XH558 Latest news

Victor1…I think Willow has given you all the info you need, but if you need any further details, just send a shout in my direction 🙂

Ashley

Good for you. You won’t regret it.

Hopefully you can get on the Victor but don’t be dissapointed if you can’t, you can always change to it later when/if it becomes a full project.

Willow

Thank you, Willow. You may have just given me the inspiration and enthusiasm to do just that. I’ll talk to DAS.

Victor1,

in the old days (damn do I feel old now!) the best way of helping at Duxford was to join the Duxford Avaition Society as a working volunteer. You could be put onto the project of your choice under the guidance of a Professional IWM Technician. I am not sure if this still happens. I know that DAS is still crying out for volunteer help, but I’m not sure if the Victor is currently a project with a crew allocated. It used to have one of the best DAS crews of all, led if I remember correctly, by Roger Brooks. Enthusiastic and hardworking, not just looking good on a Sunday, but actually achieving things this crew looked after the Victor and Vulcan. But I think that when the Victor was repainted (badly!) and left outside the crew had no opportunity to carry out further work.

With the onset of the new ‘Super Super Hangar’ which will see the Victor back indoors, a restoration will hopefully take place.

Contact DAS and give it a try. I started there when I was 12 and still go now (although not as often as I’d like). I’ts good fun, you learn a lot, make a lot of friends, feel like your really helping, and you can even grab a career in aircraft restoration out of it if you play your cards right.

While my own experience is with Duxford, if you have museum more local to yourself give them a go. They may not have the particular type that you wish to work on, but it doesn’t take long to become attached to any aircraft once you’ve spent a bit of time crawling around it.

Willow

Regarding the North East Aircraft Museum at Usworth, I’ve only been there once, 7 or 8 years ago I guess.
I’m loathe to complain about people that do far more for aircraft preservation than I do, but I thought it was the most depressing museum I’d ever been to.
Vandalism was obviously rife, it wasn’t very long after the Valetta was torched, which must be a bit disheartening to say the least, but I didn’t get the impression that anybody really CARED.
All voluntary organisations tend to go up and down as different people come and go, I just hope that was a temporary low point.
Perhaps it was just me, it was ####ing down at the time.

Compare it with Elvington, where everybody gives the impression that they do care. To a certain extent, although I know they do, it doesn’t matter if they do or not, the right “feeling” is there.

Indeed, the condition of some of the remaining Vulcans is a little depressing to say the least, particularly when you consider that the type is generally well regarded by the public. Many remaining examples are becoming ‘unsafe’ under the guise of Health & Safety and I’m sure within the next 2 or 3 years, a few of them will be scrapped for good. We could very well end up with only a handful of survivors and it’s for that reason that I support the XH558 project.

You might not agree with the HLF application (I do) or the way Vulcan to the Sky has run the project thus far (I don’t), but that doesn’t make the cause any less worthy.

I would hope that should a similar situation arise with another aircraft type, my fellow enthusiasts would offer their support. Should the RAF, heaven forbid, ever decide to terminate their support for the BBMF, I would be proud to support any similar project that might attempt to take its place.

Now, about Duxford’s Victor – how can ‘ordinary’ unskilled enthusiasts like myself support the conservation efforts?

..and here’s a pic of the blackpool Vulcan taken two years ago.She’s deteriorated even further since…

I’d agree that the Cosford example is pretty disgraceful considering it’s in the “care” of a national museum,but one or two others are also a cause for concern.I visited the North East Air Museum in Sunderland last week on the site of the old RAF Usworth airfield,now largely occupied by the huge Nissan factory complex.Out in one corner of the museum site is XL319,and having spent all of her time outdoors since she arrived,she’s not looking at all well,despite the best efforts of the museum staff.There’s a considerable amount of corosion in various places,and the the engine exhaust nozzles have virtually ceased to exist!Not being too far from the coast,I reckon a fair amount of the corrosion is down to the salty air,and the attentions of local vandals in the past haven’t done her any favours (the same mob who torched the Valetta a few years back-grrrh!).There are various dings and creases,and the window in the bomb aiming blister is smashed.New fences have been put up and the vandals seem to have given up,but the damage is done.To add insult to injury,her mainwheels are now sinking into the ground.The staff keep the interior in as good a conditioon as possible and they have repainted certain areas of the exterior over the years(which has given her a peculiar 3 or even 4 tone camouflage scheme),but I can’t help feeling that they’re fighting a losing battle with the elements.
Speaking of seaside Vulcans,just how long can Blackpool’s XL391 stay on her own two feet?Every time I see a pic of her I feel sure it’s the last time she’ll be seen standing in one piece.Surelly she’s not long for this world…

You’ve noticed that too, huh? 🙁

If anybody wants to see what a seriously tatty Vulcan looks like, they only need to visit Cosford.
For a national museum, it’s a disgrace.

Duxford’s Vulcan isn’t necessarily in the best condition – last time I saw it, there were several patches of external corrosion. Nothing outside the realms of Duxford’s capabilities, I’m sure. However, I thought (but can’t be sure) that a significant number of components had been removed from XJ824.

I don’t know the full reasons for XH558’s current state, although I do know that corrosion surveys revealed only one small patch of corrosion (about the size of your palm) on the entire aircraft.

Regarding the possibility of XH558 staying at Bruntingthorpe, it should be remembered that it costs someone significant amounts of money to keep an aircraft of that size, particularly when housed in a hangar that could otherwise generate revenue. 558’s current state means she’s at least lucky enough to remain inside.

