I’m thinking BazV’s comment may have been tongue-in-cheek, there was alot of debate about possible damage to the Typhoon when that loan was announced. As far as I’m aware it got there safe and sound and even had a repaint and other improvements along the way.

If the Spit XIV in question is MT847, then it’s already at Hendon and it doesn’t sound as though it has any bearing on possible outcomes at Manchester. It was in the Bomber Hall last time I was there about six months back.

I don’t see anything wrong with it being loaned out, Pima seems a top notch museum and they’ve been extremely open-minded about displaying aircraft in the colours of other nationalities, especially the UK/ Commonwealth. They have an ex-RCAF Catalina/Canso that’s being restoring in it’s original early war RCAF camouflage, a Blenhiem/Bolingbroke that has had a full restoration and two repaints in different RAF schemes…the list goes on (oh and don’t forget the efforts made with the Shackleton). A Spit would make a nice addition to “Commonwealth Corner” (my phrase). To my mind it’s just as important to promote our heritage overseas as it is to keep it going over here, especially in the US where we have had such close links in the past.

The Mysteres were ordered for the French AF with backing from the US, when the Fench AF were finished with them they had to be handed over to the Americans. This was done by delivering them to a USAF base in the UK. Not wanting to bother transporting them Stateside, the USAF tried a number of ways of getting rid of them, including loaning them out to UK museums, or in the Spadeadam case letting them be used as decoys.

There was a similar topic raised on here a year or two ago and the biggest factor discussed was the question of retirement and pensions. With people working longer and pensions getting smaller, the museum sector seems likely to lose a big chunk of its voluntary workforce in the future.

As for interest from future generations, I always see that as something that is in our hands and not a foregone conclusion.

I hope Alloy won’t mind me adding to his thread, but just thought I’d spread the word that the project now has a website aswell as a Facebook page. Spotted the news on WIX.

http://www.hawkertyphoon.ca/

An interesting article with some great pics, and it’s great that it has found a new home without going abroad.

Just a couple of quick questions;

Is it really the only flyer at the moment? I thought the NZ example was a regular flyer.

Just out of curiosity, what is the crest on the fin? It looks like the crest of 601 Sqn, but if so what’s the connection?

Great news! Huge congratulations to everyone involved.

I’m sorry to hear about this, does anyone know the reason if it proves to be true? Serious corrosion?