Posted on 10/02/2015 7:40:36 PM PDT by DFG
The world's last flying Avro Vulcan is preparing for its final ever flights after the decision was made to permanently ground the Cold War veteran jet. The four-engined bomber, which saw action in the Falklands, is undertaking two final missions on October 10 and 11, flying long loops of the country from north to south. Chief pilot Martin Withers, who broke the record for the world's longest bombing mission in April 1982, is currently preparing a route for the final flights, which are being designed so as many people as possible will be able to see the jet.
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Neat, thanks. I remember building a model of one when I was a teenager.
Ooo pretty bird
Always loved how the Brits “molded” the engines into the wings. Beautiful aircraft.
Thunderball!
Will have a new life as a SyFy channel interstellar fighter.
Saw one in the late 60s at an airshow. Beautiful airplane. And put on quite a flight demonstration.
Nice pic.
Avro Vulcan XH558 and Her Praetorian Guards for the Last Time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPCGT_DXh_Q
Great video about how the brits managed to get the Vulcan all they way to the Falkands via multiple refueling of the refueling tankers.
Falklands’ Most Daring Raid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBJ99bIhAVk
Gorgeous airplane.
“Always loved how the Brits “molded” the engines into the wings. Beautiful aircraft.”
...which is why the de Havilland Comet is STILL (with the possible exception of the “special” 747 in Raymond Loewy presidential livery) the most beautiful airliner ever made to this day. I believe that the early jet engines were not exactly high performance and they needed every speck of aerodynamics in order to make the design work.
I remember when there was a Brit training squadron at Offutt AFB that trained the Vulcan crews on the Midwest bombing ranges. Impressive when that giant manta ray-like jet took off at an almost vertical angle.
From the article it seems the manufacturers won’t supply tech support to the owners anymore if I understand correctly.
I don’t think anything is wrong with the airframe.
I was there.
Beautiful jet. Looks very efficient and probably would be with better engines and other things.
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