Avro Vulcan XL426

Avro Vulcan XL426 is one of three remaining taxiable Avro Vulcan strategic bombers, the other two being XH558 and XM655. It has been owned and maintained by the Southend-on-Sea-based registered charity the Vulcan Restoration Trust since 1993 and carries out occasional taxi runs at London Southend Airport.[1] It served with the Royal Air Force from 1962 to 1986.[2]

Avro Vulcan XL426
XL426 at London Southend Airport in 2008
Type Avro Vulcan B2
Manufacturer Avro
Registration G-VJET
Serial XL426
First flight 23 August 1962
Last flight 19 December 1986
Total hours 6,236
Status Preserved in taxiable condition
Preserved at London Southend Airport, England

History

XL426 was part of the first batch of 24 Avro Vulcans ordered by the Royal Air Force on 25 February 1956.[3]:8 It was built at Avro's Chadderton and Woodford plants, like other Vulcans, and was the 44th of 88 Vulcan B2s built.[4] Its first flight was on 23 August 1962, from Woodford Aerodrome, which lasted 1 hour and 35 minutes.[4]

Royal Air Force

XL426 entered service with the Royal Air Force on 13 September 1962, initially in 83 Squadron. The aircraft had the pennant of senior RAF commander John Slessor painted on the side of its nose. On 10 September 1963, Slessor flew XL426 from CFB Goose Bay in Labrador, Canada to RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, England in 4 hours and 5 minutes, an unofficial pre-Concorde Atlantic crossing speed record.[4]

From April 1964, following a reorganisation of how aircraft were assigned to squadrons, XL426 was rotated between all squadrons at RAF Scampton (which was termed the "Scampton Wing"). This lasted until January 1971. XL426 was equipped with the nuclear missile Blue Steel until 1969, when the nuclear deterrent role was passed on to the Royal Navy.[4]

From 1971 to 1981, XL426 mostly served with 617 Squadron but also served briefly with 27 Squadron and 230 Operational Conversion Unit. At the end of 1981, XL426 was transferred to 50 Squadron at RAF Waddington, ultimately the last Vulcan squadron.[4] The aircraft was also painted to its current green and grey camouflage livery around this time.[5][6][7] XL426 took part in the Falklands Victory Flypast over London on 12 October 1982 (though it hadn't taken part in the war). Following the retirement of the Vulcan in 1984, XL426 was converted to a crew trainer.[4]

XL426 as part of the RAF Vulcan Display Flight in May 1985

XL426 gave dozens of display flights from 1984 to 1986 as part of the Vulcan Historical Flight (later Vulcan Display Flight). However, as its flying hours were running out before needing a major service, its role as a display flight aircraft was transferred to XH558, which had been retrieved from a fire dump at RAF Marham. XL426's final display flight was on 14 June 1986.[4]

After service

XL426 was put up for sale in the summer of 1986, and after a failed deal with a French consortium, it was eventually sold to businessman Roy Jacobsen of Croydon,[8] who had purchased another Vulcan, XM655, two years prior. The aircraft was delivered to London Southend Airport on 19 December 1986 (which would be its final flight) and became registered as a civilian aircraft on 7 July 1987, as G-VJET.[1] It was flown to Southend as a result of a tentative agreement with local maintenance company HeavyLift Aircraft Engineering to maintain the aircraft.[1][9] Jacobsen had plans to continue operating both aircraft for display flights and had formed an organisation called the Vulcan Memorial Flight. However, the funds could not be found, and the aircraft sat dormant at London Southend Airport, while XM655 sat dormant at Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield in Warwickshire.[1][4] By its last flight, XL426 had made 1,891 flights and amassed 6,236 hours of flying time.[3]:181[4] During this time, XL426 was parked on the main apron of London Southend Airport and later the grass beside the apron, in full view of the terminal. In 1991, it was moved to the northern end of the airport's disused runway, out of public view.[4]

In March 1990, local enthusiasts formed the Vulcan Memorial Flight Supporters Club (VMFSC) to support Jacobsen's plans and help maintain the aircraft. Jacobsen eventually transferred ownership of the aircraft to the VMFSC in July 1993, which reformed as the Vulcan Restoration Trust (VRT) and gained registered charity status in 1996.[1][3]:8[4] The VRT adopted the secondary goal of having XL426 operate as a taxi-only aircraft for display, should the main goal of airworthiness fail.[1]

