Vulcan XL391

That is a shame you are gtting rid of your cockpit collection 903. ..

And I thought no one ever went to my web site these days!
Yes XH537 now belongs to Bournemouth Aviation Museum. They did such a cracking job of the restoration and my time is at such a premium these days, I thought best. XH563, well she has been at Bruntingthorpe for two years. I did get her because VOC wanted a nose to crew train for evacuation exercises. Then they go and get XM602 from Woodford instead.
Mr Ken Ward now owns XH563, so expect its departure to Yorkshire soon.
XA903 my oldest bird and most unquie will go in time also. Some interest from New Zealand but thats a year away at the mo.
There is a master plan, but to early to say yet. So back down to just being a one Vulcan owner!

I’m sure Paul goes by the name of ‘Vulcan903’ on here, maybe he could enlighten us…

…. On the subject of cockpits, Squadron Leader Hartley had sold XH537 and by the look of it XA903 & XH563 are up for sale too !

Any idea why….?

In particular, why does poor ol’ 903 keep getting moved on ? :confused:

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I think Vulcan Love got quite a few bits and pieces. The cockpit had massive puncture holes in it after being ‘lifted’ off the wagon that got her there. On the subject of cockpits, Squadron Leader Hartley had sold XH537 and by the look of it XA903 & XH563 are up for sale too!!

Famous Vulcans

missed that one… sry was there anything removed?

The cockpit was shredded at the docks here in Liverpool a while back 🙁

Canuck – usually if it’s an airworthy delivery they hand you the Form 700 after they have signed the last logbook entry. Basically
you then have the log book of the aircraft which contains such details as defect logs (red and green lines) ,aircraft state at the point of the aircrew signing for her prior to flight and a myriad of other information including the leading particulars.

Very interesting..I am guessing that we will no longer see these
sorts of deals to be offered in the near future. Once you acquire an airframe do they actually give you title to that plane..kinda like an owner papers for a car?

Our process in Canada seems to be quite different. It is usually handled by outside organizations but I have seen private individual manage to acquire military airframes for static display..

During the 1980’s the bidding process for airframes was so simple. A selection of airframes were earmarked for museums if the money was raised.
How much? As a general rule £1.5K got you a Vulcan on an RAF base for you to scrap. £5K got you one delivered.
Thus Roy Jacobsen bought XM655 and XL426, Tom Stoddart bought XJ823 at the time.
Scrapmen did very well and bought multiple airframes at a time. Ones that went to St Athan went through spares recovery before scrapping.
The USA ones are on long term loan and are stil MOD property. The one at Goose is owned by the town council.
The only Vulc ever to be dismantled is XL318 and now resides at Hendon.

Attached is my dear ol 537 getting done!

Thanks for the info Vulcan,

Was the public invited to bid on the remaining airframes? or was that limited to Museums, organizations? and was the price determined by the group involved.. i.e. a museum might acquire an airframe for a 1$? while other private individuals might be charged 5K?

Leading up to disbandment march 1984 – 50 Sqdn – Waddington
6x K. MK2s (tankers)
In selling/scrapping order:

XM598 to Cosford Jan 1983 – repaint in progress

XH560 reserve VDF (1984) scrapped 1990, nose to N Towler (stored no public access).

XH561 – first tanker conversion. To Catterick scrapped by 1987.

XM571 to Gib scrapped 1990. Bomb aimers blister exists in Somerset.

XL426 VDF 1985 – 1986 (55 Sdqn), to Southend 1986, fully serviciable.

XH558 returned to B mk2 VDF (55 Sdqn) 1987 – 1992 to Bruntingthorpe 1993, next flight Q4 2004???

As you can see only 598 went to a museum. How they were divied up I am unsure, a mix between 44, 101 and 50 Sqdn. 27 sqdn birds such as 558 and 560 went to 50 sqdn, 560 being a spares queen for 558. Others (537, 653 et al) were finally scrapped, maybe something to do with the fact that 27 sqdn birds were sniffers and flew over atomic tests.

Last flyers

The last 50 Sqdn flyers will do..Do they make up the majority of the those preserved today in museums?

How many Vulcan were in service at the time when they decided to disband the sqdn in 1984?

How far is far!

How far back do you want? 50 Sqdn or futher back?

Last to retire Vulcans

With XH558 being the last flyer and XL426 the next to last..which of the other survivors were the last flown Vulcans in the UK..whether it be to a museum or ?

anti flash white

Hello Brit

Yes it was painted once to represent itself in earlier times….

XM603

Was XM603 been painted white since it was retired?

XM603

It is a shame that they are governed heavily as to what they can do with 603. I had read somewhere that that aircraft had corrosion on her nose wheel strut hence the reason that they are no longer able to taxi her.
As far as the fuel from the 146s go. What else are they supposed to do with it?

Let me try and get us all back on the runway here…

Speak to any museum about ‘parts’ be it external or internal and the first thing they will say is that the Musuem and Galleries Commission dish out grants on the basis of the aircraft applying for the grant is complete., gaping holes in power bay, Dopler missing, even engines missing would mean possible no grant.
Musuems generally struggle for cash and you would think that they would – for example sell the 4 engines in a Vulc worth about £1K each. £4k can easily repaint a Vulcan, and pay for concrete to go in the tyres, making the general appearence better, but they do not because it makes the aircraft incomplete.
BUT I am not saying that museums are ‘on the rob’. I am saying that leave a Vulcan accessable and items will go walkies, leave a Canberra on a dump and items will go walkies, leave a Lightning next to a dual carriageway and items will go walkies. Leave a Ford Cortina on the A12 and items will go walkies. I tell it as I see it.

I do not have a crim record, just 3 points for going fast on the M25.
Due to the Dowty data plates being nicked on XM655, they have installed CCTV and PIR lightning around the aircraft. Of which I made a direct contribution for the items needed to improve security.

XL391 – my last communication with Brian Bateson, its owner was in March, regarding the possible sale of a Nav Panel. I offered fabulous sums of money for it and he has declined. Shame because his scrapping bill will be very high, as the market has dropped out of scrap metals.

Taxying Vulcans – all help each other out with what they have left in the way of spares.
The last big spares gain for Vulcans, was from my very own XH537 when she was scrapped at Abingdon and XM569 at Cardiff. On both occassions the groups were invited to carry out a spares recovery mission. So between all the taxying Vulcans, ther e is enough ‘black boxes’ hopefully to keep them running for few more years yet. However all groups could do with a new batch of tyres, as the rubber compound is starting to age. If 558 flies then Dunlops will produce a batch no doubt.

Steve – that an’t me in Flypast 94! That is its previous owner Colin Mears.

Vulcan903 – hows this for a bizarre coincidence? Clearing out my loft this evening, I came across a copy of FlyPast from August 1994. Strange article in there about some madman in Kent who keeps a Vulcan nose in his garden… I wonder who that could be then? 😀

And do you still have XS922’s nose?