Avro Vulcan XH558 for kansalliskala.

bob955i · Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 2495

Here you go...

All shot with EOS 5D + EF100-400L at various Leuchars Airshow days:

DigiChromeEd · Joined: 29 Dec 2009 Posts: 3462 Location: Northern Ireland

Great shots! My favourite aircraft of all time - I once sat in the cockpit of one of these, albeit on the ground at an airshow!

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

My Vulcan story, where I grew up until I got married was in a house that went with my dad's job, he was a superintendant of a water treatment plant out in the country near the city of Wolverhampton, and the waterworks was right alongside RAF Cosford, that is now home to the superb Royal Air Force Museum.
One day my old man got a phone call from someone at the RAF Camp to let him know that a Vulcan would trying to land on it's final flight, it is still in the museum to this day. The courtesy call was because the waterworks, and our house, were more or less in a direct line to the runway and about 1/2 mile away, and depending on the wind direction the Vulcan might pass over very low.
I was about 13 or 14 at the time, and my old man took me onto the roof of the waterworks which is a grand old Victorian building nearly 70 feet high ( built for massive steam engines ) where we could see the runway.

The Vulcan approached and was obviously going to land coming towards us, we were a bit disappointed that it wasn't going to come low overhead, but we were still excited.
There was a lot of smoke from the Vulcans tyres as it touched down, then an almighty roar. The pilot was running out of runway and lifting off again on absolutely full power, and he flew over our heads so low we felt the hot blast from the engines. My old man swears that it was the start of his deafness ! It was an experience that will stay with me for ever.
On the second attempt the landing was perfect.

A few months later they Landed a Victor, this time coming in over the waterworks so we got a great view but not nearly as earth shattering as the Vulcan. The Victor also had problems with the short runway, and very unceremoniously parked in a soft field of cabbages, where it stayed for many weeks while they dug it out.

If you are in the UK and have any interest in planes, or the 'cold war', then visit the museum, it's free and one of the best days out you'll ever have.

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford/

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Excalibur · Expire: 2014-04-21

That was interesting Lloydy and great shots Bob.

bob955i · Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 2495

Thanks guys and an interesting backstory there Lloydy.

I'm hoping XH558 returns to Leuchars this year and the weather is better than it was last time as I want to shoot some video on the 5D2 and capture that Vulcan 'howl'. Last year the aircraft just did a flypast on the day and the weather and cloudbase was such that it was touch and go whether it would be coming at all since the aircraft although in RAF colours, is now civilian and subject to VFR as it no longer has radar for IFR.

Just like the Vulcan, RAF Leuchars and the airshow that went with it will soon pass into history when the RAF vacate the base in 2015.

Katastrofo · Expire: 2013-11-19

Nothing like being there, but always enjoy your airshows, Bob!

Schnauzer · Expire: 2012-03-08

kansalliskala · Expire: 2016-12-30

Thank you!

Plane looks really frightening bomb doors open. Shocked