THE STAR of Shoreham Airshow will be the Avro Vulcan which will be taking its final flight in Sussex.

Returning for its 26th year, the show - which starts tomorrow - will see the "swansong" of the long-serving bomber in the county's skies.

Organisers have said the cost of keeping the plane flying is now outweighing its serviceability.

Airshow organiser Derek Harber said: “We have supported the Vulcan Trust from its inception and they have included Shoreham as one of their final year display venues.

"We always try to make the displays different each year and the highlight for many will be the swansong of the Avro Vulcan, which will be touching down for the last time at the end of this year’s display season.

"Geoffrey Lee, our assistant press officer, recently had the pleasure of doing an exclusive air-to-air photographic sortie with this iconic aircraft [pictured]."

The Vulcan will be one of the highlights appearing on both days this weekend.

It was initially down for just the Sunday but, as a tribute to Shoreham's support over the years, will also be there tomorrow.

Shoreham was one of the first airshows to support the Vulcan Trust and, in turn, it has supported Shoreham by flying there since the Trust was founded.

Other iconic planes to feature over the weekend include RAF classics such as the Spitfire and Hurricane as well as the lesser-known Blenheim in a Battle of Britain-themed dog fight display to celebrate the action's 75th anniversary.

As well as planes in the sky, there are more on the ground which airshow-goers can get up-close to. These include a German Junkers 52, flying from Paris especially for the two-day event.

More than 50 aircraft appear on both days in a six-hour flying display and there are also trade stands, a craft tent, nostalgic fun fair, vintage vehicles and two competitions that allow winners a day with the Red Arrows or a Spitfire flight.

Organisers are keen to encourage those attending to take the train because of traffic congestion at the site.

Shuttle buses run to and from Shoreham Station.

Mr Harber said: "We want the traffic to run smoothly and this will make life a lot easier for all attending.”

Shoreham Airshow takes place this Saturday and Sunday, August 22 and 23, at Shoreham Airport.

For more details, visit shorehamairshow.co.uk.