Good point Peter.

Rich, that nose leg drawing looks like just the thing I need, I’ll mail you! I’ve got the side profiles for the Mk.1, Mk.2 and Mk.3 done now, but I wanted to get the nose leg precisely drawn. Now it’s on to the plan view… I’m so sick of drawing rivets! 🙂

I’m plodding along with my scale drawings. I’ve been working at them for a few weeks now and thanks to the guys at Coventry and the folks at Airfix, I think the results look encouraging.

Don’t suppose anyone has (or has seen) a drawing of the Mk.3 nose wheel and leg? It’s surprisingly difficult to get the shape of these components right, even though they look remarkably simple.

Anyone have any thoughts on the Phase 1, 2 and 3 modifications? Obviously the Mk.3 Phase 3 is clearly a very different machine with Vipers installed, but I can’t see any obvious changes to other versions other than variations in engine exhausts and aerial fits.

Interesting tangent, but when I mentioned Coventry I didn’t suggest that the aircraft would be hangared. Even if it was to share some space outdoors next to the Shackleton it would be in a better “retirement home” than Finningley. The public can access Coventry easily, they are far more likely to be afforded access to the runway to watch a high-speed run (and if not, there’s a good view to be had from the perimeter road), and of course visitors would be able to see the Shackleton, CAF aircraft and MAM collection at the same time. So on every point it would be a far better place to retire the Vulcan, and of course there’s always an opportunity to raise money for some sort of hangar to house it (and maybe the Shackleton too).

What a shame that VTTS haven’t considered this. But then if they did, there wouldn’t be any further connection with Finningley beyond this autumn. I wonder why VTTS don’t want to sever this link? Anybody could be forgiven for thinking that they have personal motivations for keeping the base in business…

Maybe HLF are more open to discussions with other parties on other projects, I don’t know. All that I do recall is that they would say nothing about their relationship with VTTS. I suppose in some respects it’s understandable when they were clearly communicating with each other, but at the same time it was a very public project paid for by the public, therefore it was slightly disturbing that the people who were paying for it were deliberately kept out of the process. Obviously there are sound practical reasons for that but I do think there ought to have been a more open relationship with the public throughout XH558’s time with VTTS. But this goes back to my original comment – VTTS are no more communicative now than they were then, and HLF are presumably just as uncommunicative on this subject, so one would assume that there would be no point in raising the issue of where XH558 is retired. That was what I was getting-at. I’m guessing that even if there was enough concern amongst the Vulcan’s supporters to try and stop the plan to retire XH558 at Finningley (and I doubt if there is that much concern, as I’ve said before) then I suspect both VTTS and HLF would be unlikely to even discuss the subject. So I really can’t see that there’s any way out of this situation now.

Strange but true. Maybe you had a different experience with them, although I am referring to the period before funding was allocated, so it’s a long time ago now. Perhaps they’re happier talking about the subject retrospectively?

It would be no good having 558 at Coventry she won’t fit into any of the hangers there
Suggest you read the previous posts (why do we have to keep saying this?! 🙂 )

I would imagine that the best option for XH558 would be to return to Bruntingthorpe. Yes, it means outdoor storage but there’s always the option of starting a fund raising campaign to build shelter for it. It would enable people to see the aircraft move under its own power and of course it would be part of a large collection of Cold War aircraft (and it’s where the aircraft was restored to fly in the first place). Duxford have no interest in XH558 and as we know from experience, they have a habit of disposing of aircraft they’re not interested in.

Elvington would probably be delighted to have XH558. The same hangar problem applies but it would be preferable to Finningley. I suppose CAF at Coventry could take it – they have the space next to WR963. I would think that Scampton is the only place where hangar space might be found and I suppose it would at least be sharing space with another famous RAF asset (RAFAT). I would imagine the RAF would permit public access for ground runs.Whether hangar space could be provided for free though is open to question. I guess it’s not impossible, but I assume nobody has asked.

But as I’ve said before, VTTS seem determined to pursue their “academy” and I’m not sure how anyone could stop them. Maybe if someone with the right contacts could talk to HLF, it might make a difference. I know from experience though that HLF are almost as difficult to communicate with as VTTS are! 🙂

As I said before, I didn’t see anything that could have been described as unsafe – it was just more than we’ve been used to seeing for a long time and if the FCC had claimed otherwise, then I’d be inclined to ask how they would be in a better position to judge than Mr.Rumens, given his experience. But it would appear that the FCC did concede that there was nothing to complain about. It’s interesting to see that a lot of fuss has been made about the end of the display but not so much has been said about the start. The sharp bank was pretty abrupt even if judged against Joe L’Estrange’s take-offs, but the thing that caught my eye was the low and slow turn that followed, with the gear down. The aircraft was in a fairly tight turn with the nose pointed upwards, suggesting that it was being held in that attitude on the rudder. One could almost have thought that it was struggling to maintain altitude but it’s clear from many of the videos that the pilot reduced power during the turn, so he must have been deliberately holding it at a remarkably slow speed at a surprisingly low altitude – and with the gear out. Certainly something to watch! 🙂