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Re: Restoration remains......opinions?

Posted by Steven M Dennis on Thu Apr 29, 2004 08:11:12 AM

In reply top Restoration remains......opinions? posted by Stephen C on Thu Apr 29, 2004 06:56:48 AM

I think this is a great question Stephen, thanks for bringing it up.

I too have thought about this, but as in most things, there are many ways to look at it. In my case, I have been involved in the much less glamorous side of "Warbirds" for a while, dealing in Primary Trainers. I have been involved with mostly Fairchild PT-19/PT-23/PT-26's, but have also been collecting parts for a Stearman restoration.

Let's take the Stearman for instance. In the process of acquiring parts I have obtained a couple of fuselage sections that were badly damaged in crop dusting accidents, and after pulling all of the pieces I needed off of the frames, there are still some good "sections" of tubing, mostly the cluster welds and attach points, etc. that weren't damaged in the crashes. Now, I don't need these pieces, nor do I want to store these bent up frames "just to have them", but I will not throw them away, or take them to the scrap yard to be recycled, as they may be of use to someone else down the line.

So what I will do, is offer to give (ie. donate, no money transfer, etc.) these frames to anyone that can use them for whatever pieces there are left, or for patterns for their restoration. In this way, hopefully they will be ultimately consumed into other projects until there really is nothing left to throw away.

Now realize that there is no identity that can be assumed from these sections, as the aircraft that they came from are flying right now after these pieces were replaced with new a long time ago. So we aren't "losing an aircraft" in this "consumption process", and are probably preventing a "double identity" problem in the end. ;o)

Well anyway, enough rambling, and I know I am not addressing your real question which I'm sure concerns the more "glamorous and valuable Warbirds", but I think I would do it the same way if I was rebuilding one of those too. ;o)

Great topic!

Steve :o)

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