The aircraft underwent major servicing and in 1994 was repainted for the first time since leaving the RAF. In 1995, it was moved to a purpose-built pan by the railway line on the airport's eastern perimeter, where it was more visible to the public. On 7 October 1995, XL426 performed its first taxi run since moving to Southend. In spring 1997, it performed its first public high-speed taxi run on the main runway, during an airport open weekend. The VRT ultimately abandoned its goal of restoring the aircraft to airworthy condition and instead focussed on preserving taxi ability.[1]

XL426 performed regular taxi displays from 1995 to 2005 at Southend Airport open days. The aircraft was repainted again in 2000–2001. In August 2005, the VRT suspended the aircraft's public taxi runs to carry out more major servicing works, which were termed the 'Return to Power' programme.[1] The aircraft carried out taxi runs in 2006[10] and October 2008.[11] It was repainted in 2011–2014, with the obscured insignia of Squadrons 617 and 50 re-added on opposite sides of the tail fin.[5][6][12]:213 More taxi runs were carried out in April 2012,[13] July 2014,[14] June 2015,[15] July 2016,[16] December 2017[17][18] and December 2018.[19][20] In November 2019, XL426 was taxied for the public for the first time since the 2005 suspension.[21] The VRT continues to run 'Visit the Vulcan' days as of 2020, in which visitors can get an up-close look at the aircraft.[12]:214[22] The Trust aims to keep the aircraft in taxiable condition until at least around 2034.[5][note 1]

Operators
 United Kingdom[4][9]:191

See also

Notes
  1. The Trust source states "another 20 years" but is undated. The year is calculated based on the mention of the "recently finished" 2011–2014 repaint and the "recent" slow taxis begun around 2014.

References
  1. Richard Clarkson (28 January 2008). "XL426 at Southend". avrovulcan.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  2. "XL426". avrovulcan.com. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  3. Dancey, Peter G. (24 January 2017). The Avro Vulcan: A History. Fonthill Media.
  4. Richard Clarkson (28 January 2008). "XL426 in the RAF". avrovulcan.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  5. "Maintaining Vulcan XL426". avrovulcan.com. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  6. "Repaint begins on XL426". avrovulcan.com. June 2011. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  7. Darling, Kev (1 January 2012). RAF Strike Command, 1968-2007: Aircraft, Men and Action. Casemate Publishers. p. 133. ISBN 978-1-84884-898-6.
  8. "Anniversary celebrations | News | Yellow Advertiser". Yellow Advertiser. 12 January 2012. Archived from the original on 29 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  9. Dancey, Peter G. (24 January 2017). The Avro Vulcan: A History. Fonthill Media.
  10. "News". avrovulcan.com. 2008. Archived from the original on 15 September 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  11. "News". avrovulcan.com. 11 October 2008. Archived from the original on 15 September 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  12. Blackman, Tony (19 July 2015). Vulcan Boys: From the Cold War to the Falklands: True Tales of the Iconic Delta V Bomber. Grub Street Publishers. ISBN 978-1-910690-88-8.
  13. "Welcome to the Vulcan Restoration Trust Web Pages". 18 June 2012. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  14. "Vulcan Restoration Trust". www.facebook.com. 8 July 2014. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  15. "Vulcan Restoration Trust". www.facebook.com. 27 June 2015. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  16. "Vulcan Restoration Trust". www.facebook.com. 30 July 2020. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  17. Paul Hartrup (3 December 2017). "Slow Speed Taxi Test Completed". avrovulcan.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  18. The taxi run included two full power... - Vulcan Restoration Trust, 3 December 2017, archived from the original on 30 January 2020, retrieved 30 January 2020
  19. Richard Clarkson (8 December 2018). "Taxi-Run - 8 December 2018". avrovulcan.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  20. and the taxi test. Enjoy! - Vulcan Restoration Trust | Facebook, 8 December 2018, archived from the original on 30 January 2020, retrieved 30 January 2020
  21. Davies, Sean (18 November 2019). "Iconic Vulcan is seen on the runway for first time in a decade". Echo. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  22. "Visit the Vulcan Days". avrovulcan.com. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
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