18
19
Vulcan
Winter
2013
The Future
When the last RAF Vickers VC10 was
grounded last September, Vulcan XH558
became the only all-British four-engined
jet aircraft in the world capable of flight,
the sole survivor from the era when
Britain led the world in aircraft design
and manufacture.
Unlike modern airliners, the Vulcan
was designed to have a ‘safe fatigue
life’: XH558 has a limit to the life of her
structure, beyond which she cannot
fly. There is one further life extension
modification which will be applied to the
aircraft this winter, but the life left in her
Olympus engines means that XH558 may
be taking her final flight in the next few
years.
When she stops flying, we aim to keep
her capable of ground taxiing; she will
be in the best condition of any large
British aircraft of her era. We are
planning for XH558 to become the
centrepiece in a new facility to inspire
the young in design and engineering.
In my view, the success of the project
was due to: the perseverance of the
small team that made it happen; the
enormous support coming from the
public’s desire to see the Vulcan fly; and
the assistance from many firms in the
British aviation industry.
One unexpected outcome: returning
Vulcan B.Mk2
Facts and Figures
Dimensions:
Length – 106 ft. (32.6m)
with refuelling probe
Height – 27ft. 1 in. (8.3m)
Wingspan – 111 ft. (34m)
Wing area – 4,000 sq. ft. (379 m2)
(= 1 ½ tennis courts)
Weight:
Maximum in-service Take Off
Weight – 204,000 lbs. (92,534 kg)
Powerplant:
Four Rolls-Royce Olympus turbo
jets of 16,500 lbs (7,500 kg) of static
thrust each (=23,000 hp each)
Four alternators fitted to the engines
produce a total of 138 kW
Fuel:
Capacity – 9,500 gallons
(39,000 ltrs), held in 14 fuel tanks
Performance:
Maximum speed – 645mph at 39,375
ft. (1,032 kph, at 12,115 m)
Unrefuelled Range – 4,600 miles
(7,360km)
Maximum altitude – 64,960 ft
(19,988 m)
Crew:
In RAF service: two Pilots, Air
Electronics Officer, Navigator-
Radar, Navigator-Plotter
Now: two Pilots, Air Electronics
Officer
First flights:
Prototype (VX770) – August 1952
XH558 – May 1960
Number of Vulcans built:
134
