discussion Aviation News-Vulcan in Crisis

[wonwinglo]

http://www.air-scene-uk.com/hangar/2006/xh558/xh558.htm

Read about the attempts to get a Vulcan airworthy,and the current crisis affecting this aircraft.

 

[Guest]

Incredibly sad our apparent indifference to our history and heritage. This seems to be evident in many areas of our life be it maritime or aviation history.

I hope that they can attract some business interest and complete the project and maintain at least one of these iconic aircraft airworthy. I still remember them being taken out of service only a matter of a couple of weeks before the Falklands conflict and then very hastilly returned to service when they were needed. These then apparently redundant aircraft flew halfway around the world and bombed the airfield on the islands, playing a major strategic role in the campaign.

I still can't believe we cannot keep one Concorde in the air either but that is another gripe!!!

 

[Guest]

What a damned shame. Everybody should fill in the support form even if you are not an aviation type. This is/was a world beating aircraft, the very best of British engineering. Anyone who has seen one roaring up a Welsh valley then going up at 60 degree angle showing the top camoflage pattern will tell you that it would be a certain show-stopper. Tell the folk at Oshkosh that it`ll try and make it over for the EAA Convention and watch the dollars roll in.

 

[Guest]

my borther in law ( who is an avionics engineer) went to an airfield ( not sure which one around warwick area..... wonwinglo will know which one !) in june to see an engine test/ taxi run of a vulcan, i saw the video , it was impressive, shame to think this unique part of britains aviation heritage may be forced to remain static.... especially after the work that has already been done.....

sad....... really sad..........

 

[wonwinglo]

***That would be the one at Wellesbourne Guy,every year they run her down the runway just lifting the nosewheel clear of the ground,the problem with getting a Vulcan to fly again is that they just eat up money ( all of the time ) this is why the R.A.F discounted the idea of keeping her flying,things like the Battle of Britain memorial flight would have suffered,if a professional organisation like themselves who know the true ongoing operating costs do not want to keep one flying this then this speaks for itself,you see the NLF ( National Lottery Fund ) do not consider preserved aircraft as representing good value for money,it would require such an undertaking to pull this one through,any sponsor knows that it would have to constantly throw a large sum of money towards this one,even Richard Branson was not prepared to take that risk ?

To get a Vulcan flying was and still is a massive undertaking hindered by lack of funds to see it throgh to the end.

my borther in law ( who is an avionics engineer) went to an airfield ( not sure which one around warwick area..... wonwinglo will know which one !) in june to see an engine test/ taxi run of a vulcan, i saw the video , it was impressive, shame to think this unique part of britains aviation heritage may be forced to remain static.... especially after the work that has already been done.....sad....... really sad..........

 

[Guest]

i thought so, the run this year was the same weekend as the fly past for the queen in london when the AWACS went over....

i remember that much.......

i know these things consume large amounts of cash, and its a shame the lottery fund dont consider aviation history to be important, - howere we are happy to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on a large lump of rock ( rough un carved ) as a 'art statement' outside a civic building- but we wont spend on keeping a masterpeice of engineering and aviation in the skies.....

i think we are losing the plot.... the lunatics are taking over the assylum !

 

[Guest]

Now if it was the natural habitat of the Lesser Spotted Dung Womble we were talking about and the existance of the local town and the jobs of everyone in it depended on the building of a by-pass we would have dozens of people living in trees risking life and limb to prevent the building of it.

All because the noise of the traffic would upset the said animals, preventing them from mating (has the sound of a car driving past ever stopped you?!!) and the 0.5% of the population who knew what one looked like, would never see a Lesser Spotted Dung Womble again.

But you mention preserving a piece of aviation or maritime history and you just don't seem to get any enthusiasm. It took years of campaigning to get the money required to stop the Cutty Sark from rotting away. How could we even consider not maintaining one of the most important icons of our maritime heritage?

A bit exagerated I know but I agree Guy we are loosing the plot in so many ways. If there is no profit in it we don't get the response. All credit to Richard Branson though, he has already stopped the Flying Scotsman from leaving the country, isn't it time that some of our other business entrepeneurs stepped up to the plate?

I would have a lot more respect for our business community if they put some of thier money back into the country in this way rather than supposedly giving "apprentices" (who to me should have a pencil behind thier ear, a boiler suit on and a slide rule in thier pocket!!) stupidly large salaries after they have humiliated all the other wide eyed green hopefulls, now in floods of tears, who have been told on our TV screens that they aren't going to get the stupidly large salary that Mr Sugar is dangling on the end of his stick.

Well that's my rant for the day!

 

[Guest]

Now if it was the natural habitat of the Lesser Spotted Dung Womble we were talking about and the existance of the local town and the jobs of everyone in it depended on the building of a by-pass we would have dozens of people living in trees risking life and limb to prevent the building of it.

All because the noise of the traffic would upset the said animals, preventing them from mating (has the sound of a car driving past ever stopped you?!!) and the 0.5% of the population who knew what one looked like, would never see a Lesser Spotted Dung Womble again.

