

Last flying Avro Vulcan enters her final season - jsingleton
http://www.vulcantothesky.org/news/669/82/Press-Release-28th-May.html

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xixixao
This must be where the TIE Fighter got its sound from.

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chanandler_bong
I am deeply saddened that I cannot find a schedule that will allow me to see
XH558 in her final season. I've been a contributor to her maintenance and
upkeep for the last few years. The license plate on my motorbike is "XH558" in
her honour.

I only saw a Vulcan flying once, when I was five years old at the Abbotsford
BC air show. It made a massive impression on me that I still (obviously) hold
to this day. YouTube videos of the "Vulcan Howl" are a poor substitute for
that memory.

Setting aside politics and moral discussions about warfare and nuclear
weapons, the Vulcan represents the pinnacle of British power and global
authority. It is the culmination and distillation of the essence of "Rule
Britannia". Yes, the Royal Navy Vanguard's have greater destructive power and
(arguable) applicability in the modern era, but they lack the visual presence
and and iconic stature.

Thankfully, the Vulcan To The Sky foundation will keep and preserve XH558 and
continue their educational mission.

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prestonbriggs
I saw one fly at an airshow near Houston, maybe 30 years ago. Completely cool,
and more than a little spooky.

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draegtun
Brings back memories and completely forgot about the sound! Use to see them
pretty much everyday while at primary school (near Northolt Airport).

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Erwin
It's quite a loud plane, and a lot of fun to see it take off at an airshow. It
has a distinctive howling sound:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_ARSE8jEHQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_ARSE8jEHQ)

It's hard to believe it's 50 years old when you see it maneuver like that.
Then again it was surprising to me how powerful and agile an empty A380 or
other passenger plane is (check out A380 or A400 Farnborough airshow videos)

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neverminder
Always reminds me of Thunderball.

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tonyedgecombe
I saw this plane flying while I was visiting York today, it's still a
remarkable sight.

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icanhackit
Wow I'd never seen nor heard of the V-bombers [0] before and, while the Vulcan
looks incredible, the Handley Page Victor [1, Image][2, Wiki] is otherworldly.
The Brits had some interesting gear.

[0]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_bomber](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_bomber)

[1]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Handley_Page_HP-80_Victor_...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Handley_Page_HP-80_Victor_K2_AN1103895.jpg)

[2]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_Victor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_Victor)

~~~
arethuza
Shame we never purchased the TSR2 - it was a fantastic machine:

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAC_TSR-2](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAC_TSR-2)

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sswaner
I think the Black Buck missions during the Falklands war are among the most
impressive combat missions of any conflict. The most comparable mission I can
think of is the Doolittle raid in WW2. But, considering the technical
complexity, environment and potential for disaster, Black Buck was much more
risky.

Back in the 90's I spent many hours playing Harpoon, a naval and air war
simulator. It was easy in a game to send planes on a mission to the far limits
of range and capability, bombers that flew past fighter cover with little or
no radar coverage. That such a "crazy" mission was actually done is very
impressive.

Sad to see the last one stop flying, wish I could travel to the UK to see and
hear it in person.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Black_Buck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Black_Buck)

~~~
iwwr
Impressively done logistically and came up as a complete surprise to the
Argentinians, but had no effect militarily. The mission also exemplified the
rocket equation with aircraft.

The under-construction airport in St. Helena is probably a legacy of that
conflict, since British planners need an airport closer to the Falklands than
the one in Ascension (should the island fall again).

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arethuza
Vulcans are probably some of the few foreign strategic bombers to have flown
attacks on US cities in exercises - they had relatively little difficulty
penetrating US defenses:

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Skyshield](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Skyshield)

I remember as a kid watching a Vulcan doing aerobatics above the small
Scottish village I grew up in - the sight of a huge aircraft being thrown
around was quite stunning but what I really remember was the _noise_ \- I
don't think any other aircraft I have heard (including Concorde) made such an
incredible noise.

Edit: It wasn't just the fact that it was loud, very loud, it was that Vulcans
make a very spooky wail/howl when their engines are close to full power.

~~~
Zancarius
I'm more than a _little_ disappointed about this news, having watched some of
the various interviews and such related to the restoration project of XH558
along with tons of Youtube footage taken from airshows in the UK. But, I also
understand their reasoning. It doesn't make me any less sad! I just wish I had
taken the chance to watch her fly. The Vulcan is a gorgeous aircraft.

> Edit: It wasn't just the fact that it was loud, very loud, it was that
> Vulcans make a very spooky wail/howl when their engines are close to full
> power.

This reminds me. I live in an area that was once home to the F-22. Their
engines made similar ghastly noises during maneuvring, which I suspect was due
to the shape of the inlets. It'd scare the tar out of the household pets when
they were flying night missions and usually get the neighborhood dogs worked
up in a tizzy. I rather miss it!

Hilariously, residents complained to the USAF about the persistent sonic booms
from the F-22 training missions, and were later relieved when they were
recently replaced with a wing of F-16s. Now that training has resumed (along
with the sonic booms), I can only imagine what those same people must be
thinking. ;)

