraft are allocated and display a unique serial number. A unified serial number system, maintained by the Air Ministry , and its successor the Ministry of Defence , is used for aircraft operated by the Royal Air Force , Fleet...
(civil aircraft registration
Aircraft registration
An aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
G-VLCN) The Spirit Of Great Britain is the only airworthy
Airworthiness
Airworthiness is a term used to describe whether an aircraft has been certified as suitable for safe flight. Certification is initially conferred by a Certificate of Airworthiness from a National Airworthiness Authority, and is maintained by performing required maintenance actions by a licensed...
example of the 134 Avro Vulcan
Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan, sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, was a jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A V Roe & Co designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced,...
V-bombers that were operated by the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
from 1953 until 1984. Vulcan XH558 served with the RAF between 1960 and 1985 in the bomber, maritime reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
and air-to-air refuelling roles. The RAF operated XH558 as a display aircraft from 1986 until 1992, when budget cuts forced its retirement.
It is presently operated by the Vulcan to the Sky Trust as a display aircraft, funded entirely by charitable donations and the UK Lottery's Heritage Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
. It is registered
Aircraft registration
An aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
with the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority as G-VLCN but has an exemption to fly in Royal Air Force markings as XH558.
Royal Air Force
XH558, the twelfth Vulcan B2 built, first flew in 1960 and was delivered to No. 230 Operational Conversion Unit RAFNo. 230 Operational Conversion Unit RAF
No. 230 Operational Conversion Unit was first created on 15 Mar 1947 at RAF Lindholme, by re-designation of No.1653 Heavy Conversion Unit, to convert crews onto the Avro Lancaster, Avro Lincoln and de Havilland Mosquito bombers. This unit was disbanded on 15 October 1952 to become the Reserve...
at RAF Waddington
RAF Waddington
RAF Waddington is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England.-Formation:Waddington opened as a Royal Flying Corps flying training station in 1916 until 1920, when the station went into care and maintenance....
on 1 July 1960. Almost immediately the aircraft moved with 230 OCU
No. 230 Operational Conversion Unit RAF
No. 230 Operational Conversion Unit was first created on 15 Mar 1947 at RAF Lindholme, by re-designation of No.1653 Heavy Conversion Unit, to convert crews onto the Avro Lancaster, Avro Lincoln and de Havilland Mosquito bombers. This unit was disbanded on 15 October 1952 to become the Reserve...
to RAF Finningley
RAF Finningley
RAF Finningley is a former Royal Air Force station at Finningley, South Yorkshire, partly within the traditional county boundaries of Nottinghamshire and partly in the West Riding of Yorkshire, now wholly within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster....
where the aircraft spent some eight years before returning to Lincolnshire in 1968. Most of its operational service was with the units of the Waddington Wing including No. 50 Squadron RAF
No. 50 Squadron RAF
No. 50 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed during the First World War as a home defence fighter squadron, and operated as a bomber squadron during the Second World War and the Cold War. It disbanded for the last time in 1984....
. The aircraft was converted to a B2 Maritime Radar Reconnaissance in 1973 and flew with 27 Sqn, subsequently to the air-to-air refuelling variant K2 in 1982. It was returned to standard B2 configuration in 1985 and was the last Vulcan in service. From 1986 to 1992, it was the RAF's display aircraft.
After service with the Royal Air Force, the aircraft was sold to C.Walton Limited and delivered by air to Bruntingthorpe on 23 March 1993. The aircraft was kept in a serviceable condition and would undertake fast taxi runs along Bruntingthorpe's main runway.
Restoration to flight
The engineering staff of the Vulcan Operating Company (the engineering arm of Vulcan to the Sky Trust, owners of XH558) worked to return Vulcan XH558 to flight, with the first test flight taking place 18 October 2007. They were supported by the "Vulcan to the Sky" club, a supporters and fundraising organisation. Though the website carried an announcement on 1 August 2006 that the project was in danger of being abandoned due to lack of finance, the target of raising the remaining £1.2m was achieved on 31 August 2006, thanks to a high-profile publicity campaign orchestrated by the supporters club, Vulcan to the Sky Club (formerly Vulcan 558 Club). Time had almost run out for XH558 when Sir Jack HaywardJack Hayward
Sir Jack Arnold Hayward, OBE is an English businessman, property developer, philanthropist and president of Premier League football club Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Biography:...
