Vulcan XH558 : news, updates, developments, rumours

[aviodromefriend]

Here we go again! From today's newsletter: Yes, another money problem.

But I have to tell you that due to factors beyond our control, we see that we risk running out of money ahead of the air shows themselves.

One significant reason is that the VAT regulations applying to large non-commercial aircraft like the Vulcan were changed with very little warning at the beginning of January. In practice, this means the sudden imposition of 20% VAT on all the parts and services for the maintenance of XH558, which up until then were zero-rated. Added to this, our fuel budget is now nearly double that originally planned.

Finally, we are close to committing to the production and delivery of an exciting new stage of our educational programme that will be available countrywide in the autumn. We have already delivered education packs for 7-11 and 11-16 year olds that have been very well received. If we raise an additional £50,000, not only will we extend the audience to all Key Stage age groups, we will also be able to offer the package nationally in an award winning format - a core educational objective.

Help XH558 take-off in March

When we add these extra costs to her ongoing operational expenses, we need to raise an additional £350,000 by the end of May to ensure that XH558 arrives on the air show circuit with stable finances. This amount is rather smaller than in previous campaigns and we have longer to raise it – a sign of the growing strength of the Trust – but that doesn’t mean that we can fly XH558 without your support. Your contribution is vital.

[JA37]

The neverending story...

[Stratofreighter]

The neverending story...

Naahhh...
The money-begging saga will most likely stop in or after 2012, when the flying hours have run out...
So enjoy this bird while you still can

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.key.aero/view_news.asp?ID=30 ... n=historic

Vulcan returns to V-Force home

Avro Vulcan B2 XH558/G-VLCN flew into Robin Hood Airport near Doncaster yesterday.

Gary Parsons - 30-Mar-2011

Image courtesy Mike Kerr

March 30: Avro Vulcan B2 XH558/G-VLCN operated by the Vulcan to the Sky Trust flew into Robin Hood Airport near Doncaster yesterday, its new operating base for the 2011 airshow season.

It was a homecoming for XH558 - Robin Hood Airport is the former RAF Finningley in South Yorkshire, a Vulcan base in the 1960s and where XH558 spent some time on Quick Reaction Alert.

Due to changes to the VAT system earlier this year, the Trust still needs donations to continue operating – please visit http://www.vulcantothesky.org/donate/ for more details.

For more on this story see the June issues of FlyPast and AirForces Monthly magazines, out early May.

[Stratofreighter]

The "Delta Diva" still has an unhealthy appetite for "dirty dosh"...

Ah well, after 2012 she will have run out of hours...

http://www.vulcantothesky.org/news/182/ ... ulcan.html

Four weeks to save your Vulcan
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Mar 25, 2011. Posted to category: Fundraising

Extract from the latest newsletter

Free weekly updates are available direct to your inbox by signing up here:

http://www.vulcantothesky.org/register.html


This newsletter is dedicated to the impending financial crisis that could ground the last flying Vulcan just moments before her biggest flying season ever.

It could ground her when she has already touched-down at her exciting new home.

It could ground her when she is in excellent condition ready to delight more than three million people across the United Kingdom.

We make no apologies for asking for your support.

Please read on because we know that you want XH558 to fly this summer. We also know that almost all her supporters are waiting for someone else to pay to keep her flying.

If just half of the recipients of the postal mailing gave £20, we would now have around £400,000 - more than enough for XH558 to fly at around 30 airshows this year.

If every recipient of this eNewsletter gave £10, a figure the vast majority of people can comfortably afford, we would have sufficient to enter the summer season with confidence.

So why has the spring appeal raised not much more than ten percent of this amount?

The passionate, core supporters are consistently very generous while the rest enjoy her, look forward to seeing her, talk about their pride in her, but do nothing to keep her flying.
Which group are you in?

What do we need to save the last flying Vulcan?

During the first week in April, less than two weeks away, we will decide if XH558 can continue to fly, owned by a charity for the British people.

What do we need to raise each month to survive?

£75,000 by the end of March
£125,000 by the end of April
£150,000 by the end of May
£350,000 in total

So far, we have received just £37,145, leaving us the challenging task of raising £37,855 in the last week of March.

Airshow appearance fees cover most flying costs but rarely leave any contribution towards her winter maintenance, hangarage, insurance and other overheads, particularly this year as public spending cuts mean that funding for RAF, RN and municipal airshow events has dropped dramatically.

Last year, however, we began to generate significant revenues from the Vulcan Village (our merchandise store) at shows.

This year, thanks to the hard work of volunteers, many from the Club, we will have a full-season of income from this profitable activity.

