Category: UK Aviation Museum News

Author Tom Palmer takes to the skies at the RAF Museum

On 16 April 2016, acclaimed author Tom Palmer will be reading from and talking about his new book – the first in a new series; WINGS – next to the Sopwith Camel at the RAF Museum London in a series of short events at 1pm, 2pm and 4pm.

Date: Saturday 16th April

Time: 1pm; 2pm & 4pm

Location: RAF Museum London, Grahame Park Way, London NW9 5LL

The Wings series is centered around four children at a football summer camp, who find themselves propelled back in time. If they can learn how to fly the great RAF planes – the Sopwith Camel, Spitfire and Typhoon, history will lead them on a flightpath back to the present. The books were inspired by Tom and his daughter making an Airfix kit of a Lancaster Bomber two summers ago. Each book also comes with a simple model plane you can make yourself!

Tom is writing the WINGS books with help from the RAF Museum as part of his role as Children’s Writer In Residence. In the lead up to the Royal Air Force centenary in 2018, Tom will be working with the museum’s visitors to help them get the best out of their experience. He will be offering advice on writing short stories which help visitors engage with the museum’s amazing collection. Read a wonderful blog about the setting and work with the RAF Museums here: http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/blog/setting-at-story-at-the-raf-museum-london/

“Wings: Flyboy is a wonderful, warm tale. Stories highlighting the diversity of Britain’s troops during both world wars are rare and this one deserves a wide audience. It is a cracking read.” Bali Rai

Gas Bags to Super Zeppelins

On March 15th, we are delighted to announce that Dr. Fiona Spiers, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund, Yorkshire and the Humber will open the new “Gas Bags to Super Zeppelins” exhibition at the Yorkshire Air Museum. The opening will take place at 13:00pm and media are invited to attend. The Museum’s Eastchurch Kitten WWI bi-plane, designed as a ‘Zeppelin killer’, will be fired up to enhance the ceremony, along with the SE5a WWI fighter. 

The Yorkshire Air Museum received £10 000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) through its First World War: then and now programme, in support of a new exhibition which focuses on the development of the first airships and particularly their use during the First World War.

The exhibition tracks the development of lighter-than-air aviation from the balloons of the Montgolfier Brothers of 1783, to the super-sized airships of the late 1930’s. During the First World War, Schütte-Lanz and Zeppelin airships (taking the name from Count (Graf) Ferdinand von Zeppelin, the pioneer of German airships), were used to bomb the civilian population of Britain from the air for the first time in history, bringing terror from the sky. It shows the shock effects of this new type of warfare had on the people at that time. It also traces the post-war development of “Super Zeppelins” and their British equivalents, which were the largest of them all, culminating with the tragic and horrifying disasters as a result of the use of highly flammable hydrogen gas.

Through diary entries, audio recordings, video footage, photographs and original artefacts, “Gas Bags to Super Zeppelins” relates the memories and heritage of the people who lived through the First World War.

Commenting on the award, Museum Director Ian Reed said: “We are thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund. The airship raids, which started, following the outbreak of war, in 1914 over Belgium and France, had the biggest impact on society than at any time before or since. British families had not experienced invasion for almost 1000 years. On 19 January 1915, the German Zeppelins delivered the first air attacks on Britain of the First World War. Without warning, British people were suddenly on the Front Line and defenceless. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to bring to life existing records of people’s memories and experiences to tell the story of the ‘Wonder Ship’ of the First World War and also brought previously untold stories relevant to the Yorkshire Region. Our exhibition ‘Gas Bags to Super Zeppelins’ explores the social impact of the threat, the attacks and their repercussions as well as the desperate race to find a technological solution to defend our homes from aerial attack during the First World War.

www.yorkshireairmuseum.org

Women in Aviation, Science and Engineering

On Saturday 19 March the Royal Air Force Museum, in partnership with Techmaids are holding an event in honour and celebration of women in science and engineering. The Month of March marks International Women’s Day and Women’s history Month.

