The Vulcan XH558 & General Aviation Thread

[Jordangbr]

Further update on the Dornier.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22721897

[Dominic Owen]

As much as I hope it isn't the case, I can't help but have a horrible feeling they're going to take up the slack and lift only three small chunks that the cables are attached to, leaving the rest firmly in place.

[Renegadenemo]

They're going to end up destroying it... They should leave it well alone and go away to have a rethink.

[Renegadenemo]

Postponed for weather. It usually wins.

But just suppose they do get it off the bottom in one piece, which would be a miracle in itself, how much heave on the lifting vessel you you think it would take with the entire planform of the aircraft presented to the direction of travel to tear it into a million bits? Not much.
And assuming they get an absolute flat-calm window and it survives intact to the surface it's then going to weigh a hell of a lot more in air than it does in water so what are they going to do then? Chance it and keep lifting or leave it at the surface while they get in with a few pressure washers to shift the sand and let the water drain out slowly enough that they're never trying to crane a water-filled plane out of the sea? And if they do that, considering that they have only 45 mins-ish of slack water, are they going to cast the barge loose and drift with the tide or are they going to let the tide rip past their plane. I don't think a brand new airframe would take what they're planning to put it through.

[Pullman99]

Looks like it's on now....

BBC News 24 are covering it live (as I'm writing this, it's Andy Murray...but, hey. don't let that put you off).

Best wishes to all

[Renegadenemo]

They got quite a big lump of it up in one piece.

[minty4371]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -down.html

[Dominic Owen]

I think the third picture down in Mike's post pretty much says it all really. I don't know if it was that or one of the voices in my head but as soon as I saw it something piped up with a dismayed "Well, who could've seen that one coming a mile away, eh?"

[Dominic Owen]

A few hours of WD40 versus months & months of hosing down with citric acid.... I think the sensible investment would be Jif Lemon!

[Renegadenemo]

The wings and fuselage are going to be dismantled later for transport to Cosford- I reckon shares in WD-40 are about to sky rocket!

It's a strange thing that nuts and bolts soaked in seawater usually come undone without any effort. At least bits of shipwreck do that, never tried to take sodden aeroplane apart. I hope they do get it into bits because they have two of those poly-tunnels that farmers use to grow veg and it's not going to fit in one of those as it is.