The world’s last airworthy Vulcan bomber has been saved at the eleventh hour thanks to an anonymous donation of more than £400,000.
The future was looking bleak for the iconic aircraft, based at RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire and owned by the Vulcan to the Sky Trust charity, before the surprise gift.
The trust’s Dr Robert Pleming said: “There’s a massive sigh of relief from all who love this brilliant aircraft.”
The Vulcan to the Sky Trust, based at Bruntingthorpe in Leicestershire where the Vulcan was restored, launched an appeal earlier this year to raise £300,000 by the end of March to keep the aircraft flying.
Staff had been put on a month’s notice at the beginning of February amid fears the project could be terminated, grounding Vulcan XH558 permanently in a bitter blow to all involved as well as fans.
Dr Pleming said that the donor wishes to remain anonymous.
He added: “The aircraft itself is the last flying representative of a fleet of 300 or so aircraft – the Vickers Valiants, the Handley Page Victors and the Avro Vulcans – that were flying during the late-1950s, 60s and 70s.
“They were the aircraft that would have gone to war if the Cold War became hot and thank goodness that never happened, so from a heritage point of view it’s very important indeed.
“The Vulcan is flying as a salute to literally hundreds of thousands of service people who were on guard during that period.”
XH558 was withdrawn from service in 1984 but continued flying as an RAF display aircraft until the Ministry of Defence cut its funding in 1992.
More than ten years later, a massive restoration effort got underway to return the all-British aircraft to the sky.
The Vulcan to the Sky Trust raised more than £6 million through Heritage Lottery and public donations to completely overhaul the aircraft and ensure it passed stringent inspections.
XH558 finally took to the air again in 2007, and has been thrilling crowds on the airshow circuit ever since.
Many Vulcans remain in museums across the UK and abroad, but XH558 is currently the only airworthy example.
It is hoped the plane will perform a fly-past at the opening of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. XH558 is also due to celebrate its 50th birthday this summer.
To find out more, visit the Vulcan to the Sky Trust website.