vulcan tour duxford

• Adopt an Artefact
• Online Shop

An Announcement about Our Royal Patronage

• Visit London
• What’s going on?

The Vulcan Experience

10 January - 26 November 2024

The Vulcan Experience is back for 2024, giving you the chance to get up close and explore some of the most significant Cold War aircraft in the RAF Museum’s collection.

Tickets: £50.00

Ticket holders will have the exclusive chance to explore two of the Cold War’s most iconic aircraft; the Avro Vulcan B2 and the McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR2, which between them tell a story of uncertainty and tension that loomed over the world for decades. You will gain special access to both these mighty warriors, and allow you to climb in to and take a seat in the cockpit of the Vulcan and the pilot’s seat of the Phantom. This is a rare opportunity to experience what it was like to fly these great aircraft.

Ticket holders for the experience will also be given a full behind the barriers ground tour, with the chance to get up and close to other significant Cold War aircraft, including the BAC Lightning F6, the Handley Page Victor K2, and the English Electric Canberra PR3, and hear fascinating real-life stories of the people who flew the aircraft.

The Vulcan and Cold War Experience runs on selected dates throughout the year on the middle Wednesday and last Tuesday of every month at the RAF Museum in London. Time slots are available from 10.30am to 2.00pm, it is one person per session:

Ticket information:

Please arrive at the Museum 15 minutes before your chosen time, this will give you time to make your way to the Vulcan, located in the far corner of Hangar 5. Our team of Aircraft Access Volunteers will take you through your experience. Each session will last around one hour and fifteen minutes. Please ensure you have read our access terms and conditions further below before booking.

The dates for this experience are:

• 13 and 26 March
• 10 and 30 April
• 8 and 28 May
• 12 and 25 June
• 10 and 30 July
• 14 and 27 August
• 11 and 24 September
• 9 and 29 October
• 13 and 26 November

Gift Voucher:

New for the Vulcan and Cold War Challenge, you can also get the opportunity of purchasing a ticket as a gift voucher. The perfect present for a loved one, family member or friend. Just click on the book now below and fill out the information to have an e-voucher code sent to your email.

Access Terms & Conditions for The Vulcan and Cold War Experience:

• For the Vulcan you must be physically fit to climb two ladders, pulling your body weight up them. There is a narrow gap between the pilots seat which some visitors may not be able to access. • The Phantom requires you to climb a number of steps and to climb over the side of the aircraft; you must be able to support your own body weight when climbing in and out. • You must be over the age of 16 to purchase a ticket and access the cockpits. • Please wear trousers or shorts. Skirts and dresses may prevent or restrict access. • Please wear flat shoes with a good grip on them. Please note, we cannot allow the public access without appropriate footwear. • You may take pictures once inside the cockpits – please come with a camera that can be zipped into a pocket or a camera with a strap. • If your Aircraft Access Volunteer feels it is not safe or possible for you to access the cockpits of either the Phantom or the Vulcan then we reserve the right to refuse access. • Please arrive for your access slot on time, if you are running late and miss your booked time then the Museum reserves the right to refuse access. • The Museum does not offer refunds for missed bookings or ‘no shows’ • Each experience ticket, and subsequent session booked, is only valid for one person. If you wish to book more than one ticket we would recommend booking two consecutive sessions.

« All Events

Buy your gifts online

Great aviation gift ideas for all the family

Make a donation

Make a difference through a donation

Leave a Legacy

Leave a gift that inspires future generations

Schools and Colleges

Fascinating workshops to inspire the next generation

Collections Online

Explore our Collections online

• Things to Do
• Restaurants
• Vacation Rentals
• Travel Stories
• Rental Cars
• Add a Place
• Travel Forum
• Travellers' Choice
• Help Centre

Vulcan Cockpit Experience/Tour - IWM Duxford

• Europe    
• United Kingdom (UK)    
• England    
• Cambridgeshire    
• Duxford    
• Duxford - Things to Do    
• IWM Duxford

