At the rate this thread is degrading I am sure it will be locked before long.
I exchanged several emails with the crew down at the museum as we offered to help make repairs and offer some preservation help.
The museum is in the same boat every other aviation museum is in. They lack funding. In their own words;
Quote:
The second stage will Include historical information of the Honduras Air Force and house the F4U-5 Corsair; the third stage will have historical information of Honduras commercial aviation; the fourth will be our admin offices with a conference room; and finally, a big hangar to put most of our aircraft under shelter...
Of course, this will take lots of time since our country lacks the financing to do this quickly, and, of course, we will accept any help we can receive!
609 is deteriorated, the elevators were damaged when the plane was turned over to them from the Honduran Air Force. They have acquired a canopy and fabric etc according my conversation. They have plans to do repairs but they also realized that other repairs due to corrosion need to be addressed and it needs to be in a stable environment before they start restorations. That's their prerogative.
I think a few of you guys out here forget that we are the fanboys. We go to Pensacola, Wright Paterson, Hendon, Chino etc with our cameras, and get lost for days. We argue over wheel well colors on P-51's and how we don't approve of some guys 40k paint job we didn't pay for.The average Joe walks through downtown DC, sees the Wright Flier, Spirit of St Louis, a space ship and hes all good for the rest of his life.
Trying to get donations, especially this day in age, is a full time job. The big grants have dried up. Lets not even get into flying, try filling up a DC-3's tanks, so much for that X-mas bonus. The guys in Honduras want 609 on display properly. Donate to them. Oh that's right they are in a foreign country, no tax write-off. How many big warbird operators are their in Central America? Exactly.
If anyone out here in Wix land wants to help, I would suggest that you write
Ms. Lisa Kubiske, the US Ambassador to Honduras.
Suggesting that with all the surplus that the US has, I am sure as a sign of good will and compassion to the Honduran people, understanding that their history deserves every effort to be preserved, that we donate a large steel building to the museum to help protect their most famous fighter, an American build Chance Vought Corsair, of which there are few surviving in Central America.
An organised letter writing campaign could make this happen.
The Connecticut Air and Space Center will gladly put up at least 3 people with construction backgrounds to travel to Honduras and work side by side with the people of Honduras to help protect their heritage. I am sure that a few other museums or groups would consider the same offer in a MAC flight C-130 or 17 or commercial airline tickets were provided.
Someone will need to coordinate a concrete contractor to pour a slab and were all set. Yep it is just that easy.
I need a months notice so I can get a baby sitter, but i'm ready to go and roll up my sleeves.
Sea parte de la solución y no del problema ...Respectfully and IBTL,
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