RAF Museum aircraft out for loan including the Shackleton...

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

20 years

Posts: 4,561

Havent seen this posted elsewhere but it looks like the MOSI closure is definitely happening....

https://www.museumsassociation.org/collections/find-an-object/autogenslug67c46081-3494-e911-80e7-00155d07c7d8?RECNUM=3&SORT=esu_displayfrom.invert

Original post

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 3,415

The RAF Museum made it clear that they could not remove aircraft from Manchester until their revamp was complete.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 1,777

Why on earth is Cosford so against taking the Shackleton? After all, the type only served for 40 years!

Member for

15 years 2 months

Posts: 674

Would be nice to see the 504,707 and Shack go to Woodford but would need some investment in a hangar.Would be great to see the Shack alongside the Sunderland at Hendon, oh wait they don't like actual aircraft at Hendon!

Member for

14 years 3 months

Posts: 1,205

Three Gyron Juniors! Of relevance to Gatwick's semi-live Bucc S1 I wonder?

Member for

16 years 5 months

Posts: 5,999

And an AS Python, just a shame I’m only a near thirty year project and not a supposed Accredited Museum :rolleyes:

Member for

18 years 2 months

Posts: 7,742

To be fair I suspect that most Accredited museums have been aware of the engine disposals since early May and no doubt many will have already lodged their expression of interest. It's a recognised process and one that saw NAM being able to secure the TriStar Simulator a couple of years back. From memory if there's no interest from Accredited museums then items may be offered more generally to other groups or individuals.

Member for

16 years 5 months

Posts: 5,999

I doubt it Howard, I’ve been told in no uncertain terms that they are not permitted to sell items or do any deals of any kind including donating with individuals for items.

Personally I think the accreditation system is an absolute joke that leaves no room for aiding reputable outside projects with a genuine need for items that could enhance their own objectives, items that the RAF Museum has neither no use for or absolutely no connection or interest in!

Member for

18 years 2 months

Posts: 7,742

Rob,

The point that I was trying to make is that an Accredited Museum can dispose of items to non-Accredited organisations (individuals are mentioned towards the end of the process); this is covered on pages 17 to 19 of the PDF file that can be downloaded from the Disposals Toolkit – follow the links provided.

https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/supporting-museums/disposal-collections

https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/document/museums-disposal-toolkit

Obviously, I am unable to confirm whether or not an individual museum is prepared to do that!

Member for

16 years 5 months

Posts: 5,999

Thank you Howard for those links, of which I am always intrigued by this paragraph when considering disposals;

•” the item under consideration lies outside the museum’s established core collection as defined in the collections development policy.”

Now the RAF Museum has an item which i believe to be from a Wyvern - gifted to the museum by Westlands many many years ago at no cost. This item would enable me to proceed with the port side of my cockpit rig which I am very happy to display whenever possible to the general public. It is of no interest, importance, or indeed relevance whatsoever to the RAF Museum.
But, having offered to buy it, trade for it or even just to take it on loan - the answer is always no. This is the latest response to my request received this week;

“I am afraid we are not permitted to strike any deals or sell items from the collection to private individuals or concerns.”

Member for

18 years 2 months

Posts: 7,742

That's interesting feedback; but I refer back to my last comment: "Obviously, I am unable to confirm whether or not an individual museum is prepared to do that!"

Sorry to hear of their response; I wonder whether your most recent response is due to the fact that having decided to now dispose of it, the engine's now being offered to Accredited museums and perhaps they have already received expression(s) of interest.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 9,780

I wonder how swapping real aircraft like the Hanriot HD.1 for replica's fits within 'we are not permitted to strike any deals or sell items from the collection to private individuals or concerns ' ! Or on a similar note loan a Merlin III to a private restoration !

Member for

17 years 5 months

Posts: 8,980

Rob, you have to try. tell them the plan is when completed for it to be displayed at XYZ museum.

https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/default/acquisitions-and-disposals.aspx

Disposal outcomes

The priority for any disposal is the continued retention of the artefact(s) selected within the public domain, wherever possible. The potential outcomes for disposal are:

  • Free gift/transfer to another museum
  • Exchange of objects between museums
  • Free gift/transfer to another institution/organisation within the public domain
  • Return to donor
  • Sale (only in extraordinary circumstances once the options above have been explored and following consultation with donors, stakeholders and the museum community)
  • Destruction (only when an object is deteriorated beyond any future use or needs to be disposed of for reasons of Health & Safety)

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 9,780

'Return to donor' ! I wonder if the Luftwaffe is penning an email as we speak !

Member for

16 years 5 months

Posts: 5,999

Howard, thank you for the encouragement. But I have emails going back some 4+ years starting with the RAF Museum curator, and each one is a point blank no. The only slight bit of encouragement I had was that IF I found them a piece of Brigand that they required then a swap might be possible - which kind of goes against what Lisa Hickman the registrar said to me this week.

The curator himself admitted that he was a follower of my Wyvern project thread on Key and was very encouraging. Sadly it’s now beginning to feel personal, although obviously for a publicly funded museum to start dictating which tax payer it deals with or not would be very unfortunate if at all true.

At the end of the day we should all be pulling in the same direction when it comes to remembering aviation history and educating people today on yesterday’s pilots and aircraft - regardless of how big a projects wallet is.

Member for

15 years 7 months

Posts: 674

Does Fleet Air Arm Museum have a Python engine on display. Surely part of the Wyvern story ?

Member for

16 years 5 months

Posts: 5,999

Indeed they do in Cobham Hall together with the last remaining Wyvern.
Dave Morris at the FAAM has also been very helpful with my requests and also very encouraging towards my efforts - both with the Wyvern and in the past the Sturgeon.