Where has XH558 thread gone?

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Alanko
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by Alanko »

Dan O'Hagan wrote:Think I've seen it all now. A moderator on an aviation forum wants an aviation thread closed, when it's some days the only thread on this ever-more-quiet forum to get traffic, purely because he himself is fed up with the content.


Perhaps there is a reason this forum is getting less traffic over time. :whistle:

Xm657
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by Xm657 »

Just received another retail promotional email from VttST webshop. 90% off certain items! With discounts as high as that, makes you wonder how they will replenish with new stock, maybe it is a fire sale as DanOH says above and the web shop operation will be wound up.

Georgeconna
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by Georgeconna »

Best bit of info so far I've seen in a long while was Vintage Aviation Echo. Tks
Cheers

George

Zero shows for 2018 Giving in a Rest.

JetMan
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by JetMan »

Xm657 wrote:Just received another retail promotional email from VttST webshop. 90% off certain items! With discounts as high as that, makes you wonder how they will replenish with new stock, maybe it is a fire sale as DanOH says above and the web shop operation will be wound up.


Those high discounted items are either old, end of line items (sweatshirts, scarfs, keys, pet tags) or dated items (calendars, diaries, Christmas cards). I think pretty much every retail business wants to get rid of it’s old stock ready for new stuff in the year...

Xm657
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by Xm657 »

JetMan wrote:
Xm657 wrote:Just received another retail promotional email from VttST webshop. 90% off certain items! With discounts as high as that, makes you wonder how they will replenish with new stock, maybe it is a fire sale as DanOH says above and the web shop operation will be wound up.


Those high discounted items are either old, end of line items (sweatshirts, scarfs, keys, pet tags) or dated items (calendars, diaries, Christmas cards). I think pretty much every retail business wants to get rid of it’s old stock ready for new stuff in the year...


Yes, could be Jetman, although the picture in the email was of clothing embroidered with 558. Hard to see why this would need to be dumped as its just as saleable now than at any time I would have thought. Its not as if they are a fashion brand catering for the latest new trends coming in with each season. Its always going to be generic clothing with a silhouette of a Vulcan etc.

Anyway, scrolling through the online shop, its noticeable that literally everything they sell is discounted by a least 20% or 30% and many by a lot more up to 80% or 90%. I'm not much of an online shopper but is it usual to have ALL of your stock reduced, rather than having certain sale items to attract business but plenty of other lines at full price to actually make some profit.

vulcan558
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by vulcan558 »

Some good bargains in the sale, the kids sweatshirts at £1.80 is very good, went to buy 4. Thou sadly they do not do paypal, so a online sale lost there.

IgnatiusJReilly
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by IgnatiusJReilly »

Wouldn't be at all surprised if they're trying to clear out all the old regular stock so that they can fill the shelves with new design 'Hangar appeal' replacements.
Also, I suspect that the extra reports needed to secure planning permission will have eaten into the names on the wing money. Monetising a load of shop stock will help the cashflow, even if they're selling it at something close to cost price.
Gotta pay the consultancy fees somehow...
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HeyfordDave111
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by HeyfordDave111 »

Does anyone know how the names are attached to the wings on 558? And in what position / area on the wing please?
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MicrolightDriver
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by MicrolightDriver »

HeyfordDave111 wrote:Does anyone know how the names are attached to the wings on 558? And in what position / area on the wing please?


From a Newsletter:-

"All the names submitted have been collated and assembled in alphabetical order by surname, and are presently being typeset by our designer, Mark Freshney, to form 18 individual self-adhesive vinyl panels that will be applied to create two areas of markings – one under each wing-tip..."

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HeyfordDave111
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by HeyfordDave111 »

That’s great MLD, many thanks.
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JetMan
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by JetMan »

There are photos of all the names on the wing here: http://www.vulcantothesky.org/names-und ... -list.html

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CJS
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by CJS »

JetMan wrote:There are photos of all the names on the wing here: http://www.vulcantothesky.org/names-und ... -list.html


Lovely idea. Would have been even better if anyone was ever actually going to see them.
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MicrolightDriver
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by MicrolightDriver »


IgnatiusJReilly
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by IgnatiusJReilly »

MicrolightDriver wrote:Press release today

Maybe I've not been paying attention, but I'm surprised to see that £2.8m is now £3m...

hell, whats' another 200grand between friends?
£1m / airframe has a nice symmetry about it.
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vulcan558
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by vulcan558 »

Not only the price tag going up, the early 2018 open time for the new hangar is now spring of 2019, so over
Another year plus outside.
So much for there comment that the build will be done in a few months.

Will be close on 2years before she's under cover again. With no electricity for heaters and dehumidifiers, 2years outside with very little maintenance, she will be in a lot poorer state then the other 2 running Vulcans like XM655, XL426.
These are heated and looked after every weekend,

IgnatiusJReilly
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by IgnatiusJReilly »

vulcan558 wrote:Not only the price tag going up, the early 2018 open time for the new hangar is now spring of 2019, so over
Another year plus outside.
So much for there comment that the build will be done in a few months.


More to the point, that's another year without public access, lost income and the risk that interest from the wider public fades from memory.
Presuming of course that funding for the hangar is secured this spring...
Eccentric, idealistic, and creative, sometimes to the point of delusion..

