Issue No 32 Autumn 2014 Not bad for a fifty year old! In this issue Chairman’s Introduction Page 2 Wings and Wheels 2014 Page 3 Engineering Report Page 9 General Aviation – the future Page 12 Visitors to XM655 Page 13 Vulcan Identification Page 15 Notice of Annual General Meeting Page 18 Around the World in 19 Days Page 18 Picture credits Page 23 The Chairman’s Introduction Charles Brimson As we approach the end of 2014 it is with a sense of quiet pride that all of us who are the custodians of XM655 can reflect on the success of the two notable celebrations that we have marked during the year. We started in February with the 30th anniversary of the Vulcan arriving at Wellesbourne in 1984, the start of ‘655’s second career when the aircraft was bought by businessman Roy Jacobsen with his ambitious plans for the Vulcan to fly on the British and American air show circuits based at Wellesbourne and captained by Joe L’Estrange. Alas, the plans never came to pass, but Roy’s loss was MaPS’ (and therefore all military aircraft enthusiasts’) gain as for 30 years we have been the proud custodians of the world’s only Olympus 301-powered Vulcan able to move (on the ground at least) under its own power. In November, we will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the ‘birth’ of XM655 at the Avro works in Woodford and Chadderton back in November 1964. Our Vulcan was the third last of 136 manufactured by Avro and for the last thirty years has been the youngest surviving example, although at the ripe old age of 50 ‘young’ is perhaps a relative description. Our celebrations will be across two weekends , the first of them on 15 November comprising of our first ever professional ‘night shoot’ when keen aviation photographers will be photographing the aircraft complete with some appropriately attired re-enactors in a series of scenes on the taxyway adjacent to our pan as darkness falls. This is an exciting new venture for us – we’re looking forward to setting this up and seeing the results afterwards, I know that there are several MaPS members who have booked to be a part of this exercise. The second part of the 50th anniversary celebrations falls on Saturday 22 November (the exact date in 1964 when Avro declared XM655 ready for collection by the RAF) when all our loyal members and other people with a special interest in ‘655 have been invited to join us for a day of celebrations at our pan next to the South Warwickshire Flying School. Over 200 people have, at the time of writing, indicated that they will be joining us – it should be quite a day! Hopefully we will be able to publish some photographs and produce a report on both of these days in our next newsletter. In one of those quirks of fate that you really couldn’t make up, back in February (just a week or so after MaPS first triumphant 30th anniversary celebration attended by, amongst others, the owner of Wellesbourne airfield and the Chairmen of Stratford District Council and Wellesbourne Parish Council) the owners of the airfield announced that it was their intention for the entire site to be developed into a monstrous housing estate. In the course of one day the future of the airfield, Saturday market, allied aviation businesses, the Wartime Museum, the Touchdown Café and of course XM655 were all placed in great doubt. Since then Wellesbourne Matters, a group with the sole intention of ensuring the future of Wellesbourne as an airfield, market, and key part of the local community, has been set up. Local and Regional press coverage was entirely sympathetic to the airfield, as has been the overwhelming support from the people who live and work in Wellesbourne. Stratford District Council have also been very sympathetic and although the Council has not voted to include the development as one of its preferred options, it is highly likely that the developers will still seek planning permission for the airfield site once the _______________________________________________________________________________________ 655 MaPS Newsletter Autumn 2014 Page 2 Core Strategy document has been published. A copy of the proposal can be downloaded from the Wellesbourne Matters website (www.wellesbournematters.org.uk). In order to maintain Wellesbourne as an active airfield and market with the significant benefits it brings to the village and district, your help is urgently needed. You can help us by joining the Wellesbourne Matters Association and adding your name to the significant number of people who wish to retain the current activities on the airfield. An Association carries far greater weight with the Council and the Planning Inspectorate than would come from simply signing a petition. You can join using the PayPal form on the Wellesbourne Matters website. The minimum joining fee is only 50p, but any additional contribution you can make will help to fund the work of the Wellesbourne Matters Association. The Wellesbourne Matters officers have in the last few days launched an urgent appeal to raise £50,000 within the next three months in order to acquire the expert legal help that will be needed to fight off this unwelcome threat to the airfield, market, businesses, museum and, of course, the Vulcan. The MaPS committee fully supports and endorses the actions of Wellesbourne Matters and is doing everything in its power to help them achieve the future of Wellesbourne Mountford....as an AIRFIELD! Let us not be under any illusion - if Gladman are successful in their plans to close the airfield, then not only will the General Aviation industry lose one of a rapidly declining number of diverse and successful airfields, we will also lose all the associated employment with the airfield, the famous Saturday Market, the Wartime Museum, the Touchdown Cafe, and almost certainly XM655 itself - we cannot allow that to happen! If you haven't yet done so, please join Wellesbourne Matters TODAY and donate as much as you can afford to help with ensuring the future of Wellesbourne Airfield.... ________________________________________________________________________________ Wellesbourne Wings and Wheels 2014 John Wood Hello everyone from John Wood, aka bombbayjohn (my Twitter name) however after being at 655Maps for a while my name was changed unbeknown to me to Mumbai John. When I questioned this I was informed that because we now live in these politically correct times it was changed from Bombay to Mumbai, get it, get it, oh never mind. I did laugh at the time and I did point out that it was bomb bay as in aircraft and not the city in India!! I’m still to find out whether it was Charles, Eric or Len that came up with it but I quite like it and I’ve now got used to it so much so I’m thinking of having a new embroidered name badge for my flight suit ! I’ve been asked to write a piece for this Autumn Newsletter which I jumped at the opportunity to do. I was tasked with doing a piece on this year’s Wings and Wheels which was a very special year as XM655 is 50 years old and it is 30 years since XM655 retired from The Royal Air Force to Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield. _______________________________________________________________________________________ 655 MaPS Newsletter Autumn 2014 Page 3 June 15th seems like a distant memory now after spending the whole summer on the road with the Vulcan to the Sky Display Team with XH558 which I’ve been a volunteer on since the original restoration of XH558 back in late 2005. I’ve been involved with 655Maps for what will be 3 years shortly and to be involved with such two iconic Avro Vulcans is a dream come true for me. I first memory of the Vulcan was back on 6th September 1975 at RAF Stafford. I would be nearly 7 years of age and I remember XL317 from 617 Sqn, how did I know it was XL317. I recently found out when I read Craig Bulman’s, The Vulcan B.MK2 From a Different Angle. On checking through every display which Craig had researched I found the aircraft putting on the display at RAF Stafford that day was XL317, long since scrapped, which frightened the living daylights out of me, along with an English Electric Lightning. I can remember cowering behind my father’s legs holding my hands over my ears as XL317 went vertical in a climb out over the base. Little did I know then that 39 years later I would be working on Vulcans and subsequently being a co- writer on a book about every Vulcan ever produced. So what does it take to present a behemoth of an aircraft like XM655 ready for Wings and Wheels every June at Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield? A bit of simple maths here, we the volunteers work 50 Saturdays a year, averaging 15 volunteers each Saturday, each working 10 hours approx. 7500 hours to keep XM655 in the stunning condition she is in. However I know a lot more hours goes into it behind the scenes and in particularly in the week before the event as a lot of us move into the locality of Wellesbourne as we need to carry out final preparations for the big day on the Sunday. This year has seen a few major obstacles that we’ve have to encounter and resolve under the expert guidance of our chief engineer Eric Ranshaw. Notably the removal of No 1 engine……. Twice! After initial inspections of No 1 engine it was found that we needed to replace 10 cracked stator blades in the LP (Low Pressure) compressor stage of the engine.