UK Aviation Museum News – Page 43

Me 262 rejoins Cosford’s German aircraft collection

Me262

Auf Wiedersehen London, Hallo Cosford!

The most advanced fighter aircraft of the Second World War, the Messerschmitt Me 262, has been transported by road to its new home at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford. This particular aircraft, Messerschmitt Me 262A-2a Schwalbe (Swallow) can already be seen by members of the public in its dismantled condition within one of the Museum’s display hangars.

The Me 262 is returning to Cosford after 14 years on display at the RAF Museum London. Prior to the move the aircraft was dismantled by Museum Technicians and Apprentices and arrived safely at Cosford just under a week ago. Over the coming weeks it will be re-assembled and displayed alongside fellow German fighters the Me109, FW190 and the Ju88 night fighter in the ‘War in the Air’ hangar. This fleet of rare Second World War Luftwaffe aircraft is a huge pull for Cosford, which is also home to their rival RAF equivalents.

The Me 262 was the only jet fighter to see air-to-air combat in the Second World War and its appearance was a great shock to the Allies. It was a significantly more advanced design than its British counterparts and many of its aerodynamic secrets were eagerly incorporated in later post-war combat aircraft.

Preliminary design work on what was to become the Me 262 began in 1938. Persistent problems with the turbojets intended for the aircraft delayed the project and the first flight by a Me 262 using jet power alone did not take place until July 1942. In December 1943 Hitler decreed that the Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow) should only be manufactured as a fighter bomber. Senior Luftwaffe officers believed that the Me262 was more valuable as a fighter, and Hitler’s wishes were initially ignored much to his subsequent fury.

Small numbers of Me 262 fighters and fighter bombers were used operationally by the Luftwaffe from mid-1944. Allied pilots found the Me 262 a formidable opponent and special tactics were adopted to meet the new threat. However, chronic supply shortages meant that few Me 262s saw combat and the true potential of the Me 262 was never realised.

Ian Thirsk, Head of Collections at the RAF Museum said:
“The first Messerschmitt Me 262’s entered service in the autumn of 1944, as the first turbojet fighter to do so it heralded a new era in aerial warfare and represented a step change in technology. Today very few original examples survive so we are delighted to present this significant aircraft to our visitors at Cosford. Following the RAF Cosford Air Show on 11 June, the Me 262 will be reassembled so now is a good opportunity to catch a rare glimpse of this famous aircraft in its dismantled state.”

The new arrival isn’t alone….a second aircraft to move up to Cosford from London in recent weeks is the Hawker Hart Trainer, an advanced trainer version of the original Hawker Hart bomber. The Hart was introduced in 1930 and immediately became a great success; its performance exceeding that of contemporary fighters. The basic design was readily adapted for other roles including a fighter variant (the Demon) and an Army Co-operation version (the Audax). Aviation fans can now view the Hart in Hangar 1.

Both new arrivals are in addition to the six aircraft transported to Cosford at the end of 2016/early 2017 which include the Messerschmitt BF109G-2, the de Havilland Tiger Moth II, the Junkers Ju88 and the Gloster Gladiator 1, all four aircraft are now on display. The Wolverhampton built Boulton Paul Defiant Mk.1 will be joining the new line-up in the ‘War in the Air’ hangar soon and will be positioned alongside the Gladiator, whilst the Westland Lysander III will remain in the Conservation Centre and will undergo some minor repair work to its fragile linen skin.

The aircraft moves come as the Museum prepares for the Royal Air Force’s centenary celebrations in 2018 that will see the Museum transform its London site with a series of new permanent exhibitions opening in the summer of 2018. The multi-million pound development programme will see investments in new exhibitions, improved education and volunteering opportunities, and landscaping that will emphasise the site’s importance as a heritage airfield. It will improve the visitor experience, extend the Museum’s reach to new audiences and create a lasting legacy to mark the Centenary.

The enhanced aircraft collection at Cosford will enable the RAF’s story to be more comprehensively represented to Museum audiences in the Midlands. In addition, plans for 2018 will include displays exploring the first 100 years of the RAF, the role it plays today and its future contributions. Making the RAF story available to a global audience there will be a huge investment in the Museum’s online offer.

