For Daz Da Man

I think NMS paid the salaries of the restoration team, but all other costs were funded by Glasgow. I may be wrong in this – I wasn’t in on all the details – but I think the money was split something like along these lines.

Thanks for the clarification Ian. As you say, you out to know! I did meet the team who were working on the Spitfire, and without going into details, I was very aware that there were problems in relationships and how things were being managed. I can’t comment, I wasn’t involved, but at the end of the day, it’s great that a top quality restoration was achieved. My confusion arose over the different groups involved; NMS as funder I understood to be owner, and the I was very aware that it wasn’t part of the collection as it was at E Fortune, due as you say, to the seperate team, and I knew it was destined, rightly for Glasgow to be (wrongly – gah) hung.

Mine’s two pints of Lancman Bitter and a packet of budgie scratichings, Mr steward!

Cheers 😉

I’m prepared to be corrected as to the ownership, but my understanding (from talking to the restoration team leader a couple of years ago) was that it was not owned by Kelvingrove, nor East Fortune, but was a NMoS airframe. Sorry Ian, while your facts are streight, that’s not a closed case! Based at a, restored by b (who does not own it) doesn’t mean c doesn’t own it either.

Doldrums – can you ask the MoF?
Cheers

Just to help you sort things out, the National Museums of Scotland (abbreviated as NMS, never NMoS) is a group of several museums which are Scottish Executive funded. These are: the Museum of Scotland, the Royal Museum, the National War Museum of Scotland, the Museum of Scottish Country Life, the Museum of Costume and the Museum of Flight. Since the latter is the museum at East Fortune, it couldn’t be possible to be NMS but not East Fortune, since the aviation collections ARE East Fortune. The reason I know all this is because I work for NMS! Although I don’t work at the Museum of Flight, I do know how the organisation is organised.

One other interesting piece. Professionals were hired for the LA198 restoration, because big funding was provided as has already been mentioned. However, this caused discontent at East Fortune since the Aviation Preservation Society of Scotland, who do all the restoration work at the MoF, weren’t allowed to touch LA198. They still do a huge amount of work for the MoF and still don’t get the appreciation by the organisation for all they do. But I’m sure you can appreciate how they felt being told they weren’t allowed to be involved in working on a Spit! 😮

The real world.

Quote.
A joint venture between Glasgow City Council, National Museums of Scotland and the Scottish Executive, the restoration cost a total of £433,000.

Ah! Sombody has posted the cost of the restoration while I was looking for it.

£433k – The real world of even static restoration at commercial rates. 😉

Mark

You heard about the masochist who liked cold showers so he took a hot one?

no need for suicide old chap, 10 minutes of self flagellation will do 🙂

Thanks! I stand corrected (a not infrequent occourance!) I will now go and commit suicide. 😉

Sorry about the spelling dodrums! Can’t spell, as any fule kno.

JDK

it belongs to the City of Glasgow. http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/nwh_gfx_en/ART17729.html

In 1996, the aircraft was retrieved from the RAF Museum store at Cardington and with Parliamentary permission, since all military equipment is the property of the MoD, was gifted to the City of Glasgow. Two years later the restoration project began at the Museum of Flight in East Fortune.

A joint venture between Glasgow City Council, National Museums of Scotland and the Scottish Executive, the restoration cost a total of £433,000.

ps no l in the name, dodrums = half daft notions! 🙂

I’m prepared to be corrected as to the ownership, but my understanding (from talking to the restoration team leader a couple of years ago) was that it was not owned by Kelvingrove, nor East Fortune, but was a NMoS airframe. Sorry Ian, while your facts are streight, that’s not a closed case! Based at a, restored by b (who does not own it) doesn’t mean c doesn’t own it either.

Doldrums – can you ask the MoF?
Cheers

One of the shouting ‘I want to see the Spitfire’ while running around arms outspread.

That’s the way to do it!

Mmmm, that Spit looks lovely.

Why did the RAF go to three letters for the Squadron codes, like this one RAI and 501 Sqn was RAB (see TE456 here http://www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/pages/98spit1.html )

Did they run out of two-letter combinations? I doubt this could have occurred. Did perhaps the three letter codes signify something different from an average squadron? Auxiliary sqns perhaps?

This is the info I have…

1997 – Gifted to the City of Glasgow by the then Minister of Defence Michael Portillo
04/03/1998 – Delivered to the Museum of Flight, East Fortune, Lothian for static restoration, funded by the Scottish Office

I can confirm that LA198 definitely does NOT belong to the National Museums of Scotland. The aircraft was restored at the Museum of Flight but does not belong to the collections at East Fortune.

Kelvingrove is run by Glasgow City and its funded by them, not by the Scottish Executive who fund NMS.

heavy showers.

While waiting to get in, the museum doesn’t open until 11:00 on Fri and Sat (11:05 this morning) a bunch of 3 & 4 yr old nursery kids turned up. One of the shouting ‘I want to see the Spitfire’ while running around arms outspread. 🙂

and this is how she looked 15 minutes ago

This is the info I have…

1997 – Gifted to the City of Glasgow by the then Minister of Defence Michael Portillo
04/03/1998 – Delivered to the Museum of Flight, East Fortune, Lothian for static restoration, funded by the Scottish Office

I don’t have my refs to hand, but I believe that the Spit is NMoS, loaned to Glasgow. Someone else may know better.

Not sure of it’s really NMoS, Glasgow’s Museum and Art Gallery doesn’t fall under the National Museums. It was however, donated to the people of Scotland to commemorate those who flew with both 602 (City of Glasgow) and 603 (City of Edinburgh) Auxiliary Air Force squadrons. LA198 served with 602 at Abbotsinch, and we rightly call it “Glasgow’s Spitfire”.

Apparently 2 other Spitfires that served with 602 survive, R6915 and TB382.

(Still shouldn’t string her up like an airfix kit)

Yes, but as it’s a NMoS airframe, it was not going to be rebuilt to fly even if fuel was the only need. Sorry.

There would have been a need for a) an engine (the engine was only partly there – enough to hold exhaust stubs and prop to engine bearers b) a very sound airframe to be ripped apart and put back together if it was to be signed off as a flyer!

Bugger, you lot beat me to it! :p

Pity all that hard work is going on the ceiling, though. I can’t recall who, but someone told me (possibly from here?) that if there had been a little more money, she could have been made to fly by one of those nice concerns at Duxford! 🙁

Lovely. Quick; string it up!