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£1.5m to save last Vulcan bomber

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£1.5m to save last Vulcan bomber

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Old 14th Oct 2000, 21:50
  #1 (permalink)  
The Guvnor
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Angel £1.5m to save last Vulcan bomber

From today's Telegraph - come on guys, dig deep and save this historic part of our aviation heritage!

AN appeal was launched yesterday to raise £1.5 million to save the last
Vulcan bomber still in flying condition.

The delta-winged jets were flown by the RAF for nearly 30 years, providing
the mainstay of Britain's Cold War nuclear deterrent. Enthusiasts, who formed
the Vulcan Operating Company to buy the surviving plane from the RAF in
1993, hope to see it fly again in 2002 to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee
and the bomber's 50th anniversary.

They have received £437,500 from the American government towards the
total restoration cost, put at £2.2 million, in exchange for the right to use the
Vulcan for flight testing. The appeal was launched yesterday at Bruntingthorpe
aerodrome in Leicestershire, where Vulcan XH558 was put on display.
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Old 14th Oct 2000, 22:55
  #2 (permalink)  
PA38
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Ok it's time to come out of the closet!!!!
I am a member of the 558 club, even got the T shirt, and for once I agree with the Guv it has to be put back into the air where it belongs.
If you have never seen a Vulcan doing VERY slow climbing turns, whilst standing on shaking ground you have not lived...
I hear they are trying to get the Comet also at Bruntingthorpe airworthy as well.
Visit the web site at.. http://www.vulcan558club.demon.co.uk

[This message has been edited by PA38 (edited 14 October 2000).]
 
Old 14th Oct 2000, 23:00
  #3 (permalink)  
Warped Factor
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The Comet is meant to fly down to ATC Engineering at Lasham sometime fairly soon for complete refurbishment there.

WF.

[This message has been edited by Warped Factor (edited 14 October 2000).]
 
Old 15th Oct 2000, 00:26
  #4 (permalink)  
The_Fin
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PA38, I have lived. It is a fantastic sight.
I had my fingers in my ears but still I remember the feel of the big jet engines and the resonating of every bone in my body as it stood still in the air balanced on the thrust.
Good luck to all those involved in the project, I look forward to seeing the big delta back in the air where she belongs.
 
Old 15th Oct 2000, 00:57
  #5 (permalink)  
Dr Jekyll
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We all want to see it fly again, but the owners can't afford to keep the team together forever and have set a deadline of the end of this month to raise the cash. Looking at how long it's taken to raise less than a quarter of it, it really looks very doubtful.
 
Old 15th Oct 2000, 12:40
  #6 (permalink)  
starbuck1
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Totally agree, thanks for making the appeal known. Is the Concorde going to be next?
 
Old 15th Oct 2000, 12:52
  #7 (permalink)  
Flying Banana
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Just about sums it up doesn't it, the AMERICAN Government have paid half a million towards ensuring this amzing piece of BRITISH Aviation history can keep flying.

Of course our Government and the Lottery Commission will be rushing to sign a cheque for the remainder. After all if they can spend half a billion on a riverside tent full of garbage I'm sure one and a half million is just small change.

I think I've answered my own question Blair and his trendy cronies don't like that word - history - so unless private donations can be found I'm sure they will take great delight in having this symbol of Britain's tyrannical, racist, xenophobic past scrapped.

Has anyone got an address or details of where to send donations?(The link above doesn't seem to work) If every PPRuNer donated a fiver that would be another hundred grand.

[This message has been edited by Flying Banana (edited 15 October 2000).]
 
Old 15th Oct 2000, 12:59
  #8 (permalink)  
 
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I also had a great opportunity seeing this beautifully shaped aircraft doing these slow climbing turns, in an Air Fair in South America many years a go.

Besides, I can say that I was lucky to see it flying three times, and I kept vivid in my memory the roaring sound produced by its engines, and the gracious manoeuvres performed by this aircraft.

This is preserving history, and would be a live example of an early generation aircraft from a gone era, worth’s every effort to achieve it .

Safe Flying to all

Mercurius

Captain Mercurius is offline  
Old 15th Oct 2000, 13:34
  #9 (permalink)  
Seat 32F
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It's one of the most beautiful and majestic aircraft ever made and it is scandalous that yet another piece of the UK's magnificent aviation heritage should be overlooked and allowed to fall into disrepair.

