Yesterday in the UK, a retired RAF Avro Vulcan bomber took to the skies for the first time in 14 years. The iconic Vulcan was Britain's major nuclear bomber in the '50s and '60s and later served in conventional roles, including in the Falklands War of 1982. She was also instrumental in the development of the Olympus engines that later powered Concorde, and was a co-star of the 1965 James Bond movie "Thunderball." The restoration of XH558 was funded by 6 million pounds (around $12m) in contributions to a charitable trust, including a grant from a Lottery-based fund for British heritage and donations from enthusiasts. It is hoped this aircraft will be certified to join the airshow circuit in 2008 and be able to perform for another 15 years before being re-retired for good.
Read about it here, with pics:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/a ... ge_id=1770
Takeoff video (first time this has happened since 1993) here:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=VECwLl06ik0
Enjoy and congrats to the aviation buffs in the UK that made this happen!
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