558 roll out day

[320psi]

Hi all, I had a great day up there today, Ive been lucky enough to be around Bruntingthorpe for nearly 20 years and have witnessed all the big events over the years and must say today was one of the best, (apart from 728 and 904's deliveries http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/images/smilies/biggrin.gif ) great sight to see her, loads of happy people, slaps on the backs for the Vulcan team, and a big thanks to Jack Haywood and of course all who have donated over the years.

Oh and many thanks to the Walton family for hosting the day

Here's a few shots from the the day


http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/IMG_0673.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/IMG_0675.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/IMG_0677.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/IMG_0679.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/IMG_0685.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/IMG_0686.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/IMG_0687.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/IMG_0689.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/IMG_0696.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/IMG_0698.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/IMG_0703.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/IMG_0708.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/IMG_0714.jpg

Well done to the 558 team,

Andy B (LPG)
PS we had an hour on the Q shed pulling all the weeds from the hardcore, thats aircraft preservation at its sharpest end http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/images/smilies/smile.gif

[aluminium persuader]

Isn't she looking well! Congrats to all the team & especially for pulling in the last of the money needed to get her back in the air. FANTASTIC STUFF! Well done!

ap:ok:

[PPRuNe Radar]

Some scallies have nicked the rudder though :(

Be great to see her back in the air :ok:

[REF]

She is looking great isn't she? I'm delighted that it all came together in the end and I think that a huge debt of gratitude is owed to whoever donated not just the £500K but to everyone who donated regardless of the amount.

Be great to see her back where she belongs.

Roll on the 2007 display season.

[320psi]

She is looking great isn't she? I'm delighted that it all came together in the end and I think that a huge debt of gratitude is owed to whoever donated not just the £500K but to everyone who donated regardless of the amount.

Be great to see her back where she belongs.

Roll on the 2007 display season.

The £500K was donated by Sir Jack Haywood late on Wednesday 30th,

It was a great day

[ZH875]

The £500K was donated by Sir Jack Haywood late on Wednesday 30th,:ok: :ok: :ok: :ok: :ok: :D :D :D :D :D :)

So maybe the first sqn to have markings applied (well they do rotate the Lancaster Squadron markings) may look similar to this: Well its close enough


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/ZH875/Wolves.jpg

[Zoom]

Wow!! Suddenly it all looks possible, thanks to Bermuda Jack.

[hardy jack]

Great to see it out and last time on the display circuit (92?), it was a bigger draw than the Reds and far less of a prima donna!

Celebrate it for what it is though - a great piece of design in its own right. All the press blah about Black Buck and the Falklands talks up a fairly exciting but relatively irrelevant aspect of the campaign. No doubt 'leading the flypast' and the attendant pointy jet mafia (PJM) trumpeting will detract from the real heroes in the rotary forces of the Cdo Hel Force in particular (and we must mention the solitary CH47!) and the no doubt unsung Nimrod, C130 and AAR crews.

And ... if Bermuda Jack had really wanted to spend his money to celebrate the Falklands, the true iconic aircraft that should lead any flypast is, of course, the Sea Harrier. One of the few times that the claim that an a/c won a war is probably true. Is there a campaign to keep one airworthy for another year ... or would the PJM see this as more 'dark blue encroachment' on their 'core business'?

[The Helpful Stacker]

I believe the RAF's very own Harrier GR3's also played a large part in the retaking of the Falkland Islands.

Of course the problem with your argument for the Sea Harrier being kept flying has a few holes in it, the main one being that the current Sea Harrier isn't the same one that flew in '82. Yes the basic airframe may be the same but its a very different beast.

I suppose the only 'crab' comparison I could draw would have been to paint a Shackleton in WW2 colours and have it stand in for the Lancaster in the BBMF.

As for,

All the press blah about Black Buck and the Falklands talks up a fairly exciting but relatively irrelevant aspect of the campaign.

do you believe your beloved Sea Harrier would have had such a relatively 'easy' time if the Argentinian Air Force hadn't decided to withdraw most of their better air defence aircraft to northern airbases to protect the mainland after the Black Buck mission proved the RAF's reach?

I'd bait up if I were you, this has been a bite.

[hardy jack]

I believe the RAF's very own Harrier GR3's also played a large part in the retaking of the Falkland Islands.
Of course the problem with your argument for the Sea Harrier being kept flying has a few holes in it, the main one being that the current Sea Harrier isn't the same one that flew in '82. Yes the basic airframe may be the same but its a very different beast.
I suppose the only 'crab' comparison I could draw would have been to paint a Shackleton in WW2 colours and have it stand in for the Lancaster in the BBMF.
As for,
do you believe your beloved Sea Harrier would have had such a relatively 'easy' time if the Argentinian Air Force hadn't decided to withdraw most of their better air defence aircraft to northern airbases to protect the mainland after the Black Buck mission proved the RAF's reach?
I'd bait up if I were you, this has been a bite.

