Vulcan XH558

It was my last chance to see it.

Posted vids of the Spits, Stringbag, Mustang (extraordinary audio) and B17 in that thread.

 

The mass exodus from the Old Castle was noted by me as well. Sad but I think that was because it was the last realistic chance of seeing the Vulcan in the South ever so more people turned up just for that rather than the whole show. I admit that I was going to be one of them because I was working in the morning but managed to get there just before the wonderful WW1 display. Glad I did!

Having been to the Bournemouth Airshow for the last 5 years it's amazing what people will go to see and not just the Vulcan. Admittedly, she was a massive draw and when she failed to materialise a few years back, you could hear the groans but people did on the whole hang around. Unlike Old Sarum however, Bournemouth does tend to have the Red Arrows every year and they obviously have their own following. It also has the benefit of being on the beach and free so there is that other element of tourists.

What I am saying is, however we are all going to miss the Vulcan, it's shoes will be filled by something else.

Several years ago while on an observers course at Coventry, I had the opportunity to look over and chat to some guys working on the Shackelton based there. They were then (and I preseume it hasn't changed) workig on getting that old bird in the air in time for when the Lancaster has to be retired. After hearing that fire up, I am really looking forward to seeing that on the airshow circuit.

 

Apologies, rather late in replying to you.

Perhaps, I should have worded it slightly differently. But, at the end of this season, going on the information being trundled out by 'The Trust' at the time, the aircraft could have conceivably carried on for 2-3 more years based on the revised engine usage (thanks to modern tech, they are able to monitor the cycles very accurately and tweak the displays to suit) and the new wing strengthening mod. undertaken last year.

I was merely 'passing on the message', it doesn't mean that I don't agree with your points with regards to risk management by the OEMs, or that I think it a conspiracy. At the end of the day, it's their name on the aircraft, and as much as some may moan about it, we just have to accept their decision (I happen to think it is the right decision)

I was unfortunately too young to have seen Vulcans in their heyday, and only have a cloudy memory of them in the 1980's during retirement, and finally in 1992 during XH558's final season*. As such, I'm very grateful that we, the public, got another 8 years out of this aircraft and that I was able to share this with my wife and son (and several thousand other Club members, lol). But,in the end, it has to retire one day and surely better to make it a graceful exit, rather than for another reason.

As for Concorde........ it's a head and heart situation. Fortunately, my head is screwed on and my heart will have to lump it!

Garry

 

Shackleton is going through the hoops of returning to flight. They undertook taxi runs at the club day on Sunday.
Lancaster 'Just Jane' at East Kirkby is also, step by step, returning to flight.
Mosquito. There is 'The Peoples Mosquito' project that is finally coming out from the shadows and is looking to have an example flying in the UK in the next 5 years (or so).

Still not the draw of Vulcan, but there should be plenty to keep an eye on at airshows in the future. But, if you don't mind them on the ground, and you like the 'Vintage Jets', the best day out has to be at Bruntingthorpe for the 'Cold War Jets' collection.

Garry

 

Having had the great delight of seeing these jets operational, it's very much like watching a caged lion pacing up and down as opposed to roaming free on the African plains. A fast taxi by a Lightning is sadly no match for seeing one do a typical Lightning departure - i.e straight up. That said, better a fast fast taxi than stuffed and mounted.

 

Back to the Vulcan. Saw it twice last year at Scarborough and Bournemouth and twice this year at Swansea and last Sunday at Baginton (private event for Vulcan To The Sky club members) from outside of the airfield. Always outstanding. It's arrival on Sunday was prefaced by a short display from a Meteor and a Venom.

Some photos from Scarborough at www.flickr.com/photos/alanh_1953/albums/72157645154875000
and from Sunday at www.flickr.com/photos/alanh_1953/albums/72157658205865379.

Alan.

 

A pity that some jobsworth at Halton Borough Council has stopped the planned flypast over Widnes on 'Safety grounds' It was my only chance to see her.

 

That was to honour Roy Chadwick, the Avro design genius. So sad that many officials these days lack a sense of occasion.

 

At the 1985 Ramstein show the USAF and Luftwaffe launched 8 Phantoms in four pairs in very quick succession. That was a very loud experience. Crowd lines were a lot closer back then so it really did hurt the eardrums.

 

I have heard of Lightnings going from 500 knots at very low level (100' or less) into a vertical climb on full reheat, reaching 48000' in 90 seconds. I don't think that any modern interceptor can get anywhere near that sort of performance...

 

On Radio 2 yesterday, Jeremy Vine was chatting to a Typhoon pilot who said that he had flown at 1500 mph and it should comfortably do Lands End to John o 'G in 20 minutes or so.

The Gripen vertical climb is pretty spectacular too though and very noisy too at shows.

 

I've seen such performances. Awesome.

 

Just looked it up out of curiosity. Typhoon climb rate 62,000 ft in 60 seconds. 1550 mph max. 64,993 ft max operating height.

 

I believe that the Lightening does that in vertical mode.
Is the Typhoon only about 70 degrees or so?

 

That's still one hell of a climb rate. Awesome!

 

I'm no expert (obviously!) and I don't know the climb angles but I did find out that the F22 Raptor is even faster. 100,000 ft in 60 seconds.

Mind you, all of these aircraft are quite possibly even better than the published figures. After all, you may not want to publicise your real capabilities.....

 

Fine send off from Southport this afternoon with the Red Arrows

 

Someone has put this picture on twitter of the Vulcan flying over what appears to be 45699