XM655

[Bovril]

fantastic! even got to see the engine stands at last

they ace ... sooty knows his stuff

[Iggie]

fantastic! even got to see the engine stands at last

Best bit by far I thought........

[Sooty655]

fantastic! even got to see the engine stands at last

Best bit by far I thought........

Nah, its whats in em thats the best bit.

We can build more stands, but runnable 301s are rarer than rocking horse doo-doo.

[Air]

Might sound a silly question, but do you know that those two engines will still work?

[Sooty655]

Might sound a silly question, but do you know that those two engines will still work?

Not a silly question at all. The short answer is that we don't KNOW that they will work, but it is a pretty safe bet.

We have had a good look at them and they are in excellent condition with no sign of corrosion. They turn over by hand smoothly, and because they haven't been run, there is no risk of burnout in the combustion chambers and turbines.

We hope it will be a long time before we find out for sure. They will be inhibited and put into deep storage until we need them, and hopefully all our installed engines have a good deal of life left in them. The engines from XM603 are our insurance policy against future problems.

[Ramshornvortex]

Operation Jordan is now complete.....

Our magnificent pair is now safely tucked up in its very own dehumidified container, just awaiting a good helping of inhibiting oil next Saturday.

Here are the two engines just before they were hoisted off the trailer last Monday afternoon:



Almost certainly the only two zero-houred Olympus 301s in the world

[Saracenman]

that really is superb!

what's the story with 603's other two donks then?

sm

[Sooty655]

:ymapplause: that really is superb!

what's the story with 603's other two donks then?

sm

Don't know the hours on them, but they have had a fair bit of use, and the back end of the one in the No 4 position looks like it has been very hot at some time. They still turn over, but are a bit "clunky".

They would be suitable for museum display or stripping for spares, but I would have to be desparate before I would choose to run them.

Mind you, I've been desparate before, and could be again

[Ramshornvortex]

what's the story with 603's other two donks then?

No too sure, to be honest..... They do turn by hand, but with lots of horrible grating noise. No 4 has almost certainly had a fire at some point (probably caused by an overfull fuel collector tank). We also had to take a few components from one of them to replace the parts missing from one of the two new engines.

We couldn't take them at the moment anyway for three reasons:

1. Lack of container space at Wellesbourne
2. Lack of engine stands
3. Without any engines, '603 would then be very light, and there are no tiedown points on the pan at Woodford

That all said, I am quietly confident that BAE Systems will let us have them when the day of reckoning eventually comes!

Edited to say: Whoops - just noticed a crossing in the ether with Mr Sooty - sorry!

[Saracenman]

thanks chaps!

i suspect that zero-houred 301s will last you literary Y-E-A-R-S in 655 won't they?

sm

[Mayfly]

Well done guys - pleased it went well & worth it in the end

[Sooty655]

thanks chaps!

i suspect that zero-houred 301s will last you literary Y-E-A-R-S in 655 won't they?

sm

With the TLC we give them, we expect our installed engines to last for Y-E-A-R-S

Which means that with the zero-houred pair as well, you'll NEVER get rid of us.

[Saracenman]

and nor would we want to!

now, if only we could find two zero-houred Avons for 320

sm

[Dougs]

With the TLC we give them, we expect our installed engines to last for Y-E-A-R-S

Which means that with the zero-houred pair as well, you'll NEVER get rid of us.

now thats the post i like to see long live the running vulcans!!!!!!!!!

sm, oddly i checked rolls still produce the avon but only for ground power apps not the 302's that 320 needs
im still asking though

[Air]

thanks chaps!

i suspect that zero-houred 301s will last you literary Y-E-A-R-S in 655 won't they?

sm

With the TLC we give them, we expect our installed engines to last for Y-E-A-R-S

Which means that with the zero-houred pair as well, you'll NEVER get rid of us.

I can just imagine long after the airframe has rusted away you'll still be running old engines up the runway in shopping trolleys tied together with string.

[Sooty655]

I can just imagine long after the airframe has rusted away you'll still be running old engines up the runway in shopping trolleys tied together with string.

How did you find out?

We thought we had kept our Plan B secret

[Ramshornvortex]

We thought we had kept our Plan B secret

Doh!

[Iggie]

[Saracenman]

[Sooty655]

And just to prove we really do "have the technology" at Wellesbourne, here is our combined spare Palouste and hand warmer mounted on the bottom half of a Tesco trolley a few years ago.

[Xplumberlives]

Love those handwarmers!

[Exceptionalsleeper]

Operation Jordan is now complete.....

Our magnificent pair is now safely tucked up in its very own dehumidified container, just awaiting a good helping of inhibiting oil next Saturday.

Here are the two engines just before they were hoisted off the trailer last Monday afternoon:



Almost certainly the only two zero-houred Olympus 301s in the world

A few questions if I may, where did 603 team pick these up? When do you plan to install and run them up? What are the condition of the engine and how long were they fitted?

[Sooty655]

A few questions if I may, where did 603 team pick these up? When do you plan to install and run them up? What are the condition of the engine and how long were they fitted?

I could be sarcastic and say READ THE THREAD, but that wouldn't be the Wellesbourne way.

As far as we know, someone in the 603 Club (with some very good contacts) "found" them at RR. We are in the process of researching the history at the moment.

We know they were fitted more than three years ago, but at present we haven't got a handle on exactly when. We have had a good look at them and they are in excellent condition with no sign of corrosion. They turn over by hand smoothly, and because they haven't been run, there is no risk of burnout in the combustion chambers and turbines.

They will be inhibited and put into deep storage until we need them, and hopefully all our installed engines have a good deal of life left in them. The engines from XM603 are our insurance policy against future problems.

[Pujgnie]

May the guys operating 655 'live long and prosper'. Great that you now have a couple of spare engines .

My slight concern is that 655 still lives outside. Is there anything in the pipeline to get this beauty under cover at a future date ?

[Sooty655]

My slight concern is that 655 still lives outside. Is there anything in the pipeline to get this beauty under cover at a future date ?

Nope, nothing planned. The cost would be prohibitive unless we had a lottery win, and to see where that leads, just read other current threads on Anything Vulcan.

Our approach is to keep the old girl as well painted and protected as we can. Our airframe engineer Fred is currently replacing a corroded spine panel, and we are continually making sure drains are not blocked and water is not collecting anywhere.

We have the advantage of being a long way from the sea - aluminium and salt do not mix well.

We also keep systems dry by having permanent dehumidifiers in the cockpit and the power bay.

Another consideration is that a lot of our income comes from donations from people who drive by and see the aircraft.

Once it goes into a shed, that free advertising is lost.