Originally Posted by
Duchess_Driver
Most will (probably) leave as coke cans, some may leave in parts and a few may actually fly out.
You’ll note the Tristars, 707s, 727s IL76s etc aren’t exactly cutting edge technology so usual commercial demand for them will be between zero and not much. Some may return to ‘niche’ markets or for nefarious purposes but most wouldn’t move again.
Unfortunately, as you probably already know, aircraft aluminium scrap is completely incompatible with the alloys used for beverage cans. In fact, just about the only part of an aircraft that is not recyclable is the aluminium structure: two alloy types are involved - 7xxx alloys (Al-Zn-Mg-Cu) and 2xxx alloys (Al-Cu-Mg) and if you melt the whole lot down you end up with an alloy not suited for any commercial use. This is partly why it's more convenient to leave these old aircraft in the middle of the dessert - the recycling industry simply wouldn't know what to do with them.