Date: Saturday 19th March

Location: Historic Hangars, RAF Museum London

Time: 1100 – 1545

Entrance: FREE

We will be hosting various women who work in science and engineering who will be giving pop up lectures beneath our Bristol Beaufighter.

Event Schedule and Speakers

11.00 Maggie Appleton MBE, Chief Executive Officer at the Royal Air Force Museum

11.30 Hillary Taylor, Director, Zumiya Consulting

12.00 Linsey Birkett, Technical Engineer, Interserve Industrial Services – Power Division

12.30 Noor Ul-Ain, Graduate Engineer, Reading University

13.00 Claire Curtis-Thomas, Chief Executive Officer at the British Board of Agrement

13.30 Carla Curtis-Tansley, Student at the Royal College of Art, Imperial College London

14.00 Q&A: Meet the British Airways aircrew

14.45 Francesca Perona, Fab Lab London

15.15 Rahmat Iyabode Balogun, Founder of TechMaids

15.45 Cassie Kolyda, Founder & CEO of StraDia Coaching

About the Speakers

Maggie Appleton MBE, Chief Executive Officer, Royal Air Force Museum

Maggie took up her current post as Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Air Force Museum in January 2015.

Maggie has 25 years’ experience in the sector and is passionate about the difference that museums and culture can make to people’s lives. Before joining the Royal Air Force Museum, Maggie worked in Luton for 12 years, for six as director of museums and latterly as the Chief Executive of Luton Culture, the charity that comprises the arts, libraries, community centres and museums in the town. Her previous roles were in Stevenage and at the Royal Armouries.

Maggie led the consultation, fundraising and development of the HLF-funded Stockwood Discovery Centre in Luton that opened in 2008 and welcomes over 200,000 visitors a year. She was also responsible for securing the medieval Wenlok Jug for the UK after it was export stopped in 2006.

Maggie is also the Vice President of the Museums Association, Board Member of the Heritage Lottery Fund East of England Committee and the co-Chair of the Women Leaders in Museums Network.

Maggie is married with two boys and is a keen cyclist and reader.

Hillary Taylor, Director, Zumiya Consulting

I have lived and travelled the world, learned different languages and worked on ground-breaking projects. In parallel I work for and with communities to develop individuals, communities and communication, both in formal and informal roles. Opportunities exist every day for new and exciting challenges. In addition to technology, I’m also very involved in working to equal access for all (regardless of backgrounds, with or without disabilities) to our exciting STEAM (STEM including Arts and creativity) world and futures. I’m a published writer, work in a range of networks and am also very part time artist.

From my original degree in Electrical Engineering, through software, hardware, manufacturing, test and business development, today I work in creative thinking in tech, arts and social worlds. Problem solving, (technical, business, or other), I help develop strategies, understand risk, project, organisation and personal development. I take part in various community/ arts development and individual projects.

Linsey Birkett, Technical Engineer, Interserve Industrial Services – Power Division

Linsey Birkett is a Technical Engineer in the Power Division at Interserve Industrial Services. She fell into the Power Industry by accident 8 years ago and has thrived in the electrical arena, studying part time for an ONC and then a HNC in Electrical Engineering the latter of which she graduated from in June 2015 with a Distinction. Her day to day role is to provide support to the Extra High Voltage Underground team in the form of cable system design including cable calculations, cable pulling tensions and outage planning. In addition, she is heavily involved in the tendering, development and planning of projects anywhere from £5k to £25m for a wide range of Clients.

Noor Ul-Ain, Graduate Engineer, Reading University

Noor Ul-Ain, was born in a small village in Pakistan and moved to the UK when she was 11. Noor grew up in Swansea, studying at Dylan Community School. Her first introduction to engineering was a Saturday taster course in Electronics and Mechanic in year 9.

