Manchester Air and Space

I think WH904 means the MOSI example specifically, but your comments certainly still stand.

Why? It’s a machine designed and built in Manchester and one that spent most of its service life either at St.Mawgan, St.Eval or Ballykelly. Doesn’t have any connection with Scotland other than the years it was based at Lossie as an AEW2.

What colour is the sky on your planet?

Scotland has more connection to the Shackleton than anywhere else apart from Manchester. First in service at RAF Kinloss and last in service at RAF Lossiemouth 1951 to 1991. 40 years continuous service. It is as appropriate to be in Scotland than anywhere else, even more so considering St Mawgan and Ballykelly said goodbye to their active Shackletons by 1971. Just because an individual airframe didn’t serve it’s full career in Scotland doesn’t mean it can’t be preserved there. When you go down that argument you are heading the way of the anorak spotter brigade.

“…Doesn’t have any connection with Scotland other than the years it was based at Lossie as an AEW2.”

So, in other words, it has a connection with Scotland. :eagerness: East Fortune are looking to put together a Cold War hangar, and a Shackleton makes a lot of sense in that context anyway. It seems like an obvious gap in their collection, especially given that they are a National Museum of Scotland outfit and their collection should therefore, in part, reflect on the aircraft that served up here.

I trust you are bitter because you haven’t been on the receiving end of a tidal wave of apologies over your MOSI predictions. :highly_amused:

Why? It’s a machine designed and built in Manchester and one that spent most of its service life either at St.Mawgan, St.Eval or Ballykelly. Doesn’t have any connection with Scotland other than the years it was based at Lossie as an AEW2.

The Shackleton should be heading north of the border, of course. 😉

If it does have to move to Cosford let us hope that it can be stored undercover in one of the Tech Training School hangars until such time those hangars can be included in the museum collection.

And there we have it – wonder if I’ll get any apologies from all the people who carped at my comments on here some weeks ago about the parlous state of the museum and the future of the Shackleton? I won’t hold my breath. It’s a sorry business but one could see it coming from a proverbial mile. So what future for the Shackleton? Off to Cosford I would hope but if it does, where will it go? If it is doomed to sit outside after having been preserved intact for so long it really will be a tragedy.

The 707 would be ideal for Woodford actually and they have a decent sized building there. Does anyone ‘in the know’ know if it’s ever been suggested?

It’s a real shame for the collection, it was probably my first introduction to aircraft at a young age. I remember being extremely bored by all the textile stuff and wowed by the trains and planes. It’s a shame they’ve decided to focus on the smaller things.

Hopefully some of the airframes (the ones with strong Manchester connections) can stay locally. There should be room at Ringway’s visitors centre and the AVRO Heritage centre at Woodford for the triplane, Avian and 707 at the very least. Wherever the Shackelton goes to it should remain under cover, I’d even accept it to be in pieces in the RAFM store at Stafford.

Yeah its a brilliant site for finding out what exhibits museums have, lots of photos too.

This website (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/airfieldinfo/default.htm) has no photos but is brilliant for finding there’s aircraft round the corner from your house that you had no idea about.

Just had a better re read of this thread, including the link that Mostlyharmless put in his first post. It’s a very informative list of UK aviation museums and their aircraft, it’s an interesting read in its own right, it can be surprising as to what is preserved and where.

BTW definatly prefer the look of the Manchester museum as it is now, rather than the planned final outcome.

There is a certain large white triangle just down the road that would make a fantastic new centrepiece.

Just the minor snag of not having anywhere to put it to solve!

Jon

Too right, completely slipped my mind, Heaton Chapel / Ringway Fairey Gannet would be a great exhibit.

The stationary steam engines bit is good, but further down with the locomotives is used to be better, it had more exhibits and less big dusty gaps! Overall though its a cracking museum and its worth seeing the air and space hall *just in case* things change in there.

The idea is that everything in there has a relevence to Manchester, which isnt hard with so many aircraft being developed in the area. There is a certain large white triangle just down the road that would make a fantastic new centrepiece. Something by Fairey would be nice too with a lot of them having been made not far away.

In one of the stairwells to the space gallery it used to be decorated like someones living room with the ceiling blown off and a UFO coming through from the night sky, it was worth going just for that!

I would add a Canberra

Wow, is the Gemini capsule still there or extent anywhere else?

Does the decline of this museum mean that the other museum (Steam etc.) is also looking ropey and in dire need of a budget?

Oh no – the bit with the stationary steam engines is superb, and the rest of the museum is really good too. The only problem is it is so big it is possible to lose a whole day in there – which isn’t a problem really 🙂

IIRC the upstairs bit was the “Space”, with an original Gemini capsule there (One that was only used on ground tests)

Does the decline of this museum mean that the other museum (Steam etc.) is also looking ropey and in dire need of a budget?

I’ve often fancied visiting this place, as much for the Shackleton, Belvedere and 707, than anything. Looks like a charming place with just the right mix of exhibits, a Vulcan or Lancaster, or cockpit from one, would be nice of course!

I visited the Air and Space hall at Manchester today and its looking in a very sorry state these days. I had heard that it is due to be completely refurbished but does anyone know anymore?

There is a press release about it: http://www.msim.org.uk/about-us/news/revolution-mosi When I was there recently I too thought it looked tired and the news that the management agree and are planning something is to be welcomed.

I thought that it was all off, the refurb that is. Ran out of money or didn’t get a grant or something.

I’ve not been able to find any news about the current state of the project – can anybody add more info?

What would u keep and what would u send back?

I thought the display had a pretty good selection of relevant airframes although I wondered if the Ohka fitted in. But I would imagine it is a great exhibit for catching the attention of school groups.

So, assuming there is more space in a redevelopment, I’d just add a Vulcan. Anybody know of a restored Vulcan that might need a home. :diablo: