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Avro Vulcan XH558

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Avro Vulcan XH558 / G-VLCN is the only airworthy example of the 134 delta wing subsonic bombers that were operated by the Royal Air Force from 1953 until 1984.

Royal Air Force

XH558 was the twelfth Vulcan B2 built and first flew in 1960 and delivered to No. 230 Operational Conversion Unit RAF at RAF Waddington on 1 July 1960. It was converted to a B2(MRR) in 1973 and to a air-to-air refuelling variant K2 in 1982. It was returned to standard B2 configuration in 1985 and was the last Vulcan in service.

After service with the Royal Air Force the aircraft was sold to C.Walton Limited and delivered by air to Bruntingthorpe on the 23 March 1993. The aircraft was kept in a serviceable condition and would undertake fast taxi runs along Bruntingthorpe's main runway.

Restoration to flight

The engineering staff of the Vulcan Operating Company, including ex-Royal Air Force Junior Technician Ollie "Les" Harvey & Ron "Nutkins" Evans,[1], worked to return Vulcan XH558 to flight, with a test flight hoped for in 2007. They were supported by the "Vulcan to the Sky" club, a supporters and fund raising organisation. Though the website carried an announcement on 1 August 2006 that the project was in danger of being abandoned due to lack of finance,[2] the target of raising the remaining £1.2m was achieved on 31 August 2006, thanks to a high-profile publicity campaign orchestrated by the supporters club, Vulcan to the Sky Club (formerly Club Vulcan 558 Club). Time had almost run out for XH558 when Sir Jack Hayward, a British philanthropist, donated £500,000, which topped off the £860,000 already raised by Vulcan to the Sky Club and Friends. Although the aircraft restoration was nearly complete, the aircraft was not ready for the flypast down the Mall in London for the 25th Anniversary of the Falklands conflict on 17 June 2007 or the RAF Waddington Airshow and the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT).[3]

It was originally intended for the Vulcan to fly during at least one UK airshow during the 2007 season.[4] But due to delays in returning the aircraft to flight, mainly down to delays in the return of refurbished flight-critical components, the aircraft was not ready for the display season.

On 16 August 2007 the aircraft started engine testing on the airfield at Bruntingthorpe. On the next day, XH558's No.3 Rolls-Royce Olympus 202 jet engine was run for the first time in over 20 years. This is a different engine to that used by XH558 during its final seasons with the RAF's Vulcan Display Flight in 1992. All four of the Vulcan's old Olympus engines have been replaced with unused variants which had been stored since 1982, thereby getting the maximum future life span from each engine. The VTS Team also has another four of the type.

Another milestone in the restoration project was achieved on 22 August 2007, when all four of XH558's Olympus engines were run at nearly full power settings, for short intervals. So far, all engine testing has been fault-free. A short video clip of this event is available on YouTube.[5]

The first post-restoration flight, which lasted 34 minutes, took place on 18 October 2007.[6][7]

Two further three hour test flights are to be carried out from Bruntingthorpe aerodrome to prove that the aircraft has been restored to an airworthy condition. After raising the necessary £150,000 the Vulcan to the Sky Trust is resuming the test flight program but still requires £50,000 each month after March 2008 in order for the return to flight project to continue. Partly due to the economic situation, companies have been reluctant to sponsor the project.[8]

On the 14 April 2008 the Vulcan flew from Bruntingthorpe to RAF Cottesmore to have a series of test flights.[9] Whilst in mid air the plane called Mayday after believing the APU was on fire. It landed safely at Cottesmore and the scare was later discovered to be false.[10]

On the 16th April, a further 2 hour test flight was planned to perform "straight line testing" of avionics. The flight was scheduled to go between Cambridge and Marham, however, this was abandoned when one of XH558's undercarriage doors failed to close and the aircraft made a safe return to Bruntingthorpe Airfield.

As of May 2008, XH558 is residing at RAF Conningsby where it will undergo further testing and maintenance. [11]

Operators

 United Kingdom
  • The spaceship HMS Camden Lock in the BBC2 comedy series Hyperdrive bears the serial number XH558 as an homage to the Vulcan bomber. The set and prop designer, model maker Andrew Glazebrook is quoted that, "Its registration number XH558 is actually that of the Royal Air Force's 'Avro Vulcan' bomber and was suggested by the show's writers, Andy Riley and Kevin Cecil."[12]

References

Notes
  1. ^ Restoration Pictures
  2. ^ Vulcan to the Sky Club
  3. ^ BBC News
  4. ^ TV News
  5. ^ "Vulcan XH558 Testing all 4 Engines"
  6. ^ "The Vulcan Bomber returns to the sky"
  7. ^ "First Takeoff Video"
  8. ^ Vulcan to the Sky (2008). "Mayday Mayday – Vulcan hits turbulence en route to Displays". Retrieved 2008-02-19. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  9. ^ Test flights for restored bomber bbc.co.uk, 14 April 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2008
  10. ^ Vulcan bomber suffers fire alert bbc.co.uk, 14 April 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2008
  11. ^ Avro Vulcan XH558 Returns to RAF Conningsby "TVOC", 9 May 2008. Retrieved 10 May 2008
  12. ^ Andrew Glazebrook
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