Noor then did her BEng and MEng at the University of Reading. Growing in a conservative family, she really enjoyed the freedom in University. It provided her with a great platform to further pursue her interest in Engineering. During her degree, she undertook a 6 month placement with EnSilica, an Engineering consultancy firm in Wokingham. Noor absolutely loved her time there, returning after graduation.

Ensilica is an SME, which has provided great opportunities for Noor. Working in smaller teams ensures that she is handed greater responsibilities than you what you would expect in a graduate position. The range of work projects are also highly varied, making her job very interesting. Noor has learnt to create PCB designs to do place and route. Also applying the same theory on a chip level. She have learnt a variety of skills schematic drawing, PBC layout, timing simulations, FPGA programing and numerous learning programming languages.

Claire Curtis-Thomas, Chief Executive at the British Board of Agrement

Claire Curtis-Thomas graduated in Mechanical Engineering from University College, Cardiff, and went on to obtain an MBA at Aston University. She also has an honorary PhD in Technology.

Her industry experience was gained with Shell UK. This was followed with roles at Birmingham City Council, initially as Head of Corporate Affairs and later as Chief Executive of Birmingham City Council Laboratories. Claire then returned to university life as Dean of the Engineering and Business Department of the University of Wales, Newport, before moving into politics when she was elected MP for Crosby.

During her time in parliament, Claire championed a number of issues on behalf of the construction industry and sat on three select committees: Trade & Industry, Home Affairs and Science & Technology. She also chaired All-Party Parliamentary Committees on Construction and Utility related subjects and founded the Construction & Development Partnership, a charity dedicated to bringing schools and education to the children of Sierra Leone.

Claire left politics in 2010 and before joining the BBA in 2013, she was Chief Executive of the Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM), a Chartered Institution providing services, training, and standards to the gas industry.

Francesca Perona, Fab Lab London

Francesca Perona is a London-based interdisciplinary designer, FabLab London associate, Ravensbourne Sessional Lecturer and STEM educator. Trained and experienced as textile designer, she graduated with a MA in Computational Arts at Goldsmiths Department of Computing in 2012 and with a Fabacademy diploma at FabLab Barcelona/MIT in 2015.

Francesca’s practice sits at the intersection of experimental materials and digital technologies. She has run a number of workshops and courses on interactive technologies in local schools, community centres and Universities in the UK and abroad. Having worked on research projects for companies such as Unilever and Philips, she has also won digital arts residencies and presented her work at institutions such as the V&A, Abertay University and UCA Canterbury.

Rahmat Iyabode Balogun, Founder of TechMaids

After working for many years in corporate IT, based on the challenges faced during her professional career Rahmat decided to set up TechMaids to enable young people especially women into STEM careers and non traditional professions.

Rahmat has trained a significant number of women in Grahame Park. She continues to trailblaze by promoting gender diversity and awareness of digital skills to improve personal and economic wellbeing.

Rahmat is a STEM finalist, ambassador and role model. She is on a mission to inspire social change and empower the next generation for a digital economy.

Cassie Kolyda, Founder & CEO of StraDia Coaching

Female Engineer and Founder & CEO of StraDia Coaching, an international company helping High Powered Women to start and grow profitable businesses or successful careers in the corporate arena doing what they are passionate about.

Her true passion is to empower women to raise their Profile in male dominated arenas, develop unique personal brand to stand out, market their expertise, monetize their knowledge, leverage their time, add new revenue streams, not settle for less than they are worth!

www.rafmuseum.org

Discover the Secret Life of… Spitfires and Hurricanes

RAF Museum London Hurricane

The RAF Museum is offering enthusiasts and visitors a rare chance to get ‘under the skin’ of some of their iconic Battle of Britain aircraft.

The Museum is conducting an ‘open’ condition survey of its aircraft as part of its on-going plans to commemorate and celebrate the RAF’s Centenary in 2018.

