Flt Sgt Copping - Sahara P-40 restored badly in Egypt :(
Flt Sgt Copping - Sahara P-40 restored badly in Egypt :(
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anonymous-user

Original Poster:

83 months

Sunday 31st December 2017
quotequote all
The P-40 that was recovered with the intention of being displayed by the RAFM, has been "restored" (read ruined), by an aviation museum in Egypt who has decided to keep it and do a half-arsed repaint on it.


https://www.facebook.com/groups/599117760244236/pe...

Eric Mc

125,606 posts

294 months

Sunday 31st December 2017
quotequote all
What an absolute shame. It was in pristine original paint.

For a country that has recognised expertise in archaeological techniques, even more of a disaster.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

83 months

Sunday 31st December 2017
quotequote all
It is an insult, to claim it was wearing the scheme it had before it crashed. I don't ever recall 5 year olds painting fighter aircraft with tins of Humbrol, which is what this monstrosity looks like.

Surely they could have checked reference material on-line if they felt the need to repaint it, I am sure the internet has reached Egypt now!

Not only is the general restoration poor, the paint unsightly, and the wording on the plaque bad, it also fails to mention Flt Sgt Copping.

The museum should hang it's head in shame for what is historical vandalism, and for disrespecting the pilot, just to get a shiny new exhibit.

Didn't we/the UK pay to get it recovered?

Deptford Draylons

10,480 posts

272 months

Sunday 31st December 2017
quotequote all
They did well to turn it into a cheap fiberglass looking gate guard looking thing. Then again, someone in the UK had the bright idea to cut up and section a complete U-boat which was in good condition.

aeropilot

40,524 posts

256 months

Monday 1st January 2018
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
IIRC, the RAFM offered a Spitfire in exchange.........in the meantime, the Egyptian 'Arab Spring' occurs, the Egyptian team involved get arrested/disappear etc.,etc and the 'new' Egyptian authorities decide to renege on the deal and keep the P-40. Not sure if that was before or after the Spitfire was delivered, they may have kept that as well!

Meanwhile, neither Govt seem too bothered about trying to find Sgt.Copping and give him a decent burial.




andy_s

19,852 posts

288 months

Monday 1st January 2018
quotequote all
I remember reading the Spitfire is still in UK.

dr_gn

16,924 posts

213 months

Monday 1st January 2018
quotequote all
aeropilot said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
IIRC, the RAFM offered a Spitfire in exchange.........in the meantime, the Egyptian 'Arab Spring' occurs, the Egyptian team involved get arrested/disappear etc.,etc and the 'new' Egyptian authorities decide to renege on the deal and keep the P-40. Not sure if that was before or after the Spitfire was delivered, they may have kept that as well!

Meanwhile, neither Govt seem too bothered about trying to find Sgt.Copping and give him a decent burial.
I thought the Spitfire was given to a UK salvage/restoration company?


kurt535

3,560 posts

146 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2018
quotequote all
absolute d*&k-head vandals. thick as s87T . what were they thinking????

dr_gn

16,924 posts

213 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2018
quotequote all
Why are the wheels/tyres only about 3/4 the diameter they should be? Even if you ignore the fact it should have been left as found, and the st paintwork (there was a handy guide to the roundel diameter on the original fuselage) the wheels kill it. Inexplicable (well, almost) why a museum couldn’t do a google image search to get it in the right ballpark.




kurt535

3,560 posts

146 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2018
quotequote all
anyone got an address to write to the museum?

yellowjack

18,403 posts

195 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2018
quotequote all
dr_gn said:
Why are the wheels/tyres only about 3/4 the diameter they should be? Even if you ignore the fact it should have been left as found, and the st paintwork (there was a handy guide to the roundel diameter on the original fuselage) the wheels kill it. Inexplicable (well, almost) why a museum couldn’t do a google image search to get it in the right ballpark.
I think they just might have done a Google image search. I think I can see where they went wrong too...



wink

aeropilot

40,524 posts

256 months

Tuesday 2nd January 2018
quotequote all
kurt535 said:
absolute d*&k-head vandals. thick as s87T . what were they thinking????
I doubt any thought process was actually involved......


BlackLabel

13,251 posts

152 months

Sunday 7th January 2018
quotequote all
kurt535 said:
anyone got an address to write to the museum?
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g660770-d2277501-Reviews-El_Alamein_War_Museum-El_Alamein_Matrouh_Governorate.html



El Alamein Museum, Km 105, Alex Matrouh Desert Rd. | El Alamein, El Alamein 51718, Egypt.