Restoration veil of secrecy

In one Spitty…

I had a new Cessna 172R destroyed in my hangar by someone the police reckoned was wielding the likes of a lumberjacks axe…. It was pitiful to look at and I eventually speed taped over all the holes as it sat in the shed for a month, and I couldn’t bare looking at it like that…. They even axed through the fuel tank!!!!!!!!

We think it was a revenge for something because my tools and the other in the shed was not touched…. I could post pics when I go home, and you wonder why folks are wary.

After a certain Shackleton cockpit was robbed at Duxford, I went quiet on my 4 cockpits. Not all people on this forum are honourable as we have seen in the past, with ebay fraud, etc. Luckily I have men in uniforms with guns looking after mine so I can be a little more relaxed than most, however, some of you have your pride and joy in your garage/shed/outbuilding and care is needed when discussing it on an open forum. I have have had people (wearing camera) banging on my door requesting (quite forceably) to see a particular cockpit I own, whilst giving me information that has only been put up on this forum.

Just be careful.

Baz

….. There seems to be an atmosphere of secrecy surrounding many of these projects. People seem reluctant to talk about matters or share information and news……John Green

Some just like a secret, it gives a feeling of self importance. 😉

There’s somebody I used to know, where “everything” was a secret.
Even when he told me about the most mundane piece of news, I had to
promise not to tell anyone. Even if it was already in the public domain.

Yes, indeed.

Many of us knew they had gone, and where to.

Shocking that moves were never made to recover those AM Form 78s, an invaluable and unique record.

I was shocked years ago to discover that a person sharing the small accident records room at Air Historical Branch with me was found to be responsible for the theft of Spitfire Prop blades from a restoration store.

Goodbye surviving Spitfire movement cards. 😡

Mark

So basically sit down, be quiet, don’t discuss anything or even comment until the final product is revealed, then just say how wonderful it is and be quiet again … :diablo:
Might as well close the forum down now!! 🙂

Oh, no, where’d be the fun in that..?…lol. :diablo: I didn’t say that. What is ludicrous, is the assertion that builder/restorers have some sort of duty, handed down from above, to keep enthusiasts informed, or get colour schemes ‘passed’. Patently, they do not have any ‘duties’ to enthusiast. Of course, if the said ‘enthusiasts’ would like to put up some money in a project and own a share of it, – and the expense too – that’d be another matter….! :diablo:

Time for another mince pie.

Snoopy.

Planemike,
Nice one! Touche
Resmoroh

😀 !!!!!!!

Planemike

The thing i don’t like is the type of posts we get here sometimes….you know the ones….’I know something you don’t’…..’but I wont tell you’…..wish they would just keep it to themselves.

That’s one of the most distasteful parts of this forum. There’s a lot of cryptic posts from people on the ‘inside’, hinting at stuff to others in the know and when asked to expand use the old caveat of, sorry can’t say.

Some of these posts are deliberately misleading to sort of big them up (I was helping on the same project, and no such requests for secrecy were issued!) and make the poster look all the more like they knew something others didn’t.

If you can’t post all the details, why post at all?

Meanwhile, some great threads on particular restorations over on WIX. Several ‘stickied’ at the top, here:

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=3

Including, IMHO, the No.1 warbird restoration / maintenance thread, by the late, great Gary Austin: “Gary ~ What’s The Plan For Diamond Lil ? 2006 and Beyond!” Sadly Gary’s pics have been dumped by Photobucket, but it’s still a great thread (the pics are available elsewhere, I understand).

Those threads, including the late Gary Austin’s post are some of the best on warbirds on the internet. The resurrection of a PV-2D from a tanker, back to a stock bomber is holding my interest now.

Its a shame more people don’t follow their lead over here in the UK, but I understand some people like to keep their projects quiet for reasons touched on further up this page.

Regards,

Rich

totally agree with your there Mike..I put the updates of my sexlife on another forum………….

Planemike,
Nice one! Touche
Resmoroh

There is a lot of rubbish and arrant nonsense posted on the forum from time to time (myself not excluded!!). But vampirefan’s last was pure gold – well said that person!!!
Resmoroh

Resmoroh, ‘fraid I disagree with you. To equate any confidentiality surrounding aircraft restoration projects with that surrounding “marital stability, family dynamics and sex life” is just arrant nonsense.

