WIX Archives

Re: Well, not really ......

Posted by MGM on Tue Dec 04, 2001 10:19:42 PM

In reply top Well, not really ...... posted by Christer on Tue Dec 04, 2001 06:52:10 PM

I was trying not to comment on this subject again...........but.....

I don't mind at all Christer, but actually I'm surprised that anyone took much notice of what I said, as no-one commented......but especially now that we've all been told that warbird owners don't really care what "enthusiasts" say on this particular subject.....or any subject probably?!

Although I at least know that Tony thinks I'm on the right track with some form of NUMBER classification system.....words are virtually useless in this kind of situation if you want to classify warbirds.....they can be ambiguous and get mis-construed.......and everyone just makes up there own mind about what a particular word really means anyway.....like the over-used word, REPLICA.....just to suit there own opinions......which are of course all as valid as my own I should say....!

You can argue with what a word means, but you CAN'T argue with what a number means......unless you start at the wrong end !


My basic opinion , which Tony and me have talked about several times, and which I said to Tony earlier, is this.....

I consider that an aircraft does still exist in some form even if it is only the data-plate.

But I would not include a data-plate ID in a survivors listing until there was an intention to rebuild it complete.

To flesh it out a little.....

If the said aircraft has been totally burnt or melted down, and not one piece of the structure still remains in a usable condition, for static or airworthy use.....then I would consider it to be dead and gone forever and the ID cannot ever be used for a restoration project.

By structure, I don't mean all the systems bits that can be/are changed and have no true ID relation to any particular aircraft....it has to be actual structure with some sort of ID related to the original aircraft to qualify.

So, for instance, if someone possesses the control-column grip from K5054....which they alledgedly do according to Tony Dyer.....then I don't think you could or should resurect K5054 around it.....but if someone had a USABLE piece of the structure of K5054, and it could be proven.....then I don't see why you can't rebuild K5054 around that.

I agree with Steve's point about how someone would classify their OWN aircraft.......so whatever someone does it is OK with me as long as they are being TOTALLY honest about it, and not trying to make a fortune out of something that THEY claim is "the real thing", but has actually been built totally or virtually from new.

I know what the difference is between the various "Flavours Of Warbird Restoration", and I know what each and every warbird means to me personally, although it helps if I'm told the TRUE story..........take two TMk IX Spitfires as an example..........ML407 means more to me than PT462.....both wonderful aeroplanes, and I just love ALL Spitfires, but......although ML has been rebuilt and modified from original spec, it still contains most of the original wartime built structure, and it most definitely is a genuine Spitfire.....whereas PT is virtually new-build because there was virtualy nothing left of it when it was dug up out of the ground in Israel, and what there was left was not suitable for an airworthy restoration.....but it is STILL A GENUINE Spitfire none-the-less......IT COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE CALLED ANYTHING ELSE, but it is a less "original" Spitfire than ML407......know what I mean ?!

I'm sure that many people would completely disagree with me on my thoughts on the subject.....but I'm also sure that most (the honest ones) would agree with me that people have to be honest about what they are doing....if only to stop people like me from having a go at them now and then !

I don't like crooks and con merchants, most people don't.....so I can't see (actually I CAN SEE really)why some people have to stick up for them when they are trying to CON someone......even if it is only a lowly enthusiast like me.......


No offence meant to anyone (in particular).......but preparing myself for the virus onslaught again..........

TTFN
Mick

I don't think for one minute that this will be the last time this subject comes up.

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