Aviation fans can keep up to date with the centenary aircraft moves and on-going developments by signing up to the Museum’s free e-Newsletter http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/contact-us/newsletters.aspx

The Museum is open daily from 10am until 5pm and entry is FREE. For further information, please visit the Museum’s website www.rafmuseum.org/cosford.

Airfield run returns in September

RAF Cosford Spitfire 10k Run

Date: 3 September 2017
Time: Race starts at 10am
Cost: Standard entry £22.50 per person (15 years and over)

Calling all runners….the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford needs you! The Spitfire 10K will be returning to the RAF Museum Cosford this September and will give participants the unique opportunity to race across the airfield and down the runway at RAF Cosford, in an exclusive charity run raising money for the RAF Museum!

Taking place on Sunday 3 September 2017, registration is now open for runners to sign up and set themselves a new and unique sporting challenge.

Taking-off from the Museum’s Hangar 1, visitors will head outside and begin the race with a loop of the Museum site past iconic aircraft including the VC10, Hercules and Nimrod, before heading onto the airfield at RAF Cosford. Participants will run alongside the wartime hangars, the air traffic control tower and of course, the race wouldn’t be complete without a sprint down the runway! The scenic route around the military airfield will take runners past several historic landmarks along the way and then it’s back onto the Museum site to cross the finish line. Upon completion, runners will be rewarded with a bespoke 2017 Spitfire 10K medal, a perfect and well-earned memento of their day.

RAF Museum Public Events Manager, Abi Betteridge said:
“In 2016 we had over 650 runners participate in the first Spitfire 10K and this year we hope to beat that number and see even more people sprinting down the runway. It’s such a unique event, there really is no other race like it and the feedback from everyone who took part last year was phenomenal. We already have over 300 runners signed up for the 2017 Spitfire 10K and we have been working hard designing the new 2017 medal and t-shirts we’re sure runners will love.”

This UK Athletics licenced race over an accurately measured course is suitable for keen runners and novices alike, so if you’re aged 15 and over why not give it a go? Whether you’ve been running for years, or you’re just getting into the sport for the first time, the race at Cosford is guaranteed to be a fun and memorable one.

Organisers are also encouraging participants to get into the spirit of the Spitfire 10K by dressing in wartime attire – don your victory curls or flying jacket and run this event in style! Or, why not sport a bespoke 2017 Spitfire 10K t-shirt, available to purchase when you register online. The Spitfire 10K will be a fun family day out and spectators are invited to cheer on their loved ones and show their support on the day at the start and finish line. Plus, following the race, visitors have the added bonus of being able to enjoy time wondering round the free Museum, where they will find over 75 historical aircraft on display.

Runners can arrive from 8.00am onwards and it will be ready, steady….scramble at 10.00am sharp!

To register for the event visit the Museum’s website www.rafmuseum.org/cosford. Entry costs £22.50 per person with proceeds going towards the RAF Museum (registered charity number 244708), to support work conserving and sharing the story of the RAF for current and future generations. Armed Forces Personnel and members of UK Athletics affiliated clubs are eligible for the discounted entry fee of £20.50 per person. For further details about the event, visit the Museum’s website or call 01902 376200.

WFS becomes Museum Centenary Partner

WFS

World Fuel Services, with its regional center based in London, United Kingdom, proudly announced this week that they have become a Founding Member of the Royal Air Force (RAF) Museum’s Corporate Membership Programme and a RAF Centenary Partner. With the 100th anniversary of RAF’s founding taking place in June of 2018, World Fuel Services will participate in many of the celebrations and events planned around this milestone.

The museum operates two sites, one in Hendon, North London, and the second in Cosford. Both offer free admission to the public. Its mission is “to tell the story of tell the story of the Royal Air Force through its people and collections” and “to ensure that the Royal Air Force’s story endures and enriches future generations.” The museum accomplishes this through a world-class collection and display of aircraft, special exhibitions, films, interactives, artwork, engines, missiles, photographs, medals, uniforms along with research and education facilities.

