UK Aviation Museum News – Page 13

RAF Museum honours Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with artefacts for adoption

Boulton Paul Defiant at RAF Museum

In celebration of the Royal Air Force Museum’s 50th Anniversary, five artefacts spanning five decades have been made available for adoption. The new anniversary artefacts have each been chosen by a Curator to tell the story of the Museum and its early years, including two objects with a special Royal connection.

A remarkable piece of footage showing Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II officially opening the Museum is the first of five new artefacts in the adoptable collection. Filmed by one of the Museum’s first curators on the 15 November 1972, the footage shows Her Majesty arriving at the Museum, signing the guest book, and unveiling a commemorate plaque. The plaque remains on display at the Museum’s London site to this day and the film of the Royal visit is part of the Museum’s digital collection.

The pen used by Her Majesty to sign the visitor book on the Museum’s opening day is now available for adoption. An ornate silver quill pen had been acquired for the occasion, but hours before the Royal opening a message came from Buckingham Palace advising the Queen did not use quill pens. The Officer in charge of the ceremony quickly found a replacement pen in the Officer Commanding RAF Hendon’s office. This inconspicuous pen, used by Her Majesty on the day was never used again and is kept in the Museum’s reserve collection, at Stafford.

Found in the Museum’s archive collection is a photograph album complied by RAF personnel showing the last days of RAF Hendon and the beginnings of the RAF Museum London. The photographs capture the station’s role changing, including the removal of the original entrance to RAF Hendon, and a visit from the Duke of Edinburgh, the Museum’s former patron, during the construction phase. This unusual adoption provides an extraordinary photographic account of the landscape changing into what we recognise today, and a tantalising insight into the Museum’s history.

To mark the Museum’s 50th anniversary a new art exhibition ‘To the Stars’ opened in London. Included in this is Cyril Power’s Lino Cut ‘Air Raid’ a visual representation of a dog fight, and of Power’s service in the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. This adoptable artefact is one of the first artworks acquired by the Museum’s inaugural director, John Tanner, in the mid 70s.

The fifth anniversary artefact is the Bouton Paul Defiant, the sole surviving example of its type. The aircraft was part of the original displays at the RAF Museum London when it opened in 1972. It has since moved to the Museum’s Midlands site, which is a fitting home for an aircraft manufactured in Wolverhampton. The Defiant was a two-seat turret fighter which operated?with mixed fortunes during the Battle of Britain period. It found it’s niche as a night fighter in the 1940-42 period, as well as extensive use later in the war for air-sea rescue and target tug roles in the UK and Middle and Far East.

Ella Hewitt, RAF Museum Individual Giving Manager said:
‘There are so many wonderful objects that could have told the story of the Museum, it was difficult to choose five. The artefacts we selected show a really nice cross section of our story and the breadth of our collection. We have something from our Archives, an item from our store in Stafford, a digitised piece of film, something from our new art exhibition and lastly, an aircraft that has been on display at both sites.’

Adoptees will all receive a 50th anniversary edition digital photo, certificate, online recognition with a personalised message, and exclusive updates throughout the year.

Adopt an Artefact highlights a selection of iconic and unusual objects from the Museum collection which span more than a century of aviation and RAF history. Starting at £25.00, adoptions last 12 months from the date they are adopted. People can browse the items and adopt online at www.rafmuseum.org.

Serving personnel will lead RAF Museum Remembrance Service

RAF Museum Midlands Remembrance Service

Date: Sunday 13 November
Time: 10.30am arrival / 10.45am service commences
Cost: FREE

The Royal Air Force Museum Midlands will hold a Service of Remembrance on Sunday 13 November, paying respect to those service men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice during their tours of duty.

Visitors who wish to reflect and pay their respects are invited to join the service, led by RAF Cosford Station Chaplain Rev (Sqn Ldr) John Mbayo. The Service will be supported by RAF Cosford personnel and include readings, with a bugler sounding ‘The Last Post’, followed by two minutes of silence.

