Cheers guys for your thoughts. I too would much rather see 603 put to use keeping one of the movers moving, and 319 is easily re-skinned where needed. All I have to do now is persuade NEAM that they really want to save their own (Highly Visible) signpost! I hope that at least the nose of 603 is salvageable and 607 can benefit in some way.

Not long til we see a tin triangle where she belongs……..

What condition are the flying controls in?… NEAM could use them to save XL319… Any date on when this lady is to face the axe? Surely a good cashe of bits could be got? Would the guys who look after 603 have any objections to this aircraft helping others? I only ask because I have never seen 603, and if repoorts are to be believed, she is condemmed to her fate….

I am quite sure that an engineering team could be formed to strip her bare before the axeman cometh! Is there anything to salvage?

BBB – Bruce, have you guys fitted a plaque to the aircraft? It was discussed briefly at the beginning of the contract, but I guess Ben was not to keen on it.

Paul and John are missing on the group photo – where were they?

What are you going to do now… Lancaster majors are a bit thin on the ground these days….

Good effort, and thanks for the amazing experience of working on her, its such a shame i had to go before the end. Good luck for the future.

The useless geordie……….

What of the rumour that there were still a couple of Sunderlands at the bottom of Windermere? Any substance to it – has anyone looked? And while on the subject of Sunderland ‘submarines’ – there are alleged to be a couple at the bottom of the clyde too…. hmm. Anyone got an aqualung?

Unfortunately, I don’t think a splash of paint will suffice now. The airframe skinning is corroded quite badly, and certainly the elevons require re-skinning. I have not viewed the aircraft with a view to examining its structural integrety, just as a casual observer. The brakes were removed some years ago and the pads have seen service again with Lusty Lindy, Andre Tempests Victor at Elvington.

In my view as a structural engineer, this aircraft needs help NOW. Perhaps if NEAM’s policy was to let people with aircraft engineering backgrounds and references to match actually work on the aircraft rather than cut the grass, maybe something would be done. NEAM has had alot of problems in the past, and the management trust no-one. Maybe the next couple of years will be XL319’s last. I hope not.

I am going to approach them sometime soon to see if I can be of assistance with its stabilisation. Some years ago I visited East Fortune and looked at their Vulcan. They had applied a thin bead of silicone (?) to the camoflage line which prevented water tracking under the airframe and rotting the aircraft from the ground up. I suggested this to NEAM, but sadly they ignored the advice.

Is anyone willing, in principle to save this aircraft?

I know G-STUK was cancelled off the register recently, whats the story with that aircraft? What state is it in? Has it gone to Shuttleworth with the rest of the RM-whatsit collection?

Any chance of getting it complete and possibly flying? (money permitting)