Avro Vulcan prototype


Recommended Posts

Ayup Beefsteak,

Not wanting to rub it in but I work for a big international quarrying company who happens to be the owners of the biggest angling waters in the UK, one of our waters is the old gravel quarry at Conningsby which backs on to the airfield viewing area so you could kill two birds with one stone as it were, by the way there is a squadron of Tornado's and Harriers based there at the moment

Cheers

Rog

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Replies 384
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Posts

"..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

Posted Images

Hrumph Hrumph

I'm going to get out of this without egg on my chin if it kills me

I know , I only like river fishing, there done it!!

Link to post
Share on other sites

There There Ian. Have a gleg at this...

Incidentally the commentators voice on that is a classic and well remembered by myself.

Anyone know who he was?

Link to post
Share on other sites
Have you seen this footage Rob? I had heard a rumour that it had been done but never seen or heard the proofhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17GfXQ2wCFU

Yes Ian, the footage was on a Vulcan VHS tape that I used to own...recently sold on eBay for £25; precious items now because of the renewed national Vulcan interest!

The famous first roll was performed at Woodford by Roley Falk, AVRO's first Vulcan test pilot...and blew out part of the shed roof. Something of a character, he made all the pioneering flights alone wearing civvies and a trilby hat. He also did the roll again on its first appearance at Farnborough...then it was 'banned' thereafter!

Also rumoured that another famous Vulcan character, Wing Commander Joe Le Strange - all of 5'3" in his socks, once rolled a later MarkII - the same as XH 558 - bigger and heavier than Falk's MarkI.

I once had the chance to ask current Vulcan display pilot Dave Thomas if he knew of Joe's roll?

"I asked him one time" said Dave, "but Joe said he couldn't remember"...with a wink!

See my post of 05/06/07 in this thread for another Joe Le Strange tale, with an illustration of him and his crew.

Cheers

Robt P.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Last I heard, some years ago, was that the owner owed £thousands in storage charges to EMA and that the plane was rotting away. Den might tell us if it is still there, as he often walks that way with his dog...

Edit: George Oogle tells me that there is a Vulcan at EMA Aeropark. This is a later camouflaged MarkII, but I reckon the one to which you refer was an earlier white coloured MarkI?

http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/mus/uk/c-e/eastmidsaeropark.htm

Cheers

Robt P.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Ayup Beefsteak,

What about the rivers Witham,Brant and Welland, I go over the famous Kirkstead bridge every day to work.

Any way next time your in the Notts area pay a visit to the Newark air museum on the old Winthorpe airfield, they have a Vulcan you can go in for a small fee (last time I was there it was 50p) and I think they still fire the auxillary engines up on a Sunday afternoon.

PS. am currently working on the old Woodhall Spa airfield where the tallboys left under the Lancasters to bomb the Tirpitz I think, still got the runway arrestor gear on the site and we have quarried around it, if you want a pic of the gear I can email to you

Rog

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yes please Rog

I went in a Vulcan at RAF Waddington in about 1976 when in the ATC. we got to taxi but not take off

All the rivers in your area don't flow fast enough for me . Thats it no more talk (You win)

Link to post
Share on other sites
...PS. am currently working on the old Woodhall Spa airfield where the tallboys left under the Lancasters to bomb the Tirpitz I think, still got the runway arrestor gear on the site...

Is the huge Barnes-Wallis bouncing bomb shell still in the Woodhall Hotel car park?

Cheers

Robt P.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Rob,

Don't know about that but will have a look this week, Is it the Woodhall hotel or the Petwood, the Petwood has a lot of memorabilia to do with the 617 squadron, there is also a small pub called the Blue bell near to Thorpe camp I will visit soon and they have a lot of pics and things to do with RAF Woodhall so I've been told, there is a tallboy and Upkeep bombs outside the BBMF museum in Conningsby

Rog

Link to post
Share on other sites

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicest...ire/7349879.stm

Vulcan bomber to return to skies

"...A restored Vulcan bomber is expected to take to the skies on a test flight from RAF Cottesmore in Rutland despite an earlier false fire alert.

The Cold War bomber is due to fly the 30 miles (48km) to Bruntingthorpe airfield in Leicestershire at 1330 BST.

The aircraft had to make an emergency landing during a test on Monday following the false alarm.

Project Manager Andrew Edmondson said the fault on the aircraft was just one of a few teething problems.

He said: "There's people out there who've restored motor cars and everybody knows that once you've restored it, for the first six months, you get a few teething problems. "We're getting the same thing and they're just bulbs that are blowing, a micro switch not quite working, so it's not very significant."

The test flight is in preparation for an application to the Civil Aviation Authority for a permit to fly during air shows this summer.

Organisers hope the bomber will fly in about 18 air shows over the summer - which will cost about £1m - but say a major sponsor still needs to be found to ensure it has enough money to continue flying...*

Cheers

Robt P.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Somebody has their dates a bit muddled in that report Rob. (Last flew opperationally 15 years ago?)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Reckon they mean the final RAF flight from Waddington to Bruntingthorpe storage, in '93.

BBC report: Always best to have a few pinches of salt on standby!

Seems you have 18 airshows to get to, Ian...if you believe what the Beeb tells you...

Cheers

Robt P.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I wish . It will just be RIAT for me unless a miracle occurs and I can get to Waddington (Always a good 'un that)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Ayup Denshaw,

you are quite right the pub backs onto the quarry I'm working at, some of the guy's there told me about the pics etc in the pub, about 200mtrs along the road is Thorpe camp I mentioned so trying to find opening times for that

Cheers

Rog

Link to post
Share on other sites

Ayup all,

Heard today on Lincs FM the Vulcan is coming to Conningsby next week for Gyro trials, looking forward to going to work now

Rog

Link to post
Share on other sites

Any jobs going for an unemployed bloke what can turn his hand to owt he puts his mind to??

Link to post
Share on other sites

Ayup Beefsteak,

I've heard now the Vulcan might land at Conningsby next week for Gyro trials not last Monday as I thought although we was treated to the Lancaster and Dakota flying around all day, I will keep you posted on the Vulcans progress and try to get some pics to you if it does come in

Rog

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...