Avro Vulcan prototype


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"..there's often an unannounced Spitfire fly around over our place here in Ilkeston during the summertime, always a splendid sight to see.." A Spitfire that quite often turns up locally - usually mid

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...It's thought that the pilot, Paul Day, former leader of the BBMF, was such a rude obnoxious git to members of the public...

Is that the same Day that used to be the Harrier display pilot from 1 Sqdn, Wittering?

If so, he is a Binghamite...

Cheers

Robt P.

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Is that the same Day that used to be the Harrier display pilot from 1 Sqdn, Wittering?

If so, he is a Binghamite...

Cheers

Robt P.

The old boy is getting on a bit now, must be in his 60's, he was with the BBMF for years and I think instructed on Tornados. Known as the 'Major' he always was a bit of a funny sod, I remember him losing his rag while attempting to start up a Spifire at North Weald and nearly taking Stephen Grey's head off with the prop, the Honourable Mr Grey, owner of TFC, was not impressed.

If he was a Harrier display pilot, it must have been in the early days.

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Ayup firbeck,

Thanks for the info, always good to get second opinions, the East Kirkby Spit is as I said registered there but not stationed there now, my mate has seen it there in the past though, It is quite possible that the Panton boy's fell out with the pilot as they are genuinely nice people.

Have you heard of any plans to get Just Jane in the air apart from the regular tail lift runs they have, and if they do get it airborne would it be a good thing?

Rog

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Ayup firbeck,

Thanks for the info, always good to get second opinions, the East Kirkby Spit is as I said registered there but not stationed there now, my mate has seen it there in the past though, It is quite possible that the Panton boy's fell out with the pilot as they are genuinely nice people.

Have you heard of any plans to get Just Jane in the air apart from the regular tail lift runs they have, and if they do get it airborne would it be a good thing?

Rog

I've heard many plans to get Just Jane airborne, it needs more work than people think.

Whats the point, the BBMF Lanc is so unique, it would ruin the aura surrounding this aircraft if another one was flying as well, the Pantons know that. Lets just be happy in the knowledge that if 'The Phantom of the Ruhr' was stuffed, that there is another to take it's place.

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Ayup all,

Just to get this back on the Vulcan thread, Am reading a cracking book at the moment titled Vulcan 607 about the build up to the Falklands war in particular the role the Vulcan and Victors played in it, particularly interesting for me because I only live about ten minutes drive from the star of the book, Vulcan 607, now the gate guard at RAF Waddington

Rog

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Superb book...read it a while ago (eBay for 1p!)...great depth on the whole 'Black Buck' exercise.

The Falklands raid Captain of XM607, Martin Withers, flew the likely final XH558 sortie at Farnborough last week...

Cheers

Robt P.

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Ayup all,

Just to get this back on the Vulcan thread, Am reading a cracking book at the moment titled Vulcan 607 about the build up to the Falklands war in particular the role the Vulcan and Victors played in it, particularly interesting for me because I only live about ten minutes drive from the star of the book, Vulcan 607, now the gate guard at RAF Waddington

Rog

It frightened the life out of me when I read it, incredibly brave men to attempt that sort of a mission in aircraft that were obsolete and about to be retired.

I wish Waddington would put 607 under cover, it's too precious to be left outside, too many preserved Vulcans are being neglected and starting to decay rapidly at the moment.

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I wouldn't worry about 607, it gets all the attention it requires and the guy's at Waddo wouldn't let even the smallest amount of decay attack her, The Vulcan that's at Winthorpe (Newark air museum) has been bought by the Lincolnshire Lancaster Association so no danger of that one coming to any harm either, then there's the Cosford one and the Duxford Vulcan all stored in doors and out of harms way

Rog

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  • 2 weeks later...

Lincs FM (local radio station) reported the Vulcan will be flying back to Bruntingthorpe from Brize Norton, then it's FINAL flight to Duxford where it will be mothballed, believe it or not "They've ran out of money and can no longer afford to fly it"

Rog

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firbeck,

Going back to your thoughts about getting Just Jane airborne, reading the local paper yesterday it was reported that "Discussions are taking place when to get Just Jane ready for flight" WHEN not IF.

I still don't think it's such a good idea but we will have to wait and see, it looks like the Panton brothers are determined to see this in the air

Rog

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I'm not sure about this, if the Vulcan is to be taken to Duxford to be mothballed then:-

How are they supposed to land it, the runway isn't long enough, and even if they took a risk, it would never get off again.

Where are they supposed to put it, there is no hangar space left, when I went on sunday I was amazed to see airworthy P-51 'Miss Helen' stuck out in the old open fire station, covered in bird droppings.

