Vulcan Takes Flight

No, nobody threw Mr. Spock off a bridge. The very last of the British Avro Vulcan bombers to fly is again airworthy. Retired in 1992, Vulcan number XH558 has been painstakingly rebuilt from the ground up - including a complete rewiring that used about 12 miles of wire. The long-awaited test flight lasted about 20 minutes. More testing is required before the plane is declared operational. It will be used in air shows, not military service. (James Bond fans will recognize this airplane right away.)

The Vulcan bomber - a warrior of the Cold War era and a decisive weapon in the Falklands War - took to the skies for the first time in 14 years today.

The Avro Vulcan XH558 was the last of the aircraft to fly in 1993 when it was hangared at an airfield in Bruntingthorpe, Leics.

Today, after a £6 million restoration project, it was returned to flight.

The plane, which can reach speeds of up to 645mph, was expected to scale heights of around 3,000 feet during the 20-minute test flight and burn in excess of £1,000 of fuel.

Project organisers were describing it as a "historic day for aviation".

It is the first time an aircraft of the Vulcan's complexity has been given an extended overhaul on such a scale and then returned to flight, meeting all current aviation standards, said the Vulcan to the Sky Trust.

With a characteristic screeching roar, the plane rose majestically into the sky to a cheer from watching supporters, sponsors and engineers before banking to the left.

I wasn't able to get a video of the new flight, but YouTube did have this footage of one of the last flights this aircraft took in 1992.

The website for the Vulcan to the Sky Trust is here.