£2m is almost peanuts these days when we can casually blow £850m on a tent.

I urge everyone who cares about this to draw as much attention as possible about it, lobby your MPs, get it in the press, buy some time for the Vulcan Operating Company.

If you do nothing, nothing will happen!

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If I press this button do the wings fall off?
 
Old 15th Oct 2000, 14:39
  #10 (permalink)  
Ironguts
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Hear Hear!

500Million Quid on a poxy tent that they are talking of scapping, yet nothing for icons of British Aviation History? Shame!

What about the others tho' - The Valiant, the Victor, and even the TSR-2? ( Blue Steel anyone? ) do any of these still exist or have they all been made into Coca-Cola cans?

Note tho' that these are from the Cold-War Era - definately non-PC now that all of Europe is "Democratic".

Oh Dear,
Post a good link and they'll get my fiver!

[This message has been edited by Ironguts (edited 15 October 2000).]
 
Old 15th Oct 2000, 15:04
  #11 (permalink)  
121decimal5
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Only seen one once when I was very young, walking on Headly Heath when the Cessna above us suddenly revved up and disappeared VERY fast, next thing we saw was this massive a/c going very slowly @ ~3000ft! Fantastic, I'll put in a couple of quid!
 
Old 15th Oct 2000, 16:22
  #12 (permalink)  
jetfueldrinker
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Ironguts

There is a static TSR 2 at Duxford, and I believe that the other one is around somewhere, but where I don't know. I would love to see it fly, but I doubt it ever will.
 
Old 15th Oct 2000, 16:28
  #13 (permalink)  
Few Cloudy
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Question

Well once in a fit of nostalgia I contributed a LOT of money to a well known museum towards the HP Victor (which is of course much more beautiful than the Vulcan).

Got a letter back saying "Thanks - the money will go towards airconditioning (drying) equipment while the ship stands outside in Herefordshire".

Heard no more of it (and certainly never got a free ticket to the museum) but the point is - shouldn´t we be preserving all the V force types?

The kids of the future deserve to have this history available.
 
Old 15th Oct 2000, 17:47
  #14 (permalink)  
The Hooded Claw
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Jetfueldrinker - the other TSR 2 is at Cosford. And you're right - it will never fly again!
 
Old 15th Oct 2000, 18:13
  #15 (permalink)  
Dr Jekyll
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Ironguts.

There is a Valiant preserved in the RAF museum at Hendon.
 
Old 15th Oct 2000, 18:26
  #16 (permalink)  
PA38
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A formation of the V bomber force would rival the Battle of Britain flight..
But becuase it costs mega bucks it will never happen.
Perhaps we should have the case put to the lottery commision, by a non European (can't say black) gay person pref a politcal refugee.
It's the only way I can think of funding it...
Whoops the political correct brigade will be after me now.
But it's TRUE.
 
Old 15th Oct 2000, 19:17
  #17 (permalink)  
VFE
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PA38 - I've lived!!
Fantastic aeroplane, my favourite ever.
Lets all support the cause and get it back up there. (It's always been my dream to visit the cockpit of one, does anyone know where and if this is possible?).
Awesome.

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And up we go!
 
Old 15th Oct 2000, 20:01
  #18 (permalink)  
Mooney
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PA38,

One question- How has the CAA taken to this idea of a Vulcan flying again? Given their past history on UK classic a/c flying.

There is also a superb Vulcan at Wellesbourne Mountford which is powered up from time to time- and it's also great to look inside.

It's good to see the US government giving some money- let's hope the UK government can provide some good backing to.

I also saw the Vulcan being displayed at RAF Abingdon during the 1980's it was an amazing site and the noise will live with me for life.
 
Old 15th Oct 2000, 22:43
  #19 (permalink)  
Troy Tempest
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VFE - you can visit the cockpit of a Vulcan at the North East Aircraft Museum in Sunderland - it's open most weekends. Unfortunately this one will never fly but you get the feeling for it! It would be good to see funding allocated not just to get on example flying but the 15 or so around the country restored to a high standard!
 
Old 15th Oct 2000, 23:44
  #20 (permalink)  
PA38
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The last I heard is if enough money could be found, the the CAA and BAe had no objection, and would even help!(that would be a first for the CAA)
 


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