Hi Guys

Well It will be great if/when it flies but…………..

Just consider for a moment the total outlay to get/restore/operate this aircraft. Much of it coming from the public/government etc. Now apply that money to lots of smaller restorations going on around the UK.

Good luck to these guys for doing what is being done – just so long as it doesn’t divert money from current and future worthwhile projects – there is just so much disposable income to go around for old aircraft and I have a feeling this project may well have bitten heavily into that money – for what is at the end of the day a fairly short lived program and it is only one aircraft.

Just my thoughts

Regards
John P

hi John

This 10yr project will not divert any money away from any other project to return an aircraft to flight, because the HLF have stated catagorically that the Vulcan was a ONE-OFF, never to be repeated.

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Sod it… going to sell the house and make that pilgrimage to thunder city… hmmm I wish.
😉

Keep an eye out for Vulcan to the Sky’s latest raffle?????? and book a holiday for early next year, if last Sunday’s Brunty literature is to be believed????

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Can anyone shed any light on the long-term future of this Phantom? It seems to have been abandoned at Fairford since the 100 years of flight show took place a couple of years ago. Does someone actually own her still, or is she destined to meet her ultimate fate when the base staff get sick of looking at her?

On a plus note its good of the RIAT organisers to place 408 in the static every year!

Plazz

The story has it that after the hundred years of flight show, RAF Halton her owners did not want her back, as I believe they had a nice new shiny “Tonka Toy” and she was going to be scrapped and it was the American base organisation which took her under their wing so to speak.

We at Bruntingthorpe attempted to aquire her but were told in no uncertain terms that no ex-RAF Phantom airframe would be allowed into private hands, only “official” museums, so I for one am extremely interested as to her next port of call.

When Roy Jacobsen bought the Vulcans he told me he bought loads of spares, including brand-new engines. What happened to his spares?

Pass…….

Nope, that’s XH558 at Bruntingthorpe (airborne question is being debated elsewhere)

655 still had some life left before being retired didn’t it? Mechanically what would impede her flight?

‘655’s biggest problem is her engines…they are 300 series , for which there re no known spare units in existance… whereas XH558 has 200 series (202’s actually), of which she has 8 zero houred examples along with some 700tons of spare parts, 120+ OEMs(Original Equipment Manufacturers) support, a large hanger, and 90odd% of the finance required. Scuttlebutt has it that she will fly 3rd quarter 2006…… can’t wait!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

ps….. It’s reported, from a friend, 😀 that the VTS Team are going to Waddington… Hanger 3 with an engine, a parachute, Thunderball, and a double act with Dr Robert Pleming & Sqn Ldr David Thomas 2 or 3 times during both days. our club stand will also be just outside hanger 3…..and the teams “new education” trailer(ex-FLYPAST) will be on site, somewhere, with the VTST Jaguar X-type (it could be yours in August) with raffle tickets on sale at all three sites. Go and see the team , support the project and get the latest gen…

😀 😀 😀

.

Sweet, Bruntingthorpes only a very short drive from me! Will it be based at Bruntingthorpe when its flying? Will she still be in the wraparound camo? Looks magnificent on her

Answer 1] yes she will operate from Bruntingthorpe for at least 2yrs.. then the hanger lease is up for re-negotiation….

Answer 2] again yes

It seems I’m not alone in my thoughts, but perhaps am more outspoken than some.
One thing bothers me is the inconsistency in CAA rules. Why do they allocate British Civil Registrations and permits to types such as the Sea Vixen and Vulcan, yet will not allocate them to a Lightning, Buccaneer or Shackleton? :confused:

Joe Petroni is so right……
It’s because there is no design authority support from industry for these airframes, unfortunatly.

I believe that Rolls Royce have just announced that they are not supporting the Spey engine, which actually clobbers the Buccaneer, whereas the Vulcan has over 130 companies supporting her, including BAe Systems,Rolls Royce…etc….

According to Dr Robert Pleming at our club AGM, he knew about the insurance bombshell 4yrs ago and it was incorperated in the HLF planning application

007 Vulcans

The Vulcan was a B1, so being as we scrapped the last one at Cosford many years ago 😡 no!

I had an ex-Wing commander in ‘558s hanger a year or so ago and he said that the undersea “Vulcan” was in fact a scaffolding pole structure covered in canvass for the mainplane/tail etc and the nose was a Valiant. According to this fella he was OIC of cutting it off at RAF Gaydon, believe what you will.

The Thunderball Vulcan, as was said in an earlier post, belongs to C Walton Ltd, but is on loan to the project, in my care (all 112 kilos of it) and the latest offer I have had now stands at £37,000….. any advances???

Incidentally the old guy, dressed in a long coat and deerstorker, in the earlier posted pictures of Thunderball is the owner/driver of Chitty-chitty Bang-Bang, seen in the background of one of the photos

Thunderball will be at Waddington(Hanger3??) and possibly RIAT but that is not definite

I have the dubious honour of being on the team that scrapped the last Victor B1 at Cosford, but we did recover the nose to Bruntingthorpe..where she now sits in all her glory..