Suspending timber framed aircraft

The Australian War Memorial is considering the possibility of
suspending a WW1 timber framed aircraft in a new exhibition. Because
of the fragility of this type of aircraft we are expecting to make a
cradle that supports the aircraft using points it would normally
rest on when parked, ie the undercarriage and tail. The actual
suspension points would be on the cradle, not the aircraft.

Obviously there is an increased risk in the event of a failure, as
the aircraft has further to fall than if it was on the gallery
floor. Also being in the air means maintenance and inspection are
more difficult and the open cockpit will need to be covered as we
can't get into it safely to clean it. However good planning may be
able to minimise these risks.

We would be very interested to hear if any other institutions have
put timber framed aircraft on suspended display, and if so what your
experiences have been and whether you have any particular advice on
things to do or not to do. Also, how long have your aircraft been
displayed like this and how have they stood up to it? Would you be
happy to do it again?

Alison Wain
Australian War Memorial


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 20:35
                 Distributed: Monday, January 15, 2007
                       Message Id: cdl-20-35-013
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