Those attending will also enjoy hymns on arrival and throughout the service courtesy of the Cosford Military Wives Choir. During the service, a selection of poems written by local children will be read aloud, with many more poems displayed on a remembrance wall for guests to read and reflect. Wreaths will be laid at the end of the service, in honour of those who have fallen in the line of duty.

The Remembrance Service will take place in the Museum’s Hangar 1 against a backdrop of aircraft, and free tickets for up to 300 guests are available to book in advance at rafmuseum.org/midlands. Visitors are politely requested to assemble no later than 10.30am ready for the Service to commence at 10.45am. Visitors are also encouraged to take time to explore the Museum at their own leisure after the service.

In the build up to Remembrance Sunday, visitors to the Museum are invited to contribute a personal act of remembrance by writing a message that will feature in a display at the Museum over the remembrance period.

The Museum is open daily from 10.00am and admission is free. Discover more about the Museum and pre-book your arrival time online at www.rafmuseum.org.

It’s GOLD for the RAF Museum Midlands!

RAF Museum Gold

The RAF Museum Midlands is delighted to announce it has officially achieved the highest accreditation awarded by the VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Quality Assessment Scheme: the Gold Award.

The honours are designed to celebrate excellence within the visitor attraction sector and are available to members of the Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme who represent a wide range of tourism experiences in England.

The RAF Museum is proud to be one of only 30 visitor experiences to receive the highest honour in the 2021-2022 awards, where a total of 97 businesses across the country were recognised for going the extra mile to provide a high-quality day out. Accolades are given for five categories: Welcome, Best Told Story, Quality Food & Drink, Hidden Gem, and Gold for the overall winners.

To achieve the new Gold status, the RAF Museum scored consistently high levels of visitor experience across a wide range of areas, including welcome, catering and orientation, following the annual VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme assessment.

Alan Edwards, RAF Museum Midlands Operations Manager said:
‘We are thrilled to have been presented with the prestigious Gold Award in the VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Accolade 2021-22. It’s hugely gratifying to have this endorsement and recognition of the efforts we make to provide a first-class day out for our visitors. This award will spur us on to continue making improvements to the overall Museum experience, ensuring that we remain a top attraction for many years to come. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our 50th anniversary than with a Gold Award!’

Discover more about the amazing things to see and do at the award-winning Museum at www.rafmuseum.org. The Museum is open daily from 10.00am and admission is free.

Aerospace Bristol launches £500,000 appeal to help inspire future engineers, as the museum celebrates its 5th birthday

Aerospace Bristol visitors

The home of Concorde is raising funds to sustain and grow its award-winning schools programme over the next 5 years.

Filton, Bristol, 18th October 2022: Aerospace Bristol has announced the launch of Engineering Futures, a new fundraising appeal that aims to raise £500,000 over the course of the museum’s fifth birthday year. Funds raised through the appeal will support the charity’s award-winning learning programme, which has reached over 50,000 school children and young people in the local community since Aerospace Bristol opened in October 2017.

Sally Cordwell, CEO of Aerospace Bristol, said:
“As we celebrate Aerospace Bristol’s fifth birthday and look back upon the achievements of the last five years, it’s crucial that we also look ahead and raise the vital funds needed to sustain and grow the Aerospace Bristol learning programme, which benefits so many young people across the region.

We’re therefore calling on corporate supporters and individuals who care about our engineering industry to support the Engineering Futures appeal and play a part in nurturing the next generation of engineering talent.”

Amy Seadon, Learning & Community Engagement Manager, added:
“Looking back on five years of Aerospace Bristol, we’re proud to have inspired so many young people with workshops like Supersonic Sound, Mission to Mars, Hubble Explorers, and Blast off Rockets, as well as opportunities to work alongside engineers in our Conservation Workshop, and enjoy interactive exhibits, science shows and hands-on visitor activities.

