Avro Vulcan XH558 Aviation Art Print by Chris French FGAvA

The Vulcan, as a descendent of the Lancaster, has a certain pedigree and became very much the Lancaster of the Cold War era. With initial design studies beginning in the late 1940s, service aircraft joined squadrons from 1955 and served with distinction as both a bomber and tanker until the 1980s.

One aircraft, XH558 has been maintained in flying condition and gave a great number of excellent displays until its airshow career was halted in the mid 1990s. Thankfully, and with great public support, the Vulcan has recently returned to the airshow cicuit, being flown by Martin Withams, one of the pilots involved in the Black Buck mission of 1982.

This painting by Chris French shows XH558 having just landed at RAF Waddington during the airshow at the station some time in the early 1990s.