Vulcan needs our help

[RogerS]

Please can you consider a small donation to help keep this brilliant aircraft flying.

http://www.vulcantothesky.org/

They desperately need to raise some more funds by the end of this month.


Thank you

 

[gardenshed]

Oh no, not again...............
The money that's been raised already for this is staggering and every few months there seems to be a funding crisis and always at short notice.

 

[Blackbess]

with the price of scrap ally ,i would go for that

 

[RogerS]

Fine..so don't give anything..but no need to detract from the many who get great pleasure out of watching this fabulous aircraft fly.

 

[theturner]

For my family this is probably the most hated plane on the planet.
When they were stationed at RAF Leeming they used to take off towards
the Cleveland hills. Our house was right on the flight path and they were
so low the house shook and if you were in the garden you could feel
the pressure from it. My kids used to come in screeming every time they
saw a plane of any type. [-o<
Roger.

 

[deserter]

I used to adore going to RAF Finningly with my Grandad and watching them fly. Great to see someone keeping them up in the sky, but I'm afraid I won't help fund it, nobody helps me keep my car on the road after all.

 

[Digit]

Many years ago Churchill commented that 'engineers should be on tap. not on top!' and regretably no British government has ever shown a great interest in preserving Britain's engineering heritage.
An aircraft like the 'Tin Triangle' can never be run at a profit as, unlike the Flying Scotsman for example, it can never carry passengers, thus if we wish our children to see these machines, we will have to pay.
Thousands of people visit museums and working pits/farms/steam rallys etc etc every year and many are perhaps unaware how much commitment in time and money is need by such people as Fred Dibnah to keep these old machines running for their, and the owners, pleasure and education.

Roy.

 

[gardenshed]

Thousands of people visit museums and working pits/farms/steam rallys etc etc every year and many are perhaps unaware how much commitment in time and money is need by such people as Fred Dibnah to keep these old machines running for their, and the owners, pleasure and education.

Roy.

The costs of keeping these wonderful old machines running pales into insignificant compared to the sums being asked to keeping a Vulcan flying though.

 

[No skills]

I do hope they can raise the money they need but in the current climate its going to be quite difficult.

Also am I the only one that was thinking of a different vulcan when they clicked the thread title?? #-o

 

[Digit]

pales into insignificant compared to the sums being asked to keeping a Vulcan flying though.

Yes it does indeed, which is why they keep coming back of course. To me it's a question of whether we aknowledge our heritage or not.
Few countries become rich on farm produce, China, America, Japan and Germany have all become rich on the backs of their engineers, and engineers in those countries are a matter of pride. In the UK they are a utility.

Roy.

 

[Dusty]

And while you are at it , I have now started my "keep my van on the road charity " ........serves no purpose except it benefits me !!

............how about parking it up for a few months and when there is enough money in the pot then bring it back on line then , instead of the guilt trip !! Or is it just because they need to get it ready to fly at the summer air shows !.........Does it really matter if it is not flying 12 months of the year ? Why not treat it like people treat family holidays , save up all year and have a couple of good weeks in the summer .. just a thought .

Dusty

 

[Digit]

I agree with your charity, provided you can convince me that your van represents a significant step in vehicle development. :twisted:

Roy.

 

[Dusty]

No problem Digit if you look back as far as the first transit van that did about 1 mile to the gallon and was as smokey as burning old tyres and then look at my "modern" van (8 years old ) ,it does about 35 to the gallon and it doesnt smoke and is diesel !! nor does it require as much engine oil as it does fuel so I am happy that it has a degree of historical importance as a leap of diesel powered engineering and it even has a digital clock .

If that satisfies your requirement i will let you have my paypal account but would prefer cash LOL

Kind regards Dusty

 

[Blister]

Its a bottomless pit for money ,good in its day , time to cut the losses

Buy a DVD and watch that ,

I think Southend airport have one that's deteriorating as well

 

[woodbloke]

Its a bottomless pit for money ,good in its day , time to cut the losses

Buy a DVD and watch that ,

I think Southend airport have one that's deteriorating as well

...and the one parked outside RAF Waddington is the only one to have seen active service, as according to the telly the other night, it was the principal player in the longest ever bombing mission - Rob

 

[Lowlife]

I used to love seeing Vulcans fly at airshows back in the 80s, West Malling was my favourite and the Vulcan always put on a great show, setting off every car alarm in the carpark when it took off!

I was pleased to see when they finally got this one flying again, but the costs of keeping such a plane flying are huge, and TBH they were always going to be fighting a losing battle, it was only a matter of time before the money ran out and in the current financial climate most people simply have other priorities. It's a shame but I think it's a truth that's hard to avoid.

It's been a few years since I went to an airshow, but these days I'm more inclined to go to places like Old Warden, where the Shuttleworth Collection manages to keep dozens of historic planes flying for a fraction of the cost of a couple of circuits of a Vulcan.

 

[Digit]

Yes it's a bottomless pit! But it is far more representative of British skills than spending millions on he purchase of a Rembrant, Van Goth or Da Vince, or for that matter Stonehenge.
As regards you van Dusty, not so, but if your van was an original as developed by Rudoph Diesel then I'd agree.
It might we worth mentioning hre that the modern IC engine has reached the standard of design achieved by the aircraft industry in the late 1930s!
The Aluminium piston was developed by Bentley, the first disc brake was on a motor bike in 1917?
If you take a look at the 2012 New Year's Honours list you'll find 3 engineers.
Plus service to Muslim Women, services to the Triathlon, services to Golf, numurous for services to this year's Olympics, music, poetry etc etc etc.
No doubt all very worthy, but only scientists and engineers actually do much for a country's, or individual's, wealth.

Roy.

 

[Lowlife]

...it is far more representative of British skills than spending millions on he purchase of a Rembrant, Van Goth or Da Vince, or for that matter Stonehenge.

You have a point, but I guess far more people are interested in seeing a painting by one of the great masters than want to see a Vulcan fly, you can of course see a static Vulcan anytime and for many people that would be good enough. And where do you stop? It could be argued that we should keep a Concorde flying too, or a Comet, or any one of dozens of aircraft that represent milestones of British aviation.

Actually I think Stonehenge is a pretty good example for it's time of engineering skills, albeit not exactly "British", it was at least built by our ancestors who's descendants became the British, and the skills they used eventually led to the building of such things as the Vulcan!

 

[Digit]

or any one of dozens of aircraft that represent milestones of British aviation.

Yep! But how many Da Vincis do you need? Surely one or two are representative of his style?

and the skills they used eventually led to the building of such things as the Vulcan!

Yep! They were engineers, which is entirely my point.
Britain has been living on its engineering capital for years, a vast amount of our infrastructure is still based on Victorian engineering, modern day students of media studies out number engineers by a large majority.
Supporting things like the Vulcan would do much to improve the status of engineering, and with that an increase in the numbers of students based on other countries.

Roy.

 

[DTR]

I must make a donation. Due to the financial situation I don't expect XH558 will kept in flying condition for much longer. I'd like to see it flying sometime this year but I don't know where it is displaying!

...and the one parked outside RAF Waddington is the only one to have seen active service, as according to the telly the other night, it was the principal player in the longest ever bombing mission - Rob

That's incorrect, XM597 also successfully completed one of the Black Buck missions (there were five completed Black Buck missions in total).