Avro Vulcan XH558

Royal Air Force A total of 136 Vulcans were produced at Woodford Aerodrome between 1956 and 1965, with the first entering operational service on 20 May 1957. XH558 was the first of the upgraded B2 version to enter service with the RAF, making its maiden flight from Woodford on 25 May 1960, and being delivered to No. 230 Operational Conversion Unit at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, on 1 July 1960. The OCU was the unit which prepared pilots familiar with other aircraft to fly the Vulcan. Almost immediately 230 OCU transferred to RAF Finningley, South Yorkshire. In 1968, XH558 transferred back to Waddington, where it saw operational service with units of the Waddington Wing (44, 50 and 101 Squadrons). The last operational bomber squadron disbanded on 27 December 1982. For display duties, XH558 was returned to B2 configuration in 1985, and made its debut at Bournemouth in May 1985. It served in the VDF for seven years, making its final flight at Cranfield on 20 September 1992. Earlier the aircraft had appeared in the 1961 Central Office of Information (COI) film No Claim Bonus which was also later used as a Trade test colour film on BBC 2. Post-RAF 2008 Having been put up for disposal, XH558 was acquired by the Walton family, and delivered by air to Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome in Leicestershire on 23 March 1993, its last flight of the 20th Century. It was kept in serviceable condition, performing fast runs along the main runway along with other fast jets during special open days. In 1997, a study was conducted looking into the feasibility of returning XH558 to flight – a risky prospect for the owners considering the aircraft would need to be retired as a ground-based attraction and largely dismantled before restoration could begin. With the decision taken in 1998, the last public ground run took place on 5 September 1999. Work began on the restoration in 2005; to bring confidence to donors of the project, the Walton family formally passed ownership of XH558 to the Trust in the same year. XH558 returned to flight for the first time on 18 October 2007, conducting three test flights. Given the civilian registration of G-VLCN by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), an exemption was made to allow it to fly in Royal Air Force markings as XH558. During part of May 2008, XH558 resided at RAF Coningsby where it underwent further testing, and while there took part in a photo-call with the Lancaster and a Typhoon . On 9 June 2008, XH558 flew its final test flight, a 98-minute journey from Bruntingthorpe, which included a display in front of examiners from the CAA. Deemed a success, an application for a permit to fly at air shows was submitted to the CAA, with a view to attending its first public event in 15 years, the RAF Waddington Airshow, on 5 and 6 July. The CAA granted permission for XH558 to fly from Bruntingthorpe to Waddington on Thursday 3 July, but authorisation for display flights was not granted until the Friday, allowing the first display flight, lasting five minutes, to go ahead on the Saturday in front of an estimated crowd of 125,000. An electrical fault prevented it from flying on the Sunday. In December 2024, the Vulcan To The Sky Trust confirmed that the long term future of XH558 at Doncaster had been secured in principle. The Trust's ongoing commitment was to keep XH558 in good condition and use it for educational purposes, which they committed to do for 80 years as a condition of the 2005 Lottery funding. The first stage was to establish the Vulcan Aviation Academy & Heritage Centre, involving an academy building for 14–18 year olds, focussing on "six areas of aviation skills: piloting, air traffic controls, airport ground operations, aircraft operations, cabin crew and aviation engineering". XH558 would be housed in an adjacent heritage centre, where it will be maintained so as to be able to perform taxi runs, the frequency of which would be funding-dependent. With less engineering required to support the Vulcan as a taxi-able exhibit, the Trust's associated engineering company was examining the possibility of setting up as an independent, CAA-approved, heritage aviation servicing operation. As a result of the new focus post-flight operations, the Trust's additional base at Hinckley was also to close. ==Displays==

