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RETURN OF THE VULCAN SOCIETY RETURN OF THE VULCAN A British aircraft that played a significant role during the Cold War has been restored to full working order. Dr Robert Pleming has been instrumental in developing the heritage project that saved the Vulcan bomber. He writes about the Vulcan’s historical importance and the benefits of maintaining an aeronautical icon. Just after the end of the Second World in August 1952; the production versions and engine test variants. Vulcan XH558 is a War in Europe, Churchill, Stalin and Truman embodied such innovations as first use of B.Mk2 bomber, and first flew in RAF service met at Potsdam to decide on Europe’s twin-spool axial turbojets, an AC power in July 1960. XH558 is now the oldest post-war structure. During the meeting, system, cabin pressurisation, electronic Vulcan, as well as the last one able to fly. Truman was told of the successful test of countermeasures, electro-hydraulic-powered From 1957, the Vulcan was the major the atomic bomb; Stalin’s spies ensured flying control units and anti-lock brakes. delivery vehicle for the British strategic he knew too. By the end of August, the A total of 134 Vulcans were built. The deterrent, until it was superseded by Polaris world had changed yet again. Truman flexibility of its design allowed upgrades in 1969. Afterwards, in service in a tactical had authorised the use of atomic bombs from a free-fall bomber to carry the Blue role, the swan song of the Vulcan was during on Japan; Stalin had become fearful of Steel nuclear cruise missile, maritime radar the Falklands conflict in 1982, when a lone America’s intentions; Churchill had lost the reconnaissance, an air-to-air refuelling tanker Vulcan, refuelled several times by a fleet of general election to Clement Atlee and on 28 August 1945, Atlee had presented a paper to his Cabinet proposing that, to retain control of its foreign policy, Britain should build its own atomic bomb. The Avro Vulcan, and its fellow four-engined V-bombers, the Vickers Valiant and the Handley Page Victor, were developed to carry that bomb to the Soviet bloc, in retaliation for a potential nuclear attack on the West. The concept of deterrence had been born. INNOVATIVE DESIGN The Vulcan was designed in 1946-7 by Roy Chadwick, Chief Designer of AV Roe & Co of Manchester (who had previously designed the Avro Lancaster) to meet the new requirement for a long-range bomber to carry the British atomic weapon. This A Vulcan B2 cut-away schematic compiled from original technical manuals by Josh Hodgson innovative tailless delta design first flew Avro Vulcan XH558 flying again in September 2009 © John Dibbs 38 INGENIA INGENIA ISSUE 50 MARCH 2012 39 RETURN OF THE VULCAN SOCIETY Having followed the fortunes of XH558 during its final years in the RAF, I looked more deeply into the history of the Vulcan, and was amazed by the leap in aviation technology in the immediate post-WW2 years that the aircraft represents. Victor tankers, put the Argentine-held Port not easily undertaken by engineers, but we of Cambridge Aerospace. The restoration expensive logistical effort on its own. The Stanley airfield out of action. The last Vulcan had gained the support of Felicity Irwin, a project was to have four phases: a detailed Vulcan has many critical systems powered squadrons were disbanded in 1984, but Avro seasoned fundraiser. After two applications inspection of the aircraft for faults, followed by electricity, including the flying controls, Vulcan XH558 flew on in the RAF’s Vulcan and considerable public support, in June by rectification of those faults. During this so the integrity of the aircraft’s wiring and Display Flight until 1992. Following MoD 2004 the Heritage Lottery Fund confirmed period, hundreds of components were electrical supplies is vital. Rewiring the cost-cutting, the aircraft was sold, and in that they would award £2,734,000 to the overhauled and returned for the recovery of aircraft was a major exercise in itself. March 1993, flown to Bruntingthorpe Airfield Vulcan to the Sky project, with the rest to be the aircraft to the correct configuration for A year after work had started on the in Leicestershire. raised by ourselves. The scope of the grant flight. Tests followed, first on the ground, project, it was clear that the restoration was included not only the restoration of XH558 and then, with ticks in all the boxes, the taking much longer than initially estimated, to flight, but the provision of public access aircraft was released for its first test flight. and labour costs were increasing rapidly. FEASIBILITY STUDY to the Vulcan on the ground, and the setup In preparation for the inspection, virtually Not only were tasks taking longer, because Having followed the fortunes of XH558 of educational activities to tell the story of everything that could be removed from of the learning curve associated with work during its final years in the RAF, I looked the Cold War and to provide lessons for