Thanks for the thoughts, but I don't really buy it. There will always be some aircraft that need a great deal of protection (or the public protecting from it), but I don't accept that it's all or even the majority. Would it be impossible, for example, just to have steps up to an open cockpit, and a leaded glass liner keeping radioactivity in and people out?
But more importantly, If I can go to somewhere like the Roman Baths in Bath or CAT near Dolgellau (two of my favourite non-aviation museums), and see huge amounts of information about the exhibits and their uses, buy detailed documents about the history, technology, etc, all without having to make special appointments why not in an aircraft museum?
Basically if as somebody moderately knowledgeable but who has never studied the type deeply, and never worked on it, I can go to an aircraft museum and see rather less about a type - such as for example the Lightning, modified Jaguar and TSR-2 at Cosford, than I knew already then I think there's something wrong.
Yes I accept that for very deep access it's fair to expect visitors to ask and book. But that's no excuse in my opinion for not allowing ready sight into cockpits, fairly detailed technical information and explanation on display, available or on sale - and in many cases it isn't.
G