“World Fuel Services is delighted to support the RAF Museum as a Founding Member of its Corporate Membership Programme and an RAF Centenary Partner. We are committed to the aviation space, with a long and proud history of delivering aviation fuel, services and solutions to the Military, General and Commercial aviation sectors. It’s very exciting for our company to be able to play our part in sharing the stories and celebrating the RAF’s achievements with the community and the hundreds of thousands of aviation enthusiasts who visit the museum. We look forward to playing our role in many museum and centenary events over the coming years, including the RAF centenary celebrations planned for June 2018,” commented Mark Amor, World Fuel Services’ Vice President of Commercial Development.

“It’s wonderful to have World Fuel Services on board as our Founding Corporate Member; we are looking forward to working together to build a long term relationship for the future.” Says Maggie Appleton MBE, CEO of the Royal Air Force Museum
World Fuel Services’ sponsorship directly supports the ongoing redevelopment efforts of the museum’s Hendon location. This includes new exhibitions showcasing the RAF’s first 100 years and the role of the RAF from the Cold War into the future, along with outdoor renovations and landscaping to bring back the sense of space and place of the historic Hendon Aerodrome.

To learn more about World Fuel Services’ full suite of business and general aviation solutions, join World Fuel Services in stand A67 at the 2017 European Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (EBACE 2017) in Geneva, May 22-24.

www.rafmuseum.org

Hunter T7 moves to Newark Air Museum

Hunter XX467 at Newark Air Museum

The aircraft inventory at Newark Air Museum was expanded by one on Wednesday 3rd May, 2017 when Hawker Hunter T7, XX467 joined the collection, which is located close to the Nottinghamshire county border with Lincolnshire.

Funding for the Hunter T7 acquisition has been provided thanks to the generosity of a museum member / trustee. The move from Bruntingthorpe Airfield in Leicestershire was completed by Dave Thomas and associates. XX467 has been placed on long-term loan at the museum.

The Hunter T7 fills a gap in the museum’s themed display of RAF training airframes and will help tell the story of RAF fast jet training. It also fulfils one aim of the museum’s stated Collecting Policy of acquiring:

“Aircraft used in a Training role.”

This particular airframe has a diverse service history both in the UK and overseas and it is not yet known, which colour scheme the aircraft will be repainted in. The aircraft was off-loaded on the museum’s Southfield Site and reassembled. It will be restored, repainted and displayed in the same location.

The airframe entered RAF service as XL605 serving with 92 Squadron and was part of the Blue Diamonds Display Team; before then serving with 66 Squadron and 229 OCU. A brief spell then followed as G-9-214, before serving with Saudi AF 70-617 and Jordan AF as 836. On returning to the UK the airframe was renumbered XX467 and served with 229 OCU and 1 TWU, but was struck off charge in October 1983. During its time on the civil register it operated as G-TVII out of Kemble and Exeter. Currently it is marked as XX467.

www.newarkairmusem.org

Marathon men raise £100k to commemorate 100 years of the RAF

Marathon Men at RAF Museum

Two trustees of the RAF Museum are pulling on their walking boots to tackle the equivalent of five marathons in five days (8-12 May 2017) to raise £100,000 to commemorate the RAF’s centenary in 2018.

Alan Coppin and Robin Southwell OBE will walk nearly 130 miles between the Museum’s two public sites: from Cosford in the West Midlands to Colindale, NW London. The marathon men’s 130 mile itinerary comprises:

• Monday 8 May: 0900 hours send-off at RAF Museum Cosford by the Mayor and Mayoress of Wolverhampton. Walk 30 miles to Solihull, stopover approx 2100 hours

• Tuesday 9 May: walk 26 miles to Radbourn, Warwickshire, stopover

• Wednesday 10 May: walk 31 miles to Winslow, Buckinghamshire joined by Air Chief Marshal, Sir Glenn Torpy chair of trustees. Stopover RAF Halton

• Thursday 11 May: walk 26 miles to Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. Stopover RAF High Wycombe stopover (HQ of Air Command)

• Friday 12 May: walk 16 miles to finishing-line, RAF Museum, London (Colindale) welcomed by staff. Approx 1600 hours. Photocall and media interviews

Money raised will go towards the £26 million transformation of the visitor experience at RAF Museum’s London site. The Museum is a registered charity and new landscaping will reflect the former historic RAF Hendon airfield and new galleries will tell the story of the RAF’s first 100 years, its role today and invite visitors to imagine its future contribution to society and technology. A digital project will share the RAF story with global audiences.