We also have a range of new commercial activities that will start to make significant contributions early in the summer,

including cufflinks and a luxury watch both made with Vulcan airframe materials, a superb print of the XH558 at Goodwood available with a crested display panel signed by Squadron Leader Martin Withers DFC

and of course the auction of many more original Vulcan components including instruments, turbine blades and some fascinating technical curiosities.

Data reveals stark truth

How much have we raised towards the £350,000 needed to take off for the 2011 season?


The runway graphic has returned to the website and shows how far short of the target we are.

Currently, a little more than £37,000 has been raised, most of which has come from a very small number of very generous supporters to whom we are immensely grateful. Thank you.

Substantially less than one percent of the signed-up supporters who received the postal mailing have signed a standing order – just 300.

Slightly more than 500 have donated, with an average donation of just £10.

Again, this is significantly less than one percent – one in one hundred – of people receiving the mailer or the eNewsletter.

But that fraction is assuming that all donations are from people who are signed-up supporters, where as many donations come from people who read about the appeal in the media.

This means that a fraction of one percent of her supporters, people who say they support XH558 and want to see her fly, have actually helped to make this possible through the Spring 2011 flying season appeal.

Our most heartfelt thanks go to those 800 people who have donated and to those who already have a standing order or have made a recent donation or purchased merchandise prior to the spring campaign.

We hope that these figures will help you understand why despite your personal generosity, we must not allow others within the supporter group to forget how costly it is to operate a Vulcan.

Help save your Vulcan now - Thank you.

[aviodromefriend]

Just in the inbox:

Dear Supporters and members of the public,

In light of the significant shortfall in the current funding appeal closing at the end of this month, I write to inform you that following discussions this week with the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Trust, I have been asked to convene a meeting of the Board of Trustees for Wednesday 25th May. At that meeting, the Board will review the financial standing and forecasts of the Trust and agree the options available to us.

I am delighted with the progress made in recent months towards securing a much brighter financial future for XH558 at Robin Hood Airport.

However, we are currently paying out rather more money each month than we are receiving. With the current appeal stalled, the cash reserves raised in this and previous appeals have dropped to a level which will sustain our operation for just a few more weeks. As the result, the Board are obliged by law to discuss and agree the way forward.

XH558 has now flown for three-and-a-half more years than anyone ever expected, through the sheer hard work and determination of many, the support of key companies, but above all, with the many thousands of kind individual donations from you – the members of the public.

As the custodians of XH558, the Board will reach the best decisions for her long-term future, but the need to conserve cash now casts doubts about her current flying plans, and the costs of keeping her airworthy.

We continue to put all our resources, and those of the Board, into seeking solutions. Specifically, we are searching for "White Knights" who could bridge the financial gap we see until the new revenue streams at Robin Hood commence in the autumn.

We will write again next week, detailing the conclusions of the Board meeting and the decisions made as a result.

Yours sincerely,
Robert Pleming
Chief Executive

[aviodromefriend]

Leak in a fuel tank will ground the aircraft for coming weekend (6 appearances in total were planned), although it is also stated repairs will take 2 á 3 weeks minimum. http://www.vulcantothesky.org/news/234/ ... ulcan.html

[Stratofreighter]

Vulcan to fly next year in salute to Queen

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/fligh ... queen.html

With only charitable donations and occasional corporate support to rely on, the trust admits it lives a hand to mouth existence in raising the £2 million needed each year to keep the iconic delta-winged aircraft in the air.

So it is to be hoped that a significant coup pulled off by the trust will help raise its profile - and much needed cash - during its 60th birhtday next year (XH558 itself dates from 1960).

To mark another 60th anniversary, the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth, the aircraft is being renamed The Spirit of Great Britain, and with the blessing of Buckingham Palace will take part in next year's celebrations of Her Majesty's coming to the throne.

Throughout the year, XH558 will carry a leather bound book of good wishes containing names of individuals, families and businesses. It will be presented to Her Majesty at the end of the season.

Although negotiations are still taking place, Vulcan to the Sky Trust chief executive Dr Robert Pleming says he would love the Vulcan to take part in a tribute flypast for Her Majesty, possibly including an appearance over all four capital cities of the kingdom.

[aviodromefriend]

Vulcan to fly next year in salute to Queen

Only if sufficient funds are raised AND this happens in time to start winter maintenance. (First of the appeals for this winter needs GBP 320,000 before the end of this year with 20,000 raised at the beginning of this week.

To mark another 60th anniversary, the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth, the aircraft is being renamed The Spirit of Great Britain,

That name has already been carried for both the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.vulcantothesky.org/news/352/ ... pdate.html

May 28, 2012

Monday May 28th

Engine Failure Update

XH558 was scheduled to take off at noon on May 28th for a crew currency and display training flight.

