Welcome back XH558!

[Mags 112]

How flippin' wonderful is this?

I grew up visiting air displays and the Avro Vulcan truly captured my heart. The sound those engines made used to make your chest rumble as it flew past (thank you Olympus engines!). I can't tell you how wonderful it was seeing this magnificent aircraft take to the skies again after 14 years. As a side note, you may be interested to know (probably not ) that at the USAF Mildenhall air display one year I actually sat in this very aircraft after writing to the Vulcan association expressing my interest in it.

They gave me and my Dad free passes to have a look around in it whilst it was being prepared for flight. You should have seen the faces of all the aircraft enthusiasts as this rather scruffy 13 year old girl in DM boots was allowed to scramble over the barriers with her Dad, aided by a rather severe looking US airman.

Anyway, that's me done enough embarrassing of myself for one day. If you enjoy aircraft you'll love watching the best aircraft ever made (close second is the Mark 2 Spitfire and the P-51...Merlin engines...w00t!) taking to the skies for the first time in decades.

/sigh

P.S. Now they just need to repaint the Vulcan with pictures of cats and my world will be complete!

http://www.tvoc.co.uk/

Edited December 20, 2007 by Mags

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I think there's still one at the airport in Southend.

They used the Vulcan in that Bond movie - Thunderball.

[Mags 112]

I think there's still one at the airport in Southend.

They used the Vulcan in that Bond movie - Thunderball.

There is...XL426. My parents live on the Southend Airport flight path and we remember it coming in to land - took them three attempts as the runway isn't quite long enough. One of my Dad's friends works for the CAA and he is the one in charge of giving XL426 flight certification and he says it ain't ever going to happen. It needs too many repairs and the air frame has no flying hours left. I think there was also some accusations of mismanaged funds by the bloke in charge of the charity involved in its "restoration"....

With XH558 they had a better chance...plus they stole parts from other Vulcans to get flying hours for parts.

Okay, now I sound like a right saddo.

[mawilson 2,133]

[eric&gen 0]