Darren Priday is the Manager for the Michael Beecham Conservation Centre, which is the restoration wing of RAF Cosford Museum. So for UAS Hangar Restoration Volunteers his talk should be especially interesting to see how a major museum like Cosford do what we do with a team of full-time professionals.
The site not only cares for many types of exhibits for Cosford, but also for the RAF Museum in London. They travel all over the country using their skills to maintain not just aircraft, but boats, missiles, military vehicles and even tanks. Among the projects worked on in the past 5 years included a Vickers Wellington bomber, a Handley Page Hampden, a Westland Lysander, the last remaining Dornier Do 17 (was raised from the bottom of the Strait of Dover in the English Channel a decade ago) and a Red Arrows Gnat. When new parts are needed, they are either taken from its bank of stores of replacement parts, or when that is not available, technicians will build them again by hand, using the part as a basis.
WINTER MOVE TO CIYMS FACILTIES
As the hangars are pretty much 'Baltic' from November to March, we're holding the late autumn and winter meetings at our old haunt of the 1st Floor at CIYMS in Belfast.
CIYMS also has the benefit of a Hearing Loop for those with hearing issues.
RAFFLE
We'll also hold a little, informal raffle on the night too, for the chance to win some donated prizes. Feel free to bring some prizes along to donate as well. All monies go to fund-raising for the Society.
