The Vulcan's Future

Shame i was following it on twitter last summer for photo oppurtunities, saw her leave Waddo when the brakes were fixed a week after the air show, could be the last pics i'll get i only got 3 airborne. A lot of people were disappointed at the show because it couldn't fly last year.
 
gutted - waited for a few years for this to get back in the air, and then never got to see it fly.

When I win the euro millions next week - xh558 wil be sorted ;)
 
It flew around at this year's Wings & Wheels absoultely wonderful to see it in flight, got some lovely pictures and so pleased I did
 
Why is it they are always lurching from one financial crisis to another? Last year they were saying that they needed enough money to get on the airshow circuit and then the fees would keep it going. Guess they didn't do the sums properly. Someone somewhere need a new abacus if it's to survive.
 
It is a hugely expensive beastie to keep flying, not only from the engineering point of view but also in the beaurocratic shenanigans and endless inspections and red tape. It has to constantly raise money to keep it going, the income from airshows will help but wont keep it up there.
 
Got a lovely canvas on the wall of a pic I took last year of her.

My fave plane, will be gutted if she's grounded, but we get this every 6 months or so, they've managed to keep her flying so far!
 
Saw it at Dawlish last year and the fly by with the reds on formation was fantastic.
 
saw it in goodwood last year was amazing :D
 
I would have thought that this is an ideal candidate for Lottery funding. After all it's an impressive part of our aviation history, last of a kind, caused quite a buzz when it flew again & I haven't seen it yet!
 
Comfortably Numb said:
I would have thought that this is an ideal candidate for Lottery funding. After all it's an impressive part of our aviation history, last of a kind, caused quite a buzz when it flew again & I haven't seen it yet!
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+1 I want some piccies and will sit up any mountain to get em (yes I count cad as a mountain)
 
Im glad i saw it last year :)

XH558_2.jpg
 
Comfortably Numb said:
I would have thought that this is an ideal candidate for Lottery funding. After all it's an impressive part of our aviation history, last of a kind, caused quite a buzz when it flew again & I haven't seen it yet!
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As impressive as the Vulcan is I see BBMF as being a greater part of our aviation history, something else which requires more money to run the older it gets. My fear is that with defence budget cuts looming, increased operational activity and greater demand on resources that BBMF will become severely underfunded or chopped completly. I'd much rather lottery funding went towards something like that if needed than the Vulcan I'm afraid.
 
Comfortably Numb said:
I would have thought that this is an ideal candidate for Lottery funding.
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No chance, posh people aren't interested in aeroplanes unless it's BA flying them to Barbados and posh arty people control where the money goes, how many millions did they spend on the Churchill papers and the National Opera
 
I heard today they've stripped down an old vulcan for spares so that XH558 can remain having spare parts to source from, as well as 2 brand new RR Olympus engines.
 
wack61 said:
No chance, posh people aren't interested in aeroplanes unless it's BA flying them to Barbados and posh arty people control where the money goes, how many millions did they spend on the Churchill papers and the National Opera
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tbh the churchill papers are a part of our history that has shaped our present and the national opera is something that shapes us now

I need to donate some vulcan money :D
 
Kev M said:
As impressive as the Vulcan is I see BBMF as being a greater part of our aviation history, something else which requires more money to run the older it gets. My fear is that with defence budget cuts looming, increased operational activity and greater demand on resources that BBMF will become severely underfunded or chopped completly. I'd much rather lottery funding went towards something like that if needed than the Vulcan I'm afraid.
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I agree, the Memorial Flight would have to be the No. 1 priority but when you see the amounts available, it must surely be possible to look after both.

I may, of course, be expecting too much common sense on behalf of the Lottery Commission, I suspect I am:cuckoo:

Darren also raises the irritating issue of some of the previous amounts donated, although he can't spell his name correctly:thumbs:
 
Comfortably Numb said:
I would have thought that this is an ideal candidate for Lottery funding. After all it's an impressive part of our aviation history, last of a kind, caused quite a buzz when it flew again & I haven't seen it yet!
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Its had 2.5 million already from the lottery. Lots from donations too. As much as I want to see this fly (and I really do) there is a limit to how much i will put into it.
Last years appearance at Waddington was a complete farce and upset a lot of supporters.


Kev.
 
kevshore said:
Its had 2.5 million already from the lottery. Lots from donations too. As much as I want to see this fly (and I really do) there is a limit to how much i will put into it.
Last years appearance at Waddington was a complete farce and upset a lot of supporters.


Kev.
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Well I stand corrected. I had no idea they had already had what seems like a reasonable donation.

Is the program not being run very well then?
 
Comfortably Numb said:
Well I stand corrected. I had no idea they had already had what seems like a reasonable donation.

Is the program not being run very well then?
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A lot of people feel that the top man should go. Plenty of discussions about it on forums.

Just one post from fighter control:

[after much discussion in the staff room, we feel this content is potentially libellous and have therefore decided it best to remove it]


Plenty more if you search..
 
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Blimey, that's a scathing review isn't it. The irony is though it does sound rather like it's being run like a proper military project. Badly planned, badly financed, behind schedule and likely to be shelved. I wonder where this Pleming character got his project maagement experience from, defence procurement per chance?

Fingers crossed for a rosier future eh.
 
I've read similar to what kevshore posted above ^^ in snippets here & there, so I've nowt else to add to this thread really except that if/when the project does fail I can see XH558 continuing to fly, but across the Atlantic in the USA.
 
MScotts said:
I've read similar to what kevshore posted above ^^ in snippets here & there, so I've nowt else to add to this thread really except that if/when the project does fail I can see XH558 continuing to fly, but across the Atlantic in the USA.
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:agree:
 
Wow, being so far away I didn't realise. That is awful, I always thought that there was a hell of a lot of support for the project and that it has had lottery money in the past. I know running these aircraft is VERY expensive but yes if everyone knew hoe much it cost to run and things people would be more willing to assist.

But yes it will either end up in the states or at Thunder City in Sth Africa. The other alt is that it will end up like concord...nothing but a shapely lump of metal on display somewhere....hopefully not like the one in Blackpool.....

Roo
 
I donated 250 squids of my hard earned when she was in little bits spread around a hangar. Have never seen her fly. Moved to Canada the year before she went airborne. :(

It is a mighty expensive project to keep running and as mentioned the current global financial crisis will dictate its future.
 
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