The Vulcan XH558 & General Aviation Thread

[klingon]

"Vulcan on a stick" probably-XH558 without a fairly large corporate sponsor or Government backing will lose its flight capability PDQ and revert to a "Taxi only" status-sad but true-

[rob565uk]

I would be pretty peeved if I had stumped up my hard-earned cash thinking that I had helped to "Save the Vulcan", only to find out a few months later all I had done was to "Save the Vulcan for another year".

Sums the situation up rather well, does that.

Basically they hoped for a huge title sponsor or two right at the beginning- get the thing in the air, and the money will come- but it didn't happen, and hasn't happened since. They blamed the econo?my, but to be honest, I just don't think any big players were interested. So year on year they hold the axe over it, and (so far) year on year the enthusiasts hand over their hard-earned and save it. Wonder how it'll turn out this time?

I am starting have visions of a possible Big Bomber Project a few years down the line - do you think it will fit in the Workshop .... ?

[Renegadenemo]

Funnily enough we're about to go crawl all over a Vulcan in search of a small valve you could put in your pocket. That might take a bit of finding!

[klingon]

I am starting have visions of a possible Big Bomber Project a few years down the line - do you think it will fit in the Workshop .... ?

Plenty of Vulcans still left-However Wellington,Lancaster,Stirling or Halifax-wouldn't one of them be interesting!-or even Fw Kondor-all "rare breeds" and with the exeption of the 2 flying Lancs virtually extinct.

[Renegadenemo]

We'll do a Stirling after the Barracuda, eh?

On the subject of the Barracuda, we're waiting for the drawings and such plus an elevator they found in a tree so we can do a test piece but it's difficult to adjust to museology time... They said it would be with us quickly. Maybe we'll get it for Christmas.

[mtskull]

...two complete Halifaxes as well as a full scale replica...

I assume you are referring to the exhibit at YAM, Elvington. "Replica?" -that's a bit harsh, Mike; It is in a different league from all those glassfibre Spitfire and Hurricane replicas, after all. There's an awful lot of genuine Halifax in there, as well as major components that, although never originally part of a Halifax, are to all intents and purposes identical, even down to the "57" prefix in the part numbers. "Re-creation" perhaps?

Although it is probably still something of a sore point, imagine just how much more authentic it could have been, given just a little vision and understanding from the IWM....

I agree with you though, wouldn't it be great it if someone found an intact Stirling in a Fjord somewhere?

[Pullman99]

Seems they've gotten away with it again for now-

Presubaly so; although they're not on finals yet. From general comments it would seem that they may have a bit of organisational restructuring to do in the coming months.

[Pullman99]

Looks like they're cleared for take off again!

Latest news on XH558

http://www.vulcantothesky.org/

[orgster1]

What exactly does this Flemming chap do to warrant £72K a year? I know he's the chief exec and all that but does he actually get his hands dirty or is he another push a lot of paper work around type 2, or is it he just sits there in an attempt to look good in his Armani suit? Perhaps if these chief exec people had a reality check in that they really are not worth what they "THINK" they are then lots of money could be saved for (in this case) things like fuel or wages for the real people behind the project like pilots and ground crew. (Who more than likely do it from affection rather than gain)? It gets right up my nose that projects like this have to raise so much money and then firstly fuel someone’s ego. (This goes all the way from projects like this all the way up to the head of the BBC and Banks and we won't even go near the NHS) If the BBP was anything like it I wouldn't even press the link to the website seriously. Rant over

[sutol]

What exactly does this Flemming chap do to warrant £72K a year? I know he's the chief exec and all that but does he actually get his hands dirty or is he another push a lot of paper work around type 2, or is it he just sits there in an attempt to look good in his Armani suit? Perhaps if these chief exec people had a reality check in that they really are not worth what they "THINK" they are then lots of money could be saved for (in this case) things like fuel or wages for the real people behind the project like pilots and ground crew. (Who more than likely do it from affection rather than gain)? It gets right up my nose that projects like this have to raise so much money and then firstly fuel someone’s ego. (This goes all the way from projects like this all the way up to the head of the BBC and Banks and we won't even go near the NHS) If the BBP was anything like it I wouldn't even press the link to the website seriously. Rant over

I have no idea what Flemming does day to day for his salary but Vulcan have a wage bill around £650k,that's employees. It also pays big hanger fees and consultant fees. Expensive this Vulcan. Having seen her she is magniicent in the air but it is a lot of money on one project