Why would Duxford want another Vulcan, they have one already.

All sounds very odd to me, and smacking of uninformed press talk.

As far as the Lanc is concerned, it needs over a million spending on it to get it airworthy, the main spars are shot for a start, if they are prepared to do it, fine, just make sure that you never feel sorry for poor farmers again, whatever their sincerities.

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Not heard of this Vulcan/Duxford business!

Vulcan to the Sky website currently down...

I recall when W/C Joe le Strange flew the Newark Air Museum Vulcan to Winthorpe from Waddington much preparation was done beforehand with such work as tons of straw bales at the end of the runway, many fire engines posted around, road closures etc...after it had all gone off without a hitch, except for some brake burnout, Joe remarked "Bloody sight easier than parking my car in Lincoln!"

Cheers

Robt P.

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Don't shoot the messenger, I read in the local paper about the Lancaster, it was in a write up about East Kirkby having a Dakota in it's hanger until next spring and just happened to stray on to the progress of Just Jane, the info about the Vulcan came from a mate of mine who has been a member of the Bruntingthorpe outfit from the beginning and it's something he heard going around the vulcan trust members As for Just Jane flying again, I think it will and sooner than you think firbeck,as I said it would be nice to see it fly but I don't necessarily agree, it could be a loss making adventure as in the Vulcan being in private hands, this info comes from an employee of the East Kirkby site

Rog

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I have a responce from On Target re XH-558

Ian

XH558 departed Brize a couple of weeks ago for Farnborough where on landing it went US, problems with brakes. On Wednesday this week, I think, it flew from Farnborough to Bruntingthorpe where it still is and will remain as far as I'm aware.

Duxford already has a Vulcan tucked up in the AirSpace hanger and if XH558 did go to Duxford, then it would be sitting outside rotting away besides the runway could be a tad on the short side for the Vulcan to operate from.

Good rumour though icon_biggrin.gif

Brian

_________________

So it's possibly good news.

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Another possible resting place for 558 could be "Fortune" (i think that's what it's called) in Scotland, in the same hanger as Concorde, because of all the lottery money that was put into 558 one of the rules was when the aircraft was finished with, for whatever reason, it is to be placed in a recognised museum, ie: Duxford, Cosford or I think the Fortune one, your input would be appreciated on this one firbeck

Rog

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It's true what has been said, that XH558 would be sent off to DX when it's time was finished, what they had to say about it was never revealed.

Cosford too already has a Vulcan, they've already broken up the last remaining B1 because it was neglected, why would they want another. As for East Fortune, they already have one, why would they want another.

As for the Concorde hangar there, much critism has been levelled at them for chucking out rare artifacts to display this beast on it's own, their Beaufighter project and other gems have been stashed away out of public view because of this, I can't see them taking it on for one minute.

Perhaps it could go to Stansted and be used by Easy-jet for flights to Argentina.

Sadly, it seems to be becoming a big, camo, unwanted elephant, everyone wants to see it, but the cash needed to keep it flying is ridiculous, did someone get their sums wrong, will the Lottery people want their money back.

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...Sadly, it seems to be becoming a big, camo, unwanted elephant, everyone wants to see it, but the cash needed to keep it flying is ridiculous, did someone get their sums wrong, will the Lottery people want their money back...

Yes, that's it in a nutshell...

Another assumption was that sponsors would also be 'queuing up' at the restoration completion...not so.

Reckon that any major sponsor would have turned up by now. Recall reading that some potential backers were deterred by the ever present threat of some airborne disaster, involving death and destruction.

Cheers

Robt P.

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On a smaller scale, it's the same with B-17 Sally B at DX. The operating costs are astronomical, she's been out all season with severe engine problems, so no money earnt this year. On the top of that the EU changed the insurance ratings a few years ago, ( it's classed the same as a typical 737, morons), Panton Brothers take note, a Lanc would be the same.

Despite all that, Elly Sallingboe has managed to recruit enough sponsors to just about keep it going, last weekend the maintenance hangars at Duxford were more or less silent apart from the army of technicians crawling all over Sally B. She will now be the last in Europe, the French owners have given up on their B-17, Pink Lady, escalating costs and lack of maintenance personel will see this lovely airworthy genuine war veteran retired to a museum next year, possibly for good.

In comparison to a B-17 the Vulcan is on another planet, perhaps if we were living in a booming economy instead of looking forward to corned beef at Christmas, things might have been different, who knows, perhaps the BBC would like to donate Jonathon Ross's unpaid salary to the fund, after all, the Vulcan has given them a few news stories for nothing.

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