Nuneaton based Air Cadets who had been backing the campaign to save the last flying example of one of Britain’s most iconic historic aircraft, Avro Vulcan XH558 were delighted to hear the news that an anonymous benefactor has donated £400,000 to help keep her in the air. The Vulcan to the Sky Trust was facing a cash crisis and needed to raise £650,000 by the end of the month to keep the XH558 project going.

The anonymous £400,000 donation means Vulcan XH558, which is currently based at RAF Lyneham, in Wiltshire, will be able to appear at air shows this summer. John Sharman, chairman of the board of trustees for the Vulcan to the Sky Trust, which restored the cold war bomber, said: "This most significant donation comes as a very welcome surprise on top of all of the thousands of donations and pledges received over the past months from XH558's incredibly loyal supporters.

"We are now in a position to commit to the wide-ranging engineering programme necessary to enable XH558 to return to air shows around the UK this coming summer.

"On behalf of XH558 and all her supporters, a heart-felt thank you to all of you who have helped"

Flt Lt Paul Hincks of 121 (Nuneaton) Squadron said, “We had been watching the Vulcan to the Sky Trust XH558 Survival Appeal Pledge Scheme total increasing but didn’t think that it would reach the £650,000 target in time to save her. The news of the anonymous donation came as a real surprise and now we are looking forward to seeing XH558’s unique delta wing shape and hearing the sound of her four mighty Olympus engines as she takes to the skies for the 2010 air show season”.

2010 is XH558’s 50^th Birthday and now we can all look forward to seeing her celebrating it in the air where she belongs. The Vulcan to the Sky Trust is still asking people to take part in a world record Birthday card signing so if you would like to sign XH558’s Birthday card please visit their website at www.vulcantothesky.org