Through the Engineering Futures appeal, we hope to build upon our existing work and enable even more young people to get to grips with science and engineering whilst discovering amazing aircraft and the people who built them.” Aerospace Bristol is a family visitor attraction that tells the story of Bristol’s aerospace achievements from the earliest days of powered flight through to the modern day. The museum is home to the last Concorde ever to fly, with visitors able to step on board Concorde, explore the passenger cabin, glimpse into the cockpit, and learn about the supersonic passenger jet through a show projected on to the fuselage of the iconic aircraft.

As part of Aerospace Bristol’s fifth birthday celebrations, visitors will be able to enjoy a range of events and activities over the upcoming October half-term.

School holiday activities include a demonstration of Concorde’s droop nose on Monday 24thOctober, model flying demonstrations on Tuesday 25th and Thursday 27th October, and the chance to travel to the museum on a vintage Bristol bus, with shuttle buses running between the museum and The Mall, Cribbs Causeway, throughout Saturday 29th October.

The museum will also be unveiling a new Bristol Fighter display, with the wooden frame of the WWI aeroplane suspended above the museum’s existing replica.

To find out more about Aerospace Bristol and the Engineering Futures appeal, visit www.aerospacebristol.org.

Capturing the moment: RAF Museum Midlands buries 50th Anniversary time capsule

RAF Museum Time Capsule

The Royal Air Force Museum Midlands has marked its 50th anniversary milestone by preserving mementos in a time capsule, so future visitors can peek into the past.

The time capsule containing memorabilia, messages, and notable objects giving a snapshot of the Museum today, have been buried in the Museum grounds alongside a learning space used by schools. The capsule now lies in wait for its reopening when its contents are unlocked on the Museum’s 100th anniversary in 2072.

The capsule has been built by Museum Apprentices, and contains items from the time of its burial, including a souvenir guide, Museum teddy bear and newspapers. Messages from staff and volunteers adorned on an RAF flag, together with video messages, have also made it into the capsule. With a nod to the Museums 50 year history, items including badges and booklets dating back five decades have been buried, along with concept art and development plans, so those opening the capsule in 50 years’ time can reflect on the Museum’s ambitions in 2022. RAF Cosford also gifted a Station Commanders Challenge Medal for inclusion in the capsule.

Joining RAF Museum CEO Maggie Appleton, staff, apprentices, and volunteers for the burial event, were students from Burghill Community Academy and Leasowes High School, winners of the Museum’s 50th anniversary art and design competitions. The student’s birthday card design and 3D model of the Museum will be preserved in the capsule, along with a 50th anniversary patchwork created by members of High Flyers adult SEN day centre.

Dierdre Cuss, RAF Museum Access & Learning Assistant said:
‘This is all about the future of the Museum, for the staff, volunteers and the young people who visit us in 2072. When deciding what items to include, we worked with local schools and asked colleagues what they thought would be important to pass on to the next generation, giving a snapshot of the Museum at the time we marked our 50th anniversary. I can’t help but wonder how we’ll feel about these items in the future, and what will go into the next time capsule once these re-emerge. This was a great way of marking the occasion and capturing a moment in time that will spark discovery and debate in the future.’

A plaque will mark the spot where the capsule has been buried.

The Museum is open daily from 10.00am, for more information or to pre-book your arrival time online, visit www.rafmuseum.org.

Reid and Sigrist Desford at Newark Air Museum

Desford at Newark Air Museum

On Friday 19th August, 2022 the Newark Air Museum (NAM) took delivery of the Reid and Sigrist (RS) Desford aircraft onto its site in north eastern Nottinghamshire. This was the culmination of months of organisation in association with Leicestershire County Council (LCC), who has transferred ownership of the unique aircraft to the museum; and with Windmill Aviation, who restored the aircraft.

The delivery flight was completed onto part of the former RAF Winthorpe site. This was made possible thanks to the generous support and co-operation of the Newark and Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society and the Newark Motor Auction company, plus all of their staff.

After defueling and the removal of some items, the RS Desford was moved into a temporary undercover display location in Hangar 2 at the museum. Since delivery day, the museum, trustees, volunteers and staff have been busy with behind the scenes preparations for moving the RS Desford into its final display location in Hangar 1.