Vulcan Cockpit Experience/Tour

I booked this experience for my husbands Christmas present. Right from the off Michael was an absolute star ! Spoke at length with me on the phone prior to booking (wanted to ensure hubby would fit in the snug cockpit area!) and even arranged to be there on the day to do his tour personally ! The knowledge, passion and enthusiasm Michael shows is really really impressive. He took his time in explaining how the Vulcan came about, nuclear capability, and much much more. He even allowed me to join hubby in the cockpit area which was a huge surprise ! Husband walked away from the tour grinning for ear to ear and for the rest of the day he kept telling me just how much he had enjoyed it. Even for a non plane enthusiast like me, I thoroughly enjoyed it and came away with some memorable facts. Duxford itself is an amazing place with so much to see. If you do go - make sure you book this experience it really is fascinating and enjoyable. Thanks Michael for making the day so very memorable.

Massive collection of war and civil aviation planes along with a hall of tanks and other armoured carriers. Well worth a visit for anyone interested in aviation and history. Take comfortable walking shoes however as the museum is spread out and there is lots of walking!

We visit Duxford regularly and hold annual memberships. This week we visited with my son for him to sit in his favourites spitfire,N3200. The experience was fantastic the staff (particularly in hanger 1, but through the site) were friendly approachable and knowledgeable. My son dressed for the occasion in his replica ww2 pilot uniform and all members of staff that we met engaged with him and absolutely made his day. The member of staff leading the spitfire tour (I’m so sorry I can’t remember your name!) was very knowledgeable talking us through the history of N3200 from production to being buried on a beach and then restored and housed at Duxford. We have visited many many military museums but Duxford is our favourite, it’s definitely not the cheapest but offers huge value for money to any military enthusiast. Thank you as always IWM Duxford for a great day out!

My son and I spent an incredible 40 minutes with Michael who kindly hosted us in the cockpit of the museum's Avro Vulcan. After a fascinating talk about the history of the aircraft, including why and how it came to be, we were able to climb up into the cockpit where we were shown around all of the controls and talked through the roles of each of the crew members. Prior to that, during our visit, we enjoyed a family craft activity as part of the reconnaissance aircraft "spies in the skies" exhibit building a pinhole camera. I highly recommend a visit (we live within a mile of the museum and so visit at least monthly) but I particularly recommend the cockpit tours, whether for an aviation nerd like myself or indeed anybody "normal" who just wants to get close to a fascinating part of the world's recent history.

IWM Duxford is a fantastic day out. The staff, volunteers are superb, knowledgeable, friendly and very helpful. There is chance to walk between hangars or take a free minibus. The displays are such you are up close to history, aircraft that played so much in making so many stories. This visit is worth every penny. I was lucky to have a Spitfire cockpit experience, watch the Guy Martin C4 programme and combined with enthusiastic 1 on 1 talk with being able to sit in a flight ready plane, well no words to describe how great a feeling and humbling one it was, highly recommend

We are members of Duxford, my son who is seventeen has to have a single membership as he is considered an adult, I find this rather money grabbing! I pay for an adult and joint member ship totalling £159.00 a year. We do enjoy Duxford although the place needs a lot of TLC, the men’s toilets near the giftshop are in an appalling state and several cubicles are unusable. The gift shop itself items are overpriced with the same plastic stuff year on year. We often find the same books for a small fraction of the price they charge. We go to see the flight displays quite often and have encountered some exceptionally rude and ignorant staff both from 3rd party companies and Duxford staff, the volunteers who do talks are knowledgeable and helpful but otherwise they are rude, there is little interaction with the public, you would think that they would offer something extra to make the visit pleasant. Then the food is appalling, I do not always want to pack a lunch, but I think the petrol station across the road has a better and more reasonably priced food. My son had a breakfast this visit and the only thing he could eat was the one sausage and two poached eggs, there was a sorry sad lonely very small shrivelled tomato, two small rubbery mushrooms and disgusting hash browns, oh and the bacon had been sitting around for over a week is was rock hard and greasy, I ordered two bowls of chips, a sandwich and two drinks £37.00. I know that Duxford do not reply to emails as I have tried before so I have taken to writing a review in the hope that they will do something about the points raised. I'm sure they won't as the purpose is to raise as much funds as they can.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

Preserving XL426 at London Southend Airport

Join the Vulcan Restoration Trust and help us preserve Vulcan XL426 as part of the UK’s aviation heritage.

