Duxford Airspace hangar today

GETTING CLOSE AND PERSONAL

PP – if you have not already been, go and have a look at AirSpace for yourself. I had the opportunity to visit AirSpace earlier this week. You can almost touch the RE8, Tiger Moth and Mossy. It seemed to me that by sticking to the relatively staid ‘flying’ poses the special attachments for hanging the aircraft have been made very unobtrusive. Those on the aircraft in the AAM, for example, look agricultural in comparison. Similarly, from what I have seen in photos posted on this Forum, the wires used to hang the aircraft at Cosford seem to be much more numerous and thicker in order to hold the aircraft in their dramatic ‘ballistic’ poses, as is also the case in the AAM. Whilst I have yet to see the Cosford display in the flesh, I know what floats my boat for now. Moreover, I suspect that the nature of the original structure of the AirSpace also imposed some limitations in how much imagination could be used in posing the suspended aircraft. That said, some of the danglers have the landing gear down and some have it retracted. To me, the Mossy, Canberra and Dove in particular seem to benefit from being displayed with the gear up. The Strikey also has the gear up and with its full set of SNEB pods looks very business-like.

Whil I applaud the fact that so many of the aircraft have come indoors am I the only one that finds this hanging aircraft from the ceiling fashion very cold and uninspiring?

I like being able to see my aircraft close up on the ground not tucked up away in the rafters like an airfix kit. I find the enjoyment of visiting museums is in been able to walk around an aircraft on the ground. I feel that this way you grasp the size of the aircraft and also get to view its shape and construction a lil better. And yes the Cold War hanger at Cosford leaves me dare I say Cold as well. Sorry chaps it isnt for me.

Nice to see our old girl Hermes 4 G-ALDG indoors. I worked on the Hermes for several years, (unfortunately travelling reading to duxford got quite expensive) Hopefully she will be open to the public eventually!!
Regards N Darby

www.ndimages.co.uk

I’m sure I read somewhere that the Phantom now belongs to the IWM. Stand to be corrected though.

Brian

Yes, it’s IWM’s. No, it won’t go in AirSpace (unless they put it in the front bit temporarily). Yes, it will (more than likely) will go under cover, as there’s room for all of their airframes now.

Hi, Question:

With a lot of aircraft migrating into Aerospace, presumabley quite a bit of space will be freed up in the other hangers. Does anyone know or have any ideas about which if any aircraft will be moving into this vacated space?

Personnally I would love to see the other airlinners under cover, surely there must at least be room for the Herald and/or hopefully the BAC 1-11.

Steve.

There’s apparently room for every IWM owned aircraft on site to be under cover, but I’m not sure how many (if any) DAS ones will make it over and above the ones selected for AirSpace.

The Argosy is coming back within the museum proper and I guess the Varsity also.

The ex Farnborough RAE Varsity WL679 is now at Cosford. It flew from Farnborough to Cosford in about 1993. I believe it is in outside store on the other side of the airfield away from public view but it used to be on display near the hangars with the Argosy which is also in outside storage.

Does anybody know if these are to be brought back on display when all the building work is complete ?

That sounds promising about the shack and victor. Two very important airframes in the collection that are in need of tlc

All the ‘hung’ aircraft are ‘flying’ at the same angle…straight and level, Would be nice to see a few different angles used

That’s a very good point.

I seem to remember that Cosford are hanging at least one of their aircraft in a very dramatic ‘ballistic’ pose.

Moggy

Hindsight is a wonderful attribute…..

The pity about the Varsity is that I suspect it was still recoverable to flying condition, even after the storm damage. I suppose it was sheer lack of funds that prevented that happening.

HF and A McV suggested that I may wish to throw my hat in the ring to occupy the front seat as they felt they were rapidly approaching the age where they ought to be handing over the reins to the next generation. I think this was a couple of months before the damage was incurred.

I truly hope the old dear is eventually given somewhere warm and dry to live before too long.

As an aside where did the ex-Farnborough Varsity end up? I think that was serviceable when the shut down checklist was completed for the last time?

MM

Does anybody know if the Vickers Varsity will be going under cover?
I do hope so.

mick

Mick,

You have my vote. Varsities are thin on the ground and lets face it, they’re beautiful, if a little overlooked. Well beauty is in the eye of the beholder…..

As for the Shackleton, lets see it preserved. We have a picture of it in 1973, when my dad is holding me (as a baby) in front of it. I’d like to replicate the shot whenever I have the (mis)fortune* of having offspring!

Or when IWM/DAS (or whoever owns it), gets fed up of the embarrassment that it’s becoming, they could always cut it up and sell the engines for a reasonable amount to help fund some lunatic project like having the aircraft cleaned for a massive sum!!!!!!!!! NUTS

C6

* delete as applicable

Hi, Question:

With a lot of aircraft migrating into Aerospace, presumabley quite a bit of space will be freed up in the other hangers. Does anyone know or have any ideas about which if any aircraft will be moving into this vacated space?

Personnally I would love to see the other airlinners under cover, surely there must at least be room for the Herald and/or hopefully the BAC 1-11.

Steve.

Looks like Wall-Mart with aircraft in it !

😀

I ‘m sorry to be a detracter but thats exactly what my Missus said…(well Tesco!)

Its great these aircraft are undercover, Although I cant see why/How Airspace has cost so much this Layout seems somewhat ‘the same’ (Yes I know its not finished)

All the ‘hung’ aircraft are ‘flying’ at the same angel…straight and level, Would be nice to see a few different angles used

Good luck and well done to all those at the ‘coal face’ 🙂

P.S. The Coffee shop has had this ‘de-sanitized’ effect, It used to have loads of posters from the period, now the walls are bare…minimalist…looks like a Tesco Cafe now! 🙁 The character of Duxford is being lost…

I would think that it will stay in it,s original colours as per the Viscount. Not heard of any planned livery change.

I know the issue was raised some years back. ‘DB was the first passenger carrying jet airliner across the atlantic, hence the relevance of the BOAC scheme. The Dan Air Association want it kept ‘as is’ for obvious reasons!

Bruce

With the amount of available hangar space it really should. But I doubt it somehow. Unless of course somebody knows differently!

Does anybody know if the Vickers Varsity will be going under cover?
I do hope so.

mick

I would think that it will stay in it,s original colours as per the Viscount. Not heard of any planned livery change.

Looks like Wall-Mart with aircraft in it !

Excellent – glad to hear it. Any idea if the scheme will be BOAC or Dan Air?

Bruce

Didn’t Dan Dare use to donate Aircraft on the understanding that they would be kept in their livery? If so, does that still apply post mortem?

Is the phantom staying inside the airspace hangar now ?

I know it is owned by the OFMC but it would better off in there than stuck outside like it has been for a while now next to the sea vixen.

curlyboy

I’m sure I read somewhere that the Phantom now belongs to the IWM. Stand to be corrected though.

Brian