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Thread: B-17 Crash
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Old 7th Oct 2019, 13:31
  #60 (permalink)  
Chugalug2
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: West Sussex
Age: 82
Posts: 4,765
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Nutty, I don't know how many times I have to say this, I don't doubt for a minute the structural soundness of these old War Birds' restoration, nor of their subsequent maintenance. The old technology I speak of is in the various systems that they come with. You enumerated some of them yourself, Pneumatic brake bladders spring to mind. Always a cause for concern on the Hastings I recall. More importantly though is the limited airworthiness that the aircraft come with and which no amount of care and attention can obviate.

We are lucky to have the Victory (and Warrior) wet or dry, and it is thanks to that same spirit that permeates all restoration. For myself, I volunteer at a preserved railway and we are currently restoring to running order an 1890 4 wheeler 5 compartment Third body that spent more of the intervening years being someone's house! When it is finished it will only be allowed to carry fare paying passengers on a preserved railway because it meets in full the requirements of the Rail Regulator. It will have a modern underframe with brakes that meet those requirements. The alarm system ditto. Those are the compromises we have had to make over the authentic Victorian systems. Easy of course compared to vintage aircraft which bring their own inherent limitations no matter what.
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