Barn Finds!!!

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A friend, now passed, had a way with finding things in barns. Possibly because he was a former F4U and then F6F pilot and had a way with talk. One night long ago he called to tell me he bought a 1920 model T Ford for $400 and would I come help crank it. It turned out it was one in an old garage the hot rodders had been after for years. In fact I had often seen the garage myself. We got it to start that night and he exclaimed it increased in value by $400 because of collector value (running and original). He called a few nights later and exclaimed while washing out under the seat he found what he thought was a washer but it turned out to be a $20 gold piece. That added another $400 at the then prices of gold. A week after that, he called to explain when he removed the seat he found in it a silver Ford belt buckle. It turns out in 1920, Ford had a promotion if you bought a new Ford and got someone else to buy one, you got the silver Ford buckle. Yup, another $400 for the collector buckle. He also found a WACO model 9 in a barn, but that's another story.
 
gumbyk said:
Unfortunately, like a few other aircraft (the Maude P-40 for example), these particular examples would lose a lot of what they are in the restoration process.
These aircraft are time capsules, and in exactly the same state (albeit a bit dirty) that they were in when parked up in the 50's. To restore the Mossie, you would be replacing almost every piece of wood - it wouldn't be the same aircraft. As for the P-40, there are plenty of examples flying and awaiting restoration, so why destroy the patina and originality that this one is, just to get one more modern-build P-40?
I'm all in favour of keeping most of these aircraft flying, but I also appreciate, after seeing the Maude P-40 up close, the fact of having an untouched, extant example of these machines.

Also, I believe that the owners wish was for them to be preserved (which is why he held on to them so closely, despite being given all sorts of offers). We wouldn't have them at the museum if there was and ideas of getting them flying again.

Rest assured, they will be taken care of properly, but they will remain as time capsules, and here in New Zealand, in accordance with the late owners wishes. He was one of the very few who had the foresight to keep these pieces of history away from scrap dealers, so we owe that to him.
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Definitely a different philosophy form what we're used to. In the States, we're all about making it shiny and looking new, whatever it takes. A time capsule is a pill you take to ward off Alzheimer's.
 
I remember visiting the Smithsonian Air & Space museum, probably about 1979, and seeing a display of a WW1 Sopwith Triplane as they found it - partially dismantled, fabric ripped in spots and generally dusty and dingy. I recall wishing they kept it that way so future generations could see an actual WW1 plane. I also remember reading an article in Sithsonian Air & Space Magazine regarding restoring some Apollo era astronaut's flight suits. They wrote that over time, the extremely thin gold reflective layer on the helmets face pieces had faded away. The issue was discussed whether to let the suit stay as it was or re-gold the faceplate. They re-golded the faceplate.
And don't get me started on the subject of the desert warhawk or the Lady Be Good!
 
We've got two 'time capsule' WW1 aircraft at the museum here, and they'll never be restored, there is nothing usable on them. We've also got a Curtis Flying boat that has been looked after, and could be made flyable. There are also a couple of WW1 original aircraft flying down here. The key is that these aircraft hadn't been left to deteriorate. I'm definitely not against flying these aircraft, but when you have to replace everything to do so, and lose any sense of originality, that's taking it too far.
 
This! Gagh!

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Dagger C-432

The Caproni time capsule that Aaron is talking about.

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Knights of the Sky 03

The Curtiss.

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Knights of the Sky 34
 
nuuumannn said:
To be fair it's not the easiest environment to photograph in. The dark background and contrasting spots make a grainy digital environment and, if you're not careful, lens flares...

MoF 110
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I'm usually out there for a specific reason, and don't have a camera with me. It's the downside of being involved so much.
 
gumbyk said:
It's the downside of being involved so much.
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Yup, understand. I used to take every advantage to get photos of the museums I worked at, but back then it was the days of film cameras, so I have boxes of photos sitting around not being looked at from back then, not all of them great pics, but useful for recording when things happened.

This is when the museum's F-4 arrived, three lorries and a team of RAF Crash and Smash guys to offload and assemble it. I had the unenviable task of stripping the tape off, then cleaning and T-cutting it for display, which took ages since it had been sitting outside for years.

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5848 EF 001
 
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