Half-and-Half Restorations

[Noha307]

What is everyone's opinion of half-and-half restorations? That is to say, situations where one half of an aircraft is restored and another half is left original.

For example, the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum did it with their Fleet Fort:

(Source: Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum)

According to their website:

The Museum's Fleet Fort has only been restored on one half to give visitors an idea of the task faced in restoring an old aircraft.

Also, it's not an airplane, but the Reynolds-Alberta Museum has a really interesting exhibit where only one half of a Dodge Victory Six Coupe was restored:

(Source: Ponoka News)

The panel in front of the car reads:

How can we preserve the machines of the past so they can tell us their stories?

One way is through restoration. This process reconstructs an artifact by using original parts or, if those are not available, by using new ones that are as close as possible to those originally used. A complete and correct restoration makes the artifact look and operate like it did at one specific point in its history.

Another way is through conservation. Conservation stabilizes and protects the original material remaining in an artifact. This involves cleaning, and other treatments that stop actions such as rust oe paint flaking from continuing to damage the artifact. The artifact's individual qualities and details are retained, and the visitor can see how use has affected the artifact.

I thought it would be an interesting possibility for the Kate at the Pacific Aviation Museum ever since I saw the model they had painted up with the missing pieces:

(Source: WarbirdsNews)

Imagine if they built a new outer left wing and rear fuselage from scratch while leaving the rest of the aircraft untouched. Visitors could get an idea of what the aircraft originally looked like without having to disturb the airframe's historical integrity.

Finally, while it's not what I'm talking about, it's worth noting that there is a similar practice of fully restoring an aircraft, but painting it with different markings on either side - as was done with the National Air and Space Museum's Boeing 247.

[phil65]

I like it...
I personally think nothing of any importance should be restored, it should be preserved. As they say, it's only original once.

Phil

[Chris Brame]

In other words, a mix of Kate and repli-Kate? (ha ha, I should write for Jumble )
Could the remains they have be used for patterns to build a new one without damaging any of it?

Finally, while it's not what I'm talking about, it's worth noting that there is a similar practice of fully restoring an aircraft, but painting it with different markings on either side - as was done with the National Air and Space Museum's Boeing 247.

Back in the early '70s, the NMUSAF stated they were going to restore their Martin B-10 that way - half U.S. and half Argentine markings (it was an export model that spent its career down there), but that idea was quietly dropped...

Last edited by Chris Brame on Tue Feb 02, 2021 3:36 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Hooligan2]

I wouldn't want to fly in anything that had only been half restored...

[PinecastleAAF]

Is that the most intact or complete Kate in existence? Just curious.

[sandiego89]

I am all for them in certain limited applications, especially for a case like the Kate where they could have the old, unrestored pieces mated up with new built pieces.

In some cases preservation is really the way to go, but often you do not have a good example to start with. The preserved P-38, Me-163 and soon to be on display Flak Bait at Udvar Hazy are great examples. Hope we get more out of Garber that are just preserved- hint, hint: Sage Burner F-4 and Pogo please.....

[Scott Rose]

Depends on what you are preserving. If it's original scheme and paint then preserve it. After 50 years on the sea floor... restore it if possible and have pictures of what it looked like. I don't go to museums to see coral... I go to aquariums for that.

[old iron]

pinecastleAAF asked:

Is that the most intact or complete Kate in existence? Just curious.

Yes, probably the most complete. There were a couple of fragmentary airframes recovered Karil (now Russian) islands in 2003.

[Paul Stroud]

pinecastleAAF asked:

Is that the most intact or complete Kate in existence? Just curious.

Yes, probably the most complete. There were a couple of fragmentary airframes recovered Karil (now Russian) islands in 2003.

There's a part fuselage on display in the Wings Museum in Sussex here in the UK, maybe one of those? Also some other unrestored aircraft from Russia such as a P63 and A20 which are very effectively displayed as recovered.

https://www.wingsmuseum.co.uk/gallery-i ... ts_tundra/

[quemerford]

I like it...
I personally think nothing of any importance should be restored, it should be preserved. As they say, it's only original once.