Buy from our range of Vulcan souvenirs and memorabilia.

Become part of the team looking after and raising funds for Vulcan XL426.

Vulcan Restoration Trust

Vulcan Restoration Trust owns and maintains Vulcan B2 XL426 in live ground running condition.

XL426 is open to the public at our Visit the Vulcan Days held throughout the year and at other events. 

Visit the Vulcan on Fathers’ Day

Sunday 16 June 2024

Our  Visit the Vulcan on Fathers' Day  is a great chance to get ‘up close and personal’ with Vulcan XL426 in its hangar at London Southend Airport.

You can walk round Vulcan XL426 and for an additional fee you can climb inside for a guided tour of the cockpit and see what it was like to fly in this huge aircraft!

Proms at the Vulcan

Saturday 13 July 2024

Join Vulcan XL426 for an evening of music with the Essex Concert Orchestra at London Southend Airport.

Refreshments, including hot and cold food, will be on sale at this family friendly event.

Book now to secure your place!

Music and Beer Festival at the Vulcan

Music and Beer Festival at the Vulcan is back in 2024 on Friday 2 August and Saturday 3 August.

Join us for two afternoons and evenings of live music and entertainment, with street food and beers from local breweries for you to enjoy.

We look forward to seeing you!

IWM Duxford

Plan your visit

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Also popular with travellers

• (0.96 mi) Orchard Pond Bed and Breakfast
• (0.97 mi) The John Barleycorn
• (0.97 mi) The Lodge Duxford
• (8.37 mi) Sayle House
• (7.53 mi) Duke House
• (0.46 mi) Provenance Kitchen
• (0.31 mi) The Workshop Restaurant
• (2.32 mi) Jade Fountain
• (1.75 mi) The Green Man
• (0.12 mi) Aerial Collective Duxford
• (0.53 mi) American Air Museum
• (0.70 mi) The Royal Anglian Regiment Museum
• (1.27 mi) Classic Wings
• (7.21 mi) LockHouse Escape Games

• Aviation Photography

• Remember me Not recommended on shared computers

Forgot your password?

Avro Vulcan In the Cockpit Duxford (and more...) September 2021

By Alpha Delta 210 September 11, 2021 in Aviation Photography

Recommended Posts

Alpha delta 210.

When I saw that IWM Duxford were offering the opportunity to sit in their Vulcan's cockpit, I jumped at the chance! The flood-lighting was harsh in the cockpit, so I apologise for the image quality! I was delighted to see that there was so much activity on the airfield and that the beautiful BBMF Lancaster was still in temporary residence.

Pictures were taken on a combination of smart phone and Panasonic Lumix bridge camera.

Looking up towards the flight deck

The Captain and Co-Pilot were on the flight deck......

....with from L-R, the Navigator (Radar), Navigator (Plotter), and Air Electronics Officer (AEO) on the lower deck, facing rearwards.

Moving on to other Duxford residents and visitors....

Thanks for looking.

Link to comment

Share on other sites.

Some great shots and what an opportunity to get into that cockpit! Looks smaller than I imagined...

Love that pic of the Bearcat and that lonely looking Lancaster. Great stuff.

Adam Poultney

Don't Duxford charge quite a lot extra for going in the Vulcan? I wouldn't bother, there's other museums with Vulcans that are free to go in once you paid the entry fee or at a much lower price. XJ824 is a particularly well kept Vulcan, but it's not the only immaculate cockpit.

spruecutter96

The Midlands Air Museum (Coventry) and the Newark Aviation museum don't charge for climbing into either of their Vulcans. I was at the Hendon RAF Museum for an open-cockpit evening a few years ago and they were charging £25.00 to go inside their Vulcan. Suffice it to say, I didn't partake. 

canberraman

A lovely and varied set of images that have whetted my appetite for attending the Duxford BoB airshow next weekend. It's been many years since I entered a Vulcan cockpit and its good to see that XJ824 remains almost untouched from since when she arrived at Duxford in 1982.

