Vulcan Restoration Trust

Vulcan Restoration Trust Welcome to the official page of the Vulcan Restoration Trust, the registered charity that cares for Avro Vulcan B2 serial number XL426 at Southend
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Welcome to the official page of the Vulcan Restoration Trust, the registered charity that cares for Avro Vulcan B2 XL426 at London Southend Airport, Essex, known as the 'Southend Vulcan'.

23/05/2026

Quiz Kev!
We put your questions to Vulcan Pilot Kev Rumens before our taxi run last weekend.

Thanks to Andy Lockwood for filming this video.

19/05/2026

Sit back, relax & enjoy the show. Nose wheel lift 🛞, brake chute out 👀 & a record breaking howl 🔊

A big thank you to Andy Lockwood from JibzTV for filming & editing this great video 🙏



Nose wheel up, Brake Chute out and a record-breaking howl! The British weather 🌧 didn't stop XL426 and the team at the V...
17/05/2026

Nose wheel up, Brake Chute out and a record-breaking howl!

The British weather 🌧 didn't stop XL426 and the team at the Vulcan Restoration Trust last night for the annual Twilight Taxi run.

Thank you to the 400+ people who attended our event at London Southend Airport to watch our iconic Southend Vulcan high speed taxi down the runway in the very capable hands of ex RAF and Vulcan pilot, Kev Rumens and the Vulcan Restoration Trust’s very own Chief Engineer, Matt Lawrence. Accompanying them in the cockpit were Lead Engineer, Andy Wagstaff in the AEO (Air Electronics Office) Role; Ken who won the seat in our annual raffle and a couple of very important paying passengers.

After the slow taxi and the record-breaking howl 🔊that lasted for 52 seconds, Xl426’s systems were checked and she was cleared to high-speed taxi, deploy her brake chute and Kev & Matt treated us to an impressive nose wheel lift resulting in gasps and cheers from the crowds outside the hangar 🙌

Andy Lockwood and SDTV Spotter Dedicated TV were on hand to live stream the event 🎬(which is available to watch on our page) and VRT Volunteer Jason Gore Photography has captured the event brilliantly in photos 📸

If you enjoyed the event, where ever you watched it, please consider donating to the Vulcan Restoration Trust 🙏. It costs £10000’s each year to keep XL426 in live taxiing condition and every penny you donate goes directly to this cause. The Trust is run entirely by Volunteers and we would love to continue to do this for many years to come!
https://avrovulcan.com/donate/

Comment, share or drop an emoji on our post to show your appreciation to the team.

16/05/2026

We are live!
Thanks to SDTV Spotter Dedicated TV & Andy Lockwood for the footage & live this evening 👍✈️

16/05/2026

Vulcan Fast Taxi Run -Southend Airport Live- 16th May 2026

How the Engineering team prepare for the big day! 🥓🥚🍄🫘🌭7.5 hours until the gates open for our high speed taxi run ✈️. #...
16/05/2026

How the Engineering team prepare for the big day! 🥓🥚🍄🫘🌭
7.5 hours until the gates open for our high speed taxi run ✈️. #

XL426 wakes up on the pan before her big day today ✈️. Join us this evening for our live stream 👍
16/05/2026

XL426 wakes up on the pan before her big day today ✈️. Join us this evening for our live stream 👍

15/05/2026

Howl from inside the cockpit 🔊😄✈️

Quiz Kev! We will be taking the opportunity to quiz our Vulcan pilot, Kev Rumens, before our high speed taxi run on Satu...
13/05/2026

Quiz Kev!

We will be taking the opportunity to quiz our Vulcan pilot, Kev Rumens, before our high speed taxi run on Saturday. Post your questions below by midday on Friday!

We are privileged to have Kev as our pilot for the high speed taxi runs. Kev joined the RAF at 18 and earned his wings in 1988 before flying Handley Page Victor tankers with 55 Squadron at RAF Marham.

While still only 21, he was selected to join the RAF’s Vulcan Display Flight as a co-pilot on Avro Vulcan B.2 XH558, later becoming one of its display pilots. After leaving the RAF and flying long-haul for Virgin Atlantic, Kev returned to XH558 when the aircraft was restored to flying condition in civilian hands in 2007.

Over eight display seasons, he became one of the Vulcan’s most recognisable pilots, renowned for his dynamic flying style and for helping bring the legendary bomber’s unforgettable howl and heritage to millions of airshow spectators until the aircraft’s final flight in 2015.

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London Southend Airport
Southend-on-Sea
SS26YF

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