Sorry, posted in error

Sorry posted on wrong thread

I’d think the Motat Lanc must have fairly high hours, having patrolled the Pacific with the French up till the mid 1960’s – the same goes for their others that were retired at the same time I guess.

Yes it was a while now that I think about it. 🙁 I went to Duxford and Hendon in December 1993, and the Imperial War Museum Lambeth in early 1994 and early 1997. I also went to the Science Museum in early 1997 (Jan/Feb ish), and i got some nice home fideo of the place too.

What a great idea making these wonderful places free. The British Government has got something right at least.

The Auckland War Memorial Museum here in NZ used to be free, then they began to charge but they still let you in for free with an encouraged donation if you’re only visiting the war memorial part… a very very confusing system. I’d probably pay to go in there too, it is really a very good place to visit. Not too many museums where you can see a Zero, a Spitfire, a V1, a Blue Whale and an Elephant in the same place.

I think there is (or was) one in NZ at Omaka

http://www.classicfighters.co.nz/aircraft/provost.htm

Yes the Short Solent is still at Motat in Auckland. It is the only Mk IV Solent in the world, and one of only two of the type extant (an earlier model is in Oakland California – which is the flying boat seen in Indiana Jones’s Raiders of the Lost Ark).

And our NZ Solent is stunningly beautiful, restored faithfully by about 50 of its ex engineers, pilots and cabin crew in the 1980’s and 1990’s, it is now better than new. It is displayed in the hangar with a walkway beside it so the public can peer through all the windows on the starboard side, on both decks, and inside they have every detail including matchboxes, glasses, TEAL souviners, etc on the tables. It is the height of luxury flying. I’d love to take a trip in that bird, pity she’ll never fly again.

Well at least it is still in existence and wasn’t scrapped. I’d almost wager the wing is probably stored somewhere safe.

I think it was very creditable for the museum to even display it when they obviously lacked the room to put the whole plane in there, and when it is so unattractive and is an insignificant aircraft on the scale of aviation development to the public at large who pay to enter the museum.

Also, only a minority of Shorts Bros products are ugly – their products like the Sunderland, Empire, Solent and even the Stirling were gorgeous, and the Tucano ain’t bad either (or was that designeed by Embraer, I can’t recall who bought the design from whom).

Idefinately think the Do335 is ugly, but it is very interesting all the same and its history makes it a classic.

Ohers I could add like thay are the Bristol Freighter and the Carvair, both pug ugly but you are drawn to them because thet’re interesting aircraft and I’d prefer to have one than a modern Boeing or Airbus to shift my freight about. 🙂