Conservation, Preservation and Now where is that Fin!
Firstly I agree with the thrust of Temps post.
In part the problem is the way the British Aircraft Preservation Movement has 'grown up' (reliance on enthusiasm rather than money in most cases) in part our Climate and in part explaining to a sponsor that the purchase price of the Aircraft is actually only part (in some cases a small part) of the monies required.
We have reached a stage where simple Preservation (as in for God's sake we have got to save this), to Conservation (as in I want my great grandchild to see this), requires much more consideration than in the (recent) past.
The Science Museum Outstation has two beautiful large transport Aircraft under cover: a Connie in TWA Colours and Comet in Dan Air (both very appropriate) they look good and are well preserved, but I don't have a clue as whether they have been conserved (anti-corrosion treatment even in tanks etc) and like the rest of the outstation collection are rarely available to view.
But if a move from Preservation to Conservation is required (and it is), then funding requirements go through the roof (of any hangar you care to think of).
Whilst no organisation is immune from shortages in funding what they want/believe vital to achieve, I think I would rather be say, curator at one of the RAFM sites than at East Fortune or Newark.
I guess Lottery Funding and Private Sponsorship are the only realistic sources of serious capital for most organisations as whilst HMG talks big on Heritage, it does not allocate project money to, for instance ensuring a Shorts Belfast in Heavylift colours is conserved.
Obviously the situation is not all bleak, as the museums do what they can and apparently in somes cases by sheer willpower accomplish more than can be humanly expected.
Duxford (despite misplacing an entire Tailfin from a Hermes - Thanks Tredders for increasing my dried frog pill intake :-) is obviously progressing from preservation to conservation.
We have the History (in some cases just as we are forced to watch it rot), but open storage (even with anti-corrosion treatment) is only a stop-gap in 'our weather'.
So Hangars with all the ancillaries are the only answer and there lies the rub - can sufficient money be found to ensure that at least one example of each surviving Britsh built, (or at least significant to British Aviation) Large Transport be saved?
My heart says Yes, my cold calculating Head says No!
DIH