Twin Otter 23 said
……. As for skills being lost, if you are in any way mechanically minded and have access to AP’s, pams or whatever nothing should be too hard.
Paul
I understand the time issue only too well but some of the skills I was thinking of go back to basics – like turning a part from a block of metal; a bit like the projects the early Halton ‘Brats’ had to complete. That’s what my father-in-law is very good at doing, often with no plans to work to!
In the UK school children today get limited exposure to using lathes etc in RM (Resistant Materials). As a consequence might not have the basic mechanical experience to stimulate any interest.
There is perhaps some hope and an interesting analogy came about in the mid 1990s when Newark’s then Restoration Co-ordinator was challenged with re-fabricing the Anson. His most recent skill sets were aircraft metal working so he went back to his Halton training notes and then he ‘relearnt’ the aircraft fabric skills that he was once taught. Do the Armed Forces teach even basic metal working any longer?
NAM now face a similar challenge when it comes to re-covering the Monospar, talk has been heard from some volunteers of ‘relearning’ their radio controlled model fabric skills!
As for the visitors take on this; I’m always pleased to see the engagement NAM’s volunteers have with the public who seem intrigued by the work that is being undertaken on different projects. One venue that has capitalised on this ‘intrigue’ on a regular basis is the National Railway Museum with “The Works” … http://www.nrm.org.uk/PlanaVisit/VisitYork/museumareas/theworks.aspx
… a full-time scheme that IMHO the aviation sector could learn a lot from.
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