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Post by Bruce on Oct 5, 2007 17:58:05 GMT 12
I have been following progress on the restoration of Vulcan XH558 at Bruntingthorpe in the UK. What the team have achieved to date is mind blowing, certainly the most complex aircraft restoration to date. latest news from the Vulcan website and Forum is that '558 is now complete as far as engineering goes. the final paperwork is being sorted in preparation for the Permitto fly inspection. after that she'll be test flown probably within the next 2 weeks. I would actually recommend having a look at the forum on the Vulcan site as well ( www.tvoc.co.uk ) as it is quite hard case - its good fun stirring the poms about the Rugby! Go the Tin Triangle! |
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Post by p40fanatic on Oct 6, 2007 11:09:10 GMT 12
Thanks for the great news Bruce! I'm just at the site now doing my bit for the Vulcan - go the Gift Shop! Some really nice things on there, although postage is a bit of a killer.
Greatly looking forward to the news she's flown again....tantalisingly close now!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 8, 2007 13:37:34 GMT 12
Will it be at Wanaka?   |
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Post by p40fanatic on Oct 8, 2007 17:42:53 GMT 12
.....*cue Beach Boys song* wouldn't it beee niiiiiiiiiiiiice?!
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Post by flyjoe180 on Oct 8, 2007 18:41:44 GMT 12
A Vulcan overcast  Live long and prosper! |
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Post by planeimages on Oct 8, 2007 19:18:48 GMT 12
I was given a comprehensive walk-round of XH558 when I visited Bruntingthorpe in June this year. I had hoped that she would have been ready to fly then but that was not to be. My host, Denis Parker, was very obliging. Here are some pix as she stood on 8.6.07.  A general view from the starboard side of XH558.  Inside the port inner engine bay. The engineer was replacing some leaking fuel lines.  This is the wind tunnel model of the Vulcan for the altered delta shape. It was retrieved from a dust bin. Now valued at over 30,000 UKP.  Inside the cockpit of another Vulcan (XM 602) on display at Bruntingthorpe. The cockpit is on a movable stand. |
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Post by p40fanatic on Oct 9, 2007 20:55:26 GMT 12
Pretty! Very nice bud, thanks for posting. Sure will be nice to see her airborne again. Watched some footage of her flying at an airshow in 1992...THE NOISE!!!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 10, 2007 12:45:13 GMT 12
Nice photos Peter. Good to see you back here after a bit of an absense mate.
That wooden model must be pretty valuable in itself, fancy some idiot throwing it out. Outragious.
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Post by planeimages on Oct 10, 2007 19:12:23 GMT 12
Thanks Dave,
Just not been out shooting anything of aviation interest for a while.
I once scored a whole F3 Brabham BT 41 tub from the bin at the Weylock factory.
Cheers
Peter
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Post by corsair67 on Oct 11, 2007 11:21:44 GMT 12
Great shots, Peter: thanks for posting them. Not a small aeroplane, are they?  |
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Post by turboNZ on Oct 11, 2007 11:27:40 GMT 12
Time for a big save up to England !!! After reading the book about the Falklands bombling raid and seeing how cramped that cockpit is, man, they had some BALLS doing that !! |
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Post by Bruce on Oct 15, 2007 10:40:17 GMT 12
According to the TVOC website, '558 taxied under her own power for the first time (post restoration) on Friday - videos are on the website, and she looks great! More taxi runs due in the next few days, first flight not far off now.
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Post by p40fanatic on Oct 15, 2007 17:25:46 GMT 12
It's getting darned close now! Can't wait for those first shots of sky between her tyres and the tarmac!
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Post by planeimages on Oct 15, 2007 18:34:43 GMT 12
Here is the URL to a U Tube video of the taxi test.
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Post by beagle on Oct 15, 2007 18:37:40 GMT 12
Would I be right in saying that the 3rd and 4th crewmen are seated more or less underneath the main cockpit and that is the reason they are not sitting on ejection seats or are they infact behind and below.  ? |
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Post by Bruce on Oct 15, 2007 21:37:08 GMT 12
The rear crew compartment is below and behind the the cockpit, with 3 crew side by side facing aft. They did not have ejection seats due to the size of opening required in the pressure hull to get them out, also the width of the fuselage was too narrow for 3 bang seats side by side. Martin Baker did sucessfully develop an arrangement that fired the centre crewman out first, then moved each side inwards and fired them out the same hole in sequence, but it was massively cumbersome and virtually impossible to retrofit. Instead the crew had to get to the belly entrance hatch, (where the door itself was supposed to provide a wind shield) and get out that way. In practice, most Vulcan flight crew decided never to use the bang seats, on the "everyone or no-one" principle.
'558 doesnt have the Radar or countermeasures gear, and a GPS takes care of the NAV (VFR only) so the crew will consist of a mximum of 3 people with only the Engineer in the back.
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Post by planeimages on Oct 15, 2007 21:41:44 GMT 12
That's very sensible. No one wants a scenario similar to the botched return to the UK in fog to Heathrow where Harry Broadhurst and the pilot punched out, leaving the others to fend for themselves.
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Post by corsair67 on Oct 16, 2007 12:13:23 GMT 12
Didn't some of the early Canberras have the same problem: ejector seat for pilot, but none for the navigator? I think this highlights some of the stupidity in the design of British aviation products; and yet they were also so innovative in many other areas of aircraft design and construction.  |
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Post by Bruce on Oct 18, 2007 22:12:51 GMT 12
XH558 is about to fly - right now... The TVOC web page is really being hammered, as people watch the live webcam feed! Fingers crossed.....
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Post by kiwichappers on Oct 18, 2007 22:19:35 GMT 12
Just heard on the news here this morning that '558 is due to make its first flight today.
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Live long and prosper!
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