According to this month’s Aeroplane (or FP), they were slated for retirement in March 2006 but that’s now expected to be extended to the end of the year.

P.S. Ant, please correct the spelling of infinite in your sig. I spot it every time I see one of your posts. 🙂

Bus, as in public service vehicle, is an abbreviation of omnibus.

I don’t remember the context in the film but guess it was referring to bomber or transport pilots.

I’ve been tinkering with this screed for a couple of days now, trying to work out exactly what I want to say, and continually revising it in light of further comments by others.

David Burke said part of what I mean on another thread – don’t try to re-invent the wheel. As always, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and to me, the AAM is an eyesore. I’m sure many others love it. I also expect awards are presented by the same type of people that commission modern buildings, whoever they are.
I can’t even agree it’s good at what it was designed for. Admittedly the B-52 is a massive aircraft and it can’t be expected to sit in solitary splendour but it looks like the plan for the AAM was drawn around an outline of one.

I can’t believe anyone could say you can view the aircraft well. It is so overcrowded around the tail of the B-52 you can hardly see the B-29, in itself another huge aeroplane, which is crammed in sideways behind the B-17. Moggy’s pic shows the F-111 poked in the little space surrounding the nose of the B-52 and as I recall the Phantom’s the other side.

I have no comments about the light, I’ve never noticed anything particularly dark or bright about it so it must be about right.

I’m sure there would be difficulties in maintaining a climate controlled environment in a standard hangar so something special had to be designed. A little less cleverness and a bit more common sense should have made it possible to move exhibits in and out without a bill for £100,000 for removing a complete wall. Something along the lines of large doors springs to mind.

Like many/most people here I shall continue to visit and support Duxford, it doesn’t mean I have to agree with everything they do.

Although I haven’t seen any drawings, and I would only vaguely understand them if I had, I’m not denying it’s an awesome piece of engineering.

I just firmly believe it is a ridiculous building to keep aeroplanes in. In fact, I’m not sure I even needed to qualify that sentence with the bit about aeroplanes.

Rectangular green boxes may be boring but it seems they’re still the best things for aircraft storage. The original Cosford plans I thought were excellent, as much style as could be expected and producing large amounts of solar power. How is this edifice better?

I think Colonel Nissen, if he was still alive, might get a bit upset about being continually mistaken for a Japanese car maker. 🙂

IMHO, it should be able to do both.

I shall continue digesting and pondering JDK’s essay before replying further. At first glance I must say I agree with most of it, although I think architects should be first against the wall when the revolution comes.

Thanks for the heads up, I’d have missed without it.

A while ago Patty was trying to persuade Hairyplane to buy one but he wouldn’t bite.