Last Airworthy Vulcan Bomber Likely To Be Grounded

My contract with Brit Breaks is to write “challenging articles with a particular slant on Britain and what is happening in our beautiful homeland” I provide this introduction just in case you wonder what I actually do here.

But as the other administrators backs are currently turned, I'm writing a blog today about something that is close to my own heart. As you can see from the title, I'm referring to the last airworthy Vulcan bomber, also known as XH558. Now based at Robin Hood Airport in South Yorkshire, the phrase that is likely to spell its doom was uttered by the Leicestershire-based Vulcan To The Sky Trust, which has announced that the aircraft needs “challenging modifications” to both wings.

Having already spent in the region of £20 million on getting the aircraft back in the sky and keeping her there, the Trust plainly feels that this is just more than they can cope with. Funds have been provided by generous donations, but the specified works that are required are felt to be beyond anything that could be gained by the usual sources.

With shortages of parts already a problem, the Trust needs about £2 million a year to keep “her” airborne, and supporters have been told by Trust chief executive, Dr. Robert Pleming, that "we know that you would do your utmost to fund this work, but for a number of reasons we have decided not to ask you to take this risk."

Affectionately known as the “Tin Triangle”, XH558 has already flown over ten per cent more than was originally intended, and for a design that was only ever envisaged to last ten to fifteen years, her fifty two years of life are a great achievement.

There are some other figures that are quite mind boggling including the fact that there are fifteen miles of cabling inside an aircraft that weighs fifteen tons, and of that original fifteen miles, five have been replaced during the restoration work. Only three people can ride on board, two less than in its pomp, where the crew also included the navigator and the person to release the bombs. There is limited vision so that the aircraft could survive severe blast from a nuclear bomb being dropped.

It's been a funny few weeks for those interested in the history of the Cold War. Early last month, it was announced that with the help of English Heritage, two missile silos, one in Northamptonshire and one Rutland, had been given protected status, while here we are now digesting this sad news about XH558.