XM607

Without a doubt the most significant Vulcan preserved today is XM607. This was the aircraft flown in the 1982 Falklands War by Martin Withers on Black Buck One as the reserve aircraft which took over as primary following XM598's failure to properly pressurise. 

Following its retirement at the end of 1982, XM607 was installed as one of RAF Waddington's gate guardian aircraft, alongside Victor K2 XL189 which met XM607 on its return journey from the infamous Black Buck One mission. Sadly XL189 didn't last and was bulldozed still in pristine condition because of a new one gate guardian policy, which the RAF has since started to ignore. 

In the mid 2000s XM607 was moved to the airfield perimeter where it was viewable from the road and could be seen from across the runway at airshows, when XH558 flew from Waddington this was likely the only time that a lot of people ever saw two Vulcans together. The condition of the airframe and paintwork has deteriorated over the years, but in 2021 XM607 finally had her tyres pumped up and was removed from display for restoration which is now ongoing as of October 2021. This Vulcan won't be going the same way as RAF Marham's Victor XH673 which recently met the scrapman, it has a good future ahead of it. 

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Image credit - wikimedia commons