Vulcan To The Sky

It was over 60 years ago in 1946 when Roy Chadwick, Avro's Chief Designer made his first sketch of the innovative delta-winged configuration of the Vulcan. Sadly never lived to see his second masterpiece fly as he died in a plane crash the following year. Stuart Davies picked up on Chadwick's work and took his ideas on to fruition

The prototype Vulcan VX770 flew its maiden flight on 30th August 1952 and, just a few days later, it spectacularly made its first public appearance at the Farnborough Airshow .

It was1960 before the first Vulcan, the XH558, was delivered into service being delivered to RAF Waddington on 1stJuly 1960. XH558 was the first Vulcan B.Mk2 to be delivered to the RAF, and is now the oldest complete Vulcan in the world.

Not only was XH558 first Vulcan to go into service, it was also the last, spanning 33 years service. Between 1986 to 1993, it was the single RAF Display Vulcan with her final flight being on 23rd March 1993.

The Ministry of Defence sold the Vulcan XH558 to C Walton Ltd, a family firm who bought and maintained her hoping that one day she might be returned to fight. In 1997, a small team started to plan her return to flight, but it quickly became obvious that the project would be technically challenging & enormously expensive. This didn't put the team off and they set off down the path that led to XH558's return to the air.

Between 1998-2000, the team gained formal support of all the manufacturers needed to help in the restoration of XH558 and were able to confirm, following the completion of an intensive technical review, that there no show-stoppers. The toughest challenge was raising the necessary funds to restore the aircraft. Initial estimates for the restoration project totalled over £3.5million, which was partly met following a successful bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund, who announced a grant of £2.7million in December 2003.

The team eventually started work on the aircraft in August 2005.

As well as the Vulcan to the Sky project team, hundreds of people from all around the United country have contributed to the restoration and return of XH558 to flight.

Following extensive tests, the Vulcan's engines were fired up for the first time in August 2007. To ensure that XH558 was 100% ready for flight, a further two months of testing on the ground was needed.

It was 14 years and £7 million since XH558's last flight but, at last, on Thursday 18th October 2007 it roared into the air again. A truly unforgettable day for the Vulcan to the Sky team. This great British project was successful because of the optimism, determination and teamwork of the project team.

Finally, all the hard work had paid off and, on 3rd July 2008, XH558 was granted her Permit to Fly and returned to air displays just two days later at a packed RAF Waddington Airshow, her former home.

This great project has now moved to it's new, permanent home at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, where it will be open to the public. Visitors will be able to book group tours, visit the Vulcan shop and even, for that special occassion, arrange to have dinner underneath the wing.

The XH558 will continue to attend airshows around the country, so its history will live on. To do this we need to raise funds to ensure that the aircraft can be maintained and flown.

We need you support - There are many ways you can do this. You can join the Supporter's Club, make small regular donations, enter our monthly prize draw, or offer sponsorship at any level.

So if you are looking for a great family day out, why not contact us to arrange your visit to the project - the Avro Vulcan XH558 is now part of Doncaster and we invite you to share this great piece of aviation history with us!!