Standing on the ground directly below the Vulcan, there’s one thing that hits you: looking up the ladder towards it, the cockpit seems so far away. There are quite a few steps up towards the main area of the cockpit, with a further few steps to take you to the two pilot’s seats. It certainly takes a bit of dexterity to manoeuvre yourself in.
What strikes you, once you’re here, is not so much how cramped it is, but how poor the visibility is. This is an aeroplane about 30 metres long, with a similar wingspan, and yet it’s hard to see much. Yet, as Taff points out, there is a reason for it. “This was Britain’s nuclear deterrent – it needed to be a small, dark cockpit.”
Watch the video above to see where everything is in the cockpit – including the bomb door controls…
To find out more about the Vulcan to the Sky Trust, visit https://vulcantothesky.org/
