Cosford Random

[Craig.]

If only they could have done this more often maybe fewer classics would have been scrapped forever.

Another view of the comet in grey conditions.

differant

TV guided Marmalade bomb?

[C]

If only they could have done this more often maybe fewer classics would have been scrapped forever.

Shame they didn't start doing it a little earlier - imagine what we would still have...

[Craig.]

It always makes me wonder why they dont actually put people with real knowledge of these things incharge of this sort of thing. Instead they have some grumpy git who doesnt understand the sentimental value of these aircraft, incharge who just orders them broken up.

[C]

Unfortunately it's always more about who owns the aircraft and how much someone is able to pay to take it away...

[Hagar]

Until recently there was no room for sentiment with military aircraft. Once they'd served their purpose they were broken up for scrap. I remember the company I worked for purchasing some badly needed parts from a salvage company. In one case it was a Shackleton & our chaps had to remove the parts while the aircraft was being broken up around them. Pretty dangerous when the salvage people were using fire axes. I was personally involved with a similar thing on a Miles Marathon at Shoreham, fortunately before the scrap dealer got his hands on it. I still have the air reservoirs on a compressor in my garage. There are no examples of the Marathon left anywhere in the world.

This still happens now. I forget what happened to the Blackburn Beverley that used to stand outside the RAF Museum at Hendon. They said they didn't have room for it so it had to go.

[C]

This still happens now. I forget what happened to the Blackburn Beverley that used to stand outside the RAF Museum at Hendon. They said they didn't have room for it so it had to go.

As did the one at Southend. An intact Canberra has just been scrapped at Llanbedr too. Unfortunately the RAF has always had use for old airframes as decoys and on the fire dumps...

[Hagar]

Read this & weep. http://www.beverley-association.org.uk/xh124/xh124.htm

[Craig.]

that is a sad story. I do have to go with the idea if they cant save the whole aircraft at least try to save the nose/cockpit, or at very least just the cockpit.

[C]

Just a shame - they just wouldn't have the money or the staff to conserve the airframe, which had been there for 30 odd years (last aircraft to fly into Hendon - 1968/9?) - I think it was scrapped in '91. I'm not sure if the cockpit was saved - the IWM has the cockpit of the Southend one...

Thankfully the Ex Army transport museum's one still exists - just...

[Hagar]

Except for those parts in my garage this is all that's left of the Marathon. http://www.aero51.plus.com/html/exhibits/marathon.htm
I had my very first flight at RAF Topcliffe in a Marathon when I was 14 years old. I was allowed to sit in the right hand seat & all I can remember about it now was that we flew over the Blackpool Tower.

[TacitBlue]

Ive always felt that at least one example of every aircraft should be kept intact. If nothing else, stored in a wharehouse, at least then it could be displayed at a later time.

[beaky]

Nice, Hagar, and well-composed. Hard to take shots of these displays without simply showing the thing. Sad about the Marathon; I wish there was at least one survivor of every type ever flown, but as you said, most went to the scrappers due to economic concerns.
Really like that Comet: too bad it was an ill-fated design; they were very pretty.

[C]

Really like that Comet: too bad it was an ill-fated design; they were very pretty.

...and considering the bad start, quite successful after the windows were modified. I suppose someone has to make the mistakes, and unfortunately this time it was De Havilland. Beautiful aeroplane though...

[Woodlouse2002]

The Comet and Concorde are the only two good looking jet airliners ever made. All the Boeings and Airbusses merely look purposeful instead of attractive.

[Hagar]

Nice, Hagar, and well-composed. Hard to take shots of these displays without simply showing the thing. Sad about the Marathon; I wish there was at least one survivor of every type ever flown, but as you said, most went to the scrappers due to economic concerns.

I should point out that these are Craig's shots. I've been past Cosford once but never been inside - yet.

Really like that Comet: too bad it was an ill-fated design; they were very pretty.

Again, I'm one of the few forum members to have been around at the time all this happened. I also saw the various types of Comet in the air. There was more to this than many people are aware of. It was a tragedy compounded by company & national politics. Nothing was known of the effects of metal fatigue & a great deal was learned from it. Nevertheless, I think that DH should have been well aware of the fact that rectangular openings are not ideal in a pressurised cylinder. This is basic engineering & a Victorian steam engineer could have told them that.