Vulcan bomber undergoes winter service safety inspections

Engineers and technicians check ejection seats, canopy, flying controls and airbrakes on 51-year-old plane

The last flying Vulcan bomber is undergoing the first phase of winter service inspections, with only 13 faults discovered so far. If sufficient funds can be raised to complete the work, the 51-year-old Vulcan XH558 should be back in the air in time for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee season.

Andrew Edmondson, engineering director at the Vulcan to the Sky Trust, said: “We are nearing the end of the inspection phase of the first service package, which includes the ejection seats, canopy, flying controls and airbrakes. So we have a good feel for the scope of work and the replacement parts that we need to source.”

The Vulcan receives different levels of service each year. The simplest is the intermediate service that allows the aircraft to be maintained to the standards required by the Civil Aviation Authority while accommodating the relatively low usage of its current life. An intermediate service includes inspection and lubrication of key systems and a condition and safety check.

Every second year, a much larger service is conducted, known as a “minor”. Next is a minor*, conducted every four years, which adds a substantial number of additional inspection and maintenance operations. Beyond this, there are minor** and major service plans. This year’s service is a modified minor* and will be completed in three “packages”.

Most inspection tasks in the first package are now complete and only 13 faults have been detected. These range from simple problems with corroded electrical connectors to a kinked delivery pipe within the cockpit oxygen system.

“Rectification of the majority of these appears to be straightforward and we have most of the components we need in our stores,” said Edmondson. “Considering the age and technology content of this aircraft, our team of just five ground crew has done a fantastic job keeping it in excellent condition.”

In addition to routine maintenance, components that have reached the end of their installed life must be removed for refurbishment or replacement. Many of these will be sent to suppliers that have the appropriate skills, facilities and certification to carry out testing and repairs.

The final phase of inspection will be the non-destructive testing programme, which uses X-rays to look deep inside the aircraft's metal structure to identify any cracks before they compromise safety. Edmondson says that, thanks to an airshow routine that is carefully planned to minimise airframe stress, he doesn’t expect to find any problems.