List of surviving Avro Vulcans

Avro Vulcan

Company type	Military aircraft
Industry	Aerospace
Founded	1956
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Strategic bomber aircraft

Main article: Avro Vulcan

The Avro Vulcan was a British strategic bomber powered by jet engines, serving the Royal Air Force from 1956 through 1984. Out of the 134 units manufactured, 19 remain today. Although none are currently capable of flight, three aircraft—XH558, XL426, and XM655—are maintained in taxiable condition. The majority of the surviving Vulcans are situated within the United Kingdom, with only four exceptions. Notably, all four Vulcans involved in Operation Black Buck during the Falklands War—XM597, XM598, XM607, and XM612—still exist.

Surviving aircraft

Unless otherwise indicated, locations are within the United Kingdom.

Serial	Geographic location	Institutional location	History	Photo
XH558	Doncaster, South Yorkshire	Robin Hood Airport	XH558 was the final Vulcan to retain airworthiness, restored to flying status by the Vulcan to the Sky Trust. Its inaugural flight following restoration lasted 34 minutes on 18 October 2007. The aircraft performed display flights annually from 2008 until its final flight on 28 October 2015. Its retirement was due to withdrawal of certification support by technical authorities, rendering it unable to fly under Civil Aviation Authority regulations. The airframe and systems had exceeded by 10% the flying hours of any other Vulcan, making detection of fatigue and stress failures increasingly challenging.	File:Vulcan XH558 - M1DLG.jpg
XJ823	Carlisle Lake District Airport	Solway Aviation Museum	This was the 22nd B.2 model produced, later adapted for the MMR role. Completed on 20 April 1961 and assigned to No. 27 Squadron a day later. It subsequently served with No. 50 Squadron and then Station Flight at Waddington. On 21 January 1983, it was sold to Tom Stoddard and David Hutchinson of the Solway Aviation Society, which at that time owned only one other aircraft—a Meteor jet. Its final flight was its arrival at Carlisle Airport in January 1983. Presently it is displayed outdoors as part of the seasonal museum exhibits.	File:Exhibit at the Solway Aviation Museum - geograph.org.uk - 1309128.jpg
XJ824	Duxford, Cambridgeshire	Imperial War Museum Duxford	Completed on 11 May 1961 and delivered five days later to No. 27 Squadron. It later served with No. 101 Squadron before arriving at Duxford on 13 March 1982. Initially displayed inside Hangar 1, it was moved outdoors during redevelopment into Airspace before returning indoors upon completion.	File:Watkin Vulcan (490286459).jpg
XL318	Colindale, London	Royal Air Force Museum London	This aircraft was the first B.2 delivered to No. 617 Squadron ("The Dam Busters") at RAF Scampton on 1 September 1961. Its final flight—and the last for No.617 as a Vulcan unit—occurred on 11 December 1981, documented by Yorkshire Television’s 617-The Last Days of a Vulcan Squadron. Withdrawn from service on 4 January 1982 and transported in sections by road from Scampton to Hendon for reassembly in what is now Bomber Hall by June that year.	File:Vulcan (941577457).jpg
XL319	Sunderland, Tyne and Wear	North East Land, Sea and Air Museums	Delivered as the second B.2 to No.617 Squadron at RAF Scampton on 20 October 1961. It flew from RAF Waddington to Sunderland Airport (formerly RAF Usworth) on 21 January 1983—the largest aircraft ever to land there—performing a brief display. After Sunderland Airport’s closure on 31 May 1984 (its runway replaced by a Nissan car factory), it was relocated alongside other museum exhibits nearby and remains exhibited outdoors with occasional cockpit tours.	File:Avro Vulcan B.2 XL319, NELSAM, 27 June 2015 (02).JPG
XL360	Baginton, Warwickshire	Midland Air Museum	Completed on 28 February 1962 and delivered to No.617 Squadron on 2 March; later assigned to No.101 Squadron before being sold to Midland Air Museum on 26 January 1983. Delivered to their site near Coventry Airport on 4 February and subsequently relocated within their collection area by around 1990 where it remains on outdoor display with daily cockpit access for visitors. Named City of Coventry in tribute to the city’s financial support for its acquisition.	File:Avro Vulcan B.2A ‘XL360’ (23313331884).jpg
XL361	Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada	CFB Goose Bay	Completed on March 14, 1962; delivered to No. 617 Squadron the following day; later assigned to No. 9 Squadron. Following a fuselage fire during a transatlantic flight from Woodford to Offutt AFB in Nebraska, XL361 made an emergency landing at CFB Goose Bay on November 13, 1981—a regular RAF exercise base for Vulcans—and was retired thereafter as gate guardian for the RAF unit stationed there. At Happy Valley’s mayoral request, it was donated to the local community in June 1982 with stipulations for dignified display in RAF colours and consultation with British authorities regarding future status changes. Although presented to the Labrador Heritage Society Museum in 1983, it remains exhibited outdoors at the airbase-cum-civilian airport.	File:AvroVulcanGooseBay.JPG
XL426	Southend-on-Sea, Essex	Southend Airport	Preserved in taxiable condition at Southend Airport under registration G-VJET.	File:XL426 at Southend Airshow 2008 (cropped).jpg
XM573	Ashland, Nebraska, United States	Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum	The hundred-first Vulcan constructed; delivered in March 1963; donated by RAF in 1982 as a symbol of RAF-US Strategic Air Command collaboration near Offutt AFB in Bellevue, Nebraska. Its last flight was a display over Offutt during transfer ceremonies involving multiple Vulcans and USAF bombers previously engaged in competitive exercises against RAF crews. Initially displayed outdoors until museum relocation near Ashland in 1998 when placed indoors; moved outdoors again due to space constraints in 2015; as of September 2022 housed inside Durham Restoration Hangar. < File:XM573 Avro 698 Vulcan (7517250972).jpg