Couldn't resist a little indoor fishing trip as the streams are a little low at the moment!! Also the unspoken assumption (dangerous beast) was that GR7 would stand-in for the GR3 (as it will for the SH, no doubt) - teach me to try harder to be wholly inclusive!
As to bait, I think there is enough about for now in yr 'easy time' comment - that is if the retired SH community read this sort of thread is when not writing to the papers. WEBF input sweepstake time?

[Flatus Veteranus]

Celebrate it for what it is though - a great piece of design in its own right. All the press blah about Black Buck and the Falklands talks up a fairly exciting but relatively irrelevant aspect of the campaign. No doubt 'leading the flypast' and the attendant pointy jet mafia (PJM) trumpeting will detract from the real heroes in the rotary forces of the Cdo Hel Force in particular (and we must mention the solitary CH47!) and the no doubt unsung Nimrod, C130 and AAR crews.



Miserable old party-pooper! :mad:

[Lyneham Lad]

My first posting after training was Scampton and Blue Steel Vulcans in what was pretty much the height of the 'Cold' War. Therefore my sentiments regarding the Vulcan are somewhat coloured by this. As such, (and I make no apologies for this), we should be celebrating the reprieve of XH558 for what it represents to the whole of the Vulcan's history and the V Force deterrent, not just it's role in Black Buck.

[hardy jack]

I agree and that was the more serious point under the bait. Certain aircraft are iconic of a place/era.

Pup or Camel for WWI (perhaps)
Spitfire for BoB (even though, arguably the Hurricane was numerically more important)
Lancaster for Bomber Command (side thought - what part of the BoB does it celebrate in the BBMF or are the alternative titles non PC ... ?!!)
Sea Fury for Korea (or the UK bit of it anyway)
Harrier (both, but realistically for Joe Public the Sea Harrier) for the Falklands - still the only AD campaign fought since WWII.

In this light, the Vulcan is most definitley an icon of the CW, the V-force era and (as an ex-V force P said to me in Moscow!) the 'thank god we never had to try it for real' factor.

[Navaleye]

do you believe your beloved Sea Harrier would have had such a relatively 'easy' time if the Argentinian Air Force hadn't decided to withdraw most of their better air defence aircraft to northern airbases to protect the mainland after the Black Buck mission proved the RAF's reach?


Argentina had 11 Mirage IIIs in service at the start of the campaign. The only time they tried to mix it with the Shar force, they lost two of their number. I suspect the trend would have continued that way had it gone on.

[pr00ne]

558 roll out.

What was the point of "rolling out" an aeroplane that is manifestly still in bits on a non airworthy undercarriage?
What was it supposed to signify? Was it just a pre-anounced date that they are not ready for so they rolled it out anyway?

[Always_broken_in_wilts]

Prune,
I think it was just another shining example of "Nooo Labur" and Military finance working hand in hand:ugh: :ugh:

all spelling mistakes are "df" alcohol induced

[ZH875]

Rolled out in bits... After Sir Jack's magnificent donation:D :D , why not.

We all need a bit of fresh air now and then.

She may not yet be airworthy, but at least she ain't on jacks.

If this is all people can whinge about, it is time to give up.

[BEagle]

pr00ne, the aircraft is some way off flying and many flight required items are still at the OEMs or their agents being renovated. The control surfaces are being reskinned and the flight-standard undercarriage is also still being restored to meet airworthiness standards.

Much of the remaining redundant wiring has still to be removed before the 200v system can be tested. Later, 4 Olympus engines will be mated to their accessories and the 4 ECUs fitted prior to ground runs.

A lot of hard work by a very dedicated team with a sword of Damocles hanging over them went into putting the aircraft into a state which meant that it could be rolled out for the public to see for the first time. 558 will now have many components removed again so that the restoration can continue; expect to see the control surfaces refitted in a month or so, for example.

Incidentally, it was the efforts of a politician which helped secure Sir Jack's magnificent donation. Of course, not some loony lefty fellow-traveller of yours, pr00ne, or a nooLabour liar, but the Conservative shadow minister for defence, Gerald Howarth.

[bwfg3]

:D Well done Sir Jack,
A true gent who saved my beloved wolves from extinction in the 80's and now has hopefully saved this project. I'm glad that the 600K we got from Celtic for Naylor was put to good use! :E

[spekesoftly]

Incidentally, it was the efforts of a politician which helped secure Sir Jack's magnificent donation.
Perhaps a vote of thanks is also due to DT's wife, who made the initial contact?

Irrespective of political persuasions, all that really matters is that the donation arrived in the nick of time. :ok:

[Navaleye]

Pr00ne, I've rarely heard of a major a/c that is rolled out and takes to the air on the same day. A lot of folks have put a lot of time and money inro this and deserve to see it.