AIRCRAFT enthusiasts flocked to Southend Airport as a historic RAF bomber thundered down the runway for its sold-out summer taxi run.

Visitors enjoyed uninterrupted views across the airport from an exclusive enclosure while the Vulcan XL426 carried out two taxi-runs on Saturday, with the second pass at high-speed.

The Vulcan snapped blasting down the runwayThe Vulcan snapped blasting down the runway (Image: Ethan Clarke)

Cockpit - Visitors got a close-up viewCockpit - Visitors got a close-up view (Image: Ethan Clarke)

The bomber then taxied back to the apron area, giving visitors a superb close-up view and plenty of chances to take photos of the iconic aircraft.

No tickets were sold at the door as the event was sold out, with the Vulcan Restoration Trust also livestreaming the event for enthusiasts who missed out.

The former RAF bomber during the eventThe former RAF bomber during the event (Image: Simon Murdoch)

The Vulcan then headed back to shut down engines in front of the enclosure, much to the delight of attendees.

The aircraft passing visitorsThe aircraft passing visitors (Image: Simon Murdoch)

The Vulcan Restoration Trust has been looking after the legendary aircraft since 1993 and host these events every year in an effort to preserve the plane.

Its engineering programme aims to keep XL426 as a "live" ground running aircraft for at least the next 20 years.