Jagx204, I wasn’t aware that I was getting personal. If you have chosen to take it that way then it’s unfortunate because that’s certainly not what I intended. If I gave that impression then I apologise – let’s kiss and make up (not literally you understand 😀 ).
My point was that to say “we all had a chance to buy them and preserve them if we felt so inclined” is simply not the case. You did not have the resources to save them, I did not have the resources to save them and I suspect 99% of others who would wish them saved didn’t either. The fact is that if this bloke thinks these aircraft will be a good money-spinner for his operation then he is likely to be able to bring more resources to bear to acquire them than your average preservationist.
The fact that they are Hunters is neither here nor there. Who’s to say if they were rarer types that were suddenly put on eBay that they wouldn’t have suffered the same fate? I doubt someone who’s hell-bent on an eye-catching gimmick for his business is going to be too concerned what type it is – witness the Swift at Sheppards Surplus.
I’m not going to apologise for or hide my disgust at this. It IS a waste, especially as he has refused to contemplate the removal of parts from the airframes which would help any number of worthy restorations.
True, we can’t save everything. But there are Hunters around that people are struggling to restore that aren’t far short of junk, yet two airframes in good condition are to be wasted. It’s that sort of situation that saddens me. I agree with David Burke in that there are far more suitable candidates around for this sort of usage – if only there was some sort of mechanism for arranging it. 🙁
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