XH558 aborted take-off
 

XH558 was due to fly a practise display today but has just suffered an aborted take-off. Witnesses report two bangs and smoke coming from two engines.

Incoming flights on 30 minutes delay. I presume they're checking the runway for debris.

Runway team reported seeing metal and glass debris. I didn't realise an Olympus had any glass components. Seems rather odd. FOD maybe?

Vulcan incident Doncaster 28th May
 

After an incredible amount of effort and fund raising to get the Vulcan XH558 back in the air this year, it suffered an engine explosion at Doncaster earlier today. The damage is serious but no one has been hurt. The airport was closed for several hours. A video of the incident was taken by a Pprune member who is an instructor at Doncaster, with luck we will be able to see that on the news later.

Engine Failure Update
 

Quote from VTTST's website home page:

"XH558 was scheduled to take off at noon on May 28th for a crew currency and display training flight. Just after the start of the take-off roll, she experienced problems with two of her Olympus engines. The crew immediately shut all engines down and everyone is safe. At this stage, we don't have any further information but we will keep supporters informed via Twitter (@XH558), Facebook (Vulcan XH558) and the news section (here) of the charity's website (www.vulcantothesky.org).

Unfortunately, this means that she will not be able to fly for at least two weeks, although we will not know exactly how long rectification will take until the problem has been thoroughly investigated.
We will provide further updates when we know more."

Oh that's really sad news. I was really looking forward to hearing / feeling a Vulcan flying again as I have great memories of seeing her at Farnborough when I was a nipper. Glad nobody was hurt.

Hi,

In the press ....
BBC News - Vulcan bomber XH558 fault causes Robin Hood Airport closure

From the VTTS website...

I read somewhere there are a couple of spare engines, however I also read somewhere the airframe is due to expire serviceability next year, can anyone clear up the rumours?

I believe there were eight spare engines at the start of the project and they have used two. The latest incident would mean they are down to four. I suppose it all depends on what else they find when they remove the errant engines. Quite happy to be corrected if this isn't the case.

I'm sure you are right about the airframe though.

Serious questions will need to be asked about the Vulcans future. I think the long suffering volunteers have paid out more than enough over the years to see this beautiful aircraft fly again and maybe it's time to say bye bye Vulcan?

Hi
Instead of spending/wasting vast amounts of money on this a/c why not get NX 611( Lancaster) flying again ??? :ok::ok:

Because there are already two Lancasters flying.

Because it's not a Vulcan!

I think what we need is a Mossie in the sky again, rather than more Lancs.

You are to your opinion but a large number of people, most of them financial supporters of the mighty Vulcan will differ.

Other aircraft projects are welcome to go canvassing for money but to say that the money should be given to something to something else is palpable nonsense.

When you are told what charities you may or may not support that is tax.

Long may Doctor Plemming and his excellent team keep up the good work.

I believe that the Canadian lanc is also unseviceable

The yorkshire Air museum is to run the engines on the Mossie on the 1st July

No disrespect whatsoever to anyone connected with XH558, but this incident may well have the making of being an expensive repair, and this aircraft does swallow huge amounts of money, so maybe safe and sound as a static exhibit now?

I'm not sure there's much point in XH558 flying at all. She is limited by the rules under which she flys in the power used and the 'G' pulled compared to those limits in RAF service, therefore the displays are a shadow of those back in the day, when the aeroplane was in service.

This is no reflection on those who fly her; they have no choice but to abide by the rules.

The result is, a lot of folk who are not old enough to remember a real Vulcan display have watched a post-RAF 558 one and are under the impression that they have seen a Vulcan display.

They haven't! Not a balls-out real one! :E

The displays you see 558 flying nowadays are far more graceful than the ridiculous, wing-waggling nonsense flown by the apple-spitting gibbon in the latter days of the VDF.....

I don't agree SSD. For four years in the 1970s, from outside my extraordinarily well-guarded office on the other side of the A17, I often used to stare up the jet pipes of the displaying Vulcan. I've felt the wingtip vortices as it flew low over the mound I stood on. I watched Joe LeStrange skim the airfield at less than half span. I've stood on the ORP watching 16 ship scrambles. However, in the crowd at Farnborough a couple of years ago, I didn't feel I was missing out. Instead I was thrilled to the marrow to hear, see and feel the World's most charismatic aircraft howling down the runway towards me then roaring its defiance into the sky.

Let's hope the damage is limited to a couple of fodded engines.