During the museum’s discussions with LLC over the transfer of ownership of the RS Desford, an Interpretation Plan was drawn up for the aircraft. This will include a new display that will utilise some of the archive material that was transferred to NAM along with the aircraft. This will be implemented after NAM finalises the required work schedule to move the RS Desford into Hangar 1, where it will be housed alongside some contemporary exhibits.

Some aspects of this relocation project have already been completed, including repositioning the Tiger Moth; and folding the wings on the Monospar, which is now ready for its temporary move. Additional planning work is also underway with regards to other tasks required to ensure that the various temporary airframe moves can be implemented in a safe and choreographed manner, and hopefully without too much disruption.

At a more detailed level NAM engineers have been undertaking an assessment of the RS Desford to see how it can become part of various events and activities at the museum in a safe way, that befits its unique status. Any future activities will be undertaken in accordance with NAM’s obligations as an Accredited Museum and for the long-term protection of the airframe.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Sports artefacts up for adoption

In celebration of the Commonwealth Games launching in Birmingham, the Royal Air Force Museum is adding two new sporty objects to the Adopt an Artefact initiative.

The new objects representing sport within the RAF have been specially selected from the Museum’s collection of more than 1.3 million items and join over 60 artefacts in the adoptable collection.

Sported by the apprentices at RAF Cranwell in the 1920s, the Cranwell Boys’ Wing Sports Cap is first of two new sports artefacts available for adoption. Royal Air Force apprentices aged 15-16 would undertake three years of technical training, passing out as highly qualified mechanics. Sports were a feature of an apprentice’s life, with regular afternoon sessions being devoted to games. The cap can be viewed on display at the Museum’s London site and is the perfect adoption for any Cranwell attendees or all-round sports fans.

Formed from three arms bearing gymnastic exercise clubs is the Physical Training Instructor Badge, the second new addition to the Museum’s adoptable collection. The Royal Air Force School of Physical Training was formed on the same day as the Royal Air Force, 1 April 1918. It is responsible for preparing instructors to lead physical training education and activities. This object, circa 1923-1949 recognises the important role sport and fitness has played within the RAF and is an ideal adoption for any trainer, as well as those with a close connection to RAF Cosford. Look out for this artefact on display next time you visit the Museum’s Midlands site.

‘Adopt an Artefact’ highlights a selection of iconic and unusual objects from the Museum collection which span more than a century of aviation and RAF history. People can browse the items and adopt online at www.rafmuseum.org.

Ella Hewitt, RAF Museum Individual Giving Manager said:
‘With the Commonwealth Games inspiring the next generation of athletes, it’s a great opportunity for the Museum to look back at the RAF’s sporting history and reflect on the role sport has played for service personnel. Adopting an artefact such as the Cranwell Boys’ Wing Sports Cap or the Physical Training Instructor Badge, helps raise funds for the Museum, enabling us to continue sharing the RAF story. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to buy an unusual gift for a budding athlete or sports lover, and to receive something unique in return for your support.’

Starting at £25.00, adoptions last 12 months from the date they are adopted. Every adoption includes a digital adoption certificate and photo, online recognition with a personalised message, and exclusive updates throughout the year.

Adoptees can view their artefacts during a visit to the Museum. The Museum is open daily from 10.00am and admission is free, simply pre-book your arrival time online at www.rafmuseum.org.

Newark Air Museum Awarded Accreditation Accolade

Newark Saab Safir

From its humble beginnings in the 1960s, when a group of like-minded aviation enthusiasts set out with a desire to own a Spitfire, over the years the Newark Air Museum has evolved into one of the UK’s leading volunteer managed aviation museums. Open to the public for forty-nine years; the museum is located just to the north of Newark-on-Trent; on part of what is the former World War II training airfield of RAF Winthorpe, which is in eastern Nottinghamshire.

Administered by Arts Council England on behalf of the UK Accreditation Partnership, Accreditation is the benchmark for well-run Museums and Galleries.

