The Vulcan

[STFC_Gazza]

Will be retired for good or sold off, if Vulcan To The Sky cannot raise 150K by tomorrow, they will call in the administrators, Another British Legend like the Concorde to die? Shame after all the money that was raised to get it back in the sky.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-11642558

[BANGKOK RED]

It'd be a fucking shame if the Vulcan dies, the most beautiful machine ever to fly. You'd have thought that money would be a drop in the ocean to some plane enthusiasts.

[Batch]

Its a shame but the project has been teetering on the brink of financial meltdown every since the restoration has been complete. Think they were reliant on corperate sponsorship, then the global meltdown happened.

Unfortunately XH558 only has about 4-5 years flying left in her now anyway.

[Arriba]

i've never liked star trek.leonard nimoy must be getting on now and probably doesn't have long left anyway

[Ardiles]

I was reading about this in some of the blurb from this year's Farnborough Airshow.  The best case scenario was only ever going to be extending the flying life of the Vulcan until 2014 (?) in any case.  There are components in that plane that will simply reach the end of their lives at that point and, to extend it.  To extend its flying life further would take a complete refit which would basically involve building a new plane (ie unviable).

[Reg Smeeton]

Another British Legend like the Concorde to die?

Concorde was an Anglo-French effort.....hence the French spelling of the name.

I recently read that in order to keep the Concorde project going, the government decided to axe Britain's rocket launching capability...

 As a kid, I grew up with such things as Blue Streak and Blue Steel, which could launch Britain's nuclear warheads...Blue Streak being carried on a Vulcan.

We also had a satellite launching capability from the Black Arrow rocket, Woomera in Australia being our launch site.

The last satellite to be launched was in 71, the country was basically skint.

[nevillew]

Concorde was an Anglo-French effort.....hence the French spelling of the name.

I recently read that in order to keep the Concorde project going, the government decided to axe Britain's rocket launching capability...

 As a kid, I grew up with such things as Blue Streak and Blue Steel, which could launch Britain's nuclear warheads...Blue Streak being carried on a Vulcan.

We also had a satellite launching capability from the Black Arrow rocket, Woomera in Australia being our launch site.

The last satellite to be launched was in 71, the country was basically skint.

They also used to have a short range missile called an "Honest John", which I think had a tactical nuclear capability. They used to let one off at the old Larkhill Artillery days when I were a lad (not with a proper warhead on, obviously) - usually aimed it at Imber

[stfcinbmth]

Its a shame but the project has been teetering on the brink of financial meltdown every since the restoration has been complete. Think they were reliant on corperate sponsorship, then the global meltdown happened.

Unfortunately XH558 only has about 4-5 years flying left in her now anyway.

Don't see why the government can't stump up the cash

[Reg Smeeton]

They also used to have a short range missile called an "Honest John", which I think had a tactical nuclear capability. They used to let one off at the old Larkhill Artillery days when I were a lad (not with a proper warhead on, obviously) - usually aimed it at Imber

Interesting...I walked across the middle of the plain some years back and saw quite few sizeable missiles embedded in the ground, these were more helicopter gun ship types I'd have thought.

There used to be a Blue Streak in the Wroughton Science Museum....

I suppose history is being repeated, when in the CSR all Harrier jump jets have been axed...leaves us with an aircraft carrier but no planes.

[Batch]

Concorde was an Anglo-French effort.....hence the French spelling of the name.

McMillan tried to get rid of the French spelling though. He farted in their general direction when it became "Concord" here in the 60's, but the wind waffed it back and 'in the name of solidarity' with the Frogs the "e" was put back.

---
Vulcans carried a Blue Steel missiles until Polaris came along.

[Foggy]

They also used to have a short range missile called an "Honest John", which I think had a tactical nuclear capability. They used to let one off at the old Larkhill Artillery days when I were a lad (not with a proper warhead on, obviously) - usually aimed it at Imber

Honest John was huge, they still have one on display in the camp at Larkhill, i used to love artillery days when my grandad used to take me along to meet his old mates, he was a flying gunner for two years so i used to get a go on the motorbikes, and he was in the RHA so we used to get up close to all the displays..magic days and fantastic memories..thank you for reminding me Neville 

[nevillew]

http://24thmissile.tripod.com/id25.html

some info on the 'Honest John'

Yes Fogster, they were great days out.  They even had 25 pounders firing over the top of the crowd from behind, as I recall

[Reg Smeeton]

http://24thmissile.tripod.com/id25.html

some info on the 'Honest John'

Yes Fogster, they were great days out.  They even had 25 pounders firing over the top of the crowd from behind, as I recall

American cack though lads.....where's your patriotism?  (Cue puns about patriot missiles)

[STFC_Gazza]

Saved!!!!

[erictheexile]

They still need some more cash though so I think this one's worth a tenner of my hard earned.