Not seeking to defend TIGHAR at all – but I’m not sure what that graph proves, without having the total income figures for each year too? It could just be that the salaries stay fairly consistent but the income each year varies wildly – for instance perhaps they had a bumper 2011 for donations – so as a % of that, salary costs were much lower. That said, you would expect donations to peak in expedition years – but as Monty says, many of those years seem to have high expenditure too – so who knows?

I think it’s the average figures quotes that are more telling. Maybe TIGHAR members should be asking whether in the light of results, the current staff are really worth 26.7% of all the millions donated over the last ten years.

Something on the website now….

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-41521936/a-tour-inside-the-last-ever-concorde-to-fly

Nothing about the museum itself, sadly

Excellent – working for me too: thanks!

There’s a chapter on the recovery of the Southampton fusalge from Felixstowe Ferry in Bruce Robertsons’s book “Epics of Aviation Archaeology” – with a good few photos. It was recovered in 1967 iirc.

Was that deliberate?

Doggon right it was.

Anyway: I’ve a new theory. The Electra ran out of fuel and ditched near Howland Island. It, along with Earhart and Noonan were rescued by a passing Japanese freighter – and taken to Saipan, where they were photographed. The Electra was repaired – and our heroes subsequently managed to escape, seize the aircraft and fly to New Britain, where they crashed in the jungle. Un deterred, they rebuilt it again, “Flight of the Phoenix style – leaving some wreckage behind them to be later discovered by a passing Australian army patrol – before heading off for Howland( again) – missing (again) – and crashing and dying as castaways on Gardener.

So – everyone’s right.

Don’t know about the U2, but it’ll be 82 years in December since the DC3 first flew: Quite incredible. If only Arthur Raymond and his design team could have seen that picture…

That last image is exceptionally clear – I assume it’s been processed in some way but it really does bring out the state of the wreckage.
Thanks for posting the link

From Facebook –

“Charity Appeals for White Knight

Following the emergency landing of Sea Vixen G-CVIX XP924 at RNAS Yeovilton on 27 May 17, Navy Wings is urgently seeking a ‘white knight’ sponsor to save the aircraft and restore this unique and nationally important naval heritage fighter to full flying condition.

Unfortunately the structural damage to the airframe is more serious than first thought. This includes cracks on both tail booms, warping of the main bulk heads in the engine compartment and major damage to the gear box. The important factor here was speed of landing. The Sea Vixen suffered a major hydraulic failure of both systems and the pilot, Commander Simon Hargreaves was unable to lower the flaps along with the under-carriage. This necessitated a high speed, low angle run on and the energy transferred itself through the airframe.

Work by Assessors estimate that it could take between 3-4 years and cost £2-3M to get her flying again. A white knight is needed in the next month who would be prepared to come to the rescue and under-write these costs and save the last flying Sea Vixen in the world, recognising her uniqueness and value to the Nation’s naval aviation heritage. #whiteknight #navywingsuk navywings.org.uk”