Model Forum / General / Models / September 2005

I was there a week ago last Sunday - and all is not lost.

We were told the day before our group visit that there had been a fire -
and that our visit may be cancelled - but it wasn't.

When we arrived we were dismayed to see that there was a large panelled
fence in front of the museum - and what looked like the skeleton of the
hangar rising above it.

Closer inspection revealed that this skeleton was in fact the metal
girders of a NEW hangar being built on the site of the old one - and it
was a spark from a welders torch that had caused the fire in one of the
old hangars.

The museum curator told us that they had lost some precious artifacts -
engines, models, documents etc from the very early (late 1800's - 1917
era) exhibition hangars - but that the rest of the collection was OK.

The billboard in front of the metal skeleton had an artists impression
of the new buildings - all glass & steel - due to be opened in November!!!

I wish I had taken a photos of all this new work - I don't know what
came over me!!

All the aircraft from these rebuilt hangars are either out on display -
or in the larger display hangars over the other side.

There is some money going into Monino - which is good from the
preservation point of view, but bad from our enthusiasts standpoint !!

The pathways betwen the aircraft exhibits in the 'park' have been
re-surfaced and a low chain-link fence has been put in place.

This stops the punters from going on the grass - but the museum staff
did not seem to mind when we stepped over the fence and got amongst the
exhibits - as we had always done in previous years.

I suspect though that things will get tighter in future !!!!  I can see
us having to stick to the pathways.

Ken