The Vulcan XH558 & General Aviation Thread

[Jordangbr]

For those who like Urban Exploring and Jet engines...

http://www.ngte.co.uk/

[sbt]

Wow! Just went for a quick look and ended up sitting through it from start to finish! thanks

Nay bother- it's stupidly rare so it's been nice to put it out there for people to enjoy.

Very rare, and a good cue to point out this:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/reco ... er-command

... at long last Campaign Medals for Bomber Command and the Arctic Convoys.

[Renegadenemo]

This is the sort of thing we do:

https://www.dstl.gov.uk/casestudies

Fascinating stuff - and that's the projects deemed fit for public consumption - I'd wager there's plenty going on that isn't. Having been involved in acoustic imaging technology for many years I saw the edges of a few 'black' projects. When we were working on getting composite transducers for our sonar way back when, the technology was going into this thing, amongst others.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerberus_(sonar)

... at long last Campaign Medals for Bomber Command and the Arctic Convoys.

My Uncle Phil got a medal off the Russians a few years back. He was on every arctic convoy except PQ17 and was torpedoed and sunk twice on the same day.
He was a cook on the fleet oiler, Gray Ranger and maintains to this day that, 'he was only a cook, he wasn't anything brave'

[Renegadenemo]

Nice little news story here about the other Lanc'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20886684

[Renegadenemo]

There's a lot of debate about how wise it is to put a Lancaster which will be incredibly expensive to operate and for airshow organisers to book, into an airspace that already has one that only charges token amounts for fuel per appearance....but still, when I've got my Lancaster, I'll decide what to do with it as well!

Whwn they have their Lancaster flying you'll be able to save up and go for a ride in it.

[Stuart Baker]

Whwn they have their Lancaster flying you'll be able to save up and go for a ride in it.

I stand to be corrected (or at least humiliated), but I'm not sure the CAA will have much of a sense of humour about that idea... http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?c ... l&nid=1907

For some aircraft, they apply even more stringent rules; I don't believe that anyone other than operating or training crew have flown in XH558 since she went onto the civil register. Robert Pleming tells me even he hasn't flown in her.

[Stuart Baker]

Changing the subject slightly...

Work Set to Start on Burma Spitfire Recovery http://www.flyingmag.com/pilots-places/ ... e-recovery

Reads that the plan is to start work on 12th Jan, so there should be some news soon.

Glad we didn't make the fuel systems on those. 68 years under ground must have taken its toll on the rubber even if the metals are in good shape!

[Renegadenemo]

I'd be well chuffed to see that come off after a lifetime of hearing stories of this or that lost or buried aircraft and not a single one of them ever being true. Sadly, I fear the other Lanc' should they get it flying will be exactly as described and properly off limits to all those who would pay to fly on it.
Maybe they could convert it to a Tudor?

[Roger Wilco]

Lots about this in the media recently. I've been following the project this last year or so and it seems the moment of truth is nigh. To briefly recap: 'Up to 100' (or more likely 30-40) 'Brand new' crated, greased and pristine MkXIV (Possibly a small number of extremely rare Mk VIII's too) were reportedly buried towards the end of WWII in several locations in Burma by RAF, US servicemen and local Burmese workers. A project led by David Cundall has been investigating these 'rumours' and initial historic and subsequent geophysical investigation points towards a tantalising prospect..the rumours are quite possibly true. Time, gravity, climate and any number of variables could of course reveal nothing more than 'Daz', as one project member puts it - heaps of oxidized powder..) A team of 17 or so are now in the field doing preliminary groundwork and political gymnastics. Here's hoping for a successful mission...and bring 'em home safely boys!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20929820

Merged with existing thread- Mike

[Renegadenemo]

What's the chances of the permits not having some previously overlooked clerical error should there soon be crate upon crate of immaculate Spitfires piled up on the dock...