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    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: Avro 698 Vulcan
    Latest Model:Vulcan B.2(MRR)
    Last Military Serial:XH537 RAF
    Construction Number:Set 5
    Compressed ID:Avro Vulcan B.2(MRR) sn XH537 RAF c...
    Latest Owner or Location:Bounemouth Aviation Museum, Bournemouth International Airport, Bournemouth, Dorset, England

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    Dates

    Event

    1959

    Constructed as a Vulcan B.2(MRR).

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the Royal Air Force with s/n XH537.

    31 August 1959

    Transferred to Boscombe Down.
    The delivery date is provided.

    January 1960

    Chosen to be one of the development aircraft for the Douglas Skybolt ALBM (Air-Launched Ballistic Missile).

    June 1961

    The conversion work was completed in June 1961 and XH537 flew with dummy Skybolts.

    19 December 1962

    The Skybolt project was cancelled on on this date, the same day as the first successful firing of a Skybolt (from a USAF B-52) after previous attempts had all ended in failure. The cancellation of the Skybolt programme caused a major political fall-out in the UK after the British government had cancelled all other projects to concentrate on the Skybolt.

    Transferred to 230 OCU, RAF Finningley.
    After having the Skybolt equipment removed was assigned to 230 OCU for normal RAF service.

    1978

    Converted to a Vulcan B.2(MRR).

    March 1982

    Transferred to 27 Squadron.

    March 1982

    Ferry flight. Delivered to RAF Abingdon.
    Delivered to Abingdon to become a training airframe, which was the last flight of the airframe.

    May 1989


    Photographer: Unknown

    May 1991

    Scrapped.

    1994

    To Colin Mears.
    Only the nose section was obtained by Mr. Mears.

    1997

    To Paul Hartley.

    There had been a plan for XH537s nose to carry out crew escape and rescue trainer for XH558.

    2001

    To Channel Express, Bournemouth (Hurn) Airport.

    Restored.
    The restoration was sponsored by Channel Express.

    March 2003

    To Bounemouth Aviation Museum, Bournemouth International Airport, Bournemouth, Dorset, England.
    Only the nose survives here.
    View the Location Dossier

    16 May 2012


    Photographer: Terry Fletcher
    Notes: At Bournemouth Aviation Museum
    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier was started by a contributor.
    An preliminary review of the submitted data is pending.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.
    Credits
     Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...
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