Vulcan being scrapped..

I think Bruce from the DH Museum has the right idea.

Keep the aeroplanes live , and encourage oldies and youngsters alike to get involved.
The PC plug -in joystick brigade will well and truly take over unless the aircraft preservation society up the ante, and make it a more ‘live’ environment.It’s the real world and it should’nt be ignored.
I know i will put in the hours if there’s a chance to be on the apron when an aeroplane fires up, and if there’s a chance to be in the pasenger / crew seat there are plenty of us out there that will put any amount of effort in and soak up that nagging from our other half’s (god bless em!).
I don’t mean to get every posiible aeroplane fired up , but its not that difficult to get electrical circuits wired up to lighting / radio’s etc. and to get some activity organised that would make the PC a pale imitation.

GRRRRRRRR!!!!!

In relation to Manchester Airport, 603′ possibly going there and the airport aviation park itself……..

1) Who will own the aircraft?

2) Which organisation of suitably skilled people is in place to look after the aircraft when they retire there?

3) Do people on this forum think that they have “lets get anything concerned with aviation, whatever the suitabilty or relevance…….” policy?????

If the answer to the above questions are 1) don’t know, 2) don’t know and 3) Yes… from most people, then not wishing to be flippent……. but I refer you to the numerous articles/pictures of the Blackpool Vulcan as a look 10-20 years into the future for these aircraft…

Whay do people think?

Paul.

Originally posted by ukf14
what about the one at waddington? i know a few old U-2 hangars near me that would keep most of the vulcan fleet under cover:) O and a nice runway to keep them fit.:(

The Waddo one (XM607?) is in pretty good nick by all accounts.

As for using Alconbury for anything with wings, best of luck convincing the locals. As I’m sure you know, they’re not exactly receptive to aviation these days… 😡

Please don’t lambast me for saying this as I have not seen her for a while and I know that most of her systems work……..

Would 603′ not be suitable for a one time only ferry flight to a new destination as a military aircraft under the auspices of BAe Systems??? Rather like XR724 when she flew from Boscombe back to Binbrook?

I know that they solved the problem with the siezed engine and also that the new engine that they got was almost brand new???

Am I being naive?

Paul.

what about the one at waddington? i know a few old U-2 hangars near me that would keep most of the vulcan fleet under cover:) O and a nice runway to keep them fit.:(

As I understand it the only thing they have in common is the name Olympus.

Had a look at 655 yesterday, and was very impressed by its condition, albeit that I did not go up close for a look.

It proves the point that it needs a lot of people to look after one aeroplane if you do it properly. It also shows that keeping them live is one of the better ways of keeping them from deteriorating.

Also had a look at the small museum on the airfield. Very impressed. There are too few museums who take the approach of complete one project, then move on and buy the next. No distressed airframes, all good presentation.

Up the road at Long Marston, things dont seem to be moving so quickly. There seems to be very little change since the last pictures I saw, taken 4-5 years ago.

Cheers

Bruce

Rather late in replies, so he goes,

Whats the best for 603,
If she went to Manchester airport, I think that would be good as a Vulcan and Concorde together would be a good example on how how both are linked.
The 603 Club would be gutted though, but the end of BAE Woodford I think is near. To move her, big money, take the wings to the engine roots could be done, but getting her to MAN would be difficult. Not sure of the internals of the Antonov 225, but is could land at Woodford and I think Manchester, or Elvington but this is a big cash project.
301’s to Wellesbourne, yes please!
From a quick look last week, the guys at MAN, seem to have a good set up, but the more airframes you have the harder is gets and you still have to cut the grass!
The current spares holding at Woodford are ear marked for Bruntingthorpe.
It took the RAF MU 6 months to carfeully dismantle and move the Vulcan to Hendon, and it was done undercover.
In this world of H&S, and expenditure and if BAE own 603, I think they will scrap 603 for spares recovery with the PR of saying they are helping a Vulcan fly.
Hopefully we have a few more years of 603 yet. I know the guys who care for her, and they are doing a really good job in trying to keep her looking good. But none of us are getting any younger.

