Vulcan - Sunday 21st Mail

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

DH106

Sorry if you don't like it (I don't either), DH106, but that's how business works. I work in the IT industry where it's just the same. Not a protected public sector employee are you by any chance?

[DH106]

No - I work in the IT industry !! LOL

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Originally Posted by DH106

No - I work in the IT industry !! LOL

SSD

[LowNSlow]

Even the much maligned Dan Dare had a collection of every type they operated that could still be found. This has preserved a few unique types for posterity.

I understand the capitalist principles but there has to be room for a bit of heritage somewhere unless we want to turn the world into a history free zone.

[Blacksheep]

As for starter cartridges? what are you talking about? None of the Vulcans I ever flew had cartridges.

Either you are an extremely elderly Vulcan pilot who only flew BMk I/IAs Winco, or you know about as much about the maintenance side of life as most pilots. As I've never seen aircrew anywhere near an aircraft during prep, I assume you're referring to the abbreviated "down route" version done by the crew chief away from base? Yes you can turn an aircraft around in an hour or so, but only by either abbreviating the tasks and deferring the defects or by throwing lots of labour at it.

As an A.Fitt.E I would plod my way out to a Vulcan BMkII lugging a toolbag, Avo, Safety Ohmeter, a pair of starter cartridges for the AAPU, two AAPU starter cartridge test caps, an ammeter clampmeter and a bag of light bulbs. (In fact I've plodded out to 558 herself on more than a few occasions.) Unless I'm imagining things, apart from testing every light bulb on the aircraft, testing the fire detection and extinguishing systems (not just by pushing the test button either!), doing a battery load test, checking the load balancing on the TRUs, dropping the ELRAT to do a load-shed/standby power test and then restowing the blasted thing, instrument power check, checking the pitot heaters, gold-film windscreen test, running up the PFCUs and checking the current draw on each, the job included:

Testing the AAPU emergency start circuit using the test caps, then doing a no-volt test on the cartridge firing caps before loading the two cartridges into the breeches.

Then there would be the 700 to clear - maybe tracing a Pitot-Static leak and fixing it. Or changing a duff TRU. How's about a nice Fire-Tec snag - that could keep three guys busy for a whole day if you had to pull the jet pipe. No one brings your parts or special tools out to you. You have to go and get everything yourself. And that's just the Electrician. There were all the Fitters, Riggers, Air Radio, Air Radar, Nav Inst, Safety Equippers, Storekeepers and MT drivers too. A whole army of us in fact. But the crews seldom if ever encountered most of us.

Not to mention the drudgery of positioning and repositioning Safety Raisers, Giraffes or step ladders at various points around the aircraft. And pulling them clear again when you're done - it all takes time. Just towing an aircraft from, say Waddington's Echo 19 to Charlie 10 would take five men half an hour. That's 2.5 manhours. Then there's the crew chief and his three man starter crew. At an hour for a typical crew-in that's another four man-hours for the start up - Of course there were a few more manhours for the crew themselves - and maybe around 30 for the sortie itself - but we're talking maintenance here.

So, I do know about maintaining Vulcans - and lots of other aeroplanes too. I also know exactly what the workload can be - I've been supervising or managing maintenance for forty years.

[ZH875]

Originally Posted by Blacksheep

- it all takes time. Just towing an aircraft from, say Waddington's Echo 19 to Charlie 10 would take five men half an hour. That's 2.5 manhours.

Strange way to move aircraft, Echo Dispersal is pans 9-12 and Charlie is 17-20.

I spent many a cold wet day walking to the aircraft with the 'Fairy Air' kit, just to drop the ECM bay doors and fill the ECM cans with 5psi Nitrogen. I wonder if my right forefinger is still calibrated to 5psi.

Best job in winter was 'Engine De-Icing' Climbing down each intake hugging a large hosepipe from a 4 Therm heater, and generally kipping for 30 or so minutes before moving to the next intake.

Best 'Gotcha' I ever saw was a baby rigger being taken to change a TBC, and having the entire task explained in great detail. So he was on the safety raiser at the tail when he called clear door, the chute door poped up, and a FLM jumped out of the hole where the TBC should have been, the baby rigger almost cr*pped himself and must have broken the 4 minute mile speed on his trip back to the crew room.

[Blacksheep]

Strange way to move aircraft, Echo Dispersal is pans 9-12 and Charlie is 17-20.

This being the 'History and Nostalgia' forum - A piece of both.

Waddington Line, 1966:
Alpha - QRA dispersal - 1 to 4. The AWACS shed was built on top of it.
Bravo - Next to the Sleaford road - 5 to 8
Charlie - N. End of conventional bomb dump - 9 to 12
Delta - S. End of conventional bomb dump 13 to 16
Echo - Next to S. End of runway - 17 to 20
Foxtrot - Station Flight, almost opposite 5 Shed and next to the compass base - 21 to 24

Line Servicing (Centralised) was between Delta and Echo. The Special Weapons store was across the Sleaford road. They would stop the traffic and trundle them across with a tarpaulin cover over the weapon.
(As if you could disguise 'Old Yeller'.)

We'd move them regularly - to Bravo & Charlie if they were taking off on 21, to Echo & Delta if they were using 03. It was a rotten job, the moving team. That's why it was used as a punishment squad.

[ZH875]

Thanks Blacksheep.

