Vulcan bomber takes to the skies

A restored Vulcan bomber has taken to the skies on a test flight from RAF Cottesmore in Rutland despite an earlier false fire alert.

The Cold War bomber took off just after 1345 BST to fly the 30 miles (48km) to Bruntingthorpe airfield in Leics.

The aircraft had to make an emergency landing during a test on Monday following the false alarm.

Project Manager Andrew Edmondson said the fault on the aircraft was just one of a few teething problems.

He said: "There's people out there who've restored motor cars and everybody knows that once you've restored it, for the first six months, you get a few teething problems.

"We're getting the same thing and they're just bulbs that are blowing, a micro switch not quite working, so it's not very significant."

Vulcan History

• 137 of the aircraft were manufactured starting in the 1950s
• First Vulcan flew in 1953
• Introduced to counter the threat of the Soviet Union
• Took 14 years to restore
• Retired from service in 1984

The test flight is in preparation for an application to the Civil Aviation Authority for a permit to fly during air shows this summer.

Organisers hope the bomber will fly in about 18 air shows over the summer - which will cost about £1m - but say a major sponsor still needs to be found to ensure it has enough money to continue flying.

The plane last flew operationally 15 years ago after being used for years as deterrent in the Cold War.

Some 20,000 people worldwide have helped contribute to the restoration of the bomber - with £2.7m contributed by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Vulcan was first introduced as a four-engined nuclear bomber to counter the growing threat of the Soviet Union.

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Vulcan to the Sky
Ministry of Defence
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