How Much….?

Getting old Melv, I really should have thought of that one – I did the paint scheme. 😮

Here is a shot I took at the museum opening on 6 June 2000.

Incidentally I was saddened to learn that Patrick Taylor, who funded and donated this aircraft to the museum, passed away last week.

Mark

Nice shot…pity about Patrick…I am not sure Ju or Steve know 🙁

BL370 – of course.

Getting old Melv, I really should have thought of that one – I did the paint scheme. 😮

Here is a shot I took at the museum opening on 6 June 2000.

Incidentally I was saddened to learn that Patrick Taylor, who funded and donated this aircraft to the museum, passed away last week.

Mark

The Kidlington one I would think. They did a good job.

MH

Bingo old chap. BL370 now in D Day Museum New Orleans. Julian Mitchell and Stephen Arnold rebuilt it to a fantastic standard. Neither are aeronautical engineers (professional or practical) or technicians, they are just driven by pure enthusiasm. Unfortunately it had to be sold. The cockpit was superbly stocked with everything a MkV should have in it.

Incidentally Geoff did a fantastic painting of BL370 over the D Day beaches. This is sadly all Steve has left of it, albeit a beautiful painting.

Canada TD,

Would you care to give a hint as to which one that might be?

Curious.

Mark

The Kidlington one I would think. They did a good job.

MH

My friends rebuilt a bitsa Spit to static…..

Canada TD,

Would you care to give a hint as to which one that might be?

Curious.

Mark

The ‘piece of string’ is certainly a good analogy. In data plate restorations, it does not matter how poorly the restoration is done, obviously. The worst thing is when decent potentially airworthy parts are ruined in a poor restoration job. I have always had a policy of replacing potentially airworthy parts in my static restoration allowing the Fly Boys to have useful parts, if they need them. Provided the replacement they provide is nice, straight and fit for purpose I am happy. Thereby, noone can whinge that I should get my project airworthy or indeed that I am ‘depriving’ the flying fraternity of parts (you would not believe the rubbish I have had to endure!!).

I have always maintained that you can build a nice static side by side with your airworthy project.

My friends rebuilt a bitsa Spit to static…..cheap but then they do not price their time. A Spit is cheaper to restore than a Hurri by a factor of about a half. So far, I am must have spent over 30,000 hours and I am only halfway there (if that much!!!).

MAPS spent around 30,000 man hours on the Spit but they are all volunteers. I was told than the RAF Museum provide a budget for the work required, but it doesn’t always work out! They have just restored a Harvard to flight for a private owner, I expect that would bring in some funds. They do fantastic work in a couple of large sheds at Rochester. They are open on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday mornings to visitors, which reminds me I must go down there again.
mmitch.

The static restoration of Spitfire Mk 21 LA198 ‘Glasgow’s Own’ from an ‘OK’ gate guard to museum static display cost…..and I quote…wait for it:-

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

Mark

I’m sure I read somewhere that MAPS spent something like £1.5m on the restoration of K9942 for the RAFM – and IIRC they didn’t charge for it??

This could well be true if they were paying skilled labour at the going commercial rate!

p.s. Mark, you must have glued the pages back in your book then! 😉

Mike,

Well actually I have tried unsuccessfully to find the book this afternoon – twice.

It is temporarily unsure of its position. 🙂

I Googled ‘Glasgow’s Own LA198’ for the quote.

Mark

How much!!

The static restoration of Spitfire Mk 21 LA198 ‘Glasgow’s Own’ from an ‘OK’ gate guard to museum static display cost…..and I quote…wait for it:-

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

Mark

As Mark 12 says, if you pay a professional restorer to do the job, and it is done accurately, and does not preclude a future restoration to flight, then its not going to cost you much less than a full restoration to flight. If you are being pedantic, and stipulate that all the original trinkets are incorporated, it could conceivably cost more (leaving the engine and prop out of the equation)!

As many static restorations are carried out by museums, often with volunteer labour, I suspect that it has never really been costed out.

Bruce

Caution

In restoring to static it would be possible to knock many tens of thousands of pounds off its potential value by precluding, or increasing the cost of, further restoration to flight.

Restorers much prefer virgin material rather than part restored material.

Best to change the rivets just the once.

Mark

How long is a piece of string? 😉 I would guess it would be dependent upon the state of the aeroplane at the start of the project, and the level of authenticity and accuracy that the owner would want the aeroplane restored to. As for a £ value, I wouldn’t have the first idea I’m afraid…