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Lotus in the Peak
28th - 30th June 2024

Nlc-Vulcan Bomber


Don262

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I see that there are a few aircraft fans on MLOC. Today I was fortunate to see several biplanes and the Vulcan Bomber fly by my house on the way back from the Rhyl Airshow. Apparently the bomber is now well past its flying hours but still a great sight (and sounds) in the sky. Will we never get the chance to see it again in north Wales.

 

 

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It's a great sight, isn't it Don? As you say, this is the last year we'll see this iconic aeroplane flying and from late September, its flying days are over. It's hard to believe it was designed 9 years after the Avro Lancaster, by the same design team, headed by Roy Chadwick. The only reason they're stopping flying it is that the design authorities (Marshalls of Cambridge, BAe Systems and someone else) are withdrawing support. This is because no Vulcan has flown the same Fatigue Index as XH558 and to carry on would have been a step into the unknown for those companies, who are rightly concerned about safety and risk. 

 

I'll miss '558, and its great British spirit....

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It is an awesome thing. Saw the flypast at EMA a few weeks ago.The other half came along under duress and even she (who is not interested in planes at all) said it was impressive.

 

We designed some awesome stuff in the 50s. If you get the chance watch 'Cold War Hot Jets' and 'Jet! When Britain ruled the skies'. Both have been on BBC 4. Riveting stuff that shows just how far ahead of the rest of the world we really were.

 

I mean - just look at this. First flight over 60 years ago, but still as cool as.....

 

0-40,000ft in less than 3 mins cool.png

20792325390_d03f2c3768_b.jpg

This one lives at East Midlands Aeropark just next to EMA, pic taken this afternoon.

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We were down at the Dartmouth regatta on Friday, and the Vulcan was due in the next day. Unfortunately it was our last day so we missed it :'(

The tragic event at Shoreham last weekend meant all the displays were rather disappointing - the Red Arrows were only allowed to do a couple of flypasts in "V" formation.

I wonder what aircraft are going to be categorised as vintage or complex that we won't see doing aerobatics again?

Such a shame!

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Wildspark,

 

Aircraft in the CAA Complex category are types that have no manual reversion on their hydraulic powered flying controls, such as the Lightning. What that means is that some aircraft have cable operated flying controls from pilot to control surface. They are normally lower speed aircraft where flying speed does not impose too great a load on the surface making it too hard for the pilot to fly without unnecessary force. Any light plane and things like Spitfires etc have this system.

As speeds started to increase, so did loads on the flying surfaces. Hydraulic or electric assistance was required. Normally a cable would go to a Powered Flying Control Unit, which would act as a servo to "assist" the movement of the surface. This is fine as in the event of a hydraulic failure, there is an accumulator to provide boost to the flying controls for a limited period, and the pilot can still operate the controls albeit with much higher stick forces.

Lastly, there are aircraft like the Lightning. No manual reversion, you lose hyds, you lose control, following loss of accumulator pressure. The options are few, but include point the aircraft in a safe direction and leave. That's why the British CAA will never authorise the flight of a complex aircraft in UK airspace, particularly as that aircrafts service record wasn't exemplary.

 

I'm sure there are all sorts of definitions for vintage aircraft, as I would have described the Hunter as a classic jet, being from the 1950's.

 

When the CAA have completed their investigation and reviewed display flying, I'm pretty sure normal service will resume. The sad situation at Shoreham wasn't helped by the fact that the airport is virtually surrounded by housing, a problem which is on the rise for many active airfields. When suburbia encroaches on airfields, it somewhat limits the options for a stricken aircraft, and pilots displaying them are always converting speed to height and vice versa. If flying low and slow, the aircraft needs to be in the airfield overhead, ie easy reach of a landing. Faster and larger aircraft need more space to manoeuvre, so go beyond the boundaries with ease. I suspect there'll be a review of suitability of airports like Shoreham being allowed to have "high energy" aircraft types allowed to display there. I suspect we can expect that there won't be anything heavy or fast allowed to properly display at that venue for the foreseeable future.

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