DEAR MR/MRS COSFORD ££££££s!

Thanks for the update Kev35,

I broke a finger playing hockey a few weeks ago, so am unable to play at the moment. It means I have Saturdays free to do something else….It would be good if they could get the Valiant back in one piece before it heals 😀

cheers
Kilvy

Might even do a drawing.

We are agog. Just ensure it’s got the Kev’s Drawing dataplate, otherwise it’s just a recreation, not an original. 😀

I was at Cosford yesterday and will post some photo’s when I get the chance.

Little progress seems to have been made on the Valiant. The wings were craned off a low loader down at Hangar 1 yesterday and are left by the fuselage. The other parts seem to be in exactly the same place as in Jimincov’s photo’s. It lloks like they’ve taken the opportunity to install new toilet facilities in hangar 1 while they have the room. The Dakota is now in its new colours and rests where the Liberator did, minus the wings outboard of the engines. I’ll post photo’s of the building and the Valiant on this thread and start a new one for my other photo’s. There’s also a couple of shots showing how awkward/impossible it would be to move the Vulcan and Victor to a spot where it could join the Valiant. Might even do a drawing.

Regards,

kev35

these were taken afew weeks ago….
couldnt get nearer the valiant bits, didnt want to sneak over the barrier.
asked a ‘supervisor’ who was totally un helpfull. oh well. ive been there. (but i always went out of my way to help a fellow enthusiast)((ask and ye shall get)) .
building looking very imposing. i like.
it does look out of place tho.
lib has all gone.
apparently the valiant will be assembled by raf ‘crash and dash’ team in the same spot the liberator was in.
the valiant fus is in the car park outside the libs old hanger.

Any news…? pics??

Dakota is in the MBCC about half way through it’s repaint, Vulcan and Belfast also having work done to them.

Cheers for the update, nice to know they’re putting the aircraft into the old hangars so soon.

the Argosy was moved last week, its now inbetween hangers out of public view. reason being that they museum did’nt want it stuck in the mud and its due to go into hanger 1 once valiant sorted out. The Javelin is in storage (other side of airfeild) been re-painted without sqdn markings! New hangers outer-skin is nearly finished.

I would imagine the Valiant will be towed through the fence and onto the airfield when put back together due to lack of space on the Museum site

Kodak

Thanks for starting this thread and contacting Cosford. I was lucky enough to catch the Liberator and Hastings outside earlier this year, and took the time to get some decent shots of the Belfast before she goes inside. I was also allowed to view the Victor by the museum staff at the end of the day.

I would dearly like to get some shots of the Valiant before she goes in, so as soon as she is back together I hope somebody will post the forum and let us all know.

I can’t be the only one willing to travel to get a better shot than when she was in the corner at Hendon! 🙂

cheers all
Kilvy

Texan – The FlyPast article from memory doesn’t actually prompt the RAF museum to acquire a Lodestar – indeed it’s general on some of the types missing from our heritage. As for the RAF museum the Ventura arrived in 1984 in exchange for an Airspeed Oxford project. It’s been stored nearly twenty two years and during that time I have never heard anyone say
‘isn’t it terrible to see a Hudson and Ventura on display’ as it’s never happened!
She has remained deeply in store and I should imagine will do for a very long time. If I was broad minded I could imagine a Ventura at Duxford on display and a Lodestar at East Fortune to show the Scottish end of the
Leuchars -Stockholm wartime route in BOAC camouflage.There is an ex BOAC
wartime Lodestar available in the U.S . I have never been in favour of a Lockheed line up for the point of it!
However I do find it remarkably bizarre that the RAFM is going to great
lengths to acquire other peoples heritage when the likes of the Sidney Cotton
Electra Junior which photographed Germany has been available and would look superb next to a Spitfire PR19 . Admittedly there is a great Lockheed
bias to this but the company has been a constant participant in British aviation for a very long time.

Mention of the Argosy going under cover prompts my list of a line up I would like to see at Cosford:

Hawker Hart
Avro Lincoln
AW Meteor NF 14
AW Argosy

All built by Armstrong Whitworth.

Roger Smith.

I can see where you are coming from, but I’d rather see them somewhere they are flown.

Moggy

AWA line up at Cosford

Mention of the Argosy going under cover prompts my list of a line up I would like to see at Cosford:

Hawker Hart
Avro Lincoln
AW Meteor NF 14
AW Argosy

All built by Armstrong Whitworth.

Roger Smith.

Believe it is ex-SAAF and is in store at Cosford -not sure what trade was involved to get it

TT

Somebody tell me about the Ventura.

Living at Feltwell, from whence Sq/L Trent won his Ventura VC, I’d really value the display of this neglected type in memory of those crews who should never have been sent to war in such a vulnerable aircraft.

Moggy

See Merlin – told you an Andover was going undercover!

David, have just got to your letter in Flypast which mentions the Lodestar – but I reiterate do you not think it repetitious to the general public to have a Lockheed Hudson, Lockheed Ventura AND Lockheed Lodestar on display at the RAFM?

I appreciate their differing roles etc and that the Lodestar has a valid place in RAF history but I imagine the punters will essentially see three very similar aeroplanes, quite big aeroplanes at that.

I also understand why you chose a Lodestar – i understand there is a cache in the States of them so one would be cheap to secure – were i managing resources at the RAFM i might concentrate my funding and manpower on completing the Hampden, or perhaps acquiring an Airacobra (many projects available) or Boston (which i imagine could be sourced) – perhaps by selling the Spanish Dornier to the Dutch Museum its on loan to?

Just my penn’orth

Am not anti twin tailed twin radial engined transports y’know 😉

TT

At a guess I’d say

AW Argosy C1 XP411
DH Comet 1XB G-APAS
HS Andover E3A XS639
Vickers Varsity T1 WL679

😉

Moggy

I hope you’re right, another Varsity under cover. It’s about time to.

AF (Ex BBMF)

Oh dear.

Having read the article and seen the pictures of the layout in model form I think it looks quite promising.

Certainly it seems very well lit (natural light) so that those people who like taking photos can click away to their hearts content.

Plus the Lightning going vertical. That has to be how we think of a Lightning surely? Top marks to whoever thought that one up.

I can’t see much wrong with it – but then I like the ‘woodlouse’

Moggy

I don’t think there are any complaints about the “Cold War” exhibition.

What I’m complaining about is the ### they’re putting it in.

Ah yes, forgot about her! Looks like they’re should be enough space. Really looking forward to seeing Cosford when the buildings completed, sure the Cold War exhibition doesn’t seem to be popular but it means more airframes on display and more to see!