Planemike

Meanwhile, some great threads on particular restorations over on WIX. Several ‘stickied’ at the top, here:

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=3

Including, IMHO, the No.1 warbird restoration / maintenance thread, by the late, great Gary Austin: “Gary ~ What’s The Plan For Diamond Lil ? 2006 and Beyond!” Sadly Gary’s pics have been dumped by Photobucket, but it’s still a great thread (the pics are available elsewhere, I understand).
http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9395

My tribute to Gary, a great ‘sharer’ of warbird projects and practice: http://vintageaeroplanewriter.blogspot.com/2011/10/measure-of-man-gary-austin.html

And a dedicated forum was set up on WIX to discuss restorations specifically, and also to hold those threads so they don’t disappear.

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=26

Regards,

There is a lot of rubbish and arrant nonsense posted on the forum from time to time (myself not excluded!!). But vampirefan’s last was pure gold – well said that person!!!
Resmoroh

A matter of perspective

These projects are private endeavours, in the same way as one’s financial dealings, marital stability, family dynamics and sex life.

Before those with loose tongues sit down in a public forum and discuss other people’s private rebuild projects (remember, it’s an open public forum, not a cosy chat with mates around a pint of beer – the consequences of some seemingly throw-away comment may go further than you think) perhaps they should first consider how they would feel if the state of their marriage or the health of their bank account was similarly discussed openly in public by others. Just because technologically you can post comments or questions about an individual’s private business does not mean that you should.

For the most part, these projects are …//snip//… let them build one and finish it ‘their way’. I look forward to seeing their finished projects. :rolleyes:

So basically sit down, be quiet, don’t discuss anything or even comment until the final product is revealed, then just say how wonderful it is and be quiet again … :diablo:
Might as well close the forum down now!! 🙂

The Clue is….

For the most part, these projects are private. The clue is in the word. The views expressed here that owners have some sort of ‘duty’ to keep-up some sort of running commentary are illogical. They are not run as some sort of public information service and there is no obligation whatsoever on the part of owners/rebuilders. As several people have said, – when the project is finished, ‘all is revealed’ anyway, so what is the problem? None, I would say, other than curiosity and impatience. It’s entirely obvious that builders/restorers don’t want hordes of people turning-up and wasting their valuable time. They don’t want their security compromised, and they don’t want the prices of parts to go up either.

As for this ‘custodianship’ talk, again, it’s illogical. Owners own the projects, and without their HUGE committment, things just wouldn’t get started, let alone finshed. In many, many cases, there was little or nothing to start with. Many projects are ‘created’ – by these very people. If you want to be a ‘custodian’, then you can put-up or…. Those that can, do… etc. Enthusiasts should be very grateful that there are people willing and able to restore old a/c, especially in the current economic climate..!

Lastly, in todays world, critique is a factor. Everything that gets-out will go onto the web and be the subject of comment from a raft of often embarrassingly uninformed people. The armchair ‘experts’ can pick-over the projects when they are finished.

Lastly, I’m not a fan of silly paint schemes, but – whilst some may defend their freedom to comment adversely on them, I’ll defend my freedom to say they are nit-picking anoraks. If they want it their way, let them build one and finish it ‘their way’. I look forward to seeing their finished projects. :rolleyes:

SECURITY is a big issue. Just glance at the urbanex website, they say its look dont touch but the nature of the site invites potential thieves to consider new targets.

Workshops and parts storage areas are certainly more likely to be on the theft hit list if known about widely. Sadly many thefts are not just by chance.
I was shocked years ago to discover that a person sharing the small accident records room at Air Historical Branch with me was found to be responsible for the theft of Spitfire Prop blades from a restoration store.

When the owners are ready to share thats fine, otherwise there is plenty already in the public domain.

When we’re talking about the kind of money warbirds require, of course people have a right to privacy.

But at the same time, any owner should realize that people are going to be interested about the project. As has been noted, they’re only temporary caretakers for a piece of history. Eventually, via the registration, people are going to find out about it. You dont have to leave your cheque book receipts in the cockpit, but you should be prepared to share some information.

I have troubles with owners who don’t realize the interest their toys generate.
They should share them (and information about them) with the public on some scale.

Lastly, this part of the hobby is filled with too many of the aforementioned..”I know something you don’t know…” taunt.
I would have thought they’d have outgrown that mentality in grade school.

Whilst the interest in observing resoration projects is understandably pretty general, I think it is also quite understandable that those who actually own these projects are not necessarily so interested in publicity. I see no reason why they have to be. Eventually though, most restorations are made visible for everyone to enjoy.