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Author Topic: Vulcan's last flights  (Read 455 times)

Offline Flossy

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Vulcan's last flights
« on: October 11, 2015, 01:11:13 PM »
This weekend a Vulcan Bomber XH588 made it's last flights for the foreseeable future as it is now too expensive to keep in the air.  We managed to see it as it flew over Lake Windermere about 16 miles from where we live.  I took a short video and a couple of photos.

https://www.facebook.com/helen.lister.5/videos/10206931106491786/?l=1122900656337750825

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10206931098371583.1073741878.1101875341&type=1&l=bd9e05a93b
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Offline Zacherof

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Re: Vulcan's last flights
« Reply #1 on: October 11, 2015, 07:42:31 PM »
Quote from: Flossy on October 11, 2015, 01:11:13 PM
This weekend a Vulcan Bomber XH588 made it's last flights for the foreseeable future as it is now too expensive to keep in the air.  We managed to see it as it flew over Lake Windermere about 16 miles from where we live.  I took a short video and a couple of photos.

https://www.facebook.com/helen.lister.5/videos/10206931106491786/?l=1122900656337750825

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10206931098371583.1073741878.1101875341&type=1&l=bd9e05a93b
neat stuff!!!!
And a beautiful plane
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Offline Ripsnort

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Re: Vulcan's last flights
« Reply #2 on: October 11, 2015, 08:56:20 PM »
Beautiful jet. I saw one doing acrobatics over McChord AFB back in the 90's.
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Offline NatCigg

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Re: Vulcan's last flights
« Reply #3 on: October 11, 2015, 10:17:13 PM »
 :salute

for the sake of history and the kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPab6Hhk9Rw

aerobatics in a bomber..... :old:  :salute
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Offline Gman

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Re: Vulcan's last flights
« Reply #4 on: October 12, 2015, 10:07:03 AM »
I saw a video last week of the final air show the Vulcan flew in, in formation with the Arrows, in cockpit video from the Vulcan, as well as outside from the rear seat of one of the Hawks. 

One of my favorite aviation documentaries/stories from the Falklands war is about the bombing mission from Ascension flown by the Vulcans/tankers.  A great looking plane, very capable as well.  It's a shame it won't be flying due to $ anymore, but at least there is a surviving example that will be flyable in the future if some rich benefactor comes around.

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Offline bustr

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Re: Vulcan's last flights
« Reply #5 on: October 12, 2015, 03:41:55 PM »
Are there any flying Victors around?
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This is like the old joke that voters are harsher to their beer brewer if he has an outage, than their politicians after raising their taxes. Death and taxes are certain but, fun and sex is only now.

Offline Gman

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Re: Vulcan's last flights
« Reply #6 on: October 12, 2015, 04:35:55 PM »
I had just gone to read a bunch of stuff on the "V" planes of the RAF - I don't think any flying Victors survived, and there are very, very few left even on display, where as the Vulcan has dozens about still in display condition.  Too bad, as the Vic is a very unique and interesting looking aircraft.  It was just as critical as the Vulcan was in the famous Falklands longest bombing mission in history deal, in fact they used every Victor tanker in their inventory, and still nearly ran the single Vulcan out of gas on that mission. 
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Offline Scherf

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Re: Vulcan's last flights
« Reply #7 on: October 12, 2015, 04:58:53 PM »
Technically, there are no flying Victors, however one did briefly take to the air "accidentally" after an over-enthusiastic fast taxi.
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Offline Brooke

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Re: Vulcan's last flights
« Reply #8 on: October 12, 2015, 05:26:29 PM »
An excellent short documentary on the Vulcan and the Faulklands strike -- well worth watching:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBJ99bIhAVk
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Offline bustr

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Re: Vulcan's last flights
« Reply #9 on: October 12, 2015, 05:34:55 PM »
Leave it to the British to build beautiful weapons of war that stir men's hearts. Leave it to the US to build sledge hammers to flatten every occasion.
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This is like the old joke that voters are harsher to their beer brewer if he has an outage, than their politicians after raising their taxes. Death and taxes are certain but, fun and sex is only now.

Offline Scherf

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Re: Vulcan's last flights
« Reply #10 on: October 12, 2015, 06:29:46 PM »
Hmmm, most of the big beautiful planes were nuke bombers, their time had passed by the time they were built, B-58 Hustler was certainly a gorgeous machine.

BUFFs on the other hand, get the non-nuke job done, proving once again that quantity has a quality all its own.

Sad to see the Vulcan grounded again though.
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... missions were to be met by the commitment of alerted swarms of fighters, composed of Me 109's and Fw 190's, that were strategically based to protect industrial installations. The inferior capabilities of these fighters against the Mosquitoes made this a hopeless and uneconomical effort. 1.JD KTB

Offline pipz

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Re: Vulcan's last flights
« Reply #11 on: October 12, 2015, 07:54:28 PM »
I was surprised to learn they had one flying. It had to very expensive to keep such a machine in flying condition. Its a great looking aeroplane.
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Offline Scherf

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Re: Vulcan's last flights
« Reply #12 on: October 12, 2015, 08:27:29 PM »
A group put it back into the air with a combination of private donations and lottery money. Apparently however the airframe has exceeded it's "maximum hours" by a considerable margin and the outside engineering cos who have been maintaining it have said they will no longer do so. It's going on static display, as I understand it the idea is to keep it in a condition that's as close as possible to "flight capable" (not sure if that's the right term), just in case, however there's questions as to whether receipts from visitors will be sufficient to cover those kinds of costs.
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... missions were to be met by the commitment of alerted swarms of fighters, composed of Me 109's and Fw 190's, that were strategically based to protect industrial installations. The inferior capabilities of these fighters against the Mosquitoes made this a hopeless and uneconomical effort. 1.JD KTB

Offline Dichotomy

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Re: Vulcan's last flights
« Reply #13 on: October 13, 2015, 11:31:09 PM »
Beautiful plane.  I got to see one do a low pass over General Dynamics in Ft. Worth in the mid 80's.  I believe it was here for an airshow.
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Offline Brooke

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Re: Vulcan's last flights
« Reply #14 on: October 14, 2015, 02:03:32 AM »
Also, don't forget the Vulcan in Thunderball!  :aok
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