The restored aircraft's engines will be tested on Thursday

The Vulcan bomber, one of a fleet that played a vital role in the Falklands Conflict defeat of Argentina, has been under restoration for eight years.

Project Engineering Manager, Andrew Edmundson, said the team had had a few glitches with the engines of the XH558, but these had now been fixed.

The plane is based at Bruntingthorpe airfield in Leicestershire.

'Complex size'

Mr Edmunson, said: "It's the largest, most complex return to flight project that has ever been attempted.

"You're taking a very large aeroplane and putting it under the regulatory requirements of a complex category. The aeroplane is not complex in design but by size... so it means we have to treat this as if it was a 737.

"Even though we're not carrying the passengers, the work on the aeroplane has to be of that standard."

He said the bomber's engines were in very good shape and would be tested on Thursday.

The plane will have to undergo extensive checks before it can be cleared by the Civil Aviation Authority.