Thanks guys. I really enjoyed the day and was prepared to support IWM by paying to sit in the cockpit which was preceded by a 30-minute talk, charting the history of the Vulcan which my wife was also permitted to listen to. The guide also permitted my wife to climb the access ladder to have a peek inside.

I'm really looking forward to air show next weekend!

On 11/09/2021 at 19:29, spruecutter96 said: The Midlands Air Museum (Coventry) and the Newark Aviation museum don't charge for climbing into either of their Vulcans. I was at the Hendon RAF Museum for an open-cockpit evening a few years ago and they were charging £25.00 to go inside their Vulcan. Suffice it to say, I didn't partake.    Chris.  

Went in XL360 on Tuesday 

Terrific pictures. I was surprised at how small the Vulcan cockpit appears to be.

(Yet) another super set of pin-sharp photos by AD210!

So again I have to thank him for sharing ... I really should look-in at the IWM website more often - I wasn't aware the Vulcan was open for viewing!  My great loss.

On 9/12/2021 at 11:24 PM, SAT69 said: Terrific pictures. I was surprised at how small the Vulcan cockpit appears to be.

Thanks for the kind words, SAT69. Like you, I was surprised at the size of the Vulcan cockpit, which seemed much smaller than a narrow-body airliner cockpit.

At least the pilots had ejection seats, compared to the three cew below who would need to jump out of the access door in an emergency.

9 minutes ago, Jonny said: (Yet) another super set of pin-sharp photos by AD210!   So again I have to thank him for sharing ... I really should look-in at the IWM website more often - I wasn't aware the Vulcan was open for viewing!  My great loss.   Jonny  

Thanks very much Jonny. I'm pleased that you enjoyed them. I am an IWM member, so get member newsletters, but I think that non-members can sign up for email updates.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Already have an account? Sign in here.

• Existing user? Sign In
• Online Users

Activity by Genre

• Aircraft Activity
• AFV Activity
• Maritime Activity
• Vehicle Activity
• Sci-Fi Activity
• Diorama Activity
• All Activity

My Activity Streams

• View New Content
• Recent Status Updates
• Create New...

• London Walks
• Museums and Galleries
• Day Tours From London
• Overnight Tours
• Stonehenge Tours
• Military Tours
• Rambling Tours
• Virtual Tours of Britain
• Paris Day Tours
• Day Tours from Paris
• Overnight Tours of France
• Normandy Tours
• Airport Transfers
• Rome Day Tours
• Day Tours from Rome
• Overnight Tours of Italy
• Special Interest Tours
• Day Tours from London

Imperial War Museum Duxford

• Private car/minibus

TOUR PRICES

Prices include:.

Prices are per car/minibus not per person and include your private tour guide, collection and return to your central London hotel and tax but not entrance fees where applicable, parking or meals unless stated. Please add £20 for collections from London Train Stations.

This tour is available in most languages. Select your language on checkout.

Share with friends

About The Tour

The ancient University city of Cambridge is smaller and much more centralised than Oxford with its picturesque mediaeval colleges clustering around the River Cam. Half-timbered Queen's College is one of the most picturesque and King's College Chapel has some of the finest Gothic fan vaulting in England.

Also visit the Imperial War Museum Duxford. At the start of the second World War, Duxford was a Royal Air Force fighter base, its squadrons equipped with Spitfires and Hurricanes. The control tower and two of the hangars are original. Today the fascinating collection concentrates on British and American military aircraft from both world wars. Alongside the fighters and bombers are a few civil aircraft.

Even at weekends the hangars are hives of activity as aircraft are stripped down, reconstructed and restored in many cases to flying condition.

If your visit coincides with a flying day, you can watch simulated dogfights by Spitfires over the airfield.

