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By: - 28th April 2006 at 18:16 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Looks as if it is only the cockpit that may be saved, I had assumed that it would be the whole front fuselage.
By: - 28th April 2006 at 18:37 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
What a crying shame!!!!!!!!
By: - 28th April 2006 at 18:41 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Very very very very disappointed (thats the polite way of putting it anyway) :mad:
Looks as if they have cut a minimalist amount of cockpit away too, and even lopped it clean under the floor. Cant even see the point of that. From what I have seen and heard this was a very well preserved aircraft, and those that looked after it and kept it in that condition will doubtlessly be very upset too.
Without wishing to hijack the thread, but simply to add something more hopeful, we have had some positive indications from Manchester airport management about our own Trident (3B, G-AWZK) which has been being cosmetically restored over the past few months while we wait for agreement on structural rebuild. For the latest information and pictures, see here
By: - 28th April 2006 at 18:55 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Trident
God - that was quick
I was there Wednesday lunchtime and it was essentially complete though sans engines,
Incidentally the Cosford shop was closed over lunchtime...........
But I have to say that the origami hangar is not quite as dominant within the site as I feared - might be something to do with the old architect's trick of covering it in something mildly reflective to reflect the colour of the sky/surroundings.
Still think a landmark building wasn't necessary or even appropriate within a listed (?) site but there it is.
By: - 28th April 2006 at 19:02 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Well thats British airways preservation for you.... Whats next the concorde at Heathrow?
By: - 28th April 2006 at 20:06 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I can't believe what is happening, I took my Dad to Cosford earlier on this year and the first on the list was the Trident.
We stood in awe of how beautifull and clean this plane looked and we both thought that the only thing that was missing was flight crew and fuel and enough runway for just one more flight.......sentimental I know but it just looked like it was fresh from turnaround and ready to go again.
I feel a twinge of sadness for all those people that put the time and effort into looking after this airframe it was a credit to them all, I have read the other threads concerning the BA collection and their impending move to Scotland and I am totally sadenned and angry to see such a fine example being cut up.
Lets hope that it is not just scrapped needlessly and that as many spares are saved and donated to other projects that would benifit from this episode.
Right time to go and find some beer to cry into!!.
Regards
John.
By: - 28th April 2006 at 20:19 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
i would image a lot of it will be offered on ebay?
By: - 28th April 2006 at 20:24 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
i would image a lot of it will be offered on ebay?
If it does then someone should be hung by the short and curly's and shot :diablo: .
What about the Trident at Manchester, They do not operate with the same sort of budget as Cosford and I'm sure they would not say no to a lorry load of spares.
Regards,
John.
By: - 28th April 2006 at 20:35 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
If it does then someone should be hung by the short and curly's and shot :diablo: .What about the Trident at Manchester, They do not operate with the same sort of budget as Cosford and I'm sure they would not say no to a lorry load of spares.
Regards,
John.
Two problems there John.
The RAFM did not have a budget for the upkeep of the BA Collection. As far as I am aware, BA used to send a team of apprentices up for a couple of weeks once a year. According to the RAFM, this support was withdrawn by BA after September 11th, 2001.
Regarding spares, just how much compatibility is there between marks? Cosford's being a Trident One and MAN's a Three?
Regards,
kev35
By: - 28th April 2006 at 20:52 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Kev35
Good points, I am no expert on these airliners just sad to see it go.
Will give my spleen a rest and leave it to a grown up.
Regards
John.
By: - 28th April 2006 at 20:53 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
FlyPast October 1982
An interesting little passage from the museum guide at that time ' The 707 and VC-10 were taken in by Boeing in a part exchange deal for new aircraft but have been loaned to the collection' . The absence of the loan being from BA and indeed the arrival of other types ala Vickers Viking G-AGRU from Holland tend to indicate that the BA collection as such wasn't something which BA parked at Cosford without a tremendous input from the RAFM.
By: - 28th April 2006 at 20:55 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
You are right in all your points Kev thats what I heard to, I am going in Sunday to take a look.
By: - 28th April 2006 at 20:57 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
John.
I was asking the question re spares because I have absolutely no idea myself. Outwardly they look similar but from an engineering point of view I am absolutely clueless.
As for resting your spleen, vent away. I too am sad to see the airliners go having been a regular visitor since the late 70's. Just been searching for a couple of photo's I took of the Trident's interior but I can't seem to find them.
Regards,
kev35
By: - 28th April 2006 at 21:00 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Kev - I very much imagine that the process is being carried out with the idea of selling items like the engines and identifyable interesting parts. Anything that requires a large amount of time to dismantle and has little commercial value will most likely be cut and smelted.
By: - 28th April 2006 at 21:08 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I once regarded the actions taken in Britain in respect of aircraft preservation as a model for the rest of the world to follow.
Not anymore. Definitely.
I wonder what the funds thrown at a certain other project mentioned in these columns could have achieved with this collection of aircraft.
The dreamers who pledge to raise funds for a crippled and corroded heap of metal allegedly a "last survivor" of a certain from a remote seabed somewhere should be forced to pin this picture in a very visible place.
The whole "preservation" movement in fact seems to need to rethink and reorient itself.
By: - 28th April 2006 at 21:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
If it does then someone should be hung by the short and curly's and shot :diablo: .What about the Trident at Manchester, They do not operate with the same sort of budget as Cosford and I'm sure they would not say no to a lorry load of spares.
Regards,
John.
We were supposed to be getting some apparently, although we havent heard anything. Quite what what would be compatible or useful (that we dont already have) I'm not sure though, although we were promised the steps apparently. I do hope they havent been inadvertantly scrapped too!
By: - 28th April 2006 at 21:28 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Badger - do you fancy changing your description of ASI as this is a public forum? Sadly chopping airliners is neither clinical nor pretty
By: - 29th April 2006 at 08:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
So sad to see these pictures. I only visited about three weeks ago for soe lat pictures of the airliners. It was the day before the fencing was put up around the B707.
The Trident was looking good. I have attached some interior shots taken about 5 years ago. Such a shame to see this go being the last Trident 1.
Sorry for the quality. Pre-digital I'm afraid.
By: - 29th April 2006 at 08:15 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi
Well first I am a bit biased having worked at Hatfield, but this action saddens me greatly (thats a polite way of putting it) There does seem to be something wrong somewhere though when the sole survivor or a type, alright sub-type, that was important to British aviation history (ie the first aircraft capable of blind landings) and in such good condition is allowed to be treated like this!
Just my personal 2p's worth
By: - 29th April 2006 at 09:05 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Anyone have any ideas why ASI should have cut such a neat rectangular hole in the fuselage?
There's no door or exit in that area to display, no logo or builders plate. It's too big for ebay and anything they wanted to take out from inside could have gone through the big 'ole in the front.
Perhaps it's another bit of the twisted thinking from the RAFM and BA that hanging a section of skin on a wall, along with cutting off the cockpit, is somehow an act of "preservation".
Posts: 6,968
By: kev35 - 28th April 2006 at 17:17
While everyone, myself included, has raked over the coals of the BA Collection regarding the rights and wrongs of recent decisions, it has all become totally irrelevant anyway this week.
The Trident was sat on its hardstanding last Sunday, completely unfenced. The following photograph shows what's happened in the last five days....
More photos on this thread...
http://forum.planetalk.net/viewtopic.php?t=1270
Regards,
kev35