Vulcan XL361 [Archive] - PPRuNe Forums

peppermint_jam

6th Mar 2007, 21:14

Taken by myself whilst on det at Goose, Aug 2003.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f372/robstuff/9.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f372/robstuff/8.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f372/robstuff/7.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f372/robstuff/6.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f372/robstuff/5.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f372/robstuff/4.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f372/robstuff/3.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f372/robstuff/2-1.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f372/robstuff/1.jpg

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f372/robstuff/DSC00751Small.jpg

The last one shows damage to the crew access door, her paint was faded 4 years ago so unless she's been repainted, i suspect it will only look worse now!

p_j

Lancasterman

7th Mar 2007, 01:06

I see the cover of the electrical junction box has gone walkies

k3k3

7th Mar 2007, 07:52

The cover has been missing for at least ten years. The aircraft is in very poor condition.

FantomZorbin

7th Mar 2007, 08:03

Please pardon my ignorance but is this the Vulcan that fell through a drain of some sort - or am I confusing it with an incident at Offut?:confused:

scorpion63

7th Mar 2007, 10:46

I have several photographs of XL361 sitting on it's tail after a refuelling incident at Goose and if I ever find out how to attach them I will. Any help as the instruction don't seem to work or am I being blonde?http://www.pprune.org/forums/XL361%20Goose%20Bay%201

Lancasterman

7th Mar 2007, 14:33

Did you take photos of it?

k3k3

7th Mar 2007, 18:22

Afraid not, it was before the advent of digital cameras and it was that cold I thought the film might crack rather than roll!:eek:

FJJP

7th Mar 2007, 20:23

FZ - no. The Vulcan that bust through the drain was repaired and flown back to Waddington. However, after that transit flight it was subsequently scrapped without having flown again.

FantomZorbin

7th Mar 2007, 21:28

FJJP

Many thanks - my synapses must have fused ... hey ho!:\

Rigex

8th Mar 2007, 05:43

FJJP,

I was involved in repairing a Vulcan (think '361) at Scampton after it had fallen through a drain at Goose, sometime circa '74 / '76. It had been given temporary repairs for the ferry flight across the pond (wooden frames in ECM bay etc). It was definitely restored to flight status.

Maybe there were more than one??

FJJP

8th Mar 2007, 06:01

Rigex et al, apologies - put it down to a senior moment. My previous post was about the jet who had a massive hot air leak but continued on to the Goose. The severe damage was repaired to minimum standard fit to fly one flight only - I fuelled to max to escort the ac back across the pond, acting as top cover for SAR and providing navigation assistance. It was cat 5 shortly after its recovery to Waddington.

361 I flew many times between 76 and 81.

Sorry about the confusion in my ancient and remaining brain cell.

Rigex

8th Mar 2007, 06:40

FJJP

No probs, have those moments myself!

I remember it for two reasons, one being the assembly of a spine skin to the fuselage with black bostick compound on one surface and green zinc chromate on the other - took weeks to get me clean after that!

The other was the attempts by our (71 MU) specialist sheet metal chaps to hand roll a wing skin which went on the lower port wing inboard of the jet pipes. It had about 6 different curvatures and we / they went through quite a few attempts with no success. Until one day, a civvy driver from Barkstone came in to deliver something or other...took one look and said that they had 'undreds" lying on a rack there - how many did we want!

Wader2

8th Mar 2007, 09:38

IIRC the aircraft was actually a waddington aircraft and I have a vague recollection that it may have been Terry Danby's crew, but then that could all be b*ll*x.

I do recall what happened however.

It was normal to do a hangar start, the crew would crew in and do the pre-flight checks up to engine start. It would then be shut down and towed out with the crew still on board. Once outside it would be powered up and started in short order thus minimising freezing time outdoors.

On this occasion the aircraft, fully fuelled, crashed through the concrete floor. IIRC the hangars were the RAF pre-war standard hangars, or very similar, and the sand below the concrete had simply shifted over the years.

The joke at the time was "Any more comments about concrete evidence and I shall . . . "

PS, the shifting sands also undermined other buildings too. There was a multi-story accommodation block on the Mexican side that used to house all the schoolies, nurses etc and in which many hours fun could be had (60s). When I was there in the 70s the block was closed, abandoned and forelorn as it now had the leans and was in danger of collapse.

BEagle

8th Mar 2007, 11:44

The old 'Goose Hilton'!

Lancasterman

8th Mar 2007, 20:40

Please keep this on topic and not drifting off onto general goose bay nattering.;)

flipflopman RB199

8th Mar 2007, 21:47

Peppermint Jam,

Thanks for those pics. You've also unwittingly just done me a bit of a favour with your pic showing the bottom half of the Hydraulic Panel. :ok:

Cheers

Flipflopman

Lancasterman

10th Mar 2007, 00:04

Considering she was spares recovered?? I am amazed that she still has a full set of guages in the wheel well!

flipflopman RB199

10th Mar 2007, 17:08

The gauges themselves appear to be in plentiful supply, being common to many types, and there does appear to be a fair few around.