Spitire Flights Contact us too about combining your tour of this historic airbase with a once-in-a-lifetime aviation experience - a flight in the iconic Spitfire. Follow in the footsteps of Churchill's "The Few" - the heroes who took to the skies to defend Britain from the Luftwaffe. Experience the sights, sounds and sheer thrill of this awesome aircraft up close.

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN.

Cambridge tour, oxford tour, we had the lovely jonathan and omg he was amazing he took into account everything we wanted to do and see and made it happen.

Doncaster, UK

Why choose us?

Because you insist on the longest-established and most experienced service available in Britain. Founded in 1958, British Tours is still under the same management. About Us

Who is your Guide?

Our guides are personable educated men and women, chosen for their knowledge, special interests, backgrounds and personality. They will collect you by car from any central London location and guide you inside places of historic importance

Follow us on our journey

Currently Trending:

Look out for the Linx

Send us your school’s details.

Advertisement

August 7, 2012

Vulcan will perform at Duxford Air Show

Avro Vulcan XH558 has been confirmed for this year’s Duxford Air Show.

It will perform a display in honour of the 60th anniversary of the Vulcan’s maiden flight and the 30th anniversary of the Falklands war.

The aircraft – which is the oldest complete Vulcan in the world – was the first Vulcan B Mark 2 to be delivered to the RAF and the last to leave its service, after 33 years.

It last flew at Duxford during September 2008.

The Imperial War Museum has also confirmed that the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star – an American-built jet trainer aircraft – will be performing on the Saturday, while the Red Arrows will grace the show during the Sunday.

The Duxford Air Show will take place on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 September.

Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the Box Office on 01223 499 353.  The Box Office is open from Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 4.30pm.

by Pilot Magazine

You may also like...

May 11, 2024

Tecnam P-Mentor achieves FAA type certification

by Charlotte Bailey

April 24, 2024

Aura Aero receives EASA Permit to Fly for Integral E

April 19, 2024

Aura Aero and SGEF propose financing options for Integral family

• Things to Do
• Restaurants
• Holiday Rentals
• Travel Stories
• Add a Place
• Travel Forum
• Travellers' Choice
• Help Centre

Vulcan Cockpit Experience/Tour - IWM Duxford

• Europe    
• United Kingdom (UK)    
• England    
• Cambridgeshire    
• Duxford    
• Duxford - Things to Do    
• IWM Duxford

Vulcan Cockpit Experience/Tour

I booked this experience for my husbands Christmas present. Right from the off Michael was an absolute star ! Spoke at length with me on the phone prior to booking (wanted to ensure hubby would fit in the snug cockpit area!) and even arranged to be there on the day to do his tour personally ! The knowledge, passion and enthusiasm Michael shows is really really impressive. He took his time in explaining how the Vulcan came about, nuclear capability, and much much more. He even allowed me to join hubby in the cockpit area which was a huge surprise ! Husband walked away from the tour grinning for ear to ear and for the rest of the day he kept telling me just how much he had enjoyed it. Even for a non plane enthusiast like me, I thoroughly enjoyed it and came away with some memorable facts. Duxford itself is an amazing place with so much to see. If you do go - make sure you book this experience it really is fascinating and enjoyable. Thanks Michael for making the day so very memorable.

Massive collection of war and civil aviation planes along with a hall of tanks and other armoured carriers. Well worth a visit for anyone interested in aviation and history. Take comfortable walking shoes however as the museum is spread out and there is lots of walking!

We visit Duxford regularly and hold annual memberships. This week we visited with my son for him to sit in his favourites spitfire,N3200. The experience was fantastic the staff (particularly in hanger 1, but through the site) were friendly approachable and knowledgeable. My son dressed for the occasion in his replica ww2 pilot uniform and all members of staff that we met engaged with him and absolutely made his day. The member of staff leading the spitfire tour (I’m so sorry I can’t remember your name!) was very knowledgeable talking us through the history of N3200 from production to being buried on a beach and then restored and housed at Duxford. We have visited many many military museums but Duxford is our favourite, it’s definitely not the cheapest but offers huge value for money to any military enthusiast. Thank you as always IWM Duxford for a great day out!

