Originally Posted by Yellow Sun
OK, let's get this straight, the Waltons buy an old aircraft, they realise there's some risk involved, but they think it's worth a punt. The difficulties are too great so they decide to sell said old jet. Along come a group of enthusiasts who want to take on the project and agree to the Walton's terms.
I think that the Waltons had to sell the aircraft to the Trust because the Heritage Lottery Fund wouldn't (and still doesn't I believe) give grants to private individuals only charities/groups and such like.
Let's not forget either, that when the Waltons bought the Vulcan, they alos bought the RAF spares stockholding - some 800 tons and trawled the various Vulcan bases for test rigs and equipment that would help them return the Aircraft to flight. Whilst they saw it as a commerical venture initially (along with all the other historics then based at Bruntingthorpr - the Grace spitfire, Canberra WK163 et al), it wasn't with a view to selling it all off and making a profit!