Doncaster Air Museum - July 2011 (rather pic heavy!)

[ajrimmer42]

Had a great trip to Doncaster Air Museum on Saturday afternoon. Been before but they had a few new bits there. Thought I'd treat you all to some aircraft restoration porn cos I'm nice like that.

Radar model of a Skyhawk


Wessex (or whirlwind? hah can't remember)




On the side of a Hunter


Some Lancaster bits


Hunters


Sea King


Lancaster bomb bay door


Tornado cockpit




Believe it or not a V2 rocket engine!


Replica Waco glider made for Saving Private Ryan


Another Hunter


FairE(!!!)y Gannet


Dakota


Lighting. Couldn't quite figure out how much of it they had.


And another


Loads of Canberra cockpits


Beverley

[ajrimmer42]

continued.

Vulcan


Nice landys




6x6 - Dodge?


Centurion BARV (rather a pleasant and unexpected surprise )

[Jimbuna]

The second shot is a Westland Whirlwind.

[krashkart]

BARV = Badass Recreational Vehicle?


Great pics. That Skyhawk has certainly seen some better days.


Edit: What is up with the Canberra on the left?

[Stealhead]

Nice.Wonder why that Skyhawk has the golden appearance to it?A Hunter one of my all time favorite aircraft I love the lines of that plane the Hunter was a pretty bad dude(Yank tongue for excellent) in its hey day.

Interesting nose on the center Canberra the left most has an interesting set up as well.Any idea what they might have been used for they are obviously radomes of some sort.

EDIT: for the left most one:http://www.bywat.co.uk/wj565.html
for the center one:http://www.100squadronassociation.org.uk/history9.html (looked up the numbers)

[Sailor Steve]

Nice shots. We all wish some of them were in better shape, but they take what they can get and so do we.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Stealhead

Interesting nose on the center Canberra the left most has an interesting set up as well.Any idea what they might have been used for they are obviously radomes of some sort.

Left one is a for training EW techs on ships and planes to handle jamming from Badger bombers and the like. The center one is for All-Weather Interceptor training for the RIOs (or whatever the Brits call them).

[Stealhead]

Ha ha you answered my question around the same time I did.
My original post links to the center ones squadron history page if anyone wants to read about it.

Still what gives with that A-4s odd colorization looks kind of like the natural metal layer almost maybe some aged primer or something?

[Hottentot]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

We all wish some of them were in better shape, but they take what they can get and so do we.

It's no magic to make them look better, almost brand new, if that is the goal. But it's not. The thing is that such restoration makes pretty objects and poor history. If you have an old machine and you repair all the dents, give it a new paintscheme and polish it, it basically loses part of its story.

I can only admire museums that collect these machines. The work and space requirements for them must be huge.

[Stealhead]

I don't fully agree with you here I dont think every unit has to look brand new I like to see something look how it looked in the field when it was on the front lines so to speak it does not have to be perfect but the A-4 for example would need some work.

I think it should look how it looked so to speak not brand new but if it is in really worn out been in a bone yard for 30 years fix it if it has lots a damage/wear.At the same time some examples should look pristine as Sailor Steve mentions.I like museums that have a mixture of both.

[joegrundman]

Lighting. Couldn't quite figure out how much of it they had.

you know just outside East Midlands Airport, there's a little open air exhibition with a full Lightning, and a Vulcan, a Buccaneer among others.


http://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/e...craftonDisplay

[ajrimmer42]

Originally Posted by Stealhead

Nice.Wonder why that Skyhawk has the golden appearance to it?

Originally Posted by Stealhead

Still what gives with that A-4s odd colorization looks kind of like the natural metal layer almost maybe some aged primer or something?

the Skyhawk is unpainted brass hence the colour.

another pic, you can see it's really seen better days lol

[papa_smurf]

Great pics

[ajrimmer42]

cheers matey

[Hottentot]

Originally Posted by Stealhead

I don't fully agree with you here I dont think every unit has to look brand new I like to see something look how it looked in the field when it was on the front lines so to speak it does not have to be perfect but the A-4 for example would need some work.

Front line schemes are difficult to restore, seeing that there if anywhere the equipment is going to get weathered and worn out. And if we start faking dents and scratches to unique museum objects, then I'm going to protest.

I think it should look how it looked so to speak not brand new but if it is in really worn out been in a bone yard for 30 years fix it if it has lots a damage/wear.

It depends. There are museums that intentionally show wrecks, because the wreck has something to tell. So does the rust that mirrors 30 years of neglect. New and restored is cool and shows the object in certain light, but it's not the same thing.

And finally, my whole comment was a kneejerk reaction, about which I wish to apologize, Steve. I was just ticked off by the "they take what they can get" remark early in the morning. Then it seemed like saying that museums just salvage some junk that people graciously throw them, which is what some people (likely not you) actually think museums do. In any case, I'm sorry.