What does the damage look like? can you post a pic or two? Shouldn’t be too difficult to form a patch and let it in if it only has to be cosmetic.

Bay Plastics over on Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate have a very clever fabricating dept. and they’re sympathetic to this sort of thing. They donated a batch of 3mm polycarbonate sheet so we could display our old engine in the museum. Might be worth letting them have a look at your canopy. Maybe it can be repaired to an acceptable standard if a replacement can’t be sourced.

You guys staying ahead of the snow? Mike and I are just up the road if you need an extra pair of hands.

Yeah, the frost could keep your concrete from going off but shouldn’t stop you digging holes and a wheelbarrow relay over the grass shifting the concrete would keep everyone warm!
But you’re right enough, it’s hardly the time of year to be putting in a permanent fix. You could drill the edge of the plate though… and put some eye-bolts in so you could strap the nosewheel down then stack those tons of sleepers onto the plate around the leg like a funeral pyre. That ought to keep the thing down ’til spring!

As for prioritising the prying open of engine bay doors, I must point out that that was nothing to do with NEAM’s plans – that was the Bluebird Project (http://www.BluebirdProject.com) making a nuisance of themselves whilst on the scrounge for 1960’s valves and if the H&S saddos think slithering about on a Vulcan wing in the snow is a cause for tutting and head shaking, perhaps they ought to try it and maybe get a life. Wish I’d had an invite!

They will if they have any sense!

Lol – I’ll take that as a compliment – I think.

But seriously, I’d love to come and do a bit. I thoroughly enjoyed those short Sunday sessions prying the Vulcan open here and there and the wife has given me a pass-out to do the occasional bit of plane bashing.

Incidentally, remember those valves we looked all over the place for? We obtained a couple in the end and one of them is almost rebuilt and ready to go.
Interestingly, it was about to fail from natural causes having almost consumed one of its O-rings at some time in its past. Now its outer casings are in the paint shop and new O-rings are on the way so it’ll be (hopefully) clicking away next week. If anyone but me is really interested let me know and I’ll post a pic or two.

Ahh, the Bellman hangar – that’s the one I was thinking about, the huge, corrugated tin thing to the east of taxiway echo, if memory serves. It was a bit cruddy here and there but easily big enough. Daresay it could’ve been acquired at scrap prices and shifted south of the river very reasonably too but even I’ll admit that getting its resurrection past the bureaucrats in South Shields town hall would’ve been a daunting task to say the least!
So is there a plan to hangar the Vulcan?
By the way, guys, if you want to bring your APU over on a Saturday and use our tools I’m sure we’d find a corner for you. What does it need to get a tune out of it?

Ah, this is a bit better. OK – starting engines is an ambitions goal but there’s nothing wrong with that and one could be ground-run away from the aircraft while its engine bay got a damn good scrub and repaint. But leave that for now – what about getting the APU back in there and running? It was lying about the hangar floor when I saw it. Please may we start it up and at least get the lights working again?
And don’t complain that the tennis court is too soft to stand the plane on – dig some big holes on a Sunday afternoon and get friendly with a local concrete company so if they have any part-loads or spare material they can pour some proper pads for you, everyone wins.
But on a simpler note again, the Bluebird Project has a few drums of fancy chemicals to donate to stop the corrosion and clean stuff. Better still, I’ve spoken with Chemettal-Trevor and he’s up for coming to see you all on his next visit to show you his magical pink paint stripper and gloopy Ardrox.
A hangar? Nobody mentioned a hangar… Where you when the Skyshore hangar was scrapped at Newcastle airport a while back? You could’ve got your Vulcan in there with room to spare! Anyone know where there’s a hangar due for scrapping?