XM575	Castle Donington, Leicestershire	East Midlands Aeropark	Delivered May 1963 to No.617 Squadron; participated in Falklands War victory flypast over London on October 28, 1982; last flown January 1983 delivering it registered as G-BLMC to East Midlands Airport where it is displayed outdoors at Aeropark museum run by volunteers representing the airport authority; plans for relocation to Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome museum fell through due to funding shortages; engine runs continue occasionally despite noise restrictions following site relocation. < File:Avro 698 Vulcan B2A, UK - Air Force AN0299350.jpg
XM594	Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire	Newark Air Museum	The second-last Vulcan produced; completed July 9, 1963; delivered ten days later to No.27 Squadron RAF; initially delayed sale permission due to Falklands War and runway limitations at former RAF Winthorpe airfield; after upgrades allowed landing heavy jets; finally purchased January 19, 1983 by Stuart Stephenson—the only preserved Vulcan delivered to an unlicensed UK airfield; last flown February 7 delivering it amidst severe weather conditions; exhibited outdoors with periodic engine runs until Health & Safety regulations halted use; sold early 2004 but loaned back for display with cockpit tours available by appointment. < File:Avro Vulcan B2 XM594 (6952334197).jpg
XM597	East Fortune, East Lothian	National Museum of Flight	Completed August 26, 1963; delivered next day to No.12 Squadron; one of two Vulcans that conducted bombing raids during Operation Black Buck missions—setting longest bombing raid record during Black Buck Five and causing diplomatic tensions after diverting into Brazil during Black Buck Six—both events marked with mission insignia and Brazilian flag nose art; latterly assigned No.50 Squadron; transferred April 12, 1984 for outdoor display adjacent Hangar One. < File:Museum of Flight Vulcan 05.jpg
XM598	Cosford, Shropshire	Royal Air Force Museum Cosford	Completed August 30, 1963; delivered September fourth same year to No.12 Squadron at RAF Coningsby; originally tasked as bombing aircraft for Black Buck One but aborted shortly after takeoff; withdrawn following disbandment of No.44 Squadron—the last bomber unit—on December twenty-first, nineteen eighty-two; final flight January twentieth nineteen eighty-three including flyover en route to Cosford Aerospace Museum where it remained outdoors until May two thousand six when moved indoors within National Cold War Exhibition opened February eighth nineteen eighty-seven. < File:Vulcan 1 (3447359902).jpg
XM603	Woodford, Greater Manchester	Woodford Aerodrome	Completed November twenty-ninth nineteen sixty-three and delivered December fourth same year to No.9 Squadron; later operated by No.44 Squadron serving as test-bed for K2 tanker conversions before sale for preservation via British Aerospace delivering March twelfth nineteen eighty-three back to Woodford site; parts cannibalised supporting XH558, XM655 and XL426 restorations; currently owned by Harrow Estates who acquired airfield from Avro Heritage Ltd.; restored by group of forty-seven Avro Heritage museum members and unveiled October twenty-fifth two thousand sixteen painted in anti-flash white with black radome and tail markings.	getthumbleft
XM605	Atwater, California, United States	Castle Air Museum	Built December seventeenth nineteen sixty-three and delivered December thirtieth same year to No.9 Squadron; later served with No.50 Squadron before donation to United States Air Force in nineteen eighty-one; arrived Castle AFB September second nineteen eighty-one and formally handed over six days later.	getthumbleft
XM606	Bossier City, Louisiana, United States	Barksdale Global Power Museum	Completed December eighteenth nineteen sixty-three; delivered December thirtieth same year initially assigned No.12 Squadron then later operated by No.9 Squadron; donated United States Air Force arriving Barksdale AFB June seventh nineteen eighty-two with formal handover June fourteenth nineteen eighty-three.	getthumbleft
XM607	Waddington, Lincolnshire	RAF Waddington	Finished December thirtieth nineteen sixty-three and delivered New Year's Day nineteen sixty-four assigned initially No.35 Squadron; participated as bombing aircraft during Black Buck raids one two seven during Falklands conflict; latterly served with No.44 Squadron before withdrawal December seventeenth nineteen eighty-two becoming static exhibit beside Waddington runway;	getthumbleft
XM612	Horsham St Faith, Norfolk	City of Norwich Aviation Museum	Constructed February twenty-eighth nineteen sixty-four at Woodford Manchester facility delivering March third same year assigned initially No.9 Squadron; one of five selected during Falklands conflict deployed Ascension Island targeting Port Stanley runway with planned lead role cancelled due headwinds during third Black Buck raid May thirteenth nineteen eighty-two; returned Waddington December nineteen eighty-two decommissioned sold January nineteenth nineteen eighty-three for £5026 arriving museum January thirtieth;	getthumbleft
Avro_Vulcan_XM655	Wellesbourne, Warwickshire	Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield	XM655 (registration G-VULC) is recognized as the antepenultimate built example and remains youngest survivor preserved taxiable at Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield through efforts of the Maintenance & Preservation Society (MaPS). Initially operated by No.9 Squadron then Nos44 ,50 ,101 Squadrons . Sold off in nineteen eighty-four intending airworthiness but prohibitive costs plus insufficient runway length prevented flying leading deterioration . Ownership transferred John Littler owner airfield aiming taxiable condition without flight capability . Maintained jointly MaPS plus City_of_Oxford_Air_Cadets . First public taxi runs February sixteen nineteen ninety-seven followed by annual appearances typically June during Wings & Wheels events often accompanied BBMF , Red Arrows , XH558 flypasts . Also utilized for ground training currency purposes supporting XH558 crews .	getthumbleft