, a British philanthropist, donated £500,000, which topped off the £860,000 already raised by Vulcan to the Sky Club and Friends. Although the aircraft restoration was nearly complete, the aircraft was not ready for the flypast down the Mall in London for the 25th Anniversary of the Falklands conflict on 17 June 2007 or the RAF Waddington Airshow and the Royal International Air Tattoo
Royal International Air Tattoo
The Royal International Air Tattoo is the world's largest military air show, held annually over the third weekend in July, usually at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom in support of The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust...
(RIAT).
On 16 August 2007, the aircraft started engine testing on the airfield at Bruntingthorpe. On the next day, XH558's No.3 Rolls-Royce Olympus
Rolls-Royce Olympus
The Rolls-Royce Olympus was one of the world's first two-spool axial-flow turbojet aircraft engines, originally developed and produced by Bristol Aero Engines. First running in 1950, its initial use was as the powerplant of the Avro Vulcan V Bomber...
202 jet engine was run for the first time in over 20 years. This is a different engine from that used by XH558 during its final season with the RAF's Vulcan Display Flight in 1992, with all four of the Vulcan's original Olympus 202 engines having been replaced by zero-hour units which had been stored since 1982. The VTS Team also has another four fully inhibited engines in stock. The removed engines were either scrapped, sectioned for display or passed on to VRT's XL426
Vulcan Restoration Trust
The Vulcan Restoration Trust is responsible for the XL426, one of three surviving live Avro Vulcans. Based at Southend Airport, it performed taxi displays until 2006 when the aircraft was withdrawn for engineering works....
at Southend. Another milestone in the restoration project was achieved on 22 August 2007, when all four of XH558's Olympus engines were run at nearly full power settings, for short intervals.
The first post-restoration flight, which lasted 34 minutes, took place on 18 October 2007.
On 14 April 2008, the Vulcan flew from Bruntingthorpe to RAF Cottesmore
RAF Cottesmore
RAF Cottesmore was a Royal Air Force station in Rutland, England, situated between Cottesmore and Market Overton. The station housed all the operational Harrier GR9 squadrons in the Royal Air Force, and No 122 Expeditionary Air Wing...
to have a Compass swing and test flights. Whilst in mid air the plane called Mayday
Mayday (distress signal)
Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications. It derives from the French venez m'aider, meaning "come help me"....
after believing the Auxiliary power unit
Auxiliary power unit
An auxiliary power unit is a device on a vehicle that provides energy for functions other than propulsion. They are commonly found on large aircraft, as well as some large land vehicles.-Function:...
(APU) was on fire. It landed safely at Cottesmore and the cause was later discovered to be an electrical fault.
On 16 April, a further two-hour test flight was planned to perform "straight line testing" of avionics. The flight was scheduled to go between Cambridge and Marham, but this was abandoned when one of XH558's undercarriage doors failed to close due to an electrical micro-switch malfunction and the aircraft made a safe return to Bruntingthorpe Airfield.
During part of May 2008, XH558 resided at RAF Coningsby where it underwent further testing, and while there took part in a photo-call with the Lancaster and a Typhoon .
On 9 June 2008, XH558 flew its final test flight and was granted on 3 July, by the CAA, its Permit to Fly at 1605. At 1705, it launched for RAF Waddington where it flew its airshow routine, in front of CAA examiners who then issued its DA (Display Authorisation) for the RAF Waddington airshow in the first week of July.
On 29 March 2011, XH558 landed at its new home Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield
Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield
Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield is an international airport located at the former RAF Finningley airbase at Finningley, in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster within South Yorkshire, England. The airport lies southeast of Doncaster and east of Sheffield.The airport is operated by Peel...
.
This location is the former RAF Finningley
RAF Finningley
RAF Finningley is a former Royal Air Force station at Finningley, South Yorkshire, partly within the traditional county boundaries of Nottinghamshire and partly in the West Riding of Yorkshire, now wholly within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster....
airbase where XH558 was previously based for 8 years during the 1960s and the aircraft will be stored/maintained in the hangar that previously provided the same maintenance workshop nearly 50 years previous.
