Don't know why but that Simply Red song 'Holding back the years' came into my head yesterday, so I thought I know what about a blast from the past for the Vulcan Blog today...
So, I thought I'd have a delve into the archives at the Vulcan footage, and thought the old footage of the barrel roll would be a corker to feature, so here it is, with thanks to You Tube's tkey for this one (you can view tkey's You Tube Channel here)...
The above footage was shot at Woodfield Airfield near Manchester - how I miss those Airshows each year, although I do remember on many occasions getting soaked to the bone there!
Wouldn't it be great to have that airshow back again, I know it's not going to happen, but I can still wish!
Tuesday 25 January 2011
Monday 24 January 2011
Winter Service Update
Well we're now well into January, and all those new year celebrations are now a thing of the past, instead our thoughts are now turning to the the end of winter and return of Spring, which hopefully will see the return to the sky of our Delta Lady too!
The Winter Service is the name of the game at the moment, and the latest update from the Vulcan To The Sky crew confirmed that there were 100 'non routine' cards identifying repair actions. That figure is a little higher than hoped, but these were minor issues such as replacement seals and door fasteners, as well as maintenance to remove corrosion followed by a high-temperature paint.
The final phase of the service will commence this week, and the team have now received permission from Health and Safety to use a powerful X-ray machine, according to Engineering Director, Andrew Edmondson, and areas to receive special attention will be some parts of the spars and the stressed areas where the wings join the fuselage.
Funding is always an issue with the Vulcan of course, with the public constantly backing the project with their own money, and those who contribute do so knowing that the only payback they are interested in seeing is the sight of the beautiful XH558 in the air across the country at various airshows.
The winter service is expected to cost over £100k and so far £10k has been raised towards it via the Winter Service Plaque campaign - and The Vulcan Bomber Blog will be amongst those names to go in the bomb bay following a donation to the cause.
With the absolutely freezing weather which has dominated the country will hopefully be shifting soon, and we'll get to the stage where we can all look forward to warmer weather and sunnier skies, and hopefully we can all play a part in helping the Vulcan crew to deliver show stopping performances at the early airshows - which have been missed in recent years due to a lack of funds.
It's also approaching that time when we see some provisional bookings being rumoured about or confirmed on the Vulcan's appearances page - looking forward to seeing that filling up as time goes on!
That's it for this weekend, look forward to hearing some more positive news very soon!
The final phase of the service will commence this week, and the team have now received permission from Health and Safety to use a powerful X-ray machine, according to Engineering Director, Andrew Edmondson, and areas to receive special attention will be some parts of the spars and the stressed areas where the wings join the fuselage.
Funding is always an issue with the Vulcan of course, with the public constantly backing the project with their own money, and those who contribute do so knowing that the only payback they are interested in seeing is the sight of the beautiful XH558 in the air across the country at various airshows.
With the absolutely freezing weather which has dominated the country will hopefully be shifting soon, and we'll get to the stage where we can all look forward to warmer weather and sunnier skies, and hopefully we can all play a part in helping the Vulcan crew to deliver show stopping performances at the early airshows - which have been missed in recent years due to a lack of funds.
It's also approaching that time when we see some provisional bookings being rumoured about or confirmed on the Vulcan's appearances page - looking forward to seeing that filling up as time goes on!
That's it for this weekend, look forward to hearing some more positive news very soon!
Monday 10 January 2011
Another Display season is on the horizon!
Happy New Year to all Vulcan fanatics that are reading this blog, hope you all had a great Christmas!
Now that 2011 has arrived, it's time once again to start getting the excitement of the nearing of another display season, and with the close shaves that the Delta Lady has had, it's fair to say that for Vulcan fans the excitement of seeing her in the air again for another year is more and more valued as each new year passes.
The new Facebook page has proved a roaring success with now over 2600 people 'liking' the new page, and I'm sure that will grow as time moves on.
The latest press release from the Vulcan team is that the winter service is hoped to be a lot less stressful than the last one, with a few components to be changed, engineering director Andrew Edmondson confimed, "We aren't expecting to find anything, but if we do then addressing them now will save a lot of money and hassle in the future. Cracking in aluminium is usually undetectable by the naked eye and can develop quickly, so early identification is vital."
Andrew also explained that the service would certainly hit the six figure mark once the total costs of the service were added up, so funding is vital for the project - which I'm sure we're all well aware of.
One of the initiatives that the team have come up with is a great idea to have your name added to the Winter Service Plaque on the Bomb Bay doors for a donation of onluy £20, and I'm sure many will take advantage of that offer - myself included!
The Vulcan is of course now accessible thanks to the hangar tour that the team are doing, which means you can get up close and personal with arguably the world's best aircraft - and up close she is just as beautiful as she is up there in the sky.
All you need to do is to e-mail tours@vulcantothesky.org and you could be on the next tour which is well worth a donation I'm sure!
The January Sale has also started in the Vulcan Shop now so forget that trip into town, and avoid the queues at Primark, M&S, and Boots, the Vulcan Shop is a great place to head instead, and from the beauty of your own living room!
It's time to get revving the engines as the Spring edges that bit nearer with the passing of each day, and let's hope that the dates of the Airshow appearances are revealed soon, as it's always one of the most eagerly awaited moments seeing that list updated!
Anyway, that's it for now.
Now that 2011 has arrived, it's time once again to start getting the excitement of the nearing of another display season, and with the close shaves that the Delta Lady has had, it's fair to say that for Vulcan fans the excitement of seeing her in the air again for another year is more and more valued as each new year passes.
The new Facebook page has proved a roaring success with now over 2600 people 'liking' the new page, and I'm sure that will grow as time moves on.
Andrew also explained that the service would certainly hit the six figure mark once the total costs of the service were added up, so funding is vital for the project - which I'm sure we're all well aware of.
One of the initiatives that the team have come up with is a great idea to have your name added to the Winter Service Plaque on the Bomb Bay doors for a donation of onluy £20, and I'm sure many will take advantage of that offer - myself included!
The Vulcan is of course now accessible thanks to the hangar tour that the team are doing, which means you can get up close and personal with arguably the world's best aircraft - and up close she is just as beautiful as she is up there in the sky.
All you need to do is to e-mail tours@vulcantothesky.org and you could be on the next tour which is well worth a donation I'm sure!
It's time to get revving the engines as the Spring edges that bit nearer with the passing of each day, and let's hope that the dates of the Airshow appearances are revealed soon, as it's always one of the most eagerly awaited moments seeing that list updated!
Anyway, that's it for now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)