The first of these surveys is now underway in the Battle of Britain Hall at its London site and will last until November. During this time visitors will be able to see under the skin of some of the aircraft as panels are removed and parts are dismantled for a closer inspection.

For the first time ever, the Museum is enabling visitors to see the ‘nuts and bolts’ under the panels as qualified technicians asses each aircraft and is also encouraging public photography and filming of the process.

Watch this video: www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/whats-going-on/news/london-museum-aircraft-survey-announced/

If you would like to learn more about the Museum’s plans for the RAF Centenary in 2018 please sign up to our RAF Centenary Programme e-Newsletter. To do this, just go to the bottom of any page on our main website www.rafmuseum.org, and click on the e-Newsletter link.

Last Chance for Nightshoot Photography Event Tickets at Yorkshire Air Museum

Douglas DC3

Following the huge success of the first Halifax bomber Nightshoot on March 2015, the Museum is delighted to announce another opportunity to photograph this iconic WWII bomber outdoors at night on the evening of Friday 18th March this year.

The timing of this event also allows us to mark the 75th anniversary of the first operational flight of the then brand new Halifax Mk I bomber, from nearby RAF Linton on Ouse on the night of 9th/10th March 1941. The Halifax went on to become one of the main aircraft of Bomber Command, taking the fight to the NAZI German industrial heartland.

The Museum’s amazing reconstruction, the only example in Europe and one of only two existing in the world, is of course marked in the decals of Halifax LV907 “Friday the 13th”, which became the most successful of all Halifax bombers surviving at least 128 missions, flying from RAF Lissett, East Yorkshire. Demand for this event is high once again and there are only a handful of tickets now remaining available, as the sales are strictly limited to 100.

As if this was not enough, the Nightshoot also offers the chance to photograph the WWII Douglas Dakota (live), the 1947 De Havilland Devon and, uniquely, the replica WWI Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a fighter, also live. The Dakota and SE5a will both be running their engines on the night, making for a truly tempting photographic challenge.

“As a result of the great success of last year’s Halifax Nightshoot, which was oversubscribed by enthusiastic photographers relishing the chance to capture this awesome aircraft in a night setting, we decided to offer another opportunity this year, which will not be repeated for a few years. The additional line up of aircraft, including the rare ‘live’ example of a WWI fighter, in the confines of this historic site, will provide a really interesting challenge for photography enthusiasts to get to grips with.”

The Nightshoot is bookable through www.timelineevents.org at £60 per ticket to include two hot drinks and a Burger / Hot Dog & Chips.

www.yorkshireairmuseum.org

Major Shackleton Repaint Being Planned

Shackleton

It has been announced by the Newark Air Museum that at the beginning of April it will be embarking on one of the most ambitious repainting projects it has ever undertaken; on Avro Shackleton WR977. This will be carried out with major support of the aircraft’s owners, the Lincolnshire’s Lancaster Association’

Unlike previous repainting work on museum aircraft, scaffolding work platforms will be installed around the Shackleton. This will allow the de-corroding, rubbing down and repainting to be carried out is a safe and efficient manner.

The current plan is to install scaffolding around half of the Shackleton and to focus the work effort on this section of the aircraft. Once the work has been completed the scaffolding will be repositioned on the other side of the aircraft, where the balance of the work will be completed.

To support this work programme and to minimise the length of time that the scaffolding is on hire, the museum has launched an appeal for volunteers; with the aim of working on the project as and when the weather allows, seven days a week. Details of the appeal can be found in the News & Events section of the Newark Air Museum website www.newarkairmuseum.org 

Avro Shackleton WR977 was moved from RAF Finningley in spring 1977, just prior to Her Majesty the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Review of the Royal Air Force. WR977 is believed to be the longest serving Shackleton Mk3 Phase 3 airframe to have flown with the RAF.