The medium-term aim of the Trust is for XH558 to fly down The Mall on 4 June 2012 in celebration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
The longer-term aim is to make the authorised modifications that will allow fatigue life to match expected engine life, with both expiring at about the same time in the period 2013 to 2015, depending on Fatigue Index usage and engine cycle usage.
2008
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is a Royal Air Force flight which provides an aerial display group comprising an Avro Lancaster, a Supermarine Spitfire and a Hawker Hurricane...
, and then a solo display. Due to engine life restrictions (in cycles) plus a fuel bill of £3200 per hour, the yearly flying hours for XH558 are limited to approximately 50.
In 2008, three appearances were cancelled due to technical problems, two due to bad weather and three due to a fault in No 2 engine
| Date | Display/Location | Notes |
| 5 July | RAF Waddington RAF Waddington RAF Waddington is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England.-Formation:Waddington opened as a Royal Flying Corps flying training station in 1916 until 1920, when the station went into care and maintenance.... International Airshow |
did not fly on the second day due to technical failure |
| 30–31 August | Shoreham Shoreham Airport - Sussex Police Air Operations Unit :The Sussex Police Air Operations Unit is headquartered at Shoreham Airport. The unit has been equipped since February 2000 with a MD Explorer, registered as "G-SUSX". The unit is headed by a Police Inspector, assisted by a Police Sergeant and two Police... Airshow |
|
| 4 September | RAF Wyton RAF Wyton RAF Wyton is a Royal Air Force station near St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, England.In terms of organisation RAF Wyton is now part of the combined station RAF Brampton Wyton Henlow, a merger of Wyton with two previously separate bases, RAF Brampton and RAF Henlow. Wyton is the largest of the three. It... Sunset Parade |
Private event |
| 6–7 September | Duxford Imperial War Museum Duxford Imperial War Museum Duxford is a branch of the Imperial War Museum near the village of Duxford in Cambridgeshire, England. Britain's largest aviation museum, Duxford houses the museum's large exhibits, including nearly 200 aircraft, military vehicles, artillery and minor naval vessels in seven... Airshow |
|
| 8 September | Southport Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England... Sea Front Airshow |
"Vulcan roars in to thrill" |
| 11 September | Jersey Jersey Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and... International Air Display |
|
| 11 September | Guernsey Guernsey Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet... Battle of Britain Air Display |
|
| 13 September | RAF Leuchars RAF Leuchars RAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. It is located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland, near to the university town of St Andrews.-Operations:... Airshow |
Taxi runs only due to bad weather |
2009
| Date | Display/Location | Notes | |
| 14 June | DCAE Cosford | ||
| 19–20 June | RNLAF Royal Netherlands Air Force The Royal Netherlands Air Force , Dutch Koninklijke Luchtmacht , is the military aviation branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Its ancestor, the Luchtvaartafdeling of the Dutch Army was founded on 1 July 1913, with four pilots... Volkel Volkel Air Base Volkel Air Base is a military airbase used by the Royal Netherlands Air Force - Dutch: Koninklijke Luchtmacht , and is located near the town of Uden, Noord-Brabant, in the Netherlands. It is home to three F-16 Fighting Falcon squadrons, 311, 312 and 313... - Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
First display outside the UK | |
| 21 June | Kemble | Displayed after flight from Volkel | |
| 27–28 June | Biggin Hill | ||
| |
cancelled | ||
| Grounded due to hydraulic fluid and weather problems | |||
| Planned Flypast Cancelled See Above | |||
| 18 July | Cosford model show | flypast | |
| 18–19 July | Fairford - RIAT Royal International Air Tattoo The Royal International Air Tattoo is the world's largest military air show, held annually over the third weekend in July, usually at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom in support of The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust... |
Took off from Fairford, flew to Cosford for a flypast before displaying, successful displays on both days | |
| 23–24 July | Lowestoft | Appearance on second day cancelled after an inspection found a gear door bracket needed replacing. | |
| 25 July | Sunderland | ||
| 25 July | East Fortune | ||
| 25 July | Windermere | ||
| 8 August | RAF Lyneham families day | Displayed and landed for a static display | |
| 9 August | Whitehaven | ||
| 9 August | Blackpool | ||
| 20 August | Dawlish Air Show | Flypast at Bournemouth before displaying with The Red Arrows | |
| 22–23 August | Shoreham | ||
| 22–23 August | Bournemouth | ||
| 29 August | Silverstone Circuit | BTCC/WAC | |
| 30 August | Dunsfold | ||
| 5 September | Cosby-Leicestershire & Airbus Family Day - Hawarden | ||
| 12 September | Leuchars | Was given a Eurofighter escort into RAF Leuchars on arrival on 11/09/2009. Formed part of the static display in the morning of the show, before taking off and performing a full display before landing again. Returned to Brize Norton on 13 September, via Hull. | |
| 20 September | Sanicole - Belgium | ||
| 20 September | Goodwood Revival Goodwood Revival The Goodwood Revival is a three-day festival held each September since 1998 for the types of road racing cars and motorcycle that would have competed during the circuit's original period—1948-1966. It is one of the world’s most popular motor race meetings and the only UK event which recreates the... |
||
| 20 September | Cambridge | Private Event | |
| 26 September | Woodford |
2010
As the aircraft currently operates under visual flight rulesVisual flight rules
Visual flight rules are a set of regulations which allow a pilot to operate an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. Specifically, the weather must be better than basic VFR weather minimums, as specified in the rules of the...