Many, but not all, of XM575’s systems were in working order. I’m not sure of her current status.

Very pleased to read Ashley’s news regarding Duxford’s Victor (xh648).

XH558 ending up at Duxford would be a total waste the best place would be brunty or the yorkshire air musseum.

I dont think that xj824 would last very long once 558 was their also who at Duxford would be able to keep the vulcan in running condition.

If the team at Duxford do want a vulcan in running condition let them restore xj824 the more vulcans taxing the better.

A bit of topic but was the vulcan at east midlands xm575 also in running condition until the new aeropark was built then the vulcan was stopped running under noise rules as was their s2 bucc.:mad:

Very worrying as xl426 at southend is clost to a houseing area.

At the moment, Duxfords Vulcan is probably in better condition than the meccano kit at Bruntingthorpe anyway!!

I know I’ve attacked Duxford in the past, but at least they don’t start something unless they can finish it!

Willow

Paul – Just a slight correction. I don’t believe a Super Etendard ever flew from the runway at Port Stanley. The types based there consisted of MB399’s ,Pucara’s and Bell UH-1/214’s. Various
other types reinforced the Argentine presence mainly in the form of C-130’s.
I think the main reason for the attack on the runway was to demonstrate the ability to hit back from long distance – I suppose in a similar way to the Doolittle raid on Tokyo.

Militarily it achieved little but it might have given the Argentinian’s
second thoughts about deploying more aircraft to the islands.

Right a few points to answer here:-
Moggy C ,
You were fairly close with the top 5, its normally:-
Jumbo
Concorde
Spitfire
Red Arrow (doh)
Lancaster
Closely followed by
Hurricane
Beoing (doh)
Tiger Moth
Sopwith Camel
I would imagine B52 will feature tomorrow night !

I don’t disagree with what you say about the Victor, I just know that it has far less appeal as an airshow attraction, in fact some airshow goers would not know one if they fell over it. I would love to see both flying but given the apathy shown towards Vulcan funds the Victor has two hopes , Bob and No.
BTW Moggy your picture keeps reminding me of someone, I just can’t put my finger on it, uum maybe a slightly narrower mastouche and hair swept to one side…………..

Lancman.
Get some new pants or else you will be in trouble at airshows, geez I used to get pretty exited at the sight of the Vulcan but not to that extent, control yourself man.

Paul,
Very well put reponse , ra ra,

Phil

Anyway, the Vulcan raid were not unsuccesful in any way. The fact that not all bombs hit the runway meant nothing, the facts are:

1) The runway was put out of action for a period of time.

2) Super Entendards could not use this airfield until repaired, thus preventing some attacks on the fleet.

3) Morale of the occupying Argentinians was damaged. Would’nt yours be if you were in danger of having 21,000lb of bombs lofted at your position, or a Shrike coming at your Skyguard Radar post without even probably hearing the aircraft?

4) The Argentinians had to remain on standby on the mainland as we proved that we could hit Buenos Airies if we wanted to.

That’s why I think that the raids were a success. Cmdr ‘Sharkey’ Ward claims in his book, Sea Harrier over the Falklands, that the SHAR force could have done the job better, which is possibly true, but the Vulcan was used almost in it’s intended role; that of a deterrent – a psychological weapon used to make the enemy think twice. I am more than confident that the Victor could have done an equally good job as a bomber, but although more technically advanced, it was a lot weaker – it’s airframe would have been eaten up very quickly in the post 1960’s low level regime. This is why they were all converted to tankers and not the Vulcan which had a incredibly strong airframe.

OK, the raids cost a lot of money and resources but even as a seven year old, I can remember them happening and how the news trumpeted (what I remember at the time as…!) this strange aircraft “weeks away from being retired”. I remember everyone saying at the time “I hope they change their minds now! Keep the thing in service!” such is the allure of the Vulcan. She put britain back on the map as a credible power. If you ask most people what they can remember about the Falklands war, they will usually mention the Vulcan raids.

Back to the original point of this thread, this is why the Vulcan is so special. She has an allure of her own and stands as a symbol of the cold war might of the west and the detente that she helped maintain.

This is why the Vulcan, especially 558′ deserves better. She has secured her place in history. She also deserves because of this to secure her place back in the air.

Will this happen? I don’t know. I hope so. If any other aircraft deserves to fly again it should be the Vulcan. I have been privileged to see her fly although I’m sure a lot of people on this forum have’nt which is a shame in my opinion.:(

Paul.

For me, the difference in airshow enjoyment bewteen the Victor and the Vulcan is plain; when the Victor flies overhead, my pants don’t fall down! 😉

And unfortunately all that you say (Even if you agree with it) applies equally, if not more so, to the Victor. Therefore your response still doesn’t actually constitute an answer, as such.

Moggy

Jumbo
Easy Jet
Spitfire
B52
Stealth

?

Moggy

In many respects Doughtnut is right, but is suppose its because the Vulcan is seen as symbolising the cold war deterrant . It also epitomises what was the finest aviation manufacturing country in the world at the time, it oozes inovation. Besides that, and I think that this is probably the deciding factor for many ‘fans’, it is aestetically beautiful, its powerfull yet gracefull, there is nothing like the ‘elaphantine’ roar of that roll and rotate.
One of the things that I do when giving my aviation photo talks(I’m doing one tomorrow in the Reading area) is ask the audienece(mostly non aviation people) to name three aircraft.
I’ll let you guess what the top 5 are.

Phil