Battle of Britain 75th at The Royal Air Force Museum

From August, the RAF Museum will be marking the 75th Anniversary of ‘Our Finest Hour’ with a number of activities at both London and Cosford…

The Battle of Britain Hangar London:

Step into the Battle of Britain Hangar at the Museum’s London site and step back into the year 1940. Visitors can literally walk through history, as every step takes you through the events that led to ‘Our Finest Hour’. From the rise of the Nazi party, to a war torn London street, to a face to face meeting with Winston Churchill.

The hangar focuses on the epic struggle of 1940 with a range of exhibits including a replica Ops Room; Radar machines; an Enigma code-breaker machine; the statue of Sir Keith Park (which was on display on the fourth plinth at Trafalgar Square; weaponry and paintings.

And of course it holds the best and most comprehensive Battle of Britain aircraft collection in the world including examples from Britain, Germany and Italy such as the Spitfire, Hurricane, Heinkel HE111, Junkers JU87 Stuka, Junkers JU88 and ME 109.

Be sure to check out the following special Battle of Britain events and activities at London and Cosford at www.rafmuseum.org

Airfix August: Model A SpitDate: 25th – 31st August

Time: 11am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm

Entrance: £3 per Airfix kit

Location: Bomber Hall, London

To mark the arrival of the Spitfire Mk16 (a Spitfire you can sit in!) the museum will be holding a full week of Spitfire kit making. Come along, grab a kit for £3 and let your creative flair help you to make and paint your very own model Spitfire. Then, take it home!

Airfix August: Scaling Down Reality, by Simon Owen, lead researcher at Hornby Hobbies Ltd

Date: 28th August

Time: 1pm

Entrance: FREE via online reservation

Location: Lecture theatre, London

Museum lecture theatre

Simon Owen, lead Researcher at Hornby Hobbies Ltd will be at the museum on 28 August to give an insight into the fascinating world of Airfix and how they scale down an iconic aircraft of the Battle of Britain to produce perfect replicas for today’s modellers.

Covering a range of topics including the history of the company and the production process, Simon will also be on hand to answer your questions at the end so don’t miss out on this perfect opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes at Airfix HQ.

The Spitfire Experience

Date: Opens 29th August

Entrance: £4 per person

Location: Historic Hangars Gallery, London

Dreams come true at the RAF Museum this August as we unveil our Spitfire Mk16 ‘experience’. The Spitfire will feature in our Historic Hangars gallery as we offer the thrilling opportunity to climb inside and take the pilot’s seat!

Spitfire 10K Run

Date: Sunday 6th September 2015

Time: 9.00 am

Entrance: £20 entry, £18 museum members, running clubs and armed forces

Location: RAF Museum London

Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain in style with this brand new event starting and finishing in the magnificent surroundings of the RAF Museum in Hendon. The race begins in the shadow of one of the RAF Spitfires and takes you on a special journey, including a section through the bomber hangar and around the iconic Lancaster, before leaving the museum for two loops of a flat road course. Your finish will be commemorated with an exclusive Spitfire medal.

Entry form: http://www.nice-work.org.uk/assets/Spitfire%2010k%202015%20Entry%20Form.pdf

Battle of Britain: the Men and the Machines, by James Holland

Date: 11 September

Time: 1pm

Entrance: £10

Location: Lecture theatre, London

Author and broadcaster James Holland looks at the men who flew in the Battle of Britain – British and German – and examines the culture, conditions and character of the two sides and the aircraft they flew. He explores how these planes came to dominate the skies, their strengths and weaknesses and what lessons were drawn from this most significant of aerial battles.

Battle of Britain Weekend LondonDate: 12-13 September 2015

Time: Evening TBC

Entrance: FREE

Location: RAF Museum London

A family weekend packed full of free events and activities across the Museum. There will be a Spitfire and Hurricane flypast, re-enactors, 1940’s cabaret show, living history areas, archive viewings, story-telling, guided tours, handling collection to try on vintage RAF uniforms, lectures, themed crochet, special exhibitions; a chance to visit a replica Ops Room; a working Merlin engine,

Battle of Britain Weekend Cosford

Date: 12-13 September 2015

Time: 10.00am to 6.00pm

Location: RAF Museum Cosford

The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will be commemorating the Battle of Britain with a nostalgic weekend of events and activities for the whole family to enjoy. Events include a flypast from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire, plus Leonides, Bristol and Griffon engine demonstrations; live music by Marjorie Cartwright-Jones in a 1940s Home Front Cabaret; a chance to have a lesson in a 1940’s classroom; storytelling and a chance to dress up in vintage RAF uniforms.

Battle of Britain Afternoon Concert

Date: 13 September 2015

Time: 2.00pm

Location: RAF Museum Cosford

A musical treat for visitors on Sunday 13th September will be a performance from the Glebe Symphonic Winds Orchestra, one of the UK’s leading wind orchestras. This intimate musical performance will include many well-known favourites such as the Dambusters March, Barnes Wallis March and RAF March Past. This intimate musical performance will begin at 2.00pm and last approximately one hour. Spaces are limited so musical fans are advised to purchase tickets early to avoid disappointment, see website for more details and to purchase tickets www.rafmuseum.org.cosford

Battle of Britain: Myth and Reality

Date: 13 September 2015

Time: 11.00am

Location: RAF Museum Cosford

In this talk, James Holland takes a fresh look at one of the most iconic episodes in British history, examining the story that has been passed down into folklore and assessing the performance of both sides. In doing so, he will be asking whether Britain’s victory in the summer of 1940 was even more comprehensive and significant than perhaps is widely thought.

Our Finest Hour: Cockpit Access Evenings

Date: 14th and 15th September

Time: 6.15pm

Location: RAF Museum London

A one off and once in a lifetime experience to get closer to the original Battle of Britain aircraft – including the iconic Spitfire and Hurricane. This immersive experience will allow visitors closer access to the cockpits and include explainers who will bring aspects of the legendary aircraft to life. There will also be a bar in the mezzanine area overlooking the aircraft with a 1940’s cabaret act and a special display of rare and unseen items from the Battle of Britain from our archives.

BBC Singers: In ConcertDate: 18 September

Time: 7.30pm

Entrance: FREE by booked ticket – available one month in advance

Location: RAF Museum London

BBC Singers make a ground-breaking visit to the Royal Air Force Museum for a concert which marks not just that famous aerial combat, but also celebrates man’s long fascination with powered flight – from Icarus to the Space Age.

The programme includes the world premiere of ‘Three Spitfire Motets’ by Edward Cowie, Eric Whitacre’s musical portrayal of the flying-machine invented by Leonardo da Vinci, and Airplane Cantata – Gabriel Jackson’s extraordinary musical of the aeronautical age, in which the BBC Singers are accompanied by virtuoso pianola-player Rex Lawson. The concert will be held in the Museum’s Historic Hangars, a completely unique musical occasion – one not to be missed!

Battle of Britain Conference: A Necessary Victory?

Date: 26th September

Time: TBC

Entrance: TBC

A thought provoking conference which aims to reassess the Battle of Britain’s contribution to victory in the Second World War in both its global and regional perspectives. Areas to be considered include: what new approaches might scholars bring to the history of the Battle of Britain? How have historians’ understandings of the Battle of Britain changed? What was the role of the other services in preparing for invasion? How did Germany view the Battle of Britain and the importance of Operation Seelowe? How was the Battle of Britain viewed in the international arena? What is the cultural legacy of the Battle of Britain?

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