(VFR) it cannot fly through cloud to higher altitudes where turbulence is lower, as this would require instrument flight rules
Instrument flight rules
Instrument flight rules are one of two sets of regulations governing all aspects of civil aviation aircraft operations; the other are visual flight rules ....
(IFR) certification. Flying VFR in lower, often turbulent, air adds to airframe fatigue and this increases fatigue-index (FI) consumption. In 2010 the aircraft was therefore limited to between 30 and 40 hours flight-time, to help reduce FI usage and preserve the airframe. As a result, the number of air show appearances were fewer than in 2009. Some two-day fly-in shows were limited to just one appearance, with the first day being given preference to allow the second day to act as a reserve in case of technical or weather difficulties.
| Date | Display/Location | Notes | |
| 3–4 July | RAF Waddington RAF Waddington RAF Waddington is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England.-Formation:Waddington opened as a Royal Flying Corps flying training station in 1916 until 1920, when the station went into care and maintenance.... International Airshow |
Displayed | |
| 4 July | Goodwood Festival of Speed Goodwood Festival of Speed The Goodwood Festival of Speed, commonly abbreviated as FoS and referred within the United Kingdom as simply the Festival of Speed, is an annual hill climb featuring historic motor racing vehicles that is held in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England.Typically held in late June or... |
Displayed | |
| 10 July | RNAS Yeovilton RNAS Yeovilton Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, or RNAS Yeovilton, is an airfield of the Royal Navy, sited in South West England a few miles north of Yeovil in Somerset... Airshow |
Displayed | |
| 17–18 July | RAF Fairford RAF Fairford RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England. It is a standby airfield, not in everyday use. Its most prominent use in recent years has been as an airfield for United States Air Force B-52s during the 2003 Iraq War, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and the first Gulf War in... RIAT Riat Riat is a surname in ramghariacaste in Punjab, India. They are followers of the Sikh religion inhabiting in the Doaba region of Punjab. Rayat, Riat, Ryait and Riyat are actually same despite of different spellings.... |
Displayed | |
| 19–25 July | Farnborough Airshow | Flew in formation with Red Arrows display team. Only performed up to the 24th, grounded on 25th due to fault in brake system. | |
| 28 July | RNAS Culdrose RNAS Culdrose Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose , based in Cornwall, near Helston, on the Lizard Peninsula, has three major roles: serving the Fleet Air Arm's front line Sea King and Merlin helicopter squadrons; providing search and rescue for the South West region; and training specialists for the Royal Navy... Airshow |
Displayed | |
| 7 August | RAF Lyneham RAF Lyneham RAF Lyneham is a Royal Air Force station in Wiltshire, England. It was the home of all the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft of the Royal Air Force before they were relocated to RAF Brize Norton.The station was also home to No... Families Day (Private Event) |
Displayed | |
| 12–13 August | Lowestoft Lowestoft Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich... Sea Front Airshow |
Displayed | |
| 21 August | Silverstone Silverstone Silverstone is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is about from Towcester on the former A43 main road, from the M1 motorway junction 15A and about from the M40 motorway junction 10, Northampton, Milton Keynes and Banbury... |
Cancelled due to weather | |
| 21–22 August | Bournemouth Air Festival Bournemouth Air Festival The Bournemouth Air Festival is an annual air show held along the coast of Bournemouth, between Bournemouth pier and Boscombe pier, in Dorset, England... |
Cancelled due to weather | |
| 21–22 August | Shoreham Shoreham Airport - Sussex Police Air Operations Unit :The Sussex Police Air Operations Unit is headquartered at Shoreham Airport. The unit has been equipped since February 2000 with a MD Explorer, registered as "G-SUSX". The unit is headed by a Police Inspector, assisted by a Police Sergeant and two Police... Airshow |
