Originally Posted by Pontius Navigator
Hangarage is certainly an issue but remember the aircraft is to be kept at Duxford where I don't think it would be an issue.
The (rather bizarre) plan is for the aircraft to be retired to Duxford when its flying days are finally over, not to be operated from there - the runway would be too short for regular Vulcan operations, other than a 'one-time' landing, for a start.
However, since Duxford already have a representative service Vulcan, about to be entombed in the new AirSpace building, nobody seems to have a satisfactory answer as to why they'd want another example. Especially one unrepresentative of a service airframe after all the mods have been made to put it on the CAA register. Least of all Duxford themselves, who were suitably vague when I emailed then asking this question a couple of years back. Bear in mind that Duxford have a history of scrapping unwanted duplicate airframes (Comet, Varsity) or ones which don't fit the latest collecting policy (Convair VT-29)
Added to which, once the permanent exhibition is installed in AirSpace, I don't think that Duxford have a hangar big enough for a Vulcan, so it will presumably be left outside.
The fact that the then-Director of Duxford is also a trustee of the Vulcan project is interesting. I wonder what the current Duxford Director thinks of the plan?
Still, it sadly looks as though any 'retirement planning' is somewhat premature, to say the least.