Fundraising plans also include new exhibitions at Cosford, exploring the first 100 years of the RAF and new aircraft displays which are already underway, to enable the RAF’s story to be more represented to Museum audiences in the Midlands.

Robin Southwell, trustee of the RAF Museum said: “We’re training hard to walk five marathons in five days and have raised nearly £27,000 so far. But we still need people’s support to help meet our target of £100,000 which will go towards modernising this world-class museum. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to mark the RAF’s 100th anniversary and it’s a privilege to raise funds.

“We’re grateful to the RAF for their huge support and accommodating us in officers’ messes and RAF Cosford’s physical training instructors for sending us off on our mission in style. We’d love people to come out and support us on the way.”

To sponsor the trustees please visit https://mydonate.bt.com/events/5marathonsin5days/423881 or for information about the fundraising walk and the RAF Museum’s Centenary plans, visit www.rafmuseum.org.

Hastings & Shackleton 40th Anniversary Weekend

Hastings

20 & 21 May 2017

Preparations for the Hastings & Shackleton 40th Anniversary Weekend are now well underway at Newark Air Museum’s site in eastern Nottinghamshire; close to the border with Lincolnshire. Newark Air Museum is a registered charity that is located on part of the former site of RAF Winthorpe.

This is an open cockpit style event that will be used to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of these two aircraft arriving at the museum. It will take place on Saturday 20th & Sunday 21st May 2017 from10am until 5pm each day (last admission at 4pm).

The Shackleton was dismantled and moved to the museum by road in spring 1977, in what remains the largest aircraft dismantling project ever undertaken by the museum and its volunteers. While later in the summer the Hastings was flown from RAF Scampton to join the museum collection.

Both aircraft remain firm favourites on the museum’s cockpit opening rota and admission normally costs a small additional fee. On this weekend access to both aircraft will be FREE, but as ever donations would always be welcome to aid the museum’s fund raising efforts.

The Ashton fuselage that is also part of the famous Avro lineage will also have free access on both days and it will house a model display of Avro airframes.

A number of visiting participants and displays will supplement the museum’s own diverse collection of aircraft. Plus subject to operational commitments and the weather aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will perform flypasts each day. Members of the Lincolnshire’s Lancaster Association will be eligible to receive free admission on each day of the event

The event is open to everyone and normal museum admission rates will apply:
Adults £9.00, Over 60s £8.00, Children £4.50 and Family ticket [2 adults & 3 children] £24.00. Please telephone 01636 707170 if you require any further information.

{A small additional fee / donation will be applicable when going inside any other museum aircraft that might be open – this will go into the Project Panini Fund; to build a new Café & Toilet facility. Height restrictions apply to some aircraft that might be open to the public.}

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Robots take centre stage at Brooklands Museum!

Brooklands dance video

Brooklands Museum Staff have once again stepped up to the challenge, wound up the gramophone and discovered their inner dancing robot around the Museum site to Daft Punk’s hit Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.

The video, featuring Staff, Volunteers and the Museum’s own mascot, Bertie Bear, has been entered into the annual international Museum Dance Off Competition. The competition is now in its fourth year and sees 41 Museums from around the world compete in three rounds to be crowned winner of Museum Dance Off 4: A New Hope.

After reaching the quarter final of the competition last year, there are high hopes that this year’s entry will make it all the way through to the International Thunderdome Final. Despite a Harder task this year of taking on fellow local competitor, Egham Museum, the Museum’s dancing crew are looking Better than ever before, and believe that this year’s entry will shoot to the top Faster, but to achieve this the Museum will need to get even Stronger support from all its supporters.

Themed around the Re-engineering Brooklands work taking place at the Museum, the video follows the dancers on an exploration of the exhibits currently being worked on, with a grand finale in the newly reconstructed Bellman Hangar.

The competition will take place in three rounds, across the next few weeks. The first two rounds are done by region, and Brooklands Museums will be going up against Norwegian entry MiA, museene i Akershus and fellow UK entries The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret, Aberdeen Maritime Museum and Egham Museum.

The winner of each round is decided by public vote, but voting is limited to a 24-hour time slot of between 1pm on Wednesday 26th April until the same time on Thursday 27th April. Votes can be cast at www.whenyouworkatamuseum.com, where all the entries can be seen, or just search for ‘Brooklands Museum Dance’ on YouTube to see what a fantastic routine has been created.

