RAFM Cosford MBCC Open Week – Sunday 10th Nov to Sat 17 Nov

A new press release covering the loan arrangements here: http://globalaviationresource.com/v2/2014/02/20/aviation-news-raf-museum-hawker-typhoon-loaned-to-the-canada-aviation-space-museum/

Another person who should be respected is the young lady conserving the smaller items off the Dornier, it was hard to believe that some of the items on display had spent 70 odd years under sea.

Ah, you encountered here too – she was lovely, and really excited by her task, though thoroughly frustrated by whoever had had the ID plates off the thing. Did you get to handle the Dornier control rod she had behind her? It was about seven feet long, yet could be lifted easily with one hand – it can’t have weighed more than two or three pounds. Most impressive engineering.

Funnily enough what struck me most about the Wellington was just how good the wings at East Kirkby are – it was hard to tell the difference between the wings that had sat on a Scottish hillside for decades and the one that had sat at Hendon for decades!

Adrian

Has anybody actually received formal confirmation from the RAFM that it is going to Canada for a time on loan?

If not – it might just be internet speculation or a half-heard comment about something that was being considered and subsequently dismissed.

It has been brought up from Hendon to be prepared for loan. There seems to be a little bit of work being completed on it but I have been told the current plan is for it to go (unless there is a big fall out politically of course 🙂 ). I have heard that it could spend a couple of years over there. It is likely to be sent by transport rather than ship so isn’t flying the safest for of travel?

I am one of those people who would prefer to see the Typhoon in the air where it belongs, there is a huge risk in that but I personally would like to see that risk being taken so that my children and many thousands like them fully appreciate what these guys (and the aircraft) did for us. This will never happen to MN235 but perhaps one day RB396 may 🙂 A huge debt is owed to the canadiens and as much as I hate to see MN235 leave the country, for even a short period, it is the least we can do to help educate people and show the kids what their Grandparents/Great Grandparents did.

Has anybody actually received formal confirmation from the RAFM that it is going to Canada for a time on loan?

If not – it might just be internet speculation or a half-heard comment about something that was being considered and subsequently dismissed.

What if the museum at Hendon burns down, the ceiling caves in, or the earth opens up and swallows the collection?

Do you honestly think that the likelihood of this happening is comparable to what could happen during a transatlanic voyage?

The Typhoon (and the other museum aircraft) has to be kept somewhere – but it doesn’t have to travel half way around the world.

If the container falls off the ship in a storm, the ship sinks or the cargo aircraft transporting it crashes, the sole surviving Hawker Typhoon is, as such, irreplaceably lost.

Gone, lost, game over. Period.

What an incredibly needless risk to take.

What if the museum at Hendon burns down, the ceiling caves in, or the earth opens up and swallows the collection? Gone, lost, game over. Period. What an incredible risk to take to have all of these historic aircraft in one location where they can all be viewed at once! 😉

If the container falls off the ship in a storm, the ship sinks or the cargo aircraft transporting it crashes, the sole surviving Hawker Typhoon is, as such, irreplaceably lost.

Gone, lost, game over. Period.

What an incredibly needless risk to take.

I think we have already had the hefty donation in the spilt blood of the Commonwealth !

:applause:

Rat acc- The IWM at Duxford and RAFM have both at various times had ex RAF Comet 2’s on charge. Both have had a further example of a Comet within their collection and have ended up being scrapped by the RAF after handing them back to RAF charge. I wonder why Mk.2’s seem to corrode faster than Mk.4s !

The RAFM didnt break promises over the VC10 or the Comet…
The RAF chose not to deliver 808 by air because of the length of available runway…
And re the Comet, read my post on that thread, with the info taken from the pprune site.
The Comet was past its best back in 2009… the RAFM said so then…

Fair enough…guess I was letting my irritation at these two events get the better of me! Still a shame though.