Interestingly, having recently remade the Hydraulic Panel and now completing the Hyd system rebuild on 558, I recently called up what I believed to be the panel for the Brake Accumulators, with the gauges being listed seperately in the parts schedule, and was surprised to discover that it came complete with the gauges and associated piping already attached as a complete assembly. I was also surprised to find we had a further three in stock, and they had sat unopened in their respective boxes since 1963!

Flipflopman

BEagle

10th Mar 2007, 18:01

"Box unopened since 1963"

I think I know her.......:hmm:

peppermint_jam

11th Mar 2007, 00:06

flipflopman, glad i could help!

BEagle, classic!

XL391

9th Aug 2007, 11:45

I think she looks good, given the conditions there...:eek:

Lancasterman

10th Aug 2007, 22:25

Guys does anyone know who I can contact to see about seeing it up close and or finding out what they are doing to preserve her?

chumley31

16th Aug 2007, 12:46

As far as know just park up next to her and take a wander over, dunno who looks after her now that RAF(U) Goose Bay has closed.

For your info the refuel probe was robbed in the early hours of the morning during the Falklands War and we had to cut the control columns out to give to some aircrew chaps who wanted them. The only other thing is that the MLG doors are closed (well were when we gave to the airport):ok:

AlanF

12th Dec 2007, 15:11

Hi,

This kite had the habit of switching to the rear tanks during refuels. One day whilst at G.B. it sat on its tail!! I have a picture! After several months of fixing the kite was given to me to look after. We spent many, many years flying mainly to the US via G.B.

Sad to hear she is in a bit of a state, but I guess we all grow old.

AlanF

Oh almost forgot.
Due to the rear end "fix" she is about 18 inches longer that any other vulcan. They cut her back to an area that they could get to and just joggled on a new bit. The weight of all the rear end kit being further back from the c.g. made no differece to flying.

forget

12th Dec 2007, 15:52

Oh almost forgot. Due to the rear end "fix" she is about 18 inches longer that any other vulcan.
Well I'll be ............ AlanF is right! See the ECM bay. I'll slip the quiz-master a pint and that'll be in the pub quiz tonight. 'What was the RAF's longest Vulcan?' Cue wizened old git in the corner, nobody's ever seen him before, who turns out to be an ex Crew Chief. :bored:
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/cumpas/361.jpg

Lancasterman

12th Dec 2007, 21:19

Thanks for the info guys. It is interesting to know she is 18 inches longer than the other vulcans. I did contact the owner that looks after it and sadly got no reply.....:confused: Chumley31, do you kmow what else was removed from the cockpit or do you have pics?

Lancasterman

29th May 2008, 01:09

Gents,
Has anyone seen XL361 at Goose Bay recently?? I am interested to know her current state of health. Last I heard was that someone had tried to force open the crew door....

knarfw

23rd Jul 2011, 00:00

I usually see her 3 or 4 times a day as I'm going to and from work.

peppermint_jam

25th Jul 2011, 07:47

knarfw

If you could find the time to stop and take a few pictures for the forum, I for one would be glad to see them! How quiet is Goose now all but the local military has vacated?

Bill Macgillivray

25th Jul 2011, 20:24

Yes, she did tip on her tail during refuelling at Goose. The date was 18 May 1972. Remember it well as I had flown her into Goose from Frobisher Bay whilst escorting the "Reds" on their first trip to N. America. It was all very unfortunate with the refuelling (no further comment), and also very embarassing!!:ooh::ooh:

knarfw

27th Jul 2011, 00:35

I can certainly take some pictures and put them up. She now has some company in the form of a CF-101 Voodoo, a Catalina (I think) and a radar head (height finder) from the old Pine Tree Line site.

361 was given to the Town and as far as I know they have all the documentation etc. Nobody does any upkeep on her though unfortunately.

I think she may have been opened up several years ago when they were looking for parts for 558.

Goose Bay is very quiet now, we get the odd trail passing through and the Germans carry out some C-160 training every now and then but that's about it. The wildlife has returned now there's very little jet noise and bear sightings are very common as well as moose.

knarfw

27th Jul 2011, 17:23

OK, photography and uploading are not 2 of my strong points but here goes anyway:

http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/8033/vulcanetc016.jpg

Plenty more, I'll put some more up when I get home if anyone's interested.

jamesdevice

27th Jul 2011, 21:02

"bear sightings are very common"
Bloody Russians flying into Canada now???

Lancasterman

12th Apr 2012, 23:49

That picture shows her in a good way condition wise.. any others??

knarfw

3rd Jan 2013, 21:19

https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/423232_10152384557665654_903370666_n.jpg

Squirrel 41

4th Jan 2013, 02:56

Ah, the heretofore TOP SECRET Vulcan zero-length-launch trials....

S41

Temp Spike

4th Jan 2013, 03:01

Oh I really like the Vulcan. Saw one in person for the first time at the Strategic Air Command Museum near Omaha a few years back. It’s indoors and well cared for. The square footage above your head walking under is really impressive.