during its final display season Although XH558 had achieved its first flight in 2007, delays had meant it was unable to return to the display circuit for the 2007 season as had been hoped, or join the flypast down The Mall in London on 17 June 2007 marking the 25th Anniversary of the Falklands War. Ultimately however, three appearances were cancelled due to technical problems, two due to bad weather and three due to a fault in No. 2 engine. F-16AM 'Orange Lion' and the DHHF Hunter F.6A XF515 (G-KAXF) as RNLAF 'N-294' in formation over Volkel Air Base, Netherlands, 20 June 2009 It was estimated that 3.8 million In order to extend the life of the aircraft, for the 2010 season the flight time was limited to between 30 and 40 hours, reducing the number of air show appearances from 2009. Some two-day fly-in shows were limited to just one appearance, with the first day being given preference to allow the second day to act as a reserve in case of technical or weather difficulties. A leak in the fuel tanks caused several August 2011 airshow appearances to be cancelled. To celebrate 2012 being the 60th anniversary (Diamond Jubilee) of both the first flight of the Vulcan and the accession of Elizabeth II, it was planned for XH558 to visit over 30 displays on a tour to celebrate Britain's aviation and engineering achievements during the Queen's reign. The engine failure in May led to some of these being cancelled. Following the engine replacements in 2012, XH558 opened the 2012 Farnborough International Airshow flying in formation with the Red Arrows. for the final time on 19 September 2015 at Southport Airshow The final season began on 6 June 2015 with a display at Throckmorton, Worcestershire. it proceeded as planned with into August with only one cancellation, the mini-display for the Flywheel Festival in Bicester, Oxfordshire, on 21 June. Displays up to August included the Salute the V-Force Tour on the weekend of 27 and 28 June, which saw XH558 visit the locations of every surviving V-bomber airframe. A planned weekend appearance on 21/22 August 2015 at the Shoreham Airshow was interrupted by the crash of a Hawker Hunter. The Hunter crashed on the first day, just before 13.30 (BST), with the Vulcan due to appear at 14.05. A de Havilland Sea Vixen that was already airborne for the next display instead flew a tribute, with XH558 doing the same at its allotted time, the last aircraft to fly on the day. As a result of the crash, on 24 August the CAA imposed temporary regulations on civilian vintage jets displaying over land, restricting them to flypasts and banning high energy aerobatics. Citing this restriction on the Vulcan, on 26 August the Durham Tees Valley air show planned for 29 August was postponed to 2016. The following day however, the Trust confirmed that after discussions with the CAA it was determined that XH558's display routine is not classified as aerobatic, and therefore the Vulcan would continue to fly with only minor changes to the display. Until the Shoreham crash, the last flying season of the Vulcan was attributed as one of the reasons for sell-out crowds at air shows across the country, although in the week after it was not expected to affect spectator numbers at other shows, most of which were due to go ahead on the August Bank Holiday weekend with only minor alterations. The tour was split into two halves with the northern route being flown on 10 October and the southern route being flown on 11 October. The tour incorporated waypoints which including several locations significant to both the life of XH558 and the V-Force as a whole. Waypoints included: • XH558's birthplace, the Avro factory at Woodford Aerodrome on the outskirts of Manchester. • The Rolls-Royce factory in Derby. • Chadderton, a former major Avro component factory on the outskirts of Manchester. • RAF Waddington (Operational Base 1960–1968) • MOD St Athan, formerly RAF St Athan, the main Aircraft Maintenance Unit for Vulcans • RAF Brize Norton • RAF Cosford • Bruntingthorpe (Ex-RAF V-Force Dispersal Base) • Leeming (Ex-RAF V-Force Dispersal Base) • Manston (Ex-RAF V-Force Dispersal Base) • Barnoldswick, where Rolls-Royce RB engines were built • Warton Aerodrome At least two further flights were planned for late October. ==Engineering==