655 – we have ATC through the cockpit all the time and they love it, but then they are off to see Tornado’s and Eurofigthers and Vulcans can’t beat the lateset techy in these a/c, when this gerneration has been brought up on Play Stations and X Boxes!
We have the local ATC ‘Chapter’ help us on our run days, and usually bung a cadet in the cockpit on a fast taxi!

Originally posted by Vulcan903
655 is indeed looking her best right now, but as a trustee of XM655, I know what our limits are, I am the youngest member and I am in my mid 30’s. It is very hard to get interest from the young ones. Working outside in all weathers, does not seem to appeal these days to our young generation!

With regards to gaining interest in the younger generation, have you tried approaching your local Air Cadet units? With the cuurent state of the Royal Air Force Many cadets rarely get the chance to get ‘up close and personal’ with aircraft these days apart from the odd 20 min Grob tutor flight or a spell in a glider and maybe a quick look at an aeroplane whilst on summer camp. As an Instructor with the Air Cadets I think it would be an excellent opportunity to encourage interest in the project whilst also helping with their classification training with the ultimate training aid (a real aeroplane) and citizenship training by raising money for the project

Originally posted by andyxh558
obviously bae couldnt give a monkeys. history doesnt matter for an example see concorde!

I would add Nimrod prototype XV147 to that list of examples.As for Vulcans that are gone in 5 years definately XL391 here in Blackpool I would even shorten that to 2-3 years, bits are coming off already

Xm603 is a 301 series vulcan and the only vulcan that could benefit from its engines is Xm655 at welsbourne. I can honestly see woodford closing in the next 10 years so something must be done to save it. In my personal opinion things started to go downhill for her when the airshows stopped.

I dearly hope something is done just as memorial to the guys who made her. But obviously bae couldnt give a monkeys. history doesnt matter for an example see concorde!

I suppose if a Vulcan could be taken apart properly, the “old boys” would have more chance than anybody. After all, they helped put them together in the first place.
Elvington’s a good idea.

To be honest I cannot see the point of sending 603 to Manchester.

Yorkshire air museum would be a better place for it however is it possible to dismantle a Vulcan and then rebuild and run it it would be a shame if moving 603 meant it was no longer able to run.

903, getting back to Woodfords Vulcan, what do you feel would/could be the best way to use the aircraft and spares that the OLD BOYS have gained. Lets face it the company/place is not what it use to be. Dont blame anyone things/times have changed.
Move it to Manchester Airport? Move the parts to where?
Paul

Hi andyxh558

They have been trying to get 603 for a while hope they do as it seems BAE don’t care what happens to it.

In the early 90s they were helping out the 603 club alot and their was talk that it might fly again then they lost all interest and health and safety had a field day about it being full of fuel.

Well now it just sites their rotting and thats a big shame.

They want 603 at manchester airport so maybe bae might help with transport of it but then again they havent given a toss about her up to now!

“BAE SYSTEMS has agreed to form a partnership with the Imperial War Museum in the development of the AirSpace project. This partnership also enables the Company to centre its main heritage activities at Duxford.”

So long XM603. Gone by 2006 I reckon!

Maybe those same Concorde parts will turn up at an aerojumble in a few years and the whole process of putting the runnable airframe back together will start again!! too funny and sad

We are all frustrated here because we want to see some classic airframes flying, so fast taxi’s it is.
Fast taxi a Valkarie and I will be on the next flight out!
The first BA Concorde has been retired today and already BA engineers are taking componants out to stop it from being started as I type.

I guess like mentioned earlier the biggest challenge is to get new volunters involved to carry on the torch or keep the engines burning in this case. I am guessing that these taxi demo’s are pretty much a feature that is unique to the UK…I have not see any evidence of it in North America…I would love to see a Voodoo or CF-100 do a fast taxi run in Canada but I don’t think I will be seeing that anytime soon!!