Avro Vulcan - Survivor XJ823
B.2A(MRR) XJ823 - Tom Stoddart, Solway Aviation Museum, Carlisle Airport, Cumbria
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Vulcan B.2A(MRR) XJ823 at Solway Aviation Museum, 29th August 2021; Damien Burke
This is XJ823 on loan to the Solway Aviation Society at Carlisle Airport. The only complete example of the B.2(MRR) variant that has been preserved, this version was used for maritime reconnaissance. Retired to Carlisle Airport in 1983, in common with all Vulcans on exterior display the weather and time haven't been kind to the airframe and items like the thin metal of the jetpipe surrounds have suffered accordingly - the museum have fabricated replacements.
By the early 2000s she was looking pretty shabby but thankfully some sustained effort was then put into getting her looking good once more, and a repaint began in 2006, though the shade of grey on the topsides was rather too dark - happily it has since faded nicely and 5 years or so later, she looked spot on - nowadays the green is looked a little too faded though. Swings and roundabouts...
The museum have big plans for XJ823 and are intending to restore some of her electrical and hydraulic systems so that the cockpit is live and the bomb bay doors can be operated. Another repaint is also on the cards for 2022. Parked a short walk away from the main museum site, spare a thought for the volunteer that gets the job of standing out by her each day the museum is open, waiting for visitors to tour around!
By the early 2000s she was looking pretty shabby but thankfully some sustained effort was then put into getting her looking good once more, and a repaint began in 2006, though the shade of grey on the topsides was rather too dark - happily it has since faded nicely and 5 years or so later, she looked spot on - nowadays the green is looked a little too faded though. Swings and roundabouts...
The museum have big plans for XJ823 and are intending to restore some of her electrical and hydraulic systems so that the cockpit is live and the bomb bay doors can be operated. Another repaint is also on the cards for 2022. Parked a short walk away from the main museum site, spare a thought for the volunteer that gets the job of standing out by her each day the museum is open, waiting for visitors to tour around!
Information on this page current as of 31/08/2021, last updated by Jake |
Find other photos of XJ823 on the following sites:
Air-Britain - Airliners.net - Airplane-Pictures.net - flickr.com - WorldAirPics.com - JetPhotos.net - PlanePictures.net