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The team responsible for returning the Avro Vulcan bomber to the skies is aiming to raise £1 million to restore another historic jet aircraft, the English Electric Canberra WK163.
The Vulcan to the Sky Trust acquired the Canberra aircraft – which achieved the world altitude record in 1957 when it flew 70,310ft (21,430.5m) – last month and plans to start its restoration early next year at its engineering centre at Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster. According to the trust, around £1 million needs to be raised to restore the aircraft by July 2018.
The Vulcan XH558 took 10 years to restore at a cost of £7 million. Despite its popularity at air shows, the high cost of operating the Cold War bomber – around £2 million a year – proved too expensive, and it took its last flight in October 2015.
The trust said the Canberra WK163, which was used as a research aircraft, was less complex than the Vulcan and that a detailed strip-down and inspection of the plane this year would reveal exactly what was needed to return it to flight. Three US-built Canberras are still used by Nasa for satellite development, because of their capability to fly at a high altitude for extended periods of time. The aircraft also saw service recently in Afghanistan.
Dr Robert Pleming, chief executive of the Vulcan to the Sky Trust, said: “Having successfully restored, maintained and operated the heaviest and most complex heritage aircraft on the display circuit, we are independently recognised as a global leader in keeping heritage jets flying reliably and safely.”
Several key people at the trust have experience with Canberras and the aircraft’s Avon engines, and have worked with the WK163 during its time as a research aircraft. Andrew Edmondson, engineering director at the trust, said that, although valuable, this experience was not critical to success. “In a tightly controlled engineering environment, the key is to understand and respect the processes,” he said.