Hi Temps.
My thoughts for what they are worth!
a) A serious amount money is going to be needed to get the project started.
b) A slightly smaller, but still very sigmificant sum is going to be required each year.
Whilst in theory the Lottery could help with a), at best HMG is certainly going to have to stump up almost of b) and some of a).
Until 'Big Brother' dictates what we do with our money there will be more Spitfires and similarly iconic warbirds restored by wealthy individuals and private Collections will tend to try for 'Sexy Airframes; even if they cannot preserve them long term.
So a National collection is going to have to be paid for by the Nation.
Assuming the money is forthcoming:
The objectives of the Collection must be:
1) Conserve an example of each Aircraft which was significant to British Commercial Aviation.
2) To stop collection drift only Aircraft above a certain weight for each era are to be in the collection. This will also allow the other museums to cover Airfamres within their budget and ability.
3) The collection to be divided into British built and foreign built Airframes.
4) A representative sample of engines. Basically showing the development of the piston engine, jet and turboprop engine.
5) Other than Airframes the Collection is to include:
Ground Support Equipment (Tugs, Steps, Hylo's forklifts, GPU's etc) both operational and purely display.
6) Cabin Interior Mock-ups. Showing example of Cabin layouts from each era. These don't have to be complete cabins but sub-sets.
7) Airport Models showing the Development of Airports in the UK by era.
8) Document and Media Archive. This should be staffed not just to sort and store the material for extemal researchers, but be staffed so that over time the collection produce online and printed 'books' and other material.
9) Multi-media Kioks allowing visitors to review more information than just seeing the exhibit allows (so example Full History of an Aircraft Type..
10) A College of Aviation Conservation leading to a degree, or a trade qualification
11) A seperate Aeronautical College (a commercial organisation) which in exchange for low rent provides student time to assist the Collection Staff.
12) Restoration and Replica building workshops. Some important Airframes from the 20's, 30's and 40's just don't exist any more and none are 'sexy enough' to attract individuals sifficiently to pay for a replica. This would be a long term series of projects over a period of 20 odd years.
13) All Exhibits must be able to be Hangared, but as many as possible to be towable for outside display subject to weather.
14) Liveries for Aircraft should be in period and cover as many airlines as possible.
15) The Web Site and Interactive Displays, must be focussed on stimulating interest in Aviation and allow the visitor to 'drill down' to obtain more information on any subkect that takes their 'fancy'
As for Site of such a collection other than the Airfield must be active and be able to allow the largest 747 (and above) Aircraft to Land I don't have any peference.
But without the launch money and a very large annual subsidy all thiis is a 'dried frog pill dream'.