Avro Vulcan XM655 is one of two remaining taxiable

Taxiing

Taxiing refers to the movement of an aircraft on the ground, under its own power, in contrast to towing or push-back where the aircraft is moved by a tug...

 Avro Vulcan

Avro Vulcan

The Avro Vulcan, sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, was a jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A V Roe & Co designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced,...

s. XM655 is currently owned and maintained by the 655 Maintenance & Preservation Society who keep the plane in a taxiable condition.

History

XM655 was the last Vulcan bar two to be built, and is the youngest surviving example. XM655 initially flew with No.9 Squadron of the RAF, and then alternated between Nos. 44 and 50 Squadrons. In 1984, XM655 was sold off to Roy Jacobsen who intended to keep her airworthy, but the costs proved prohibitive and also the runway was too short for it to take off; So then XM655 was left to deteriorate. Title of XM655 then passed onto John Littler, owner of Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield, who intended to get her to a taxiable condition, but not airworthy.

Taxi runs

After restoration work, XM655 made her first public taxi run at Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield

Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield

Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield is located in Wellesbourne, Warwickshire, England, east of Stratford-on-Avon.It was formerly RAF Wellesbourne Mountford Royal Air Force station, operational from 1941 to 1964...

 on 16 February 1997, with another two runs later that year. Since then, XM655 has made a more or less annual public taxi run as part of the Wellesbourne Wings and Wheels show. There were two runs in 1999, and the 2007 show was cancelled. The 2009 event took place on 21 June, accompanied by both the Red Arrows

Red Arrows

The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Scampton, but due to move to RAF Waddington in 2011...

 and Avro Vulcan XH558

Avro Vulcan XH558

Avro Vulcan XH558 The Spirit Of Great Britain is the only airworthy example of the 134 Avro Vulcan V-bombers that were operated by the Royal Air Force from 1953 until 1984. Vulcan XH558 served with the RAF between 1960 and 1985 in the bomber, maritime reconnaissance and air-to-air refuelling roles...

 flypast as it returned from the Netherlands.
XM655 is also used by the crews of XH558 as required for currency and ground training when only ground running is required or when XH558 is unavailable due to maintenance.

Operators

• Royal Air Force
  Royal Air Force
  The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
  
  
  • No. 9 Squadron RAF
  • No. 44 Squadron RAF
    No. 44 Squadron RAF
    No. 44 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is no longer operational. For most of its history it served as a heavy bomber squadron.-History:...
    
    
  • No. 50 Squadron RAF
    No. 50 Squadron RAF
    No. 50 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed during the First World War as a home defence fighter squadron, and operated as a bomber squadron during the Second World War and the Cold War. It disbanded for the last time in 1984....
    
    

• 655 Maintenance & Preservation Society

See also

Avro Vulcan XH558

Avro Vulcan XH558

Avro Vulcan XH558 The Spirit Of Great Britain is the only airworthy example of the 134 Avro Vulcan V-bombers that were operated by the Royal Air Force from 1953 until 1984. Vulcan XH558 served with the RAF between 1960 and 1985 in the bomber, maritime reconnaissance and air-to-air refuelling roles...

, the only airworthy Vulcan

Vulcan Restoration Trust

Vulcan Restoration Trust

The Vulcan Restoration Trust is responsible for the XL426, one of three surviving live Avro Vulcans. Based at Southend Airport, it performed taxi displays until 2006 when the aircraft was withdrawn for engineering works....

operators of XL426, the only other taxiable Vulcan.