Appeal to preserve last flying Vulcan bomber

Avro Vulcan XH558 taking off in 2008, seven years before its final flight

A fundraising appeal has been launched in a bid to help preserve the last Cold War Vulcan bomber to take flight.

The Vulcan to the Sky Trust, which looks after the Avro Vulcan XH558 Spirit of Great Britain, said its finances were under "enormous strain".

A trust spokesperson said it had faced difficulties since 2017, including moving hangar and the halting of its popular ground runs, along with uncertainty around the future of Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA), where the plane is stored.

Marc Walters, trust chief executive, said securing funding would open the door to a "new and exciting" chapter, including an immersive experience showcasing the aircraft which first entered service in 1960.

Mr Walters said FlyDoncaster Ltd, the company set up to manage the planned reopening and operation of DSA - which closed in 2022- had identified a potential plot of land for The Vulcan Experience, a proposed visitor centre with XH558 as its centrepiece.

The trust said the centre would tell the story of the Royal Air Force, the Cold War, and the V-Force bombers, and explore aviation's role in climate change.

"Most importantly, it will allow us to expand our education programme and inspire the next generation of engineers and aviators," Mr Walters added.

The future of The Vulcan Experience relies on the trust securing interim funding, it said

However, the trust needed the public's help with interim funding "before we even get close" to building the experience, Mr Walters said.

"This is not the message we wanted to be putting out in 2025, but the reality is that Vulcan XH558 needs urgent support."

Vulcan XH558 was the longest-serving Vulcan in RAF service and carried Britain's nuclear deterrent during part of the Cold War.

It was the very last to retire from service in 1993, and, in 2015, was the final one to take to the sky.

A decision to remove XH558 from DSA, made when its closure was announced in 2022, has since been reversed and Doncaster City Council said it had its support to remain for the "long term".

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North