Rumour that IWM Mk 1 Spitfire is to be sold.

In one of Paul Allen’s hangars at Paine Field in Washington State, USA

re;

Where is the Komet now?

David, I totally agree. The RE8 is appallingly badly displayed at Duxford. It hangs among the rafters with no context and no real indication of it’s importance as a type. It would have been better in the Grahame-White building at Hendon, being as you say an original example of the type. It could have been displayed at Lambeth even. To my mind at least, The Great War has been largely ignored by Duxford. The D.H.9 isn’t really shown to any great advantage where it is, either–ditto Bristol F2.B.

The D.H 9 is a very much reconstructed example . The Me163 arguably was one of the more significant examples of German technology in the collection . Sadly in all of this it shows a disfunctional relationship between national collections . There is no reason why the RAFM needed to have a replica RE8 when the IWM example could have quite easily have been put on loan at Hendon in exchange for a continued loan of the FW-190 which would have sat quite nicely at Duxford.

Indeed, but in my view it was still a cop-out. Many other national museums in that situation, with the offer of a rare and relevant addition to the collection, would have gone the HLF grant and/or national fundraising appeal route rather than simply flogging off the family silver.

Well, the Komet was flogged off as a quick, easy and entirely unimaginative way to raise a few quid, so there has been a precedent.

And as for the number of campaigns the B-25 has flown in, or the amount of work done on the TBM, exactly the same could be said of the Ju-52 and Storch. And look what happened to them. 🙁

The Me-163 was sold to finance the work on the DH-9. This was a type much more relevant to Duxford and the IWM’s WWI remit. Again, it had to have DCMS and IWM board approval and was not a quick process.

Lobster

Well, the Komet was flogged off as a quick, easy and entirely unimaginative way to raise a few quid, so there has been a precedent.

And as for the number of campaigns the B-25 has flown in, or the amount of work done on the TBM, exactly the same could be said of the Ju-52 and Storch. And look what happened to them. 🙁

The major gaps in the USAAF types operated from the UK are, of course the P38 and the B26.

The latter is a very faint hope, verging on no-hope, but it would be nice to think that we will one day see a Lightning in the space currently occupied by the worthy, but less relevant T33

Moggy

Surely the T33 still belongs to the USAF?

Seems daft to get rid of the B25 considering how many campaigns the type flew in. It would look good in RAF markings. And considering how much work went into the Avenger it seems odd to get rid of it.

Semantics I know, but disposal could perhaps be considered different to sale?

Probably loose their job

Or be offered “the opportunity to take voluntary exit”.

The TBM, B-25 and T-33 were listed by the IWM as being available for disposal a couple of years ago, this is fact and not speculation.

My instinct would suggest speculation – especially for the T33, which I would have thought was on loan from the USAFM; like most ex-French Air Force T33s in the UK.

I think the IWM has made a rod for its own back with the sale of a number of airframes last year and the projected sale of more airframes this year (T-33, B-25 and Avenger et al).

Is it official that they are going to sell these airframes or just speculation ?

My understanding is that the Croydon situation is different to any hypothetical IWM situation; not least they are a not a national collection – details of their case can be found here http://www.museumsassociation.org/news/18092013-croydon-disciplinary-action

Probably loose their job

[QUOTE=Lobster;2105627]

2: The decision to sell any part of a national collection would have to be approved by the DCMS – it is not just an IWM decision.

Yes but.

Some unique Chinese Art of great significance has just been sold by Croydon Museum without any of the required permissions and the only comeback has been expulsion from the MLA. If any National Museum were to sell of an exhibit what would be the real comeback? No one will go to jail or be fined personally.

That sounds plausible, especially as both were there.

I wonder if this rumour originated with somebody hearing that “the Mark I Spitfire at Duxford is for sale”, meaning the Mark One Partners example, and got their wires crossed somewhere along the line.

I can practically see Victory from where I’m typing this. The last estimation I read was that during the course of the last two centuries Victory has been renewed/repaired to in excess of fifty percent of her original construction.

She is of course still Victory and fully representative of the victors of the most astonishing naval battle in history.

When I visited it some years ago I was told that only one deck is original!

I think seeing that Spitfire in the IWM London, was the very first time I ever saw a Spitfire in the flesh when I was very little 🙂