When I was a young lad (some time during the Mesozoic period), I lived not far from a small aerodrome (Leavesden, which is now the film studio) and from time to time they tried to run an air show there. I had 2 fabulous memories from there, feeling the jet-wash of a harrier jet hovering over me in the crowd (no health & safety rules to worry about back then) and the sheer exhilaration of seeing & hearing the howling sound of the Avro Vulcan bomber under a high power take-off or climb. I was lucky enough that on the practice days the Vulcan used to do a heavily banked high power turn just over my street - I remember sitting on the curb outside my house waiting for it to reappear over the rooftops and then we'd be hit by the howl as it banked left and powered off back to the airfield. So when I saw this news on the BBC I almost shed a tear, it's a memory from my childhood dying.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-19952395
This is seriously sad, but expected news. The XH558 has been the last airworthy Vulcan for a while now and its time had not just come, but was well overdue. It's a jaw-droppingly gorgeous aircraft in-flight and I can think of only one other plane that is as beautiful in the air - and you'll not be surprised to learn that it's the Concorde.
It is a huge shame to think that I will never see a Vulcan in the air again or hear it's infamous 'howl' again as the vibrations caused by the engines reach the natural resonance frequency of the air inlets at a certain thrust levels. I can listen to the howl on Youtube for ages, it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up every time. Listen to this video of the XH558 at Brize Norton in 2009. I challenge you not to have a rush of adrenalin when the howl kicks in on take-off at the start of this video!
I wish there was some way of keeping the Vulcan in the air, it's a unique aircraft with some unique stories to tell - particularly it's return from the operational death bed in 1982 to make the top secret bombing runs on Port Stanley's runway at the very start of the Falklands war (Operation Black Buck). Nobody thought that what they managed to do was possible. Just imagine being an Argentinian occupier at the airfield in the Falklands, feeling safe from an enemy air attack and then hearing a Vulcan howl and seeing your airfield explode in front of your eyes.....
Farewell XH558 and the Vulcan, you'll be sorely missed from airshows around the world. You gave me some stunning memories. :byesad:
http://www.vulcantothesky.org/
Very cool plane... I remember seeing one at the Farnborough air show, the noise from that howl is incredible!
Fabulous aircraft. I fell in love with delta winged aircraft just prior to my teens, made a balsa/doped tissue model of its predecessor the Avro707 powered by a Jetex engine and built
a plastic kit model of the Vulcan. There was an example at the gates of Blackpool Airport for many years XL391 but it was butchered for scrap in 2006.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=141&h=&t=234566
Lets hope XH558 doesn't go the same way
I also was lucky enough to see the Vulcan fly out of Leavesden which is ten miles from where I live. The sound was mesmerizing for any kid. The way it lifted into the air gave a real sense of a very big aircraft hauling itself up into the sky which I found amazing to watch.
I also loved the comment from one of the air crew in the film about the Port Stanley raid. Regarding the impending suicide mission his comment was "I must admit, I didn't like the idea of doing it." I'd have deserted on the spot!
Was lucky to see Vulcan displays quite a number of times ( I was in the RAF from 82 to 97 ) and by far the best of which was at RAF Locking in 82........when during the display they carried out a full 360 roll at relatively low altitude during a low angled power climb with the engines turned to max .......it was a real jaw-dropper ( and filling loosener as everything vibrated like hell ...... Quite a number of windows were blown in the accommodation and married quarters) to see such a large aircraft do something that it really should not have been capable of...............as it flipped over wallowing all over the place it was a real *** moment. RAF Locking was right next to the M5 outside Weston Super Mare and it came as a shock to many drivers during the display to have a Vulcan at no more than 200 ft appear over the trees .......such a surprise that there were numerous accidents ( luckily nobody hurt in any of them ).
The days of seeing such things are long gone as the H&S brigade have taken over.
As for the Falklands mission .......more of a political victory than military one as they couldn't carry enough of a load nor the crews sufficiently prepared or practised to be overly accurate with what they had ( rapid conversions for payload and refuelling )............ but it was enough to keep it in the forefront of the Argie's minds that this was just a taster and the real business was on its way.
It is a fantastic plane and was lucky enough to see it over the skys of Eastbourne in the summer. It really does have to be seen to be believed.
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I was lucky enough to see this fly over my house! I remember my brother and i on the roof while this went scorching past, the noise was deafening, an incredible sight! Glad i saw it before it retired :sad:
Seen them a few times down at the Bournemouth airshow. Such a huge craft yet so graceful in the turns.