Cancelled due to weather | |
| 25 August | RAF Benson RAF Benson RAF Benson is a Royal Air Force station near Benson in South Oxfordshire, England. It is home to the Royal Air Force's support helicopters, the Aérospatiale Puma and the EH-101 Merlin, known as the Puma HC.Mk 1 and the Merlin HC.Mk 3 and Mk 3a.... Families Day (Private Event) |
Cancelled due to weather | |
| 30 August | Wings and Wheels, Dunsfold Aerodrome Dunsfold Aerodrome Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, England, near the village of Cranleigh, was built by the Canadian Army and civilian contractors as a Class A Bomber Airfield for Army Co-operation Command... |
Displayed | |
| 9 September | Jersey International Air Display | Displayed | |
| 11 September | RAF Leuchars RAF Leuchars RAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. It is located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland, near to the university town of St Andrews.-Operations:... Airshow |
Displayed | |
| 18 September | Filton Families Day (Private Event) | Displayed | |
| 26 September | Coventry Airport Coventry Airport Coventry Airport is located south southeast of Coventry city centre, in the village of Baginton, Warwickshire, England, and about outside Coventry boundaries... Fly in (11am Arrival 3 pm Departure. No Display) |
Static Display and Departure Completed. |
2011
The scheduled appearances for the 2011 season, subject to weather and serviceability, are:| Date | Display/Location | Notes |
| 8 May | Abingdon Air & Country Show Abingdon Air & Country Show The Abingdon Air & Country Show is an annual air display staged in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The show takes place at the semi-active Abingdon Airfield, the former RAF Abingdon now operated by the British Army as Dalton Barracks.... |
Displayed |
| 28 May | Southend Airshow Southend Airshow The first annual seafront airshow took to the skies on Monday 26 May 1986 as the Grand Finale of the Southend Spring Festival.Concorde appeared 1986-88 Pictures here:http://www.flickr.com/search/show/?q=southend+airshow+1986&w=26359504%40N08... |
Displayed |
| 29 May | CWJ - Bruntingthorpe | Static Exhibition and Departure Completed |
| 10 Jun | Douglas Bay - Isle of Man | Displayed |
| 12 Jun | RAF Cosford | Cancelled due to weather |
| 18 Jun | Kemble | Static Exhibition + Display Completed |
| 18 Jun | Margate | Displayed |
| 02-03 Jul | RAF Waddington | Display & Static Exhibition Completed |
| 03 Jul | Goodwood Festival of Speed Goodwood Festival of Speed The Goodwood Festival of Speed, commonly abbreviated as FoS and referred within the United Kingdom as simply the Festival of Speed, is an annual hill climb featuring historic motor racing vehicles that is held in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England.Typically held in late June or... |
Display Completed |
| 9 Jul | RNAS Yeovilton | Display & Static Exhibition Completed |
| 16-17 Jul | RIAT Fairford | Static Exhibition + Display Completed |
| 23 Jul | Southport | Display Completed |
| 30-31 Jul | Sunderland | Display Completed |
| 18 Aug | Dawlish Carnival | Display cancelled due to fuel tank problem |
| 20-21 Aug | Shoreham Airshow | Display cancelled due to fuel tank problem |
| 20-21 Aug | Bournemouth Airshow | Display cancelled due to fuel tank problem |
| 20-21 Aug | Wings and Wheels-Dunsfold | No Display on Sunday due to Emergency Landing after a hydraulic fault. No news on Monday yet. |
| 4 Sep | Portrush | Display cancelled due to weather |
| 4 Sep | Cosby | Display |
| 10 Sep | RAF Leuchars RAF Leuchars RAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. It is located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland, near to the university town of St Andrews.-Operations:... |
Display |
Operators
- Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
- No. 27 Squadron RAFNo. 27 Squadron RAFNo. 27 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing Chinook HC2 from RAF Odiham.-The Great War:27 Squadron formed at Hounslow Heath Aerodrome on 5 November 1915, soon being equipped with Martinsyde Elephant fighter aircraft, hence the use of an elephant for the squadron badge...
