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The airplane was a VERY large tailless jet flying wing almost delta in shape (but not a straight delta). It had a tricycle gear. The leading edge of the wing was not straight. It was swept back in several straight segments. Naturally, it had British markings. From the pictures I googled of the Vulcan, that was it.

One thing I strongly remember is that where the landing gear was attached to the wing leading edge, there were NOT flush rivets or bolts. There were great big rounded heads sticking out into the airstream. I thought that was particularly crude compared to American airplanes, but it was explained to be by a person on staff that it was an old airplane (and that was back when I was a kid). There was also an article in the newspaper about the British getting it airworthy for the war.

The museum was the Offut Air Force Museum (where the Strategic Air Command was stationed). My memory of the situation is not incorrect. I have no idea if it actually went into combat, but the paper said it was being retrieved and flown out because of the war. Since it was durning the Faulklands war, I believed it and still do.

You'll have to do a lot of explaining. The Vulcan on display at Offut didn't arrive there until June 1982.

http://www.strategicairandspace.com/collections/Vulcan.html

'About our Mk. II Vulcan: This Vulcan (S/N XM573) was the 101st aircraft produced, it was delivered to the Royal Air Force Strike Command in March, 1963. It was presented to the Strategic Air & Space Musuem as a token of cooperation between the Royal Air Force and the Strategic Air Command, and made it's last flight into Offutt AFB, Nebraska in June, 1982. This Vulcan is one of three Vulcans on display in the United States.'

This is the Vulcan at Offut. XM573

http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1002559/

Here is the very same aircraft landing at RAF Waddington during 1981

http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1046502/

I serve in the RAF. No Vulcan was retrieved from any museum, anywhere, for service. ALL Vulcans that took part in the conflict were airframes still in service with the RAF.