Restoration onto XH558 According to Andrew Edmondson, engineering director of the Trust, the restoration of XH558 was "the most complex return-to-flight project ever attempted in the world". After the transfer of XH558 from the Walton family to the Trust, TVOC/Marshall continued to execute the project in the same hangar. Another flight two days later had to be ended because one of the undercarriage doors failed to close, found to be micro-switch malfunction. Major technical issues discovered during the first year of flight included difficulties with interfacing modern airport electrical systems with the Vulcan's electrical systems, and ingress of water into the airframe in wet weather. The cause was ingestion of silica gel desiccant bags into No. 1 engine, which failed and led to debris entering No. 2 engine - the pre-flight inspection by engineers had not been properly carried out. Although no structural damage occurred, both engines were written off, requiring replacement from the Trust's stock of new engines. It was determined that the silica gel packs should never have been in use. They were put into engine intakes with the idea that they would absorb moisture and thus reduce corrosion. This was a fundamentally flawed idea given that the engines were not in a sealed environment. Also the packs did not have warning flags attached and there was no procedure in place - such as a 'shadow board' - to double check that they had been removed. Major wing structural modifications were undertaken in March 2014 which extended the life of the airframe long enough to perform the 2014 and 2015 seasons – see Operation 2015. ==Funding==

Airshow 2009 To first flight Fundraising by the Vulcan to the Sky Trust commenced in 1999. Once restored to flight, some money was able to be recouped by charging a fee for a display (£8,000 for a full display, in the first year). Based on a flight time of 50 hours, the fuel bill alone was £160,000 at 2008 prices. The Great Recession thwarted plans to secure major commercial sponsorship, with the Trust also believing XH558's past as a nuclear bomber made some investors reluctant to get involved. After its first display season, the operating costs for one year's flight were estimated as £1.6m per year, with insurance alone costing £180,000, leading to an appeal being launched in December 2008 to raise £1m in four months, with the Trust saying it needed a "miracle" with one month to go, having put the engineering staff on notice. On 6 March 2009, the appeal reached its target. During this crisis, appeals were made to the government to step in, with celebrity supporters Richard Branson, Robin Gibb, Frederick Forsyth and Air Chief Marshal Michael Knight appealing in national newspapers for XH558 to be added to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight A shortfall in donations again attributed to the recession sparked another funding crisis in early 2010, with staff again put on notice and £650,000 needing to be raised by the end of March. With funding for maintenance work brought forward from 2011 also required, the Vulcan 50th Birthday appeal was launched to raise £800,000 by the end of March. This was met with the help of an anonymous donation of £400,000 on 24 February, allowing maintenance to begin. With the ongoing absence of a major sponsor, the Trust continued to rely on monthly public donations. After the final display of the 2010 season on 26 September, the Trust again warned of a shortfall in part due to the recession, launching an appeal for the £400,000 required by the end of October to fund the project through the winter maintenance period. Despite reaching a critical stage in the last few days and ultimately falling slightly short of the target, it was decided enough money had been raised to avert permanently grounding the aircraft, with hopes to display it for another two seasons. Having funded the winter 2010/11 maintenance, it was hoped that increased marketing and a record season of displays in 2010 would make the need for a summer funding drive unnecessary. This didn't prove to be the case due to rising fuel costs and VAT regulation changes, requiring another appeal for £350,000 to be raised by May. At 2012 prices, without taking into account any additional repairs required, the yearly cost of general maintenance, fuel and insurance for one year's display flight was over £2m, still far beyond the earnings made from the actual displays, meaning the project continued to be reliant on donations or other sources of fundraising. Even though it was now expected to be its last due to the engineering situation, the ability to even complete the 2013 season was also cast into doubt when the drive to fund the ordinary winter maintenance period only raised half of the target of £400,000. With the plan to retire XH558 after 2013 later reversed, at the start of the 2013 season a major funding drive was announced to address various issues with the goal of securing flight to the end of the 2015 season – see Operation 2015. ==Operation 2015==