- No. 50 Squadron RAFNo. 50 Squadron RAFNo. 50 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed during the First World War as a home defence fighter squadron, and operated as a bomber squadron during the Second World War and the Cold War. It disbanded for the last time in 1984....
- No. 55 Squadron RAFNo. 55 Squadron RAFNo. 55 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1916 at Castle Bromwich as a unit of the Royal Flying Corps. No. 55 Squadron was the last RAF Squadron to operationally fly the Handley Page Victor, in its Victor K.2 in-flight refuelling tanker role. It was subsequently a...
- No. 230 Operational Conversion Unit RAFNo. 230 Operational Conversion Unit RAFNo. 230 Operational Conversion Unit was first created on 15 Mar 1947 at RAF Lindholme, by re-designation of No.1653 Heavy Conversion Unit, to convert crews onto the Avro Lancaster, Avro Lincoln and de Havilland Mosquito bombers. This unit was disbanded on 15 October 1952 to become the Reserve...
- No. 27 Squadron RAF
- Vulcan to the Sky TrustVulcan To The Sky TrustVulcan to the Sky Trust is a British charity that owns and operates Vulcan XH558 a former Royal Air Force Avro Vulcan V-bomber from Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome....
Funding concerns
On 9 September 2008, the Chief Executive of the Vulcan To The Sky Trust, Dr Robert Pleming, announced on XH558's site that there were serious shortfalls in the aircraft's funds suggesting that "...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." and that "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".XH558 still has no commercial sponsors and relies on public donations and fundraising events organised by the Vulcan To The Sky Club members and supporters. In December 2008, the Vulcan To The Sky Trust set up a pledge scheme to raise £1 million by early 2009 to pay debts and cover servicing and operating costs for the 2009 display season. On 6 March the appeal reached its target.
To fund maintenance work on XH558 that had to be brought forward from 2011, the Vulcan To The Sky Trust conducted a fresh campaign to raise further donations from the public. The Vulcan 50th Birthday appeal sought to raise an additional £800,000 ($1,280,000) by the end of March 2010, of which £500,000 ($800,000) was needed by the end of February 2010 to enable work to begin. On 24 February more than £400,000 was donated by an anonymous benefactor, passing the "survival level" target for necessary engineering maintenance to begin.
The VTST continues to run its 50th Anniversary Appeal for donations with the aim of building a sizeable cushion of additional donations as a prudent contingency. In the absence of a major ongoing sponsor, the Trust now aims to keep raising funds from public donations year-round.
See also
- Vulcan Restoration TrustVulcan Restoration TrustThe Vulcan Restoration Trust is responsible for the XL426, one of three surviving live Avro Vulcans. Based at Southend Airport, it performed taxi displays until 2006 when the aircraft was withdrawn for engineering works....
, Vulcan XL426 maintained in taxiable condition at Southend Airport - Avro Vulcan XM655Avro Vulcan XM655Avro Vulcan XM655 is one of two remaining taxiable Avro Vulcans. XM655 is currently owned and maintained by the 655 Maintenance & Preservation Society who keep the plane in a taxiable condition.-History:...
, the only other taxiable Vulcan.
External links
- Vulcan to the Sky Trust - XH558
- Your Vulcan Needs You
- Test flight at RAF FairfordRAF FairfordRAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England. It is a standby airfield, not in everyday use. Its most prominent use in recent years has been as an airfield for United States Air Force B-52s during the 2003 Iraq War, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and the first Gulf War in...
on 11 July 2008 from the BBC. - Take-off at the Farnborough Air ShowFarnborough Air ShowThe Farnborough International Airshow is a seven-day international trade fair for the aerospace industry which is held in even-numbered years in mid-July at Farnborough Airfield in Hampshire, England....
(UK) on 20 July 2008.