CHECKSIX/Vulcan - Update 2007

It was on the 31st of August 2006 that Checksix last reported on progress at Bruntingthorpe on the roll out day for Vulcan XH558. We returned at the end of May 2007 to catch up with the team as the deadline for the first requested flights drawn near. XH558 had been requested to take part in a Falklands War Memorial fly past down “the Mall” and over Buckingham Palace on the 16th June 2007 and this date was the target that the whole team were aiming at. Unfortunately on the very morning of our visit a press release was being issued advising that the Falklands memorial date now looked like it would not be achieved, see the press release below reproduced with permission. The next big date in the diary for XH558 is the RAF Waddington air show where she is expected to display.

Press Release: It was our hope that restoration work would have been concluded in time to enable XH558 to participate in the Falklands commemorative events, but we have had a delay in the return of one set of critical-to-flight components from overhaul. Unfortunately, it is therefore doubtful that XH558 will be flying in time for the Falklands commemoration on 17th June. However all other aspects of the work are proceeding to plan. For example, this week will see the Vulcan's landing gear being reinstalled and the aircraft returned to her wheels. When we know more about the length and impact of the delay, which will hopefully be short, we will provide a further update.

So with that depressing news we went on to look at the progress made since the roll out day when many surfaces had been fitted as temporary fixes only. In the hangar there is a real sense of excitement and a great deal of activity in, on, and around the aircraft. The first thing we noticed is that most control surfaces are in place and two engines No2 and 3 are installed and all four jet pipes are installed. There are also a number of visitors in the public side of the hangar taking advantage of the “visitors scheme” that has been extended into May and may be extended into June. The scheme allows groups to visit the site to see and learn about the process of getting the Vulcan back to flight readiness. Alan Rolf, the Project Propulsion Engineer, and Dennis Parker, the Visitor Centre Manager, took time out of a hectic day to talk to us explaining that a great deal has been achieved since roll out.

Although the roll out was to some extent an aesthetic event it did show how far the project had come at that time. Now it looks like things have moved backwards with so much work under way. This is because an awful lot has been done inside the aircraft and until full system testing is complete the open panels will not be closed up. Flight surfaces and power flying control units are all re fitted. The fuel tanks and pipes are all fitted. Engines 1 and 4 are being prepared for fitting at the end of May, then the internal electrical systems will start testing. The testing will then lead to commissioning and closing up the access panels. When the system tests are complete the cockpit will be re built and the canopy fitted. The wing skins have been refitted and the undercarriage bay internal skins are being refitted ready to receive the overhauled undercarriage legs.

Marshall Aerospace, who are leading the works, are showing a great deal of commitment to the project and the Vulcan team are proud of their association with them and the original equipment manufacturers. Due to the continued commitment of all involved, including the public who are still donating money to the project, the fulfilment of the dream is only weeks away. Of course there is still the matter of achieving final permission from the Civil Aviation Authority but the physical work is almost done. Although the Vulcan team are a group of enthusiastic civilians, 95% of them are ex military and trained to the highest order with most of them actually serving on Vulcans during their military careers. Even the person leading the visitors around the site turned out to be an ex-flight crew instructor on Vulcans. All this experience makes Bruntingthorpe the world centre of knowledge and experience on Vulcans. Even the visitors are turning out to be knowledgeable on Vulcan’s with one visitor who started talking to Alan Rolf being the team leader on the Vulcan B.2 design team. He also had the original brochure of the Avro Atlantic the Vulcan based airliner that was never produced. He left the brochure for safe keeping with Alan.

As work builds up momentum at Bruntingthorpe the flight crew are training for the first flight. They have been re-familiarising themselves with the Vulcan on the cockpit of XM602 on loan from the Avro Heritage Centre. They have also recently been training on XM655 at Wellesbourne, a Vulcan maintained in taxiable condition by the XM655 Maintenance and Preservation Society. The flight crew will be made up of Chief Pilot Sqd Leader David Thomas who delivered the Vulcan to Bruntingthorpe on the type’s last flight, Al McDicken and Barry Maserfield. With the overall weight reduced from around 130ton to 95ton XH558 is expected to be a sprightly performer and in some ways she will be a new prototype aircraft due to the changes made during the project. With the four Rolls Royce Olympus Mk201 engines fitted the team will still have another four zero life engines in reserve, the plan is to rotate the engines so all eight of them get some usage. This will allow the team to discover any major problems to be caught before any one engine becomes critical to the ongoing flying programme. The engines have not been tested yet, testing will take place in situ at Bruntingthorpe and if successful taxi trials and chute deployment tests follow. The first flight will of course be the major event and we wait with anticipation for news on this. After the first flight it’s expected that further flight testing will be done from an RAF Station perhaps the old home of the Vulcan at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire. XH558 needs to complete 10 hours of test flying to get the all important clearances just to perform a flypast. Permission to display will take a little longer.

So now all eyes turn to Waddington on the 30th June to see if the Vulcan team can bring XH558 to life. We will update you over the next couple of weeks.

We would like to thank Rusty Drewett, Dennis Parker and Alan Rolf for taking the time to talk to us.

Will Moore / CHK6 UK.