It means that Newark Air Museum is properly managed and governed to the nationally agreed industry standard and shows the museum takes proper care of its collections, sharing them with visitors and keeping them safe for future generations.

Accreditation opens up exciting funding opportunities, allows museums to host touring exhibitions and gives access to professional advice and support. It also gives confidence to donors and sponsors who may wish to support the museum in preserving heritage and inspiring future generations.

Accreditation covers museums of all types and sizes – from the smallest volunteer-run museums to national museums – and more than 1,700 museums are currently taking part in the scheme across the UK.

More information about the Accreditation scheme can be found here.

Colin Savill, Museum Trustee said: “The renewal of our Accreditation with Arts Council England has been running throughout the Covid-19 crisis and we are grateful for everyone’s support in us finally being able to secure this prestigious award.”

Liz Johnson, Director Museums and Cultural Property at Arts Council England said: “We’re delighted that Newark Air Museum has been successful in gaining their Accreditation status. This means that their Collections will be looked after and maintained offering inspiration, enjoyment and learning for the local community and visitors to enjoy now and in the future.”

www.newarkairmuseum.org

RAF Museum Recent Aviation Photo Acquisitions

The Royal Air Force Museum has been fortunate to acquire three significant collections from 20th century aviation photographers. Each adds to the record of aviation in the 20th century, especially the history of the Royal Air Force, and they have been generously donated by their families.

The first collection was acquired before lockdown. Richard Winslade worked with historic aviation organisations, including the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and the Royal Navy Historic Flight. He had scanned and cleaned many of his images before uploading them to his Flickr site, About Richard Winslade | Flickr.

The second collection was offered just before lockdown but couldn’t be collected before travel restrictions were imposed. Richard Wilson was one of the foremost aviation photographers of his generation, learning from the masters, such as Charles E Brown, and take their place when they retired. Richard, like Brown, worked closely with RAF PR and was awarded the CP Robertson Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the person considered to have made the best contribution in presenting the work of the RAF to the public. An interview with Richard was published in Supplement No. 7 to Aeroplane Monthly, 1985.

While we were waiting for an opportunity to collect the Wilson collection, the Rentoul and Wakeford collection was offered to us by Tom Wakeford’s widow. The collection is far larger than the other two combined and is more varied in its content. Tom Wakeford was a semi-professional aviation photographer, author and magazine editor. The subject of his books included the Panavia Tornado, Operation Granby and the RAF 75th anniversary. He worked closely with Ian Rentoul whose photographs are included in the collection.

The RAF Museum is grateful to the families of the photographers.

www.rafmuseum.org

Vulcan Repaint Fund Raising Boost

Newark Vulcan XM594 repaint

The trustees and volunteers at the Newark Air Museum (NAM) have received a fund raising boost thanks to the generosity of the British Aviation Research Group (BARG). Having been advised about the museum’s much needed refurbishment and repainting work on Avro Vulcan XM594, members of the BARG DVD Implementation Team have kindly agreed to meet the cost of the paint and associated materials.

In December 2021 the museum took ownership of Vulcan XM594 and this was undertaken in the knowledge that some significant structural repairs and repainting work was required on the huge delta winged aircraft.

During spring 2022, the museum received a letter from BARG asking if they had any military aircraft preservation projects that required financial support. In response the museum submitted an application to BARG in relation to the materials required for the Vulcan repaint.

BARG’s history dates back to the 1950s, which is longer than the museum’s. This is when a group of young enthusiast started a monthly publication reporting aircraft sightings at Blackbushe Airport (then London’s second airport). The group expanded and became a byword for military aviation enthusiasts. Eventually BARG transferred their publications and research data onto searchable DVDs, which were sold around the world. The proceeds from these sales have enabled BARG to support projects like NAM’s Vulcan repaint project.

“We are extremely grateful to BARG for their generous support of the repainting work on Vulcan XM594.” Said Newark Air Museum trustee Howard Heeley, he concluded, “Their contribution is being made as and when we purchase the paint, and it allows us to proceed at a steady pace that makes the most of the sometimes changeable British weather.”