Our amazing volunteers have been busy carrying out maintenance tasks on XH558 this month. The big job was to change no.5 powered flying control unit (PFCU).
The Vulcan is controlled by a fighter-type stick and rudder pedals, which operate the eight elevons and the rudder – the powered flying controls (PFCs). Each PFC has a hydraulic pump that is driven by an electric motor, which swings the rudder left and right and the elevons up and down through the pilot’s controls. This electrohydraulic unit is a PFCU.
Other tasks included; checking air pressure in the tyres; rolling the aircraft a few feet to prevent the formation of flat spots on the tyres; charging the braking system; and exercising the elevons, rudder, air brakes and bomb-bay.