Just after the start of the take-off roll, she experienced problems with two of her Olympus engines.

The crew immediately shut all engines down and everyone is safe.

At this stage, we don't have any further information but we will keep supporters informed via Twitter (@XH558), Facebook (Vulcan XH558) and the news section (here) of the charity's website (http://www.vulcantothesky.org).

Unfortunately, this means that she will not be able to fly for at least two weeks,
although we will not know exactly how long rectification will take until the problem has been thoroughly investigated.

http://www.vulcantothesky.org/news/353/ ... pdate.html

May 29, 2012

Tuesday May 29th
The failure occurred in the two port side engines (1 & 2) on the ground as the aircraft was easing towards full power at the start of her take-off roll.

She is now back in her hangar where the technical team will investigate the problem.

Our initial thought is that the symptoms are very much like those experienced when something is ingested by an engine so we will be investigating all possible sources.
We would like to thank Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield (RHADS) for their immediate assistance and professionalism yesterday.

And according to http://www.vulcantothesky.org still some 28,000 GBP to raise till the 1st of June 2012.

[aviodromefriend]

And according to http://www.vulcantothesky.org still some 28,000 GBP to raise till the 1st of June 2012.

IF that deadline was serious, why would they have put some things on ebay to raise funds towards this appeal with the auction running until after that deadline?

TBH I expect an emergency-repair appeal to be launched within a week, that is if they don't throw the towel.

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.vulcantothesky.org/news/354/ ... pdate.html

Engine Damage Update
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May 30, 2012

Wednesday 30th May

The technical team spent yesterday (Tuesday) investigating the engine damage on XH558, to determine its cause and to start assessing the timescale and cost of rectification.

We have already established that both engines No.1 and No.2 on the port side are sadly beyond repair, both having suffered blade damage and the effect of excessive heat.

The primary cause of the damage has been determined to be ingestion of silica gel desiccant bags.
The most likely sequence of events was that material was ingested by No.1 engine, which surged and suffered LP compressor blade failure.
Debris was then sucked into No. 2 which then also failed.

All relevant agencies and technical authorities have been informed. “We have been greatly reassured by the support from industry colleagues, and would like to thank all those who have offered help,” said engineering director Andrew Edmondson.

We would also like to place on record our thanks to all at Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield for their swift and professional reaction on Monday, whilst also apologising to those affected by delays or diversions.

In accordance with normal procedures, a formal investigation into the incident has been opened, chaired by the Chairman of the Trust’s Safety Review Committee.

The technical inspection has so far showed that no airframe damage was sustained, with damage being limited to the engines.

The next step is to replace the damaged engines with two from the Trust’s remaining stock.
Timescales for a return to flight are not yet clear – we will of course update the web site with progress and give details in the e-newsletters each week.

“We are deeply sorry that this incident has happened, and at this time in 2012.

The additional unplanned costs are clearly very worrying as resources are, as ever very tight” said the charity’s chief executive, Dr. Robert Pleming.

“We are actively working on a plan to recover our Jubilee season schedule and we will share this with you as soon as practical via the newsletter, Facebook page, Twitter feed and the web site.”

With many thanks to all for continuing to support Vulcan XH558.

The Vulcan Team

And of course LOTS of comments, advice, remarks, future predictions etcetera at
http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic. ... start=8225
plus
http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=117082
and
http://www.pprune.org/aviation-history- ... h-may.html
not to forget
http://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/v ... .php?f=334

...pretty much ad nauseam ...

[theo]

Newsletter from the Vulcant to the Sky Trust today:

To avoid any continuing uncertainty and to clarify our current position, Michael Trotter, our Business Development Director yesterday contacted all of the display organisers booked up to and including RAF Waddington, to advise them that XH558 would not be able to attend. Therefore, our target for the first public display of 2012 will be at RAF Fairford, for the Royal International Air Tattoo.

We are obviously sorry for anyone expecting to see the aircraft at events in June, but in light of circumstances, we felt it best to make an early call on the likely availability and timescale to a return to flight, considering new engines will have to be air-tested before we can consider undertaking a public display.
See Vulcan to the Sky website for more info including pictures of maintenance activities this week performed as preparation for the dual engines replacement.

