Avro Vulcan XM603 - Avro Heritage Museum, Woodford

A look at Avro Vulcan XM603, the only preserved Avro Vulcan that wears the anti flash white paint scheme, which can be seen beautifully presented at the Avro Heritage Museum, Woodford. Although the internal shots here might appear to be XM603, they are actually filmed in the nose section of her sister aircraft, XM602, which is also preserved at the same museum.

This Vulcan B.Mk 2 was completed at Woodford on 15th November 1963, fitted with Bristol Siddeley Olympus 301 engines. She first flew in the all white anti-flash paint scheme used for the high altitude role that the Vulcan was originally designed for. Delivered the same month to No. 12 Sqn, then part of the Coningsby Wing which moved, shortly afterwards, to Cottesmore in 1964.
XM603 then transferred to the Waddington Wing in 1968, joined 50 Sqn in August 1975 followed by 101 Sqn in December 1980 & then 44 Sqn. in July 1981. By this time the paint scheme had changed to the Grey/Green camouflage used in the low level role which the Vulcan was now used for.
She travelled extensively to British and American bases across the World before being retired by the RAF in 1982 as part of the general removal of Vulcans from service (just missing the Falklands conflict).
XM603 was sold to British Aerospace for preservation at Woodford. She arrived there on 12th March 1982.

She was used as the trials mock up aircraft for the Vulcan K.Mk 2 tanker conversion. Vulcan tankers were used for air to air refuelling in Europe allowing the Victors to be used in the South Atlantic. A number of items were also removed to support operational Vulcans.
After the team maintaining her were stopped by BAe from accessing the airfield she started to decay and suffered some vandalism. XM655 at Wellesbourne now has two of XM603's engines and still performs taxi runs.
Between April and October 2016 XM603 had a full external restoration including waterproofing and complete repaint to her current white scheme. This was sponsored by Warmco & HMG Paints.
In Spring 2019 a team began restoring her cockpit which had suffered the ravages of water ingress and vandalism as well as having donated many items to XH558 and to the nose section of XM602 (itself available for visits on Museum Public days for a small fee).
XM603 is the only preserved Vulcan in the all-white colour scheme (which was applied after her arrival at Woodford).

http://avroheritagemuseum.co.uk

Music - 'Subterranean Howl' by ELPHNT available copyright free from You Tube Audio Library.


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