I’ve noticed the BAC 1-11 mentioned a few times here. I am an aircraft mechanic and have worked on some nice stuff. I presently work on three of the four remaining flying BAC 1-11’s in the UK (one is about to be retired) and have to say that they really are nice aircraft. Much better than the boeing rubbish that I’ve worked on! (I really dislike the 727, it’s a horrible piece of engineering)

I’ve also completed a course on the VC10 Propulsion and systems.

But my favourite is still my first charge, the old D.H. Comet 4c ‘Canopus’ as seen on my website (link in sig).

I would love to have a big in depth look around the Cosford Comet to see how the design differed and developed with the later 4 series.:)

Oh, and have a good nose around the TSR2 aswell for good measure!:D

Smiler.

There’s more of it than I thought, though that main gear looks decidedly un-original.

I’m sure they must have some sort of reason but what advantage could they gain from scrapping it? Key buildings get ‘listed’ to protect them from harm and unwanted developement, prehaps there should be a similar scheme put in place for historicaly significant aircraft?

Fair point but I personaly wouldn’t class her as part of british heritage. I’m just fed up of seeing lot’s of money ploud into american aircraft whilst the british examples are in the main left to fester in fields.:(

And now there’s the news of another Comet looking like it’s going to get the chop. Would it face the same fate if it were a Dakota I wonder? (and before anyone says it, I know it’s a bit larger than a dakota but it’s only a static airframe and not that much bigger, it’s better built aswell.)

It’s the mighty struggle against the soul less bean counters!

I don’t know how easy it would be to transport a Comet 2 by road as although the wings will come off (with a fair bit of work!) the fueselage is all one piece. Though maybe it could be slid into the back of a large american transport?

I haven’t seen inside it myself but I was told by the visitor that the interior of the Comet is gutted. They had installed a dehumidifier but it was woefully incapable. I can’t remember what mark of Comet it is, there is a Comet 2 as a gate gaurd at Lynham that does receive some regular attention but I very much doubt it’s any form of serious preservation work, more a quick wash every now and then. Though I could well be wrong about this, I simply don’t know.

I went to Cosford about ten years ago when I was still an apprentice and long befor I really knew what I was looking at but it was a very good collection. I would dearly love to go back there and have a close look at some of the research exhibits. I want to see how there put together from an engineers view.:)

Oh yeah, and they’d better put that early Comet in that new hall too as it is close to disintegration. We had a visitor from Cosford to Boscombe Down about five years ago to look at our Comet’s spares ship VX814 (Farnborough Comet 4) with a view to transporting it up to Cosford to replace there Comet that was looking seriously unwell. It’s a pitty he didn’t phone and speak to someone a bit more knowledgeable first (god knows who he spoke to) as he looked quite upset when I pointed out to him that there were no ‘Transportation Joints’ on it. A Mk 4 Comet fuesalage is a bit big to transport half way up the country!:p