There’s a parallel here with historic racing cars, many of which are driven just as hard today – and crashed just as often – as the were in the past. Yet they still get rebuilt and race again.
With certain exceptions the ‘hull’ value of a genuinely historic aeroplane is usually more than the cost of rebuilding the worst accident damage, therefore the economics will usually mean that no matter how badly damaged it is, it will usually form the basis of another restoration, sometime.
OK, there are some smoking holes in the ground that will not be salvageable, just as there have been sadly some smoking static ‘museum’ aircraft, or even as recent hurricanes have demonstrated, those that are blown away, or even have had their hangars fall on them.
What has killed more aeroplanes than anything else is neglect and disinterest. Occaisionally its still happening (Do I need to remind you of the Blackpool Vulcan?)
The one thing that this forum proves, is that there are plenty of interested and motivated people out there. Let’s say thankyou to all those who are behind keeping our heritage intact, whether flying or not!
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