, 2009 At the end of the 2012 season it was announced that 2013 would likely be the last, due to the fact the wings will have reached the end of their permitted flying life without a life-extending rectification (leading edge skin reinforcement) costing £200,000. This carried risks due to the inability to correct any mistakes without the original tooling, which no longer existed. A contributing factor was the lack of any new engines being available due to using the last two spares after the failures in May, with refurbishment of others not being feasible. Several other spare part stocks were also reaching critical levels, which would be prohibitively expensive to replenish. In early 2013 a feasibility study by Cranfield Aerospace concluded the wing repair was possible, involving the reverse engineering of the parts required to perform Avro's original Modification 2221. This would then extend their flying life by two years. Consequently, at the start of the 2013 season the Trust reversed the decision to ground XH558 at the end of it, and announced the Operation 2015 pledge drive with the intention of performing full seasons in 2014 and 2015. The drive would fund three key activities – the wing repair itself in the off-season, plus the funding of the ordinary 2013/4 winter maintenance, and the replenishment of critical spares to the end of the 2015 season. It was not anticipated that flying beyond 2015 would be possible, as by then the engine life will have been exhausted, and several other components would be required that would be prohibitively expensive to refurbish or reproduce. The wing modification was completed by March 2014. ==Operating bases==

XH558's first home after its RAF career (from 1993) was at the Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome in Leicestershire, owned by the Walton family. For its first summer display season (2008), XH558 was based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, returning to its maintenance base at Bruntingthorpe in winter. It was also a regular visitor to RAF Waddington for summer practice flights, as it offered more flexibility than Bruntingthorpe. In the early years, some display venues had apparently underestimated the available space and towing vehicles required to handle an aircraft as big and heavy as XH558. The Brize Norton summer / Bruntingthorpe winter base pattern was repeated for 2009. At the end of 2009, XH558 was moved from its Bruntingthorpe winter base to a new temporary base at RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire, an active RAF station, while the Trust's offices were relocated to Hinckley, Leicestershire. The move was for cost and logistical reasons, particularly the ongoing risk of foreign body damage to XH558 due to the high level of use of Bruntingthorpe's runway. For the summer 2010 display season XH558 was again moved to RAF Brize Norton. In 2011, the Trust relocated to a new base at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, with XH558 flying from RAF Lyneham to Robin Hood on 29 March. The airport is the former RAF Finningley airbase where XH558 was previously based for 8 years during the 1960s. One of the reasons for the move to a commercial airport was to improve access for the public to see XH558 up close, something not possible while based at operational RAF bases. The move from Lyneham to Doncaster Sheffield was deliberately not announced in advance, both to keep costs down at the not yet complete new base, and to not overshadow ongoing repatriation flights of Britain's war casualties to Lyneham from Afghanistan. ==Crew==

at the end of the 2010 Royal International Air Tattoo In civilian configuration XH558 only requires a crew of three to fly – two pilots and the air electronics officer (AEO). When visiting other airfields, a crew chief is added. Pilots are said to find the restored XH558 a pleasure to fly. Ian Young, chief test pilot for Marshall Aerospace, oversaw the testing phase. David Thomas was pilot for the first public display at Waddington. XH558 was crewed by a team of former RAF personnel, headed by Martin Withers DFC, its then Chief Pilot and Operations Manager. ==Cold War==

One of the reasons the Heritage Lottery Fund accepted the Trust's resubmitted proposal in 2003 was because it had been suitably refocused on the educational aspects of the restoration with reference to the Vulcan's role as a nuclear deterrent during the Cold War, in which the permanent readiness of the V-Force provided the credible second strike capability to deter a first strike by the Soviet Union. ==Falklands War==

2011 The only offensive operations for the Vulcan came in the 1982 Falklands War, by which time only 32 were still in service. The best 10 were selected for use on the Black Buck raids. Having been converted to the maritime reconnaissance role in 1973, XH558 was not involved in the missions, although as the last remaining Vulcan it has been used twice in Falklands specific appearances: • At the 2009 Victory Show in Cosby, Leicestershire, marking the 70th anniversary of World War II, XH558 was the headline act, performing a re-enactment of the first Black Buck bombing run, with the aid of pyrotechnics. According to the trust, this was the first re-enactment of the run ever performed in Britain. • To mark the 30th anniversary of the conflict, on 21 May 2012 a new Falklands Memorial was unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum. The ceremony was accompanied by a flypast of aircraft types involved in the conflict, led by XH558. On both occasions, XH558 was piloted by Martin Withers, who also piloted Vulcan XM607, the bombing aircraft in the first Black Buck mission. ==See also==