the aircraft was removed, requiring a major on this unique aircraft, but some problems more deeply into the history of the Vulcan, schoolchildren in technology, engineering logistical exercise to track each one of the were more difficult than anticipated. For and was amazed by the leap in aviation and maths based on the aircraft and its components. Every aspect of the aircraft’s instance, significant corrosion was found on technology in the immediate post-war years operation. In August 2005, work started on structure was inspected visually, and various magnesium alloy skins and structure of the that the aircraft represents. Conscious of the restoration with an 18-person technical non-destructive techniques were employed flying control surfaces, requiring rebuild of the massive public support for XH558, and team with various skillsets including airframe to discover any underlying problems, these units. A major campaign conducted aware that the aircraft was retired before design and maintenance, propulsion, electrics including X-ray (over 450 X-ray pictures in August 2006 raised the £1.2 million The restored pilot’s instrument panel – with modern instruments including GPS and avionics. were taken), ultrasound, eddy current and required to complete the project, including FALKLAND MISSION boroscope analyses. Numerous minor, a significant donation of £500,000 from Sir its time, in early 1997 I resolved to explore some additional inspections because of repairable, faults were found, including skin Jack Hayward. the feasibility of returning Vulcan XH558 to the craft’s age and time since last flight. RESTORATION COMMENCES and rib cracks, missing rivets and corrosion, flight. The initial challenge was whether By Spring 2000, the aircraft had Initial planning estimated that the but none significant enough to warrant the civil aviation regulations would allow undergone the technical survey, which restoration project would last for 14 months concern. RECOVERY AND TESTING an ex-military aircraft as heavy, powerful verified that its airframe and systems and consume about 50,000 hours of work. The aircraft’s hydraulic, pneumatic With aircraft structural rectification nearing and complex as the Vulcan to fly. The key could be restored to full airworthiness at Because of their experience in one-off and oxygen systems were removed for completion in the spring of 2007, attention to a positive response turned out to be reasonable cost. In addition, the availability aircraft projects and their CAA accreditations, inspection and overhaul. All flexible pipes focused on refitting the aircraft’s systems. to gain the support of BAE Systems, who of an almost complete library of original engineering control was passed to Marshall and seals were replaced, a significant and The following components taken off for had inherited design responsibility from AV documentation and design data, and Roe. With the aid of a project plan built by several hundred tons of spares – including, The only time the Vulcan was used in a small, expert team, and the enthusiasm vitally, eight zero-time Rolls-Royce Olympus aggression was during the Falklands of some senior BAE Systems personnel, 202 turbojet engines – meant that the conflict in 1982, when Vulcans, each this support was granted in May 1999. restoration to flight was now feasible. supported by 13 Victor air-to-air refuelling Theoretically, the Vulcan could fly again. Well over 100 original equipment tankers, flew seven missions from In September 1999, a three-day manufacturers of all of the thousands Ascension Island to the Falkland Islands. project definition workshop, with design of Vulcan systems and components The 1st ‘Black Buck’ sortie, with the representatives from BAE Systems and were painstakingly sought out and Vulcan armed with twenty-one 450kg Engineering Authority, Marshall of contacted – many of these companies had conventional bombs, placed one bomb in Cambridge Aerospace, specified a detailed been taken over. Each manufacturer agreed the centre of the runway at Port Stanley technical survey to determine whether to assess and service their components as airfield, proving its vulnerability and there were any insurmountable technical required. This major commitment meant causing the Argentine forces to change issues with a return to flight. Not the least that, with the appropriate Civil Aviation their plans. These raids captured the world of these was finding a way of extending Authority (CAA) regulatory approvals and the record at the time for the longest-ever the airframe fatigue life – and determining technical support from BAE Systems, work bombing mission: a return journey of the scope of the restoration work needed could start on the return to flight. nearly 12,500km, taking 15 hours and 45 to return XH558 to airworthiness. The It was already clear from project costings latter turned out to be a ‘Major Service’ – that funding of £3.5 million would be On 31 August 2006, XH558 rolled out of the hangar for the first time in seven years.