Spent a year or so working out of Baginton, by Coventry airport, where there is a decomissioned Vulcan parked up by the road. Every day, both on my way in and on my way home, I’d get distracted by it. Beautiful it isn’t, but there aren’t many planes that look more purposeful or “hard as nails” that the Vulcan, save for maybe the SR-71.
Finally got to see the single remaining Vulcan flying in 2010 at Goodwood Festival of Speed. I can tell you that even though they weren’t opening it up properly, and it was a good way up in the sky, the noise is unreal. Every unsilenced F1 car or GP bike was drowned out by a huge margin by the Vulcan!
its for dropping bombs, isn’t it? not really something to get wet about is it?
It’s not what it was designed to do that’s important, but the design and engineering itself that is. I’m going to assume you’ve not really got much appreciation for engineering emsz, as the Vulcan is/was/will always be great for various reasons. Aside from the radical looks (that are now over 50 years old!), it was the first proper Delta Wing plane to see active service, the use of 4 Turbojet engines, the fact they saw active service for long after they were expected to be retired because they were so good, the fact that the Russians and the Argies were shit scared of em etc. Oh, and the fact that the development of the Vulcan eventually lead almost directly to the Concorde, the greatest passenger carrying plane ever to have been conceived!
Don’t deny the importance of something just cos you don’t have any appreciation for it yourself!
Oh, and it’s funded through donations and charities, the taxpayer doesn’t contribute a penny AFAIK.