Avro Vulcan B.Mk2 XL319 'The Sunderland Vulcan'

[VForceHQ]

The latest #twitterVforce You Tube video has just been released.

All concerning XL319 at North East Aviation Museum, Sunderland and its pre-restoration and ongoing work

Here's a link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBCzDAfbUQg

Rod (@ROD558 & @VForceHQ)

[Mayfly]

Thanks for that - XL319 looks to be in fairly good nick.

[Sooty655]

The pics were obviously taken at different times. Is the TFR cover and front of radome now in black or camo ??

[VForceHQ]

Pictures taken on 2 seperate occasions (last Autumn and Monday just gone). Work has now commenced on sprucing her up.

Work has begun from the front and the TFR is now black.

Only a couple of dedicated chaps doing the work on her and apart from the damage when she went snow high a couple of years back shes in pretty good nick ( no obvious signs of delamination).

[Dougs]

Fantastic start should give the old girl a few more years

[Sploosher]

looking good....................might be worth a trip up that way sometime this year

[Bovril]

[Ramshornvortex]

I like the human jury strut on the starboard mainwheels in the fifth from last photo Roger!

Not much of the end caps left. Also I note removal of the upper skins of at least one trailing edge on the port elevons and the ribs are detached from the lower skin as well...

Has all that been repaired now or were the recent photographs selective?

[VForceHQ]

No selective photographs whatsoever ( I have over 100 more). What you see is what you see. A combination of pictures taken over a 6 month period (in no particular order). Just 2 chaps with a passion to smarten her up. She's looking a lot better now- remember the snow high images?

[Bovril]

looks like the trailing edge has been repaired in video. as for de-lamination... there was plenty in 2006 . good to see it her getting some much needed tlc

[Sooty655]

looks like the trailing edge has been repaired in video. as for de-lamination... there was plenty in 2006 . good to see it her getting some much needed tlc

It also looks like the end caps have been rebuilt.

I'm intrigued by the chosen paint scheme. I didn't think the camo plus black half-radome scheme was still used after the TFR introduction. No doubt someone will point me towards a pic to prove me wrong.

[Ramshornvortex]

I didn't think the camo plus black half-radome scheme was still used after the TFR introduction. No doubt someone will point me towards a pic to prove me wrong.

I thought you were right Sooty, but......

I have just had a look at the colour plates in McLelland's book, and XM595 was painted in medium sea grey/dark green uppers, white underside and the black half underside radome with TFR fitted (27 Sqn, August 1971).

Also, XL444 is very similar only with the TFR dome also painted black along with the radome (as NEAM have done) - this on 617 Sqn in 1973.

I think the only non-authentic part of what NEAM have done is to apply high gloss black on the radome - it should be matt, but I appreciate gloss will last longer.