Museums

[WebPilot]

I would guess by now most people (in the UK, at least) have seen the tragic news of the huge fire at the National Motorcycle Musuem which has consumed some 60 or 70% of the exhibits, including many unique and irreplaceable machines.

This is not the place to question the whys and wherefores that allowed the fire to start and spread so disasterously but it must raise serious questions in the minds of all interested in the preservation "industry". I am not suggesting that collections such as Duxford or the RAFM are negligent, but clearly every museum must review their precautions. The consequences of a similar disaster at Hendon or Newark (for example) are too dire to contemplate.

[Man-on-the-fence]

Mig15

Some us are fighting hard for the airframes currently rotting outside to be given space inside. What you propose would look nice on a show day (as you say a logistical nightmare) but would be an absolute disaster for their long term preservation.

There is a long Topic on the Flypast forum on this very subject.

[WebPilot]

...and of course this is pretty much exactly what was done at Fairford this year and look at the organisation that was behind that. A pretty idea, but there are realistically only a couple of places (in the UK) this can be done - Duxford, Cosford and East Fortune where an airshow venue coincides with a resident museum population. The logistics and risks of constantly towing static aircraft about the country to plonk down at other shows would rule out any major attempt pretty much elsewhere.

However, this is to go off my original point somewhat.

[treadigraph]

Duxford has on occasion pulled some of their statics out - Spitfire 24 and the Brisfit were out on the line - the Brisfit with Shuttleworth's and TFC's examples, the Spit in the BoB 60th line up. Think the Lanc has been out as well? Coul;dn't do much with the USAFM though...!

[Man-on-the-fence]

Mig15
Ok I get what you mean, I though you meant pull them out and leave them.

Ok once a year and rotate the airframe then yes i think that would be good. it has happened at Cosford and I have a nice photo of the Lanc outside Hanger 1 at Dux as well.

I wouldnt object if a total smoking ban was introduced at these places. It appears the NMM fire was the result of a stray fag but (or was that Fags Butt :E )

[ozplane]

Just to develop the idea a bit further, what are the problems in actually running up some of the aircraft currently at Duxford. For example it would be nice to hear the 4 Darts on the Viscount at take-off power now that none are flying in the UK. Better still I'd pay some money to be taxiied up the runway and back as indeed many enthusiasts would. It would of course give the CAA palpitations but would it be an insuperable maintenance task?
I know Brooklands have run up the Vanguard and Air Atlantique run the Shackleton so it can't be impossible. I just think doing this kind of thing plus getting fuel companies (?) to sponsor this kind of activity would be better than letting the airframes just gently decay. (I have my Kate Adie flameproof jacket to hand)