Lashenden Air Warfare Museum wants rid of rusty planes

[Howard of Effingham]

] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-32309520]

does this happen often at aviation museums globally? and has anyone any stories of it happening at an aviation museum they know of?

[Nick]

I've heard of the USAF suing museums for not taking care of their loaned aircraft and demanding their return.
Bottom of this page  http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/exhibits/  are links to lists of USAFM aircraft on loan worldwide, Lashenden is on there. IIRC the US paid for the Dassault Mystere via NATO funds and that's why six of these can be seen on display in the UK.

The US Navy and the Quonset Point Museum had a major legal battle in 1993 when the museum recovered a F6F-5 Hellcat from the waters off Martha's Vineyard after it had sat there for 48 years. The museum paid all the costs of recovery, the National Guard helped move the aircraft to the museum and the Us Navy turned up and accused the museum of theft. Fortunately it ended with the US Navy placing their machine on longterm loan as long as it was restored fully.
The USN has done this for nearly every bird recovered since, such as those in Lake Michigan.
http://www.history.navy.mil/research/underwater-archaeology/policy-and-resource-management/policy/navy-aircraft-as-artifacts.html

[NARSES2]

The USN has done this for nearly every bird recovered since, such as those in Lake Michigan.
http://www.history.navy.mil/research/underwater-archaeology/policy-and-resource-management/policy/navy-aircraft-as-artifacts.html

I've heard of something similar in Hawaii as well. They discovered an Avenger in the sea and the USN demanded it back after the guy's had spent years restoring it. We went gliding from the airfield in question (up on the North Shore), great group of guys

[Captain Canada]

Geez...how long would it take to determine if there are explosives on board ? Hopefully they do get saved.

Interesting links there Nick, thanks !

[lenny100]

the sunderland museum which i am now a member of has a similar problem as over the years the "old boy club" had several aircraft owned by members who would now allow any work on the aircraft by anybody but themselves, even down to running a hose and soapy water making the place look like a junk yard, the new management over the last year has told a lot of them to either sign over the stuff or remove them, meaning historic aircraft like the world record holder supermirne swift which was rusting away on the  sight as the owner wanted nothing done wi5h the aircraft in her lifetime, have now been removed and the place is starting to improve slowly