After 25 years service with the Royal Air Force, Avro Vulcan XL426 was flown to London Southend Airport, Essex, in 1986 to be preserved as part of the UK's aviation heritage.

The Vulcan is a popular attraction at Southend. It is visited by thousands of people each year at open days and its taxi-runs on the airport's runway are greatly enjoyed by the public and enthusiasts alike. XL426 is one of only three Vulcans still capable of moving under its own power.

XL426 is owned by and cared for by the Vulcan Restoration Trust. The Trust is a registered charity comprised wholly of volunteers. It does not have any paid staff and all the money it raises go towards keeping XL426 maintained.

XL426 has spent almost all its time at Southend outdoors. For a short period in 2017, it was moved into the airport's Hangar 6 and we were hopeful it would spend many years there, maintained indoors, out of the wind and the rain.

Unfortunately, a hangar fire elsewhere on the airport meant XL426 had to move back outdoors so the businesses made homeless by the fire could continue.

Hangar 6 became vacant again last year and ever since we have been in discussions with London Southend Airport about moving back in. The airport has now agreed to this and the keys to the hangar are in our possession. We are now busy making plans to move Vulcan XL426 back under cover!

An agreement is being put in place for XL426 to occupy Hangar 6 for an initial three-year period, with the possibility of extension. In keeping with our policy of total openness, we point out that our lease includes (as it did for our previous tenancy) a six-month break clause.

A considerable amount of work is needed to get Hangar 6 fit-for-purpose before XL426 can go back inside and before it can be opened to the public. This includes repairs to several areas of the roof as well as repairs to the electrics. The hangar walls and floor must also be deep cleaned and there is rubbish to be removed.

All this will involve hiring equipment and purchasing large quantities of consumables.

We have limited funds and so are looking to raise £30,000 towards the cost of the work. Some work has already started but we will need your help to complete it so we can get XL426 back into the hangar and the facility up-and-running for the public.

The amount we are looking to raise is higher than when we moved into Hangar 6 for the first time. This is because, in 2017, we received a great deal of help, both in terms of finance and resource, from London Southend Airport. This time, however, it is doubtful if the airport can provide much, if any, assistance as it and its staff are presently committed to getting the airport back operating again post-pandemic.

The funds we raised in 2017 were compensated to us by London Southend Airport and now form part of our strategic reserve for when it is necessary to move XL426 to a completely different location on the airport.

Getting XL426 into a hangar is something we dreamed about for many years. Our hopes were dashed before but we now have another opportunity. Work is now well underway preparing the hangar and the support we've received so far means we will be able to move XL426 back into Hangar 6 on 15 October.

However, much work still needs to be done to achieve this, and to turn the hangar into a quality maintenance and visitor facility. We appreciate times are hard for many people, but we very much hope you will be able to support us.

Update: Saturday 15 October 2022

Today we achieved the primary aim of our appeal when Vulcan XL426 was towed into Hangar 6 to a fanfare and a huge round of applause from the gatherered crowd.

Thank you to everyone who has donated so far - you made this possible.

Whilst XL426 is now back under cover, we still have much work to do in the hangar and will spend (in fact, weve already spent) more than the £20,000 weve raised so far.

The money we spend on the hangar will have to come from the engineering budget we have set aside for XL426, so the more we raise for the Hangar Appeal, the more we will have be to spend on XL426.

This money will be vital as we look forward to our programme of engine running and taxi-runs in 2023. So please do still continue supporting our Appeal if you can.