Head over to YouTube now to watch the Brooklands Museum’s Museum Dance Off Entry. Or get a preview of the competition at www.whenyouworkatamuseum.com

Upcoming Lectures at the RAF Museum

In May and June, the Museum will be hosting several exciting FREE lectures as part of our 2017 Research Programme.

On the evening of 18 May, Taylor Downing will be talking at the Royal Aeronautical Society on the subject of ‘Spies in the Sky: The Secret Battle for Aerial Intelligence during World War II.’ More details can be found here:- https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/whats-going-on/events/spies-in-the-sky/

On 19 May, Dr Emma Hanna of the University of Kent will deliver one of the Museum’s First World War in the Air Lunchtime Lecture on ‘Musical Entertainments in the RFC/RAF on the Western Front, 1914-18.’ More details here:- https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/whats-going-on/events/musical-entertainments-in-the-rfc-raf/

On the evening of 8 June, at the University of Wolverhampton, Aashique Iqbal will be examining ‘The Expansion of the Royal Indian Air Force in World War II, 1939-46.’ More details can be found here:- https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford/whats-going-on/events/the-expansion-of-the-royal-indian-air-force/

de Havilland Aircraft Museum CrowdFunding Campaign

de Havilland Museum Crowdfunding Campaign

The de Havilland Aircraft Museum’s project is to request donations to “match fund” a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund which will enable the Museum to build a new Hangar. The New hangar will incorporate a Learning Centre and Event space which will enhance our visitor experience.

The New Hangar will allow the Museum to reposition most of its collection under cover enabling critical restoration work to be completed. As the New Hangar will be connected to existing buildings it will allow the Museum to extend its open season.

The New Hangar will have a large mezzanine floor where several “Learning Centre” rooms are located providing facilities for Schools, Clubs and Associations to enjoy

http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/new-hangar-for-the-de-havilland-aircraft-museum

Historic Blade Loaned to Jet Age Museum

Historic Blade

An historic artefact which helped propel aviation into the jet age will go on public display in Gloucester thanks to the RAF Charitable Trust.

The blade, part of the propeller fitted to the experimental turbo-prop Gloster Trent Meteor I EE227, belonged to the late Fred Crawley who donated it to the RAF Charitable Trust, of which he was a Trustee. It is to go on display at the Jet Age Museum. (www.jetagemuseum.org)

Museum archivist Richard Hentschke said: “This turboprop blade has a significant place in the history of the Jet Age, and therefore also for the Jet Age Museum. The world’s first turboprop aircraft was a modified Gloster Meteor used as a testbed for the Rolls-Royce Trent engine. With five-bladed propellers fitted to its two modified Derwent jet engines it pioneered the type of propulsion used by many short and medium range airliners today.”

RAFCT Director Justine Morton said Fred was a long term supporter both of the charity and of the Royal International Air Tattoo. He donated a large number of interesting aviation related items to the charity and donated a significant sum of money that was to be used to benefit the many volunteers who help stage the Air Tattoo each year.

She said: “Fred was very happy for the mounted blade to be loaned to the new Jet Age Museum at Gloucester Airport so people could view it as he recognised it was a significant piece of Gloster Aircraft Company’s history.”

Jet Age Museum historian and Trustee Tim Kershaw said Meteor I EE227 had seen RAF service with 616 Squadron before being transferred to Rolls-Royce at Hucknall for the new engines to be installed. It first flew on September 20, 1945, with Gloster’s chief test pilot Eric Greenwood at the controls.

Mr Kershaw added: “Gloster had schemed the project in January 1944 as Gloster Meteor I type aircraft with Rolls-Royce W2B/37 propeller combination installation after Sir Stanley Hooker’s research team showed the potential fuel economy for speeds below 450mph (724kph) of a jet engine fitted with reduction gear and an airscrew. Although Greenwood suffered 18 complete engine failures in 21 flights, the programme continued until March 1948. It led to Rolls-Royce developing the highly successful Clyde and Dart turboprops.”

The Jet Age Museum is devoted to the preservation, conservation and public display of Gloucestershire’s world-class aviation heritage and holds a major collection of Gloster Aircraft Company aircraft, artefacts and archives.