Xm657
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by Xm657 »

While I do hope they find the £3 million and their plans come to fruition (as it appears to be 558s only hope). I did roll my eyes as the talk in the press release regarding the "proven business plan" and access to "6 million visitors" in the Doncaster area. Amazing the Doncaster Air Museum hasn't got more hangars than Duxford given the amount of interest in Cold War bombers in South Yorkshire! If they do manage to get this hangar built and can afford to stay there I'll be amazed, surely the business plan so far at Doncaster proves the sums just don't add up.

vulcan558
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by vulcan558 »

Do they need 3million, my understanding is they are just going to rent this new building.
By all accounts at a small rent.

Yes there is hangar space at Doncaster, it's just to expensive thou for the vtts.
558s been in to rented hangars, the 1st hangar with there business plan, it never worked and could not afford the going hangar rate.

What they have to prove is they can pay the new hangar rent to the investors.
Based on facts and figures from when she was a flyer.it will not look good basing it on past hangar figures.

As been pointed out above, another year or 2 outside, with little more then a handful of engine runs.
No real chance of any big event for fast taxi runs.
The current merchandise looking likes its past its peak and fulfilling its market now.

Will new merchandise really sell.?

The spares pretty much sold, with items that are left really not fitting on your mantle piece.

Another year or 2 out of mind, the public support intrest will dwindle even lower.

Can you really see the price of a family ticket to go inside this hangar being the same price as say Doncaster or Newark for example.

Skymonster
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by Skymonster »

MicrolightDriver wrote:Press release today


There's already been so many mis-placed statements from VTTS about this project that have only come to light that it can sometimes be hard to take what they say at face value. But does this press release signal yet another change of plan? Originally we were told a developer would build the hangar and lease it to the trust. Now they say they are talking to investors about raising the £3m needed to complete the project.

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HeyfordDave111
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by HeyfordDave111 »

558 wrote “by all accounts a small rent”!

Can I ask how you know this when no ones built anything yet, negotiations are probably ongoing if they have started.

Do you think a ‘purpose built’ fully fitted out, heated, dry, insulated, hangar, with a nice floor, good lighting, fitted offices, cafe, car parking, etc etc, is going to go for a ‘small rent’, then we shall have to agree to differ on our opinions.
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MicrolightDriver
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by MicrolightDriver »

Group of investors, a hangar paid for and built, the successful hangar events business gets up and running again, a rent is paid and 558 stays indoors except when doing EGRs etc.

Maybe VTTS run another appeal campaign and receive donations that enable them to buy their own stake in the hangar? More control, less rent to pay out.

IgnatiusJReilly
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by IgnatiusJReilly »

MicrolightDriver wrote:Group of investors, a hangar paid for and built, the successful hangar events business gets up and running again, a rent is paid and 558 stays indoors except when doing EGRs etc.
Maybe VTTS run another appeal campaign and receive donations that enable them to buy their own stake in the hangar? More control, less rent to pay out.

I never ever understood why this wasn't 'plan A' and why this project wasn't kicked off while XH558 was still flying.

At least the trust are consistent in that every release of information raises more questions than it answers..
What would 'owning' this hangar mean for the longer term ETNA vision? Are the trust planning to develop a portfolio of properties around the Doncaster site?
Or is the long term plan now to establish themselves at the sewage works site? If the 'educational ETNA purpose for XH558 is no longer the plan, presumably, the trust has now conceded that they're going to have to develop a museum. In which case, is the Sewage works site practical & big enough to host a viable museum?

Its almost as if the plan changes with the wind.
Assuming there is a plan.
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sooty655
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by sooty655 »

MicrolightDriver wrote:Group of investors, a hangar paid for and built, the successful hangar events business gets up and running again, a rent is paid and 558 stays indoors except when doing EGRs etc.

Maybe VTTS run another appeal campaign and receive donations that enable them to buy their own stake in the hangar? More control, less rent to pay out.

Except for one minor problem. If the "successful hangar events business" couldn't pay the rent on Hangar 3 whilst the Vulcan was still reasonably popular, what chance does it have of both paying the rent and recouping the investment on a new shiny hangar now that probably at least half the potential audience have moved on?

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MicrolightDriver
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by MicrolightDriver »

sooty655 wrote:...Except for one minor problem. If the "successful hangar events business" couldn't pay the rent on Hangar 3..


That's been repeated to the point where it's become accepted as fact, but is it true? Statements I've seen certainly suggest otherwise, and I believe that was accepted after questions during that podcast, was it not?

If your house gets compulsorily purchased because there's a 'bigger' plan for the area, does it imply you couldn't pay your mortgage?

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sooty655
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Re: Where has XH558 thread gone?

Post by sooty655 »

MicrolightDriver wrote:
sooty655 wrote:...Except for one minor problem. If the "successful hangar events business" couldn't pay the rent on Hangar 3..


That's been repeated to the point where it's become accepted as fact, but is it true? Statements I've seen certainly suggest otherwise, and I believe that was accepted after questions during that podcast, was it not?

If your house gets compulsorily purchased because there's a 'bigger' plan for the area, does it imply you couldn't pay your mortgage?

You can dress it up with spin any way you like. The bottom line is they couldn't compete with what a commercial user would pay, so Peel let someone else have it. If they couldn't pay enough then, they certainly can't now.

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