I was at Biggin today (Sunday) but unfortunately, '558 did not appear as she had gone tech. Does anyone know what the problem was?
Apparently there was a problem with an elevator feel unit. Doesn't mean much to me, but by all accounts unsafe to fly.
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Without wishing to appear controversial, she will have to remain reliable if she is going to make it a success on the display circuit. Biggin was so packed today that they closed the car parks, and when the annoucement was made, several thousand people left immediately. Not good for the image.
People seem to forget what else DIDN'T fly at Biggin today.
BBMF Lancaster, Sea Vixen, One of the Gnat pair , P-51 Mustang. Oh, and the Flying Fortress 'Sally B' which has been plagued with engine problems all last season and this.
Aeroplanes break, FACT!
If people go to an airshow for ONE aircraft, then more fool them.
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People will only be patient for a short while and then good will will and interest will start to decline.
Up to today it had been 100% serviceability. One show missed and the knives are out. Pathetic.
You have missed the point and I do hope that VTS don't miss the trick as well. Many of the public do not know a Sea Vixen from a Vampire or a Mustang from Spitfire. Many of them do know that there is only one Vulcan that flies. Why? Because it is big and noisy and for no other reasons than that! I was at Biggin today and when it was announced that the Vulcan would not be appearing, there was a notable number of spectators who left. Not 'well more fool them' it is a fact! Please do not patronise the paying public is such a way because without their patronage there would not be a future for any of the aircraft on the airshow circuit and not just the precious Vulcan. The majority of the airshow revenue does not come from purists who can identify the ins and outs of the specification/history and performance of an aircraft. The majority of the revenue comes from people who may know a little bit about aircraft, may have made Airfix models when they were kids, seen the movies and enjoy a good day out. They are the ones who keep the airshows alive and not the purists who are most definitle the minority
I can understand people being disappointed with her no show - but
some make it sound as though it's down to a couldn't careless attitude, far from it, the engineers were working late into the night to get the problem sorted, functionals & indepent checks today, bits break it can't be hepled.
It is unsafe to fly without the AFU it prevents the airframe from being over stressed
The important thing is have they got her fixed up yet?
I'm heading down to Waddington, and whilst it'll be good whatever, the Vulcan is most definitely the highlight, and I'll be a little disappointed if she's not able to make it.
And please tell me which trick that we are supposed to have missed?
The aircraft got as far as engine start before the Elevator Art Feel Unit failed. Fortunately, we had a spare one with us; unfortunately, it wasn't designed to be replaced in the timescale that would allow the aircraft to have made Biggin Hill.
The engineers worked late last night fitting another unit ready for today's independent testing (almost 3 hours for the indys alone) and then we were able to declare the aircraft serviceable.
Both us and the aircrew are gutted when we don't manage to launch for a display. We are very well aware that at the other end are many people who have donated hard-earned cash to this project and we feel the disappointment at a no-show as much as they do.
Oberon
(Missing tricks in the aviation industry for 36 years)
Oberon, I don't doubt that you feel the disappointment at a no-show as much as the punters. Now that you've told them what 'they' may find difficult to grasp is that post installation independents on an Artificial Feel Unit take 3 hours. Is this from the original AP/Manual or some new CAA procedure. Just curious.
Is this from the original AP/Manual or some new CAA procedure.
Original AP & SP's (servicing procedures). On fitting, there are the airframe aspects where the unit interfaces with the control runs. Ergonomics weren't invented back when this unit was designed and it's a bitch to replace. Then there are the electrical aspects where the plugs have to be fitted, the functional check carried out, and any adjustments made on the "trim pots", then you have ( in this case), to call one bloke in off holiday to do the elctrical indys and one bloke from Cambridge (Marshall Aerospace) to do the Airframe indys.
The electrical indys take as long to do as the functional (pumping airspeed into both pitot systems to check the function). By the time that you have been over the whole speed range at least 5 times and the independents have also been done on the pitot static system (which you had to disturb to replace the Art Feel Unit) you are looking at close to 3 hours.
congrats to you and the team for getting the a/c 's'. My point is that you operate the most distinctive aircraft on the airshow circuit in the UK. Its absence is noted straight away and if it is not on the programme I am sure that the attendance will be suitably affected at other airshows. On Sunday at Biggin, the aircraft that I heard most people talking about was the Vulcan. When other a/c became 'no shows' it was a case of 'what a shame', but when the Vulcan was a 'no show' people were genuinely disappointed.
Oh, and by the way, only 36 years! Get some blummin time in!
Can anybody tell me if there was a video tape made of the disbandment parade of the last Vulcan Squadron (50 Sqn). I would love to have one if available. I spent many happy? hours fixing the comms, ecm and radars on the squadron and it was a sad day when we finally disbanded. Great fun when we converted to tanking and a great relief to see the end of the tailcone "dustbins".
Can anybody tell me if there was a video tape made of the disbandment parade of the last Vulcan Squadron (50 Sqn). I would love to have one if available. I spent many happy? hours fixing the comms, ecm and radars on the squadron and it was a sad day when we finally disbanded. Great fun when we converted to tanking and a great relief to see the end of the tailcone "dustbins".
Some footage of the 50(B) disbandment parade does appear on a video (maybe 'Waddingtons Vulcans' I have it on VHS and copied to DVD. The march out of 5 shed is on definately on it.
If the curses that have been called down upon the designers of the Vulcan artificial feel unit have had any effect, their b*llocks will have long since festered at their newly squared edges, rotted and fallen off. Unfortunately most of the surviving eunuchs seem to have joined Boeing, where they were put to work devising Feel and Centering Units.
I was at Biggin today and when it was announced that the Vulcan would not be appearing, there was a notable number of spectators who left. Not 'well more fool them' it is a fact!
I'm sure it is fact. But if people are shelling out £20 to see a show and then leaving because one aircraft doesn't turn up then I still say more fool them.
Its their choice of course, but if I wanted to just watch the Vulcan I'd go camp outside Brize.
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Please do not patronise the paying public is such a way because without their patronage there would not be a future for any of the aircraft on the airshow circuit and not just the precious Vulcan.
Funnily enough, I AM one of the paying public, and I DO donate money to keep the Vulcan flying. I'm certainly no aviation expert, merely an enthusiast.
However unlike many of the 'must have it now!' British public types, I can understand that things DO go wrong.
As much as 100% serviceability is desired, it'll probably never happen with such a large old aircraft. Its disappointing but that's life, and I still manage to enjoy the show I've paid to see.
To end on a lighter note, the latest engineering update has been posted: Vulcan To The Sky News
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