Having had several dealings with the Science Museum over the last few years, I can only conclude that the SM has absolutely no interest whatsoever, in aviation and are totally unfit to have care of this aspect of our heritage.
A Freedom of Information request revealed that there has been no aviation changes to the Kensington site for over 20 years. Yes, there is an amazing collection but NO credit can go the current management who have done nothing and totally fails to reflect the many recent scientific advances in aviation such as the use of carbon fibre in primary structures etc. Etc. They cant even get the speeds and capacity of Concorde correct !
Contrast that to the incredible progress made by many UK, indeed world wide, aviation museums who have NO public funding, Brooklands, Newark, Elvington, being just three examples. Of course, those museums are run by people, usually for no return, who are passionate and often very skilled in many aspects of aviation.
The hangar at Wroughton which houses the aircraft IS laid out for public access, but has, by neglect and disinterest of the current management, been allowed to fall into disrepair. Exraordinary that many museums are housed in hangars much older than Wroughton, eg Boscombe Downs. museum housed in WW 1 hangars at Old Sarum.
Strange , too, that the hangars could, however be used, for Top Gear filming !
So the SM are now asking other museums to display THEIR aircraft to “ improve public access” . I suggest the SM starts putting their own house in order and restores their own museum which WAS set up for public access..
For a start we need a new curator of aviation, one with the enthusiasm and knowledge of the previous curator, Ross Sharpe, unlike the current incumbent for whom the risk of even model aircraft flying on the airfield poses risks “too hard for him to bear “ as he stated in a letter to the local MP James Gray.
and, I ask, just what will the SM do with these three airliners if, as I suspect, no other museum has the resources or interest to take them into their care. Left to slowly decay out of public sight ?
They have about as much interest in aviation as I have in 18 th century arts and crafts which, apparently, is a key interest of the current Director of “Masterplan “ which seems rather unusual for a key manager of a SCIENCE museum.