KB976. Testing

i guess…..

Well i guess all we can do is sit back and wait to see if he wants to do anything with these airframes.

That’s the million dollar question… I’ve no idea. Maybe it’s just stubbornness, not wanting to admit defeat?

true

Bitten off more than he can chew me thinks. But if that is the case then why doesnt he sell them ??

I’m not so sure it’s greed as such, possibly just someone who saw something they wanted to do and thought they could handle, bought it without realising exactly how much of a commitment it would need, and now finds themselves unable to deal with it. I can understand that. Many’s the time I’ve driven up and down the A1, seen that poor bl00dy Lightning rotting away in A1 Commercial’s yard and thought “I’d love to buy that and rescue it”.

But acquiring an aircraft is just the start of it. What do you do with it once you’ve bought it? You’d have to find a home for it, that costs money. Then you’d have to preserve it, that costs money. Then you’ve got to restore it, yep, more money. Before you know it, your pockets are empty and you’re left with an aircraft that’s in no better state than it was when you bought it. And it doesn’t take long for an aircraft to deteriorate. Look at the Victor and Shackleton at Duxford, and they’re in the care of a major museum rather than a one-man band.

I just wonder whether Imperial’s founder / owner fully appreciated what he was taking on when he bought these aircraft.

thats too bad

Hello David.
Thats a shame then. It is too bad that this sounds more like greed than an attempt to restore this aircraft?

Peter – the aircraft were bought by an individual who set up an aviation group. They were bought for an large sum of money and as such they still remain his(their) property. A Dakota was amongst the group of aircraft sold to him – that has since been sold and is back at North Weald after a staring role in ‘Band of Brothers’.
Simply put they have a large collection of aircraft that cost a
large sum of money to buy – if they can afford to sit and watch their investment rot to nothing well they arn’t bothered
about selling any of it for any less than they paid for it.

realy??

Other museums in the past have closed up and their collections have been auctioned off etc? If like you say an individual has purchased all the remains then I Challenge him if he has internet to come on here and tell us what he plans to do with the parts Because if he just wants to leave them outside then somone should ante up and take them off his hands.!

Peter – these machines were purchased by an individual for a
large sum of money. The group as such I believe still exists on paper. I cannot see what law you can use to decide what someone does with their property unless it’s a listed building and even then there is a limited amount that can be done .

I completely agree Peter , I for one would love to see all these remains up here in the MoF at East Fortune , but that won’t happen – but there must be a Museum out there somewhere with the cash and will to at least semi-build a static Lanc ??

ok then so who does………

Who does own the remains of the lincoln and the lanc then? Surely if Imperial group has fallen then there aircraft and resources are disposed of? Remember the victor that they bought upon the types retirement? That was quickly butchered apart..
Dont mean to get off topic but whoever the owners are they should be made to do something with the aircraft while the aircraft parts are still in a restorable condition.

You’re quite right, it is sad to see. Some airframes should just be put out of their misery.

Rarer types, however, should be given a better chance. This was why I commented on the Lincoln. In many ways, it would be better to restore the Lincoln than another Lancaster.

But whether you agree with that or not, it’s still appalling to see it in it’s current state and be so helpless to do anything about it.

Willow

Hi Willow.

I was agreeing with you.

I honestly don’t care a jot about the authenticity of an airframe. I like to see aircraft where they belong, in the sky.

Hypothetical example:

If the Elvington Halifax could be made to fly, but the cost would be smelting the Hendon relic?

I wouldn’t hesitate for a second, Elvington every time.

So my view is that outside storage has provided us with some flyers so has justified itself. But I personally hate to see it.

Moggy

Fair enough!

Willow

Originally posted by Willow
Possibly a missunderstanding here.

Using a makers plate on a car to change it’s identity is known as ringing and is illegal.

The process in the aviation world is called restoration. It basically means that you build a new aeroplane using a few small original components, and call it the restored original.

It’s a process that gets many aeroplanes back in the air and without it airshows would be much much duller, but as it isn’t used to change identities or sell aeroplanes as something they’re not, it isn’t a problem, and isn’t seen as illegal.

Willow

Yup , I know this Willow , we’ve had this argument on the Forum time and time again , we all have our own opinions on the matter so we should agree to differ as the thread will turn into a flamer !!! , regards.

Possibly a missunderstanding here.

Using a makers plate on a car to change it’s identity is known as ringing and is illegal.

The process in the aviation world is called restoration. It basically means that you build a new aeroplane using a few small original components, and call it the restored original.

It’s a process that gets many aeroplanes back in the air and without it airshows would be much much duller, but as it isn’t used to change identities or sell aeroplanes as something they’re not, it isn’t a problem, and isn’t seen as illegal.

Willow

Wow , your opening an old can of worms here !!! , incidentally the same practice in the car industry is called “ringing ” and is illegal.

Moggy,

Shorely, a makers plate built into a new aircraft is better than no aircraft at all.

Even the BBMF Lancaster was stored outside for a few years at one stage. Their MkII Spitfire was sold to a scrap merchant who realised it’s importance and donated it back to the RAF.

Most historic aircraft flying today have been derelict or static at some stage.

Willow

Aren’t ‘Imperial’ the same people that turned a perfectly good flyable Gannet into a corroding heap??????.

Very cynical, but not entirely unjustified!

Agreed.

The only argument in favour of muddy patches tucked away in the corners of obscure airfields where you can go and watch a random assortment of once proud flying machines rot and disintegrate is that very occasionally somebody rescues the manufacturer’s plate and we end up with an aircraft again.

Moggy