Phil

+1

[bdk]

The Museum's Fleet Fort has only been restored on one half to give visitors an idea of the task faced in restoring an old aircraft.

So this was done so the museum could send a message to visitors? This sounds like a gimmick to me, not a serious conservation approach.

If the one wing with the original markings is so important, take it off and display it next to the airplane. Replace it with another wing painted to match the rest of the aircraft. It just looks like an inconsistent hodgepodge the way it is. It looks like they ran out of money in the midst of the restoration. It also isn't representative of how the aircraft were operated in period.

Just my opinion of course.

[Thomas_Mac]

So this was done so the museum could send a message to visitors? This sounds like a gimmick to me, not a serious conservation approach.

If the one wing with the original markings is so important, take it off and display it next to the airplane. Replace it with another wing painted to match the rest of the aircraft. It just looks like an inconsistent hodgepodge the way it is. It looks like they ran out of money in the midst of the restoration. It also isn't representative of how the aircraft were operated in period.

Just my opinion of course.

It's worth noting the museum does have a second example they restored years ago. The half restored example is also open for kids (and enthusiasts ) to sit in the cockpit so its always generates a ton of interest when I've been at the museum.

[k5083]

There is a half-and-half 109E displayed by the IWM at Duxford. It went on war bond tours after it forced-landed in 1940. The graffiti and hangar rash that it picked up on the war bond tours is considered part of its history so they decided to preserve some of it.

That is a better reason for a half-and-half than just showing off how much work was done, IMO. You can show the latter fine with photos.

August

[JohnB]

I like it...
I personally think nothing of any importance should be restored, it should be preserved. As they say, it's only original once.

Phil

But that can be taken to ludicrous extremes.
Without restorations (or taking your point too far) there would be no flying warbirds.

Take a warbird out of its element you might as well have a oil painting on display...since they show the aircraft in its element far more than a preserved, dusty, stuffed, bird hanging from the ceiling or behind ropes.

What best represents a type and its crews place in history better...the stripped Loch Ness Wellington at the Brooklands museum or the retrieved from a lake Halifax at Hendon or the shiny new paint, frequently overhauled BBMF airworthy Lancaster?

As I have previously mentioned, I write for a collector car mahazine, so I have heard all the arguments and read the good, the bad, and the stupid arguments on the subject.
Taking it too far is the individual of questionable judgement who announced he wasn't going to polish the brass radiator of his brass-era Buick (hardly a rare, valuable or historic car...it's no Silver Ghost prototype), because he didn't want to disturb its patina.
Also, a friend had an all-original custom bodied (as they all were) Rolls Royce Phantom II towncar, (originally owned by a famous UK personage). Its trim paint has checked ever the years but still presented well. I asked if he was going to restore it (this was 20 years ago before the 'don't restore' movement took hold), and he correctly said no.

But I would make the point that there is a difference between preserving hand applied finish on a custom-bodied car and a mass market item.
Okay, a Hemi-'cuda is worth a lot today, but when it was built, it was just another $3500 Plymouth, cranked out of a factory at a fast pace by often disinterested members of the UAW.
Yes, it's original paint has some significance, but if it looked really bad, I'd replace it in a heartbeat on my (now) valuable muscle car.

So there is no universal answer.
The "only original once" cliche is not universal.

Last edited by JohnB on Thu Feb 04, 2021 6:39 pm, edited 6 times in total.

[Michel Lemieux]

- Repro
- Replica
- Facsimile
- Restoration
- Original
- Unrestored
- Static
- Flying
- Etc.....

Just glad we get to enjoy all variations.

Back to the topic. Was there not one of the UK Hampden being restored half/half a few years ago? The 2 ones that I searched seemed to be full restorations.

Cheers!!!!