The RAFM didnt break promises over the VC10 or the Comet…
The RAF chose not to deliver 808 by air because of the length of available runway…
And re the Comet, read my post on that thread, with the info taken from the pprune site.
The Comet was past its best back in 2009… the RAFM said so then…

Greetings to all , glad the MBCC and rest of RAF Cosford Museum is appreciated . I am a humble volunteer explainer due next on Monday 18th on ” Fun n Flight ” and hope the Typhoon is still accessible then. My first call is to see the ” new ” FW190 featured in P6 December edition . Can any forum member help me on this question ? I have posted a remark about the FW being described as 131 . It cannot be this number as Armin Faber’s FW was scrapped after the full evaluation ( also his was a 3 , the Cosford exhibit is an 8 ). In answer to Oldgit158 ‘s complaints , there are pretty strict restraints on certain exhibits and this includes restraints on the public being allowed to crawl over aircraft on display whether in the MBCC or any other part of the museum . I repeat that I am an unpaid but very experienced volunteer but I am sure that management and Museum Assistants would agree with these views. We all enjoy ( well nearly all ! )enjoy being there and would be happy to show OG158 ( or any other forum users ) around on any day with or without events listed on our website.

The RAFM has had the Canadian built and operated Stranraer since the early 1970’s. That is unique and arguably deserves to be back in Canada.

Sorry, but I definitely disagree. Regardless of its actual origin, the Stranraer is the only complete reminder of the 20-odd years of biplane flying boats which formed the solid basis for the work of Coastal Command during WWII. If anything RAFM should be working harder to tell its story!

Quite agree re. Battle and Snipe though-your overall point is a good one, and I am more than comfortable happy with the Typhoon going on loan to a relevant and deserving country.

Still, with the RAFM making, and then breaking promises over VC-10 and Comet in the last month or two, I really hope they do in fact intend to hang on to the Tiffie-it is such a unique survivor.

don’t forget that they get some items dropped on them aswell…so they have turned round a quick tidy up of the FW-190, perhaps even the spitfire (although i am not sure where that is at the moment) plus working on anything needed within the collection itself. I would be interested to see what percentage of their time they are actually able to put into the projects that we saw in the conservation centre.

Agreed, there has also been the samll matter of a Dornier recovery which has all the makings of being a manpower and money pit. I may have been a little unfair to the Wellington team, the comments being based purely on what was visible being in the same state as it was last year. One wing and most of the tailplane were obvious by their absence. Have they had work completed before being stored out of sight? I’d like to think so.
The Wellington is a hell of a task for a handfull of volunteers, it would be a hell of task for the full time staff plus the volunteers and I have a lot of respect for them, I just have to learn to be patient.
Another person who should be respected is the young lady conserving the smaller items off the Dornier, it was hard to believe that some of the items on display had spent 70 odd years under sea.

The RAFM has had the Canadian built and operated Stranraer since the early 1970’s. That is unique and arguably deserves to be back in Canada. The Fairey Battle would consist of wreckage where it not for Canadian sourced parts and lastly we had a loan of the Canadian Snipe at a time when we had none – I cannot see how we have any place to feel unhappy!

For the Hampden the description would be ‘slowly’
For the Wellington (based on what was visible) the description would be ‘Glacial’
To be fair I didn’t realise that it was only Museum volunteers that were working on the Wellington and not that many of them.

don’t forget that they get some items dropped on them aswell…so they have turned round a quick tidy up of the FW-190, perhaps even the spitfire (although i am not sure where that is at the moment) plus working on anything needed within the collection itself. I would be interested to see what percentage of their time they are actually able to put into the projects that we saw in the conservation centre.

I’d be particularly keen to hear how the Hampden is doing

For the Hampden the description would be ‘slowly’
For the Wellington (based on what was visible) the description would be ‘Glacial’
To be fair I didn’t realise that it was only Museum volunteers that were working on the Wellington and not that many of them.

I have no problem with it going on loan. but it would be nice to see something unique come from an oversea collection in turn.

I have yet to hear any particular details but it would make sense for the Typhoon to be going to Canada as part of any anniversary events, after all a large percentage of the Typhoon squadrons were made up of Canadiens and from memory there are very few airframes from the period extant in Canada (unless someone can tell me differently of course). The Typhoon would be a unique opportunity (although not a genuine veteran) to highlight RCAF personnel and what they achieved and in particular the hugely effective, and very costly, low level support work.

From a purely selfish point of view I hope they aren’t doing any conservation work while over there as I have been waiting years for its turn to be worked on so I can measure everything in the wings!!! Putting that selfishness aside I really do hope its visit achieves everything the people involved want it to, but not too long away from the UK please 🙂 .

p.s. if anyone can tell me where in Canada it is going then I would be very grateful.

Just has an email back from the RAFM confirming that the Typhoon has not been sold.