Vulcan XH558 to find new home
With great difficulty, by all accounts.
I didn't say it was impossible, just not straightforward. In other words - in answer to your original question - Avro didn't design in the ability to take it apart and reassemble it easily, as there was no reason to do so.
I didn't say it was impossible, just not straightforward. In other words - in answer to your original question - Avro didn't design in the ability to take it apart and reassemble it easily, as there was no reason to do so.
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Quite what will happen in the end obviously remains unknown, but, as others have said, the chances of a "one off " flight are zero unless, by some miracle, unlikely, various airworthiness authorities decide to grant a dispensation.
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Airworthiness in this case relies upon a Design Authority taking responsibility for the aircraft, that being BAe for the airframe in the most recent past. As I recall it was BAe's withdrawal of that support which grounded it last time. It's hard to believe that a reverse of that decision would be made, and so any talk of a flight out of Doncaster would appear to be mere whimsy.
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As I recall, all the previously designed airframe life updates had been installed, and BAe wouldn't fund the design of a further update scheme to possibly extend the fatigue life even further.
Add to that the two (?) engines they wrecked by not removing the silica gel intake packs before engine start, leaving no spares, and grounding was the only option.
Add to that the two (?) engines they wrecked by not removing the silica gel intake packs before engine start, leaving no spares, and grounding was the only option.
But it isn't, and they won't.
Add to that the two (?) engines they wrecked by not removing the silica gel intake packs before engine start, leaving no spares, and grounding was the only option.
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The only 4 serviceable engines they had were installed in the aeroplane when it was last airworthy. Whether they're still officially or technically serviceable now or not, I've no idea.
Engine-wise there was no Plan B.
Engine-wise there was no Plan B.
I understand that it is still taxiable so, taxi it to .... wherever. A quick scan of Google Street-Thingy suggest that there are no low bridges between DSA and the M18 and once you hit the motorway, well, the world is your lobster.
I firmly believe that endless hours of GTA5 has made me a better and more assertive driver in the real world. In my experience, vehicles can be driven through quite small gaps if approached with confidence. And momentum. Yeah, momentum.
The wedge shape will probably help.
I firmly believe that endless hours of GTA5 has made me a better and more assertive driver in the real world. In my experience, vehicles can be driven through quite small gaps if approached with confidence. And momentum. Yeah, momentum.
The wedge shape will probably help.
Conveniently, the Vulcan's wingspan is only a tad more than the width from the outside edge of one hard shoulder to the outside edge of the opposite one (on a 3-lane motorway).
What could possibly go wrong?
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And quite apart from the eye-watering cost to get it there, who's going to pay the rent?
Mike Collett baled out after a very short time partly as, IIRC, the rent on the hangar medivac was £250,000 a year after the initial first year free or heavily discounted.
Mike Collett baled out after a very short time partly as, IIRC, the rent on the hangar medivac was £250,000 a year after the initial first year free or heavily discounted.
Thought police antagonist
Out of interest, what genuinely viable locations, two get alluded to in the news letter, would be available ?
Although to be blunt, the news letter also suggests these will not be realistic with the reference to " unsuccessful fundraising campaign " because, unlike the time when money was being raised for the restoration to flight, there isn't what you would call a surplus of cash in peoples pockets at the moment.
Yes, it's an iconic aircraft, but, there are still other examples around and intact. Assuming the airport closure is confirmed in Oct, then, unfortunately, " Mr Vulcan ?...this is Ms Husqvarna....you're both going to be intimately acquainted for a short while " would seem to be inevitable. Maybe they could save the nose or try and dispose of anything that could be used as spares for those remaining examples, but even then, this would depend on the current owners of such having the money available to buy them.
As for the "one off " flight, well apart from the signatures, and costs, for the (unrealistic) issuing of airworthiness paperwork, there's also the not so little matter of insurance and, as others have said, you can bet this alone will be eye watering.
Although to be blunt, the news letter also suggests these will not be realistic with the reference to " unsuccessful fundraising campaign " because, unlike the time when money was being raised for the restoration to flight, there isn't what you would call a surplus of cash in peoples pockets at the moment.
Yes, it's an iconic aircraft, but, there are still other examples around and intact. Assuming the airport closure is confirmed in Oct, then, unfortunately, " Mr Vulcan ?...this is Ms Husqvarna....you're both going to be intimately acquainted for a short while " would seem to be inevitable. Maybe they could save the nose or try and dispose of anything that could be used as spares for those remaining examples, but even then, this would depend on the current owners of such having the money available to buy them.
As for the "one off " flight, well apart from the signatures, and costs, for the (unrealistic) issuing of airworthiness paperwork, there's also the not so little matter of insurance and, as others have said, you can bet this alone will be eye watering.
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It is a huge shame than in hindsight, XH558 ended up being flown into what is effectively a cul-de-sac with very little option now for recovery. Granted that it gave a lot of pleasure when flying but as a now solely taxiable aircraft, is it so dissimilar to XL426 and XL455 that it merits the huge logistical efforts and costs to try and relocate it? Sadly, it looks like it may have to be parted for spares to be used by the other 2 aircraft and maybe a nice nose section display for a museum.
Financial support for the aircraft was waning when it ceased flying as evidenced by the failure to reach funding for the hangar at DSA, although it may be that Peel would not have wanted it there anyway given current plans.
Financial support for the aircraft was waning when it ceased flying as evidenced by the failure to reach funding for the hangar at DSA, although it may be that Peel would not have wanted it there anyway given current plans.
