A visit to Vulcan XM655 at Wellesbourne

Saturday 1 November 2014 would be an aviation day to remember with two visits, the first and subject to this blog to Avro Vulcan B2 XM655 and her dedicated team of volunteers, the second 40 something miles to the north at Bruntingthorpe to see the two Lightning Preservation Group F6s in the twilight. Nick Marsh and I arrived at Wellesbourne just before 09:30 and were met by the VTTSC organiser of the visit, Lee Broadbent.

MaPS, the organisation looking after this lovely looking Vulcan, are doing a splendid job maintaining a V-bomber is running order. There were plenty of volunteers on hand to show us around. We were grouped into fours and assigned to a volunteer, who would tells us about the aircraft, its history, the work being carried out on her etc.

With the threat of the sale of Wellesbourne airfield for housing development the future of XM655 looks bleak, however MaPS are not taking this lying down, they have joined the campaign to save the airfield as a general aviation site, with its museum, its flying training school and flying club and one of the three "live" Vulcans, albeit two of which not flying. All visitors were asked to join the campaign, which we all did if only to save this Vulcan. 

Below are some of the images of the tour.

XM655 looks very good with the sunlight reflecting from many of her surfaces

The squadrons this lovely Vulcan has served in her career

Quite unique amongst the "running/flying" Vulcans, a rack full of (dummy) bombs

Here the same rack of dummy bombs seen from the rear of the bomb bay

The in-cockpit talk by Mike Pullit was informative, but trying to squeeze into the captain's seat was a challenge

Our thanks go the Graham and his team of volunteers for the hospitality and to Roger, our guide for the tour. The next visit has already been planned fro which undoubtedly this author will return.

16 November 2014
Theo Clasassen