avro vulcan XL426
 

XL426 has made her maiden unaided taxi test at southend airport,very noisy,felt the earth move,great to see this old lady on the move again.maybe we will see her fly once again

Not whilst my arse points downwards

Why won't she fly ?

If I recollect correctly our Vulcans at Finningley - 230 OCU '63-66, were all designated XM's. Was there any significant difference between those and the XL's? And what determined the actual rego?

Alison, XL were ordered the year before the XM. The letters increment every year. The XL were standard 201 engines and refitted as Blue Steel aircraft. XM series were designed as Sky Bolt carriers and fitted with the updated 301 engines.

Essentially the 301 in cruise power could develop the same power as a 201 in take-off.

Aha, that would explain the noise on saturday then. I thought it was a fleet of A319s taking off in formation. Saw XL426 last night as we drove past , still looks a mighty beast. Very sad when I think of all the ones I saw being landed at St.Athan for scrap.

XL 426 after her final Major at St Athan. One of the lucky ones to escape the scrapyard. Hers was the final Major maintenance of the Vulcan fleet.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...r/scan0004.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...r/scan0001.jpg

She could fly if somebody has a cool 10 million + to build a hangar to maintain her, pay for the major maintenance that is an absolute minimum CAA requirement to get her airworthy, pay Marshalls to act as the OEM support and pay the other contractors required to maintain components, etc, etc, etc. You see the fight XH558 has to keep in the air..

VTTS need a million plus to keep 558 flying a few displays every year. Ex military complex aircraft on PtF tickets are not cheap..

And if I ever won the EUSSR million lottery (idiot tax) guess what I'd be the sugar daddy for.

I would get as many as I could and get them into one place - I like newquay airport meself.

I would build a forkoff big hanger and get them all up to working condition.
sling in a few modern bits and have a vulcan display team ( well, thats the cover story)

I'm going to build my own private air force - who wants a job?

NO PTI's, CCS, Bull***t admin triv, SWO, or any other crap we had to do.
Just gettting big jets servicable and flying them.

maybe i will buy a ticket this week.....

You also need a Chief Exec to allegedly pull thousands out of the charity in salary.:eek:

SGC

I would buy all the Jags that had some decent life left..:E

More than just 'thousands', Sir George.......allegedly.

:uhoh:

Vulcan differences
 

Okay, so it was many years ago and I was only just old enough to get served in a pub when I had the pleasure of working on them (mostly at night)...but this looks like a Scampton retiree ...No TFR pod but not a "shiny" from 27 Sqn....Was it only fitted to the XM aircraft?

Sorry if question seems a bit dumb...

Here is a picture of XL426 on her last unit 50(B) Sqn at Waddington, with TFR pod fitted. XL426 was the only one I flew in.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/ZH875/xl426.jpg

Is there any? I think you will find they did a wing swap about a year ago with the Omani Jags that had exhausted their wing FI, so a lot of the ones at Cosford will not fly again.

Sir George, no allegedly about it. The wages and "Advisers" expenses, are a matter of public record in the printed accounts. (See threads on here). The management gets a good wedge whilst the real work is done by unpaid volunteers. (Bursts into song....."Its the same the whole world over.......").

Any Charity which fails to spend directly, a minimum of 51% of its gross annual turnover on its stated cause, should loose the right to be a charity for five years.

Stinky Phlemming. Vulcan gets no more of my money while he's still there. :mad:

I believe all Mk 2 Vulcans were fitted with TFR from around 1967-68. If you look closely at the lower of the new photos you can just make out the circular blanking plate.

Some of the airfield GIAs had 1500 odd hours left from the old golden fleet, 6 took to Conz.. XX112 being one I believe. Enough for some years flying.

XL426 at Mildenhall in May 1983:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3522/3...4bc_z.jpg?zz=1
RAF Vulcan B.2 XL426 by Irish251, on Flickr

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3438/3...082_z.jpg?zz=1
RAF Avro Vulcan B.2 XL426 by Irish251, on Flickr

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3607/3...e53_z.jpg?zz=1
Mildenhall RAF Vulcan display by Irish251, on Flickr

And in the sunshine at Valley in August of the same year:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7179/6...c91426e9_z.jpg
XL426 Vulcan B.2 by Irish251, on Flickr

I flew 426 when she was on 27 Sqn, not all of the aircraft were shiny. That was mainly for the 'sniffers', it made it easier to keep them clean when needed