What a jumbled mess! Looks like some demented schoolboy’s bedroom. Not sure that airframes are best displayed hanging by threads from the ceiling – the Lightning at Cosford being one example.

Anyway, surely everyone knows that Hendon is basically a shop with a few aircraft added in for interest.

😡

I can see your point LesB:) I am also not a fan of aircraft hanging from wires either. There is obviously not the room to stand every exhibit on its own undercarriage, but some of the arranging does leave a lot to be desired.

However, saying that, it still is quite a good place to go to every now and then. I recently took a couple of friends there, one had not visited since he was ten years old (Thirty years) and the other had never visted at all. Both came away with very good impressions of the museum.
I think we who do visit regulary, do tend to criticise a tad more than others! It’s like rearranging your tool cupboard or something like that, you feel the need to look at things a different way.

As for the general visiting public, I think they see it a little different than us. Judging by some of the comments overheard in the (yes, overpriced) cafeteria, joe public thought it was a good museum with much to see and appreciate.

I think the shop at Hendon is very low key and didnt seem to hit the visitor in the face.I like that better from a personal point of view than the myriads of stalls at Duxford on a legends day, with the over repeated merchandise. IMHO people there seem to be interested in the stalls rather than the aircraft, whereas at Hendon the aircraft and varius displays are the more important factor for a vistor.
Oh, and the Model T, it was parked in the Graham-White building on the ground floor.. and not strung up Kev;)

Glad you enjoyed your visit benyboy:)

Another American site pointed out to me recently, and contains quite a few photos of the aviation Engineering Battalion who built Matching airfield.

http://www.footnote.com/

I’m not sure that that excellent book was ever updated. I have not seen anything other than the original edition, either for sale, or held in a library.
You are right about the level of degradation with those airfields in such a short period. The Hardcore and crushed concrete market was certainly busy in the 1960’s!

If I can answer that Peter then all I could say is precious little. And if any at all it, I doubt that it would include the RAF or USAAF aircrew loss statistics.

Again I think its an age thing, We care because we are probably of a certain age to care, if you see what I mean. Having said that there are upon this very forum some younger people who do hold an interest in what went before, so we know not all youth are to blame. I Hope that didnt sound too condescending

We have seen reports of memorials being damaged for the value of the scrap. Bronze plaques from Naval memorials to alloy propellors from aircrew memorials, as with the Mosquito museum’s fine example. The thought of all of Mosquito airmen who gave their lives, was the last thing the perpetrators of the crime gave a hoot about.
The people who damaged Wattons memorial probably dont understand what all the fuss is about anyway. They dont care and never will. All we can be thankful for is it was just paint this time.

And bravo kev35, again put so much better than I could. Eloquent to the last!

I remember seeing parts of the nose cowling laying beside one of the hangars around about 1981-2. It was outside with parts from Hess’s Bf110 (or so I was told) and the Heinkel fin. The alloy panels from the 109 were corroding away fast. Parts of this aircraft were recovered I believe at the same time as the Heinkel 111 from Storvatnet lake.
I am not sure if the 109 came from the same lake, but definately found on the same expedition. I somehow thought then that it was a E model Andy.

I have trawled (pun) through a few old posts about the lakes, Paul Mcmillan indicates that the a/c was a G model.
It seems that the wreckage from Duxford was scrapped owing the the severe corrosion.

So good to see another Lanc being prepared for ‘life’ again:).

I doubt if the spammer is human Canberra-tt18, more likely an automated web-bot or malware that has the capability to target multi accounts.

Or it could be a sad human that has nothing better to do:)