Australian plane 'boneyard'

[straitman]

While there have been some aircraft stored in the US bone-yards during down-turns, its not common for them to follow in Lazarus' shoes. For most, its a one-way journey, the final resting place, the end of the road (tarmac), retirement etc.

The F-111 in the RAAF museum at Point Cook is called the 'Boneyard Wrangler' as it escaped the desert (ex USAF a/c) and now has escaped being scrapped to be on display.

 

[nlagalle]

It isn't going to work though, is it? It gets crazy-wet in Alice at certain times of the year.

It's the humidity that is the issue. Alice is very dry in that respect. Dont forget it rains in the desert too!

 

[medhead]

It's the humidity that is the issue. Alice is very dry in that respect. Dont forget it rains in the desert too!

The average annual rainfall at Alice is about 287 mm per year. This is similar to woomera (186) and maralinga (224). It is very dry in the center of Australia. Notwithstanding localised flooding from one off rainfall events.

 

[ButFli]

The average annual rainfall at Alice is about 287 mm per year. This is similar to woomera (186) and maralinga (224). It is very dry in the center of Australia. Notwithstanding localised flooding from one off rainfall events.

The average rainfall in Alice Springs is lower than the boneyards they have in America. However, I am told that Alice gets the majority of its rainfall in one hit and will sometimes get two or three times its yearly average in a few days. It is the one-off rainfall events that are the problem. The boneyards in America have their rain spread much more evenly. I am told that this makes the conditions in Alice Springs much less conducive to an aircraft boneyard especially where there is the possibility of aircraft being resurrected. As I say, this is just what I have been told.

 

[NM]

The average annual rainfall at Alice is about 287 mm per year. This is similar to woomera (186) and maralinga (224). It is very dry in the center of Australia. Notwithstanding localised flooding from one off rainfall events.

anyone care to research the average annual rainfall at Mojave?

 

[medhead]

anyone care to research the average annual rainfall at Mojave?

Is it an option for the Australian boneyard?

254?

Mojave Desert - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[harvyk]

The average rainfall in Alice Springs is lower than the boneyards they have in America. However, I am told that Alice gets the majority of its rainfall in one hit and will sometimes get two or three times its yearly average in a few days. It is the one-off rainfall events that are the problem. The boneyards in America have their rain spread much more evenly. I am told that this makes the conditions in Alice Springs much less conducive to an aircraft boneyard especially where there is the possibility of aircraft being resurrected. As I say, this is just what I have been told.

I don't see that as being a problem, as it's long term humidity which is the big killer of aircraft in storage... Whilst they do have big rainfall events in Alice Springs, there is more than ample time for everything to dry out afterwards... Furthermore it's not the total rainfall that's the problem, it's the amount of time it takes for the rain to fall...

A piece of metal will rust if it is left in 10 litres of water for 6 months. That same piece of metal is unlike to rust if it was sitting in 100 litres of water but only for a few hours.