SOUTHEND Airport’s Vulcan is firing up its engines and thundering down the runway this weekend to mark the anniversary of 617 Squadron’s daring Dambusters raid.

The Avro Vulcan - which took up permanent residency at the airport in 1984 - is getting ready for a huge event on Saturday.

The aircraft, lovingly cared for by the Vulcan Restoration Trust, will be at the centre of a special Twilight Taxi Run event to commemorate 80 years since the Dambusters’ Second World War raid.

This was an attack on German dams carried out on the night of May 16 and 17 1943 by 617 Squadron RAF Bomber Command, later called the Dambusters For the Southend Airport event, an initial trial run down the airport runway took place last weekend, and was hailed a huge success ahead of this weekend’s event.

In a video on Facebook, the trust teased a test-run of the jet bombing down the tarmac.

One viewer said: “Looking forward to Saturday’s event,” and another wrote: “Looking forward so much to hearing the howl on Saturday.”

Two runs will be conducted - the second of which will be at high-speed.

Doors open from 4.30pm, and at 5.45, the 1955 film The Dam Busters will be shown on a big screen in association with the 2023 Southend Film Festival.

Spectators will then exit the hangar to an exclusive marked visitor area where they can witness and snap pictures of all the action as the sun falls.

Close-up views of the Vulcan are available when it heads back to the parking spot and engines are spooled down.

Attendance is limited and tickets are now on sale. Adults not associated with trust are £65, members are £35 and children under 16 are £25.

For those who cannot attend, a video, produced by filming company Jibz TV, will be published on the trust’s YouTube channel.

The XL426, built by British aircraft manufacturer Avro, has strong links with the Dam Busters its sister plane, the Lancaster, was used on the raid and served the 617 Squadron in the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

To ride on-board the Vulcan, email info@avrovulcan.com. For more information about the event, visit https://avrovulcan.com/events