Atomic Systems

Yesterday I got the opportunity to visit the RAF Museum at Hendon. It was an interesting visit. To wander around and see these aeroplanes preserved is a curious thing when you realise that most of them were once considered state-of-the-art military hardware even if only for a short while, and that young men were asked to risk their lives operating these machines.

Although the museum has to be congratulated for doing a great job in presenting their displays, I could not help but feel saddened by it. Why? The answer of course is that I visited a mausoleum. A graveyard. These aircraft were built to fly. Now they're stuffed and put behind glass like dead animals.

Something important has been lost. The exhaust stains, paint rubbed away from edges, the sound of mechanics at work, the banter of competitive aviators, the reluctant wheeze of an aero engine starting up , the smell of hot oil, burnt metal, fuel , cordite, leather, grease, sweat, and that sudden growl and rumble of a flypast.

There are places that preserve some of these things, like Shuttleworth, Duxford, or the Confederate Air Force (whatever they call it these days) by operating these old warbirds. Thats great... although I think the demands of showbusiness have sanitised it somewhat. But none of these preserve an essential quality. That elusive atmosphere of men about to go to war.

The H&S Executive must cringe everytime one takes to the air nowadays.

Was that Canberra that crashed recently a total wreck?

p.s. - Duxford IWM is the mutts nuts .

I have to agree with the sentiment. There's a similar diarama building up at Manchester Airport Aviation Park with Concorde G-BOAC, the RJ-X and DC-10 nose!

and a de Havilland Vampire. And soon a Trident hopefully!

Why just the nose of the Monarch 10 ?

Am I right in saying that it was retired in it's original livery, it's nose lopped off and then painted into the current Monarch colours?

Yep.

It's used as a classroom, I doubt the full thing would fit with the Concorde, at least not without tarmacing the current overflow parcing and putting it there!

I've never been keen on airliners. Especially modern ones - no character at all (concorde excepted).

Wrecks and relics are no longer alone. What pleases and fascinates me are the 'new-build' aircraft being built these days. Me262's, FW190's, Bf109's are all being constructed or planned with almost 100% original specification (and that includes engines in some cases) and with follow-on production numbers! Recently the russians restarted a small run of Yak fighters. I also remember an advert from a company in a soviet bloc state stating they would consider building any WWII aircraft to order.

Couldn't build one for me could you? Fly now, pay later? Please? Hello?

.

I've not encountered that but I did read that ex-Soviet L-39s were going cheap - very cheap.

I could find many a use for an IL-2m3, although mainly centered around strafing boy racers who tear up the coast road at night or the stupid bikers who do the same on Sunday afternoons .

RAF Cosford is quite good - for free

Couple of Hangars full of Military Aircraft. A Trident cockpit. A BA BAC1-11, Vulcan, Jetstream 41 and various others outside aswell.

Someone is actually building a full size replica of the 1930's Handley Page 42 bi-plane airliner, which used to fly the Empire routes. Pretty ugly on the outside but like a pre-war Pullman car inside, all wood veneers, Odeon lighting and the like. Very nice indeed.

I must admit to feeling slightly annoyed that the noise regulations effectively ban any airworthy Classic British airliners preserved, like the Trident, VC10 and 1-11 (and soon to be Comet, mega-drool) from offering experience flights. Given the number of airshows every year, the increase in noise levels would be marginal. It's all the more galling when you realise that Government and humanitarian flights are exempt, and that's why the RAF can deafen Norfolk with their damn non stage-3 compliant Jaguars, which are far more of a nuisance than three or four VC10 jollies a year, and it's OK for Vladimir Putin or the Romanian premier to pop in for tea with Tone and Cherie in the State TU154 or 707. Allowing classic British airliners to fly a couple of times a year wouldn't hurt. Well, it would the eardrums of anyone close by, but they'll recover.

The Fleet Airarm Museum down at Yeovilton is a good day out

HP42? Now thats class. You can scrap the trident.

ianm42 wrote:The Fleet Airarm Museum down at Yeovilton is a good day out

I liked the helicopter "ride" where you walk into the Wessex and land on the carrier. Thought that was a neat touch.