The Vulcan XH558 & General Aviation Thread

[minty4371]

Just passed £821,000. Onwards and Upwards.

[minty4371]

Just passed £930,000. Onwards and Upwards.

[minty4371]

VULCAN XH558 IS SAVED More information to be found on the Vulcan Website.

[Pullman99]

I know that this has already been noted on The Aviation Forum and Autosport Nostalgia Forum, but XH558 is again seeking funds to ensure that she can continue to fly in 2011 and - more importantly - 2012 (60th anniversary of type's first flight) to mark The Queen's Diamond Jubilee and an intended flypast at the opening of some minor sporting event that apparently Britain is hosting.

They need to raise at least £400,000 by the end of October. This is a carefully co-ordinated campaign and I am sure that K7s supporters will continue to take an interest in the outcome of this activity. More details, including press information, on the Vulcan website.

[Mike Bull]

Much as I think it's a superb and beautiful aircraft type, and much as I've enjoyed seeing it over the years and have chipped in a few quid of my own here and there towards it, the entire Vulcan situation is just maddening. They've never attracted the major sponsors that they thought they would, and they've never seemed to have any plan year on year other than the annual September/October 'We need this much by this date, or we're implying that we'll scrap it/sell it to the Yanks' campaign. Every year it's the same, and fair enough, every year so far the supporters have come through and the aircraft gets saved for another year, usually a little late into a new airshow season, missing a few important early shows. But while they beg for money for '558 to be overhauled and operated, how much have they paid out to PR companies, management and the like?

They keep banging on about 'the Vulcan effect', and yes, attendance figures at virtually every show the Vulcan has been booked to appear at have been much higher than in previous years, but you know what? Joe Public is a fickle thing- yes they're turning out to see the Vulcan, but they've already paid a considerable amount to get into that airshow- there's often no change out of a hundred quid for a family to get into a larger show these days. The majority of these people don't then pay AGAIN towards the aircraft, and it's been the same hard core of Vulcan enthusiasts that have saved the machine year on year, not the wider public. If the Vulcan suddenly didn't appear anymore, Joe Public would shrug and move on.

I don't know what the answer is, but the aircraft has a very finite life left to it anyway, so I guess that'll decide it once and for all.

[Pullman99]

Absolutely agree with your comments Mike although I think it is very much the VTS Trust's campaign style that they like to adopt an alarmist position in order to highlight their plight. I have been a supporter since seeing their stand at Farnboorugh in 2000 so have been awaiting their "annual" crisis appeal anytime now. For 2010, I understand that the programme of work was somewhat larger and more protracted than in the previous year and that ceratinly delayed XH558's appearance at early season airshows.

There is certainly a common thread running through all transport preservation projects and that is that the same group of enthusiasts / supporters are continually approached for further funds. The very sad - and currently ongoing - demise of the PS Lincoln Castle illustrates all tolo clearly, however, that major capital projects need such HUGE sums of money AND support from the public as well as the aiuthorities that ultimate success can be very elusive. Quite often also, the capital to fund a purchase or restoration can be found quite quickly. It is the revenue costs - perhaps unexpected additional costs in this case - that can spell doom for some. Whether or not those same sources will come up with the goods this time remains to be seen but at an average of £12,000 PER DAY from today it will be a close run think methinks. As you will be aware, there has been consdierable criticism of Dr Pleming's methods in recent months but I for one sincerely hope that XH558 can remain floightworthy. It's too important - like K7 - for any other outcome to be acceptable given the unique circumstances that have allowed this aircraft to have reached the stage it has. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

As an aside, today is the anniversary of John Cobb's accident at Loch Ness with Crusader in 1952.

[klingon]

To be honest-I see XH558 ending up in Kermit Weeks ownership pretty soon-no bad thing for the aircraft by any means as Mr Weeks has the finances,backup and knowledge to keep her in the air-mebbe best for the machine to go that way than to be constantly in danger of turning into "Vulcan on a stick" due to nationalistic feelings about retaining an unaffordable piece of technology.-Without long term government or Hopeless Losers Funding assistance I'm afraid that either the aircraft will lose its flight status and turn into a "stuffed" exhibit somewhere,or some dreamer with no idea of what he's taking on will buy it' let it rot at an airport for 10 years or so-(A-La Blackpool) and then take a bulldozer to it!-Mebbe the RAF could add it to it's collection?

[Mike Bull]

With any luck, '558 will return to a ground running status and spend her days as a living machine at least, doing fast taxi runs as she used to do before restoration to flight. She could remain based at Bruntingthorpe and still be a crowd puller in this capacity. There's been talk of her going to Duxford when her flying days are over, but why? They already have a Vulcan- under cover as well- as do both RAF Museum sites. Indeed, Cosford has all three V-bombers under one roof with associated Cold War fighters too, taking considerable wind out of the sails of any 'Cold War educational' pitch they can make for '558.

[Excelsior2007]

To see such a historical aircraft lost would be a travesty.

[Mike Bull]

While I absolutely would not want to see it sold to the scrap man, or go to America- just because- sadly XH558 in itself is not a particularly 'historical' aircraft. It's famous for being the last and sole airworthy Vulcan, and nothing else really. XM607 at Waddington is far more 'historical', being the first Vulcan to actually drop bombs in anger; if any of the type should be gotten indoors and preserved, it's that one. Sadly, like most Vulcan survivors it lives outdoors, and dead Vulcan's don't like the elements...