Aerco helps get historic bomber back in the air

The only airworthy Vulcan bomber in the world has returned to the skies over Leicestershire. The Avro Vulcan XH558, having last flown 14 years ago after a 33 year career in the Royal Air Force, took to the air from Bruntingthorpe airfield for a 34-minute test flight.

Aerco has helped to restore this historic aircraft by acting as a consulting company on connector requirements providing data and drawings of connectors and contacts originally used on the aircraft. Aerco also supplied samples and production connectors at subsidised prices to help the project.

This achievement marks the end of a 10-year effort by the Vulcan To The Sky Trust and for the past two years a team of 24 engineers have spent £6m making the supersonic jet airworthy. It is hoped the aircraft will become a regular sight at air shows from 2008 onwards.

Designed by A.V. Roe and Company, the Vulcan, a revolutionary delta-winged bomber, was used by the RAF from 1956 to 1984 during which time it spearheaded British nuclear and conventional bombing capability and achieved dramatic success in the 1982 Falkland conflict.