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[Kevin Wood]

I think it's only every going to be "restored" in the sense that it'll be fit to sit in a museum without corroding further. Not in a million years will it ever fly.

[tigers_gonads]

Its going to cost an absolute fortune to do anything with that. £345,000 already spent just getting out. Whilst I agree with the comments about enemy aircraft, I would rather see the money spent on getting 'Just Jane' airborne in Lincolnshire at the heritage museum. The RAF Lanc is not going to last forever, nor is the Canadian one, and the powers that be don't seem to be interested in keeping the iconic Vulcan airworthy.
I put this in the same category as trying to get the 'Mary Rose'  seaworthy

The biggest problem with the Vulcan is the engines.
Unless Rolls Royce find a way to refurbish those engines then the CAA will ground it regardless
Yes, they are looking at finding away too sort out the impeading airframe problems but without engines, the flying program it totally buggered 

Or wishful thinking I know, bribe / blackmail the CAA and get one of the Lightning's back into the air 

[Kevin Wood]

The biggest problem with the Vulcan is the engines.
Unless Rolls Royce find a way to refurbish those engines then the CAA will ground it regardless
Yes, they are looking at finding away too sort out the impeading airframe problems but without engines, the flying program it totally buggered 

Or wishful thinking I know, bribe / blackmail the CAA and get one of the Lightning's back into the air 

Or just move the whole operation to South Africa or Russia or somewhere, where the authorities will take a more pragmatic view of its' airworthiness.

TBH, we are beyond the era where historic aircraft can be kept flying. That died with the piston engine and wood / metal framed and fabric / ali skinned aircraft. Both engines and airframes are now too exotic to be supported on an "amateur" basis.

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Its going to cost an absolute fortune to do anything with that. £345,000 already spent just getting out. Whilst I agree with the comments about enemy aircraft, I would rather see the money spent on getting 'Just Jane' airborne in Lincolnshire at the heritage museum. The RAF Lanc is not going to last forever, nor is the Canadian one, and the powers that be don't seem to be interested in keeping the iconic Vulcan airworthy.
I put this in the same category as trying to get the 'Mary Rose'  seaworthy

The biggest problem with the Vulcan is the engines.
Unless Rolls Royce find a way to refurbish those engines then the CAA will ground it regardless
Yes, they are looking at finding away too sort out the impeading airframe problems but without engines, the flying program it totally buggered 

Or wishful thinking I know, bribe / blackmail the CAA and get one of the Lightning's back into the air 

Apart from what has been said above, all these projects rely on cash sources of different types, but mainly from the public.  The government has no money, so the likes of the RAF are too busy keeping their front line aircraft in the skies to part with money for more "history projects".  The Battle of Britain flight is enough for them, let alone keeping the Red Arrows in the air.

No, all these projects being discussed are basically being funded from people like you and me with their own objectives.  Those that want to get the Lancaster in the air are different than those who want to fund the saving of the last Dornier 17.  The Vulcan fund is something else.  Some kind benefactors contribute to many of these projects, whilst others will fund just one "pet project" as we do with steam railway engines.

At the end of the day though it is up to the donors what they contribute to, and whether you favour saving the Dornier or not makes no difference; it is what they want that counts and means something is achieved or not

It is also true that the crucial factor now is the technology involved and keeping old engines / air frames in full working, insurable, order - as it is with steam engines- has become increasing expensive, problematic, and one day impossible due to costs, age and many other factors.

[tigers_gonads]

The biggest problem with the Vulcan is the engines.
Unless Rolls Royce find a way to refurbish those engines then the CAA will ground it regardless
Yes, they are looking at finding away too sort out the impeading airframe problems but without engines, the flying program it totally buggered 

Or wishful thinking I know, bribe / blackmail the CAA and get one of the Lightning's back into the air 

Or just move the whole operation to South Africa or Russia or somewhere, where the authorities will take a more pragmatic view of its' airworthiness.

TBH, we are beyond the era where historic aircraft can be kept flying. That died with the piston engine and wood / metal framed and fabric / ali skinned aircraft. Both engines and airframes are now too exotic to be supported on an "amateur" basis.

