Avro Vulcan

"the design authority is recognised by the authority (CAA, FAA, whoever) in the country of origin as the organisation responsible for the design. This gives them both rights (such as to make it very hard for somebody else to make parts for it) and duties (such as the requirement to investigate defects and assist the relevant organisations in accident investigations).

In fact the term "design authority" is normally only used in a military context. In civil aviation the more proper term is "type certificate holder."

I lifted the above from another site. Some organisation recognised by the CAA has to hold the design authority, without it the aircraft cannot fly.

The first time I came across the term was in 1979 when they released ( BS 5750 : 1979 ) that had been based I believe on British Military Standards.

Prior to 1987 they may have been called ' MIL SPECS ' ?

Then the International Standards organization adopted them as ' ISO 9001 ' next were the Europeans as ' EN 46001 ' and it became a major industrial opportunity for the consultants etc.

A significant part of being able to apply the European ' CE ' mark to your equipment was to have a recognized and independently verified ' ISO 9001 ' quality management system.

The design authority had to complete documented and approved ' Risk Assessments ' and this may be the principle reason for BAE & RR getting cold feet.

The potential for a Vulcan to fall out of the sky while performing at air shows had been a concern ~ I remember that one had crashed in Chicago during my time working in the colonies. ( We also lost a large number of our American engineers when they did not follow the design authority procedure and incorrectly replaced the engine in a ( DC10 ? ) with a fork lift truck, damaging one of the engine wing locating pins ( ? ) that failed on take off and it crashed up side down on a trailer park just outside O'Hare.

I suspect that product liability insurance may have played a significant part in BAE & RR making their final decision once their management understood the full implications of the appropriate risk assessments etc.

I also recall that ministries lost their crown immunity status some time in 1990's resulting in the current claim culture etc.

The American home-builders association have a rule: until the weight of the paperwork generated matches the weight of the aircraft concerned, it won't fly! Seems to me that far too many careers depend on saying NO. What a spineless nation we have become.

On an allied note, have Peel Holdings (owners of Finningley) ever said they'd be happy to allow spectators in to watch fast taxi runs? Generate some kind of air display around it maybe? Few operators have an enlightened view on aviation history, eg. forcing enthusiast groups to move on a whim, like at Castle Donnington etc.
I'm sure they could factor in a myriad of excuses not to: H&S, terrorism, disruption to that days flight...

Although 558's display at this years RIAT won awards and praise I think the display at Old Warden's Military Pageant back in July took a bit of beating as well. The aircraft made full use of OW's dog legged crowdline so we got plenty of top side views that you wouldn't have got at many other shows & it certainly wouldn't have come so close to the crowd anywhere else either. The Vulcan's power & grace and Old Warden's small display lines and surroundings are DEFINITELY a winning combination. Here's a few pics -


This sight could never happen anywhere else -

Dietmar "BIG BEAR" proudly sporting his Shuttleworth cap catching the moment -




Steve

Great pics Steve (apart from the third one that is!)

I had this fantastic photo taken & sent to me from a mate, at Beachy Head last weekend during the Eastbourne Airshow -


(Photo taken by Rob Feeley)

Here's some lovely video footage of 558 over...or should I say under Beachy Head from the same day. Some more amazing views of the aircraft here -



Steve

Thanks for the YouTube link Steve.

If you were in that lighthouse you could have handed out coffee and sandwiches to the flight crew

Must be awesome seeing 558 from above like that.

Probably a silly question but why does the underside of the Vulcan's exhausts look different.

ECM counterpoise plate between the starboard nacelles.