My son and I spent an incredible 40 minutes with Michael who kindly hosted us in the cockpit of the museum's Avro Vulcan. After a fascinating talk about the history of the aircraft, including why and how it came to be, we were able to climb up into the cockpit where we were shown around all of the controls and talked through the roles of each of the crew members. Prior to that, during our visit, we enjoyed a family craft activity as part of the reconnaissance aircraft "spies in the skies" exhibit building a pinhole camera. I highly recommend a visit (we live within a mile of the museum and so visit at least monthly) but I particularly recommend the cockpit tours, whether for an aviation nerd like myself or indeed anybody "normal" who just wants to get close to a fascinating part of the world's recent history.

IWM Duxford is a fantastic day out. The staff, volunteers are superb, knowledgeable, friendly and very helpful. There is chance to walk between hangars or take a free minibus. The displays are such you are up close to history, aircraft that played so much in making so many stories. This visit is worth every penny. I was lucky to have a Spitfire cockpit experience, watch the Guy Martin C4 programme and combined with enthusiastic 1 on 1 talk with being able to sit in a flight ready plane, well no words to describe how great a feeling and humbling one it was, highly recommend

We are members of Duxford, my son who is seventeen has to have a single membership as he is considered an adult, I find this rather money grabbing! I pay for an adult and joint member ship totalling £159.00 a year. We do enjoy Duxford although the place needs a lot of TLC, the men’s toilets near the giftshop are in an appalling state and several cubicles are unusable. The gift shop itself items are overpriced with the same plastic stuff year on year. We often find the same books for a small fraction of the price they charge. We go to see the flight displays quite often and have encountered some exceptionally rude and ignorant staff both from 3rd party companies and Duxford staff, the volunteers who do talks are knowledgeable and helpful but otherwise they are rude, there is little interaction with the public, you would think that they would offer something extra to make the visit pleasant. Then the food is appalling, I do not always want to pack a lunch, but I think the petrol station across the road has a better and more reasonably priced food. My son had a breakfast this visit and the only thing he could eat was the one sausage and two poached eggs, there was a sorry sad lonely very small shrivelled tomato, two small rubbery mushrooms and disgusting hash browns, oh and the bacon had been sitting around for over a week is was rock hard and greasy, I ordered two bowls of chips, a sandwich and two drinks £37.00. I know that Duxford do not reply to emails as I have tried before so I have taken to writing a review in the hope that they will do something about the points raised. I'm sure they won't as the purpose is to raise as much funds as they can.

Imperial War Museums Ticket Portal

• Home Visit our homepage
• FAQs Got a question?
• Email us [email protected]
• Visit our website http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/i...
• Branches Change branch

IWM Duxford General Admission 2024

In the Cockpit: Spitfire N3200

In the Cockpit: Avro Vulcan

Spitfire N3200: The VIP Experience

The Inside View: The Lancaster

Airborne Electronic Warfare Tour

TSR2 The plane that never was

The Inside View: Avro Evolution

Duxford in a Different Light D-Day 80

Duxford Presents: The Longest Day

IWM Lecture Day: D-Day

D-Day and the Aerial Battle for Normandy Tour

Hurricane Day

Arnhem 80: Lecture Day

Arnhem 80: Objects Behind The Battle

Duxford Presents: Theirs Is The Glory: Arnhem 80

IWM Duxford Member Welcome Event

Exclusive Member welcome event for new IWM Members. Please click on the red Book Member Tickets...

• View company information
• Registered Company Name : Imperial War Museums
• Branch Address : IWM Duxford, Duxford, Cambridgeshire., CB22 4QR
• Registered Company Address : Lambeth Road,, London,, SE1 6HZ
• Registered Company Number : 03719634

Our payments are processed using : Global Payments

• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Accessibility Statement

I'm having trouble with my purchase!

Tell me more about DigiTickets!

Our website uses necessary cookies to complete your checkout.

We would also like to set optional cookies for analytics to help make improvements to the website and for marketing purposes. These will be set only if you accept below.

For more information please see our Cookie Policy within our Privacy Policy .