XM603

[Sploosher]

Just watched a DD video that was made in 1993 about the Vulcan, and it had XM603 being powered up, I was not aware that she was (then) live.

Is this still the case...........

[Vulcan Bomber]

603 was a candidate to fly at one point. She cant be powered up anymore due to bits being removed for 558. 2 engines are now with 655 and sooty reckons running the other 2 wouldnt be wise. Her nose wheel steering has/had issues and thats what stopped her taxiing for years.

[Sooty655]

Everything VB says above is correct. The 603 Club had some engine problems, and sourced and installed 2 zero-hours engines, but had not run them when their arrangements with BAe precluded further activities. In 2009 BAe allowed MaPS to remove the two "new" engines to support XM655. One is still in our storage as a spare, the other is installed in 655's No 1 position, replacing an engine which is currently out for repair. The other two engines, still in XM603, can be rotated with a bit of effort but they are very "clunky" and I would doubt the wisdom of trying to light them up.

At some time it appears the nose wheel of XM603 has been seriously over-rotated and the lug which connects to the steering jack has been sheared off. It still steers ok when connected to a towing arm, but it would be a major repair job to get the steering working again.