PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Light aircraft in (British) museums
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Old 1st Jan 2004, 03:30
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RileyDove
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
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There is a very difficult balancing act to be done. Certainly it would be nice to see types like the Monarch fly again but the fact that a type is restored to airworthiness doesn't mean that it will
always remain in an airworthy condition or indeed stay in the U.K.
Museums will by their very nature aim to acquire aircraft they deem to be interesting. This can be to the detriment of types like
the Airedale ,Piper Colt and Aztec for example which have played an unsung role in British aviation . The concept of returning sole survivors to the air is fraught with difficulties. Types like the Avro Club Cadet became extinct in the U.K with the loss of G-ACHP
and many would argue that the the risk isn't always worth the return. The Comet G-ACSS having suffered another incident in it's
chequered life becomes even more watered down by the replacement of original undercarriage parts with new items.
The Hawk with the RAFM was surveyed in the 1990's with a view to it returning to the air and being operated on the RAFM's
behalf by a collection. I guess the idea of swapping it for a Magister wouldn't excite the RAFM as this would just result in duplication.
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