Let's get real. The only way we are going to get Taxpayer's money into a National Civil Aircraft Collection is if we can make an existing collection a success and offer the Government a bit of the glory in exchange for some extra cash. We are where we are and we start from here. That means supporting the collections we have and watching while the best-managed ones grow and the badly managed ones die.
Heartily agree with this. It does boil down to having a strategy on what we should be keeping, and what should go for beer cans. If we choose carefully what we need, perhaps we can get some of the manufacturers, operators, even airports, to chip in a bit, but I can imagine the response you'd get right now from BA if you went to see WW and said "I've got five Vikings, three Tridents and a couple of VC10s and 1-11s that need preserving, get your cheque book out, mate".... He might be more compliant and willing if you could say "this single aircraft is very important, we will have it in your colours, and it will be gleaming and a real advert for you....". Well, he might be....
I'd argue with Temps' view that we should look to take in Boeings, etc etc. Surely it should be up to the Americans to look after their heritage. I would like a Caravelle, but same argument applies, and it was hardly a key aircraft in the UK's story... Let's stick with our great stuff. I would suggest as a starter for ten on what to keep:
One Concorde, last BA colours.
One VC-10 - ideally in BOAC colours.
One 1-11 - Court Line would be fun!
One each - Viking, Viscount, Britannia, Vanguard.
One Trident in BEA colours.
One Comet I, and one Comet 4 (given the historical importance of the beast)
(And a dream - an HP42...)
Not a huge collection really. I am sure others will sagely add to it, but in real terms, how much space would we actually need to get them under cover, with outside parking for nice days? Bet they would all vanish into the AAH at Filton without touching the sides, and there is loads of room out the back. How about it, BAE Systems?
I'd definately go along with the whole aircraft argument. Never saw the point of collecting nose sections, seen one, seen them all really...
TA