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.vulcantothesky.org/news/409/ ... -2013.html

End of Flight in 2013

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

official press release

Final season announced for last flying Vulcan


Vulcan to the Sky Trust prepares to make 2013 a spectacular final flying season but £400,000 needs to be raised within months to fund winter service



Vulcan to the Sky Trust, the charity that operates the last flying Vulcan bomber, today told its supporters that 2013 is likely to be the much-loved aircraft’s final flying season. Following an award-winning restoration that many feel is the most technically complex ever undertaken, Vulcan XH558 was granted a technically-determined number of flying hours.

At the end of next year’s display season, six years after the return-to-flight, XH558’s current cleared flying life will have been almost completely consumed.

Since the restoration in 2007, Vulcan XH558 has been seen by more than ten million people at over 60 locations, with a remarkable three million turning out to see her during the 2012 Diamond Jubilee season.
Through school visits and other educational projects, she has helped to inspire new generations to enter careers in engineering and aviation.

Trust chief executive Dr. Robert Pleming explained the decision to supporters: “We are sure you are aware that all Vulcans have a finite safe flying life and that XH558 is already well beyond the hours flown by any other aircraft of her type,” he wrote.

“At the end of next year, she will need a £200,000 modification to her wings to increase her flying life. We know that you would do your upmost to fund this work, but for a number of reasons we have decided not to ask you to take this risk.”

The decision is based on a combination of factors.
First is the challenging wing modification, as engineering director Andrew Edmondson explains:
“It is a demanding procedure that can no longer call upon the original manufacturing jigs and there is no possibility of rectification if an error is made. We are not saying we cannot do it, just that it is risky so other factors must be taken into account.”

Top of the list is the limited life of XH558’s engines.
“From the start of the 2014 season, it is unlikely that we could accommodate any engine failures and that even without any technical problems, soon our set of engines would be out of life,” says Edmondson.
“There are no more airworthy engines available, and refurbishment would be so difficult and costly that there is no possibility that it will happen.”

There are also challenges with other areas of the aircraft as every component, however small, was designed and manufactured to agreed specifications by approved suppliers.
“When those suppliers close or lose the ability to remanufacture or refurbish those components, it can be prohibitively expensive to re-source them,” explains Edmondson.
“We know, for example, that the set-up costs to remanufacture a main wheel are more than £70,000.
If the approved engineering drawings are no longer available, it can be practically impossible given any amount of money.”

Dr. Pleming concluded; “It is therefore with great sadness that we have told XH558’s supporters that although we are energetically pursuing all options to increase her flying life, it is likely that next year will be the last opportunity anyone will have, anywhere in the world, to see a Vulcan in the air.

I’d like to thank everyone who by the end of 2013 will have contributed to achieving six fantastic years of Vulcan displays since the restoration; it’s a remarkable achievement that many people said would be impossible.
With the passionate and generous support of the British people, we returned an all-British icon to the sky and brought the excitement of engineering and aviation to new generations.”

The Vulcan to the Sky Trust’s aspiration is that when XH558’s flying life is over,
she will become the centrepiece of a new project that will inspire and train young people, helping to solve the UK’s significant shortfall in the number of talented new candidates entering technical careers.
“XH558 will be maintained in excellent running order and will continue to delight her supporters with fast taxi runs while developing further her role in education as the centrepiece of an exciting new type of inspirational engineering education centre,” added Trust director Michael Trotter.

XH558 End-of-Flight Explained, a colour cutaway of the aircraft with explanations of the different technical challenges, can be viewed at http://www.tinyurl.com/558FAQ.


Help ensure a Spectacular Final Flying Season

This year, the Diamond Jubilee of the Vulcan aircraft type, has been a remarkable one for XH558. She has delivered displays that have been acclaimed as amongst her best ever, she’s opened and closed one of the world’s greatest airshows, flown with The Red Arrows, honoured Cold War airmen, taken part in the dedication of a memorial to the heroes of the Falklands conflict (in which Vulcan XM607 played a famously heroic role) and reportedly made Her Majesty The Queen smile during a flypast to celebrate Her Diamond Jubilee.

“We are now planning one final, spectacular season,” says Dr. Pleming.
“And we need everyone’s support this autumn to help us get there.
We have to raise £400,000 before the end of this year to ensure that XH558 can be serviced and safely returned to the air in time for the first airshows of the 2013 season.”

Readers supporting the winter service can chose to fly their name on the aircraft and can also receive an original Avro Vulcan component in its historic packaging. More information on how to support XH558, where to see her and the progress of the service is available on the Trust’s website and in their newsletter. There is also a passionate Vulcan XH558 Facebook community, packed with information and outstanding photography.

[Stratofreighter]

Nov 30, 2012
Removal of XH558's canopy and pilot ejection seats.

Some interesting photos over at
http://www.vulcantothesky.org/news/422/ ... moval.html