New App Brings Lincolnshire’s Iconic Vulcan Back to the Skies

Bomber County’s iconic Vulcan Bomber will return to the skies over Lincolnshire this weekend (11th– 12th August) in an augmented reality app as part of the city of Lincoln’s RAF100 celebrations.

In addition to the various activities taking place, which will include aviation displays and a fireworks display on the Brayford, those celebrating the RAF’s centenary will now also be able to witness the legendary aircraft in action wherever they are using the newly launched RAF100Flypast app.

The Vulcan is the latest aircraft to be added to the app which allows users to create their own flypasts, capture and collect aircraft, view them in scaled augmented reality, and learn more about their technical specifications and history. The Buccaneer, Canberra and Lightning F1 are also being added.

The RAF created the free to download app in a military first this summer, working in partnership with the School of Design, School of Computer Science and Lincoln International Business School at the University of Lincoln, UK, to bring the realistic 3D planes to life.

Working collaboratively, academics from across the schools came together to develop the concept, game mechanics and design. They were supported by students from the schools who gained valuable experience in helping to come up with ideas, developing prototypes for user experiences and collating historical information.

Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln, Julian Free, said: “The iconic Vulcan has long been associated with Bomber County and it’s wonderful that this app will now allow people to enjoy seeing it in the skies once more.

“The team at Lincoln has combined their respective expertise to deliver a first class product for the RAF, and the project demonstrates the University’s commitment to its Student as Producer ethos, engaging students in real-world briefs.

“The app has been a fantastic collaborative project between the University of Lincoln, the RAF, and Harmony Studios, driven by the ideas and creative designs of our academics and students as part of their courses. It is a great example of how younger audiences can be engaged with through the use of digital heritage, augmented reality and hand-held devices.”

Lydia Rusling, Chief Executive of Visit Lincoln, said: “RAF100 Weekend is one of the biggest events for the region this summer. Visitors will experience an unforgettable programme of events, with activities in 13 different parts of Lincoln from the Cathedral down to the Brayford Waterfront. Lincoln’s uphill will be transformed for the popular 1940s weekend, re-enactments will be taking place across the city, along with music, markets and plenty to see and do for the family. To have the addition of University’s augmented reality app, alongside flypasts over the weekend, is the icing on the cake and will be an exciting and innovative addition.”

Air Commodore Chris Jones added: “The RAF100Flypast app allows users to experience the wonders of RAF aircraft in augmented reality, which is really exciting. The app is a fun way to showcase how the RAF has grown through innovation and technology, and we hope it will inspire the next generation of aerospace pioneers. Users are able to collect planes and find out about their history through the app, as well as being able to create their own flypasts. With the Vulcan now added to the app alongside the Red Arrows, Typhoon, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and Sentry, we hope there are plenty of favourites to get the young and old of Lincolnshire excited.”

The RAF100Flypast app is free to download from the App Store and Google Play.