But you mention preserving a piece of aviation or maritime history and you just don't seem to get any enthusiasm. It took years of campaigning to get the money required to stop the Cutty Sark from rotting away. How could we even consider not maintaining one of the most important icons of our maritime heritage?

A bit exagerated I know but I agree Guy we are loosing the plot in so many ways. If there is no profit in it we don't get the response. All credit to Richard Branson though, he has already stopped the Flying Scotsman from leaving the country, isn't it time that some of our other business entrepeneurs stepped up to the plate?

I would have a lot more respect for our business community if they put some of thier money back into the country in this way rather than supposedly giving "apprentices" (who to me should have a pencil behind thier ear, a boiler suit on and a slide rule in thier pocket!!) stupidly large salaries after they have humiliated all the other wide eyed green hopefulls, now in floods of tears, who have been told on our TV screens that they aren't going to get the stupidly large salary that Mr Sugar is dangling on the end of his stick.

Well that's my rant for the day!

 

[Guest]

Richard i agree if its not pink and fluffy or a so called minority group ie Somalians against deportation then im afraid the powers that be will not put up one brass farthing especially if that need is for preserving anything remotely military or having anything to do with what made britain great! I suppose we could start a group and apply for funding I propose we call it " The apology and appeasement society"

 

[Guest]

Cutty Sark brings up thoughts another wind-jammer gone forever. City of Adelade has rotted away in Irvine to the point where the only tools used are chain-saws. A famous ship with a great history reduced to firewood. Shame on their heads whoever it was. The Mary Rose got millions thrown at her and I`m afraid I`m not impressed by what I see at Portsmouth. The artifacts WERE worth retreiving and put on show, but the section of ship timbers no.

 

[wonwinglo]

What really annoys me is the way that they slap a preservation order onto something,then given the passage of time it rots into the ground,result ? the building or artifact is then condemmed as unsafe and has to be destroyed,it has happened in aviation with the rare Avro Vulcan B.Mk.1 at Cosford,relegated to the scrapmans axe because it was in decay,well who is to blame for that ? so much has already been lost that can and never will be replaced because we dragged our feet.

 

[Guest]

I filled in the support thing at the bottom of the page on this one.

But here's my thoughts,

The Vulcan is without doubt a classic aircraft. But it lacks any kind of adventurous history. Usually this is what attracts sponsors.

Its a jet..but not the first.

Its a bomber...not the first

It had Swept wing/flying wing config not the first (Gotha go 299 Germany)

I do not understand why it would have to be kept in flying condition, this is what will cost the millions of quid. HMS Victory is one of our greatest treasures, but it does not set sail.

I would imagine that there are many museums hat would love to have this aircraft and it would be a great attraction. they could put it on display and charge a fee for taking a look around inside..then put this fee into a high interest account ...eventually building up to the required amount to get her flying without having to go begging. Or maybe for those that really do want to save her, agree to putting a certain amount each month from thier salary into a save the vulcan (no not spock) fund.

 

[Guest]

HMS Victory is a total rebuild. Only about 10% is original. HMS Warrior is afloat, USS Constitution is kept afloat both of course later periods. The Tall Ship races attract millions (spectators and money) with iconic sailing vessels. The aviation world should think about preserving the forerunner of Concorde. Look what happened to flying-boats , forerunners of trans-ocean long haul flight.

 

[Guest]

Wouldnt it be nice if we as a group could sponser a plane ship sub car whatever just to keep one thing for posterity

 

[Guest]

Vulcan appeal getting good coverage on BBC 1 news today (wednesday 23rd Aug `06)

 

[wonwinglo]

Large donation received for the Vulcan fund.

http://www.vulcan558club.com/

At the last minute a sum of £500,000 has been pledged/donated to the Avro Vulcan flying fund,you can read all about the present situation at the link to the Vulcan558Club here.

 

[Guest]

I remember seeing the Vulcan in the air at a Northweald Airshow many moons ago. It blasted some of the runway apart on takeoff!

I'll never forget the mazing sound it made in flight, and seeing the incredible sillouette of it in flight with such a distinctive shape. I also seem to remember it doing some pretty amazing manouvers as it circled around the airfield, for such a massive airplane it was an amazing sight.

It's pretty sad, last week was the 90th anniversary of Northweald and the Raf were supposed to bring a couple of Tornado's - One of which was previously struck by lightning and the other was grounded with technical difficulties.

The residents of Northweald also seem to want the Airfield built on and turned into a few thousand cheaply built homes for the influx of economic refugees coming over from Eastern Europe.

...apparently the distinctive roar of a few Merlin engines every year or so must be unpleasant to those who live nearby...much rather have a B&Q Warehouse and a Tesco superstore...

It's a sad world!

 

[wonwinglo]

A sad world indeed Alan,if these people only realised that they would not have their precious houses today in the free world, if it had not been for the R.A.F and some very brave people,it seems that we have lost touch with all reality these days.

Remenbering our historical roots and how we came to be here today seems to take second fiddle.

 

[Guest]

Sorry TC Planes are meant to fly and only when thats impossible should they be put in a museum