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Vulcan
Restoration Organisations |
One organisation, The Vulcan Operating Company,
has succeeded in clearing all the formidable hurdles required to
return a Vulcan to airworthy condition. Their Vulcan, XH558 will be
returning to the UK air show circuit in the 2008 season.
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The Vulcan
Operating Company
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The Vulcan operating
company was created to ensure Vulcan XH558 returns to the
sky. Over the last decade XH558 has been resting in a hanger close
to Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire. Sufficient funding
(over £2.5 million) has been secured and CAA clearance has now been
given to allow XH558 to return to where she belongs, in the air.
Click here to visit the
Vulcan Operating Company web site.
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The Vulcan
Restoration Trust
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 The Vulcan Restoration Trust (VRT) owns
Vulcan XL426. She is located on the perimeter of Southend Airport.
The trust has owned her since 1993, and has initiated a restoration
and repair programme utilizing help from both professional engineers
and keen volunteers.
All monies raised
through the VRT go towards maintaining XL426. Annual membership is
currently £20 (Europe £24, rest of world £25) per year. Members
privileges include access to the cockpit of XL426, Trust meetings,
visits to other airbases, talks & slide shows from Vulcan related
experts and Christmas lunch at Southend. As well as this, members
receive a copy of "Vulcan News", the magazine of the VRT which is
printed three times a year. This contains articles and progress
reports on XL426 as well as memoirs of other Vulcan enthusiasts.
The VRT have worked
very hard on restoring and preserving their Vulcan. They have been
able to taxi her (both at low and high speeds) along the runway.
Currently the VRT are
attempting to raise enough money to construct a visitor centre at
Southend airport. It is hoped that the centre will also be able to
provide visitors with information about XL426, and allow the public
to observe the work in progress. Obviously, this is a major
undertaking, and all donations, be they of money or expertise, would
be greatly appreciated. Watch this space for future developments....
After visiting my
Vulcan tribute pages why not look at the official Vulcan Restoration
Trust pages? Click below to access them.
Click here to
visit the
official VRT web site.
The Vulcan Restoration
Trust can be contacted at :
Vulcan Restoration
Trust
PO Box 368
Stevenage
SG1 9BE
United Kingdom
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655
Maintenance and
Preservation Society
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The 655 Maintenance
and Preservation Society (MaPS) is dedicated to keeping Vulcan B2
XM655 in working order. Like the VRT, MaPS have no
plans to return their aircraft to the skies. Instead they hope to
preserve her, and make the occasional taxi run.
The aim of the 655
MaPS Support Group is to promote Vulcan XM655, and assist with its
upkeep. All money raised through the Support Group will be used
solely for the maintenance, preservation and promotion of Vulcan
XM655.
Of the 136 Vulcans
built only 15 now remain intact in the UK. XM655 is the youngest
survivor, and one of only three which are still capable of ground
running and fast taxi runs, and of these, the only Vulcan to be
powered by the more powerful Olympus 301 engines.
The engineering team
are at Wellesbourne on most Saturdays to work on the aircraft.
Visitors are welcome to come along; have a look around, take
pictures, take a look in the cockpit and have a chat with the
volunteers. All that is required is a small donation, as this is the
only income the aircraft has.
Wellesbourne Mountford
airfield is located near the village of Wellesbourne, which is east
of Stratford-upon-Avon, and south of Warwick.
To contact the club
please write to :
655 MaPS,
C/O 33 Fairford Close,
Church Hill North,
Redditch,
Worcs.
B98 9LU
United Kingdom
Click here to visit
the
official XM655 web site.
It is advisable to
visit each of the above web sites to ensure all the membership
details are correct. I cannot be held responsible for any errors or
omissions regarding membership fees to the above organisations.
     
     
     
   
     
     
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