Another British Icon

[Peej]

While driving home from work earlier I saw the famous Vulcan flying around RAF Coningsby. Unfortunatly because I was driving I was unable to get any pictures to share with you guys. Sorry.

What a time we have had around here recently with both Lancs up & about and now the Vulcan. Makes you proud to be British!

[Alan 45]

I've seen the Vulcan , she's a beautiful bird to see fly and this might be the last year she flys , they are in negotiations with rolls Royce to extend the lease on the engines ,

It will be sad if they refuse and it will be well out of order if they do

[Ian M]

As much as I love the Vulcan and have seen it a few times in the past there will come a time when it will be safer on the ground than in the air. I recall reading that the airframe is well past its sell by date and that she is on borrowed time. A part of the reason the engines are leased and not bought?

As much as I love seeing it fly, I would hate to see it fall from the sky into a packed air show.

Ian M

[Alan 45]

I think this might be my next build

[Peej]

As much as I love the Vulcan and have seen it a few times in the past there will come a time when it will be safer on the ground than in the air. I recall reading that the airframe is well past its sell by date and that she is on borrowed time. A part of the reason the engines are leased and not bought?As much as I love seeing it fly, I would hate to see it fall from the sky into a packed air show.

Ian M

I didn't know this. It will be sad to see such a wonderful plane grounded but safety first and at least she will still be in 1 piece for people to admire for years to come.

[rickoshea52]

It was my understanding that she had the airframe hours to go on but the engines are near lifex.

[Alan 45]

It was my understanding that she had the airframe hours to go on but the engines are near lifex.

What's happened is the engines have a life expendancy of 30 years and the engines in the Vulcan were brand new when they were leased but had sat around for fifteen years so they are 30 years old but still have 15 years life in them

[flyjoe180]

Reading Vulcan 607, it sounded as though the entire V fleet was pretty knackered by 1982, so it is a miracle that one is even still flying. Low flying later in their careers caused stresses that the bombers were not designed for. The Vulcan was the strongest of the lot which is why they were converted back to conventional bombers for the Falklands conflict. The 'quick fixes' to get the Vulcans ready for Black Buck (refuelling probes, ECM, sourcing bombs etc) were both ingenious on the part of the ground crews and a shocking failure of the RAF and MOD which seemed to have lacked foresight (nothing new there, just look at the Eurofighter Typhoon's gun which was to be fitted to the first airframes as ballast only and not continued on later deliveries but thankfully was actually fitted live in the mid-2000's). The Victors weren't so lucky. Did you work on any of these V bombers Rick? They would have been real dinosaurs but very awesome aeroplanes all the same.

[rickoshea52]

I'm not that old Joe! But the V bombers were long in service with the Victors be the last to retire just after I completed my trade training and received my first posting to RAF Kinloss. One of my coursemates was posted to 55 sqn but he failed his final exams and didn't get to go in the end.

With many major aircraft parts like engines and landing gear they are given a "life" that is measured in both flying hours and calendar based. So an engine that has consumed a small amount of flight hours could be sent for overhaul after a set calendar period. Likewise, a high hours engine could go for overhaul before its calendar life expired. In the case of landing gears flight cycles are also used as a measure of usage.

The lack of foresight within the MOD for spares procurement is shameful; like the case of not buying enough spare tyres for the Typhoon fleet or enough rolls of Kimwipe.

[BBdave]

My dad was on the Vulcans at waddington, i remember being in the car (a Simca if i remember correctly) whilst he was driving round the airfield and being followed by taxiing Vulcans. he hates the things and can't understand why one should be flying.

Dave