When I arrived at Waddington in 79, Alpha (44 Sqn) was 1-4, Foxtrot 5-8, Echo (50 Sqn) 9-12, Delta (101 Sqn)13-16, Charlie 17-20 and Bravo (9 Sqn) 21-24. Charlie was overspill for E and D dispersals.

They obviously changed the direction of travel around the base. Even the runway has now 'been moved' no longer being 03/21 but 02/20.(or is it 04/22?)

Latest cock-up was extending Foxtrot dispersal such that the LOX bay is unable to work when aircraft are running etc on the side of the pan near the LOX building. Would have thought that a large brick building would have stood out when the site was surveyed..

Never got to see anything 'special' only being involved in one load on Charlie Dispersal, I had my back turned to the aircraft the whole time whilst some people did something with the weapon and bomber.

[sucksqueezeBANGstop]

Part One of The Restoration of XH558 is available July 1st. Good way to donate to the project and find out about the restoration of this gorgeous aircraft. Available at Waddington Airshow if you are going or from vulcantothesky.com.

Can't wait to see it!

[007helicopter]

Had a unexpected diversion to Coventry today and whilst waiting for a new alternator to be fitted it was suggested to have lunch in the museum cafe - wow what a museum. Got a tour inside the Vulcan and allowed to sit in the cock pit.

Could not actually imagine flying it for many hours on end

WHAT A BEAST !!

[HZ123]

August Bank holiday weekend sees the Southend Vulcan Do at least two fast taxis and shute deployment. Well worth a visit.

[Beeayeate]

Originally Posted by 007helicopter

Got a tour inside the Vulcan and allowed to sit in the cock pit.

If you're the same blokes my friend (your guide) told me about today he says you're more than welcome to visit MAM at anytime. Try the Canberra PR.3 next time, working cockpit and hydraulics etc - maybe even try pumping the airbrakes out and in.

If you are one of those two blokes, your guide today is an ex-RAF Chief Tech Electrician (Canberras, Hunters and VC-10s) who has spent the past couple of years refurbing the Canberra.

[Batchy]

With all this talk of operating XH558, Here is shot I took last weekend of Dave Thomas getting nose wheel up in XM655 at Wellesbourne.
Batchy.

[BEagle]

Nice photo!

Glad to know that the run went well - and haven't the folks at Wellesbourne done a great job in keeping '655 looking so good!

[Batchy]

Thanks BEagle,

The team involved in keeping XM655 active, do an incredible job given the lack of a hangarage at Wellesbourne. Whats more to point though is that the proposed flight crew of XH558 use XM655 to keep their hand in.

Batchy.

[Karl W Smith]

Vulcan

I happen to be working on XH558 aka G-VLCN at the moment and, to the best of my knowledge, it is still due for Roll-Out in August, short of funds or not.
Some of the comments made on your site are less than charitable but we're doing our best to satisfy the CAA that this exceptional aeroplane will be safe to fly around Britain for a few years, appearing on the Airshow circuit. I am fairly new to the Group who have been working hard and spending their own money to achieve these aims. So, don't be too unappreciative of them. I count myself lucky to have been asked, because of my experience, to help. What I've seen is a set of hard working enthusiasts who don't need kicking when they're under pressure.

A few bits of Vulcan are sitting on and under my desk at this moment; we've been inspecting them very, very thoroughly for signs of corrosion and are now quite happy with them.

Watch for the Roll-Out in 6 or 7 weeks.

[ExAvio]

Good luck chaps, I'm 101% behind you. Donation in the post as we speak.

[forget]

I spent six years with Vulcans, Coningsby, Cottesmore and Waddington - fairy hammer and screwdriver - and £4M to get 558 back in the air does seem ‘excessive’. One thing did occur to me ‘tother day, a large part of any cost will be the fuel system, wing tanks, quantity, pumps and plumbing. Would it be possible to forget all of the above, blank it off, and use only bomb bay tanks. Simple pumps, easily accessed, and, I’d have thought, simple plumbing- and more than enough fuel for 558's future job. Any reason why not?

While I’m here, I still say there’s no need for an AEO in the back of 558. All of the electrics can be brought on line before the door’s closed. After that if a generator comes off line it’s no big deal, the aircraft is so lightly loaded electrically. In any case, duplicate re-set switches could be fitted up top. We’re back to the old situation of the pilots having Martin Baker assist, and the AEO left to his own devices. Not good - and I wonder if the CAA looks a bit sideways at this.

[spekesoftly]

From what I've read in a recent copy of 'FlyPast', the CAA have agreed to a maximum display crew of three - two pilots and an AEO. A Navigator will also fly on transits that land away, and act as commentator on the ground.

[Blacksheep]

All of the electrics can be brought on line before the door’s closed. After that if a generator comes off line it’s no big deal (), the aircraft is so lightly loaded electrically.

It would be a big deal on the Vulcans I worked on, chum. The entire flight control system is electrically powered from every one of the elevon and rudder PFCUs to the airbrake motors. Not to mention the role played by a score of fuel pumps in keeping the aircraft trimmed. As a UKCAA Avionics LAE of many years standing, I think there's no chance of the UKCAA looking "sideways" upon anything to do with the flight controls or the fuel system.

Of course if you did do away with the fuel system you wouldn't really need a co-pilot.