North East Aircraft Museum bosses plea to save Vulcan bomber

Jun 25 2009 by Tom Mullen, The Journal

Parts for the plane are hard to come by and often have to be specially made at a cost of thousands.

Richard Clarke, of the Vulcan to the Sky Trust, which campaigns for the preservation of the bomber, said: “This is an aircraft that helped keep the peace during the Cold War years, which was a very fraught period in our country’s modern history.

“We should respect the fact that we are here today because of these machines and the people who flew them. It is hugely important that they are preserved for future generations.”

The Vulcan is the sister of the world’s last flying Vulcan, which took to the skies at the weekend for its first public display since the Vulcan To The Sky Trust launched an 11th-hour appeal for funds to save the bomber from decay.

The aircraft, which is based at Bruntingthorpe airport in Leicestershire, flew for the first time in 15 years in 2007 following a £7m restoration. To make a donation or get involved in volunteer work contact the North East Aircraft Museum for details on (0191) 519-0662.