South Africa won't touch anything again after Dave Stock went down at Overberg a few years ago 
I suppose i'm one of the luckiest kids alive that had a dream as a kid and fulfilled it 

Even with all the money in the world, you will never see a Lightning flying again in this country 
Unless the lads at Bruntingthorpe just happen to "do a victor" while carrying out a rather fast taxi run down the runway 

[Shackeng]

waste of money! Should be spent keeping our own aircraft in the air, Lancaster's, Vulcans, Spitfires.

But as they've got it up, i'm with STEMO, fix it up, fly it over the Channel.

Then send a fully armed Spitfire after it, should prove fun 

Agree in spades. Ask the RAF museum why they have allowed their Shackleton (in service for 40 years!) to rot away, and yet waste hundreds of thousands on this. 

I agree, I am biased.

[Kevin Wood]

The biggest problem with the Vulcan is the engines.
Unless Rolls Royce find a way to refurbish those engines then the CAA will ground it regardless
Yes, they are looking at finding away too sort out the impeading airframe problems but without engines, the flying program it totally buggered 

Or wishful thinking I know, bribe / blackmail the CAA and get one of the Lightning's back into the air 

Or just move the whole operation to South Africa or Russia or somewhere, where the authorities will take a more pragmatic view of its' airworthiness.

TBH, we are beyond the era where historic aircraft can be kept flying. That died with the piston engine and wood / metal framed and fabric / ali skinned aircraft. Both engines and airframes are now too exotic to be supported on an "amateur" basis.

South Africa won't touch anything again after Dave Stock went down at Overberg a few years ago 
I suppose i'm one of the luckiest kids alive that had a dream as a kid and fulfilled it 

Even with all the money in the world, you will never see a Lightning flying again in this country 
Unless the lads at Bruntingthorpe just happen to "do a victor" while carrying out a rather fast taxi run down the runway 

I'm guessing that explaining how you accidentally got airborne in a Lightning would be a tad less believable than in an empty Victor thinking about the speeds and wing loadings involved, but we can but hope.

[tigers_gonads]

The biggest problem with the Vulcan is the engines.
Unless Rolls Royce find a way to refurbish those engines then the CAA will ground it regardless
Yes, they are looking at finding away too sort out the impeading airframe problems but without engines, the flying program it totally buggered 

Or wishful thinking I know, bribe / blackmail the CAA and get one of the Lightning's back into the air 

Or just move the whole operation to South Africa or Russia or somewhere, where the authorities will take a more pragmatic view of its' airworthiness.

TBH, we are beyond the era where historic aircraft can be kept flying. That died with the piston engine and wood / metal framed and fabric / ali skinned aircraft. Both engines and airframes are now too exotic to be supported on an "amateur" basis.

South Africa won't touch anything again after Dave Stock went down at Overberg a few years ago 
I suppose i'm one of the luckiest kids alive that had a dream as a kid and fulfilled it 

Even with all the money in the world, you will never see a Lightning flying again in this country 
Unless the lads at Bruntingthorpe just happen to "do a victor" while carrying out a rather fast taxi run down the runway 

I'm guessing that explaining how you accidentally got airborne in a Lightning would be a tad less believable than in an empty Victor thinking about the speeds and wing loadings involved, but we can but hope.

Have a read of this
http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/lightning/survivor.php?id=30

[Kevin Wood]

Hmm, so Chipmunk to Lightning conversion in a few seconds..

Not something you can manage while maintaining pristine underwear, I imagine!

[Doctor Gollum]

As good a way to learn as any...

Headfirst and blindfolded straight into the deep end

[Terbs]

waste of money! Should be spent keeping our own aircraft in the air, Lancaster's, Vulcans, Spitfires.

But as they've got it up, i'm with STEMO, fix it up, fly it over the Channel.

Then send a fully armed Spitfire after it, should prove fun 

Agree in spades. Ask the RAF museum why they have allowed their Shackleton (in service for 40 years!) to rot away, and yet waste hundreds of thousands on this. 

I agree, I am biased.

I am with you on that. The Shackleton was a workhorse for all that time, and should rightfully be recorded as one the alltime greats and should be preserved, AND in flying condition. It breaks my heart to see the burnt out wrecks on the edges of airfields (Benson near me) after being used for fire drill.
As Kevin says, that Dornier will never fly....its just a rust hulk. Imagine your car passing the mot looking like that, just to drive on the road.
I would have thought it would be cheaper to build one from scratch...which I suppose, is what they are gonna have to...
And TG's Lightning should be on the list too.
I know that all old aircraft cannot be kept airworthy, but some are really iconic