Sywell Aviation Museum Grand Opening

Sywell Aviation Museum

Saturday 26th March 2016

Easter Saturday is the traditional Grand Opening for the Sywell Aviation Museum’s new season and this year the event returns bigger and better than ever before! Military vehicles, re-enactors, aircraft cockpits and some surprise aerial visitors (maybe even a warbird or two) make it a fun day out!

The event starts at 1030hrs and runs until 1630hrs. Parking is extremely limited so please arrive early and car share!

Following the Grand Opening the Museum will be open as usual every weekend and bank holiday from 1030-1630hrs until the end of September. In July, August and September, the Museum opens on Wednesday afternoons between 1330-1630hrs.

Entry is free – donations welcome – parking is also free but limited! We are taking bookings for out of hours group tours.

For more information please visit www.sywellaerodrome.co.uk/museum.php

Dambusters Evolution is Focus of University Lecture

617 Squadron

Date: 10 March 2016

Time: 6.30pm

Cost: FREE

The role of No. 617 Squadron, Royal Air Force, better known as the ‘Dam Busters’ will be the focus of a lecture taking place at the University of Wolverhampton next month. The lecture entitled ‘Planned Development or Haphazard Evolution? No. 617 Squadron, 1943-45′ will be presented by Dr Robert Owen, the Official Historian of the No. 617 Squadron Association. The lecture is a continuation of the joint partnership between the University’s Department of War Studies and the Royal Air Force Museum and takes place on Thursday 10 March 2016.

In this lecture, Dr Robert Owen will discuss the backstory to the units operations during the Second World War and the decision to keep them in existence as a precision-bombing unit. For the remainder of the Second World War, they carried out precision attacks using new and unconventional weapons, culminating with Barnes Wallis’s deep penetration bombs, ‘Tallboy’ and ‘Grand Slam’.

Many of the Squadron’s eventual operations emerged as the result of an inability to execute initial planning due to unrealistic expectations of weapon performance, delays in the development of a new weapons and political intervention. The Squadron played a major role in the assessment of weapons, equipment and new techniques and were often given alternative targets, taking advantage of their capabilities and to address specific issues. During its comparatively short period of active service No. 617 won 2 Victoria Crosses and more than 150 other decorations.

The numerous accounts written detailing the Squadron’s history fail to take into account many of the factors that determined its role and concentrate on the operational record and the weapons used. The result is a distorted and incomplete perception of the Squadron’s development and a misconception of its full contribution to the bomber offensive.

This lecture will identify the various policy and decision making bodies and examine their role in selecting weapons and targets for the Squadron. It will explore the issues which determined the role played by the Squadron, including changes in Air Staff policy for Bomber Command, choice of targets, the development and production of weapons and tactical requirements. Comparison is made between the planners’ original intentions for the Squadron and the final operational record.

The Trenchard Lectures in Air Power Studies form part of the RAF Museum’s Research Programme for 2016. ‘Planned Development or Haphazard Evolution? No.617 Squadron, 1943-45′, is the first of three joint lectures taking place at the University of Wolverhampton this year.

Dr Ross Mahoney, RAF Museum Aviation Historian said:

“The RAF Museum is once again delighted to be working in conjunction with our colleague at the University of Wolverhampton to bring the Trenchard Lectures in Air Power Studies to a wide audience. The year’s first lecture is about one of the RAF’s most famous units, the Dambusters. The lecture will highlight No. 617’s development beyond the famous Dams raids of 1943 and open up a new understanding of the Squadron’s contribution to the Second World War.”

Dr Peter Preston-Hough of the university’s Department of War Studies said:

“We’re delighted to be part of this prestigious series of lectures, which promises to provide an interesting insight into this area of history.”

This FREE lecture will be held in the main lecture theatre (MC001) at the University of Wolverhampton at 6.30pm on Thursday 10 March. As spaces are limited, organisers advise visitors to book their tickets in advance via the museum’s website to avoid disappointment.

For further information about the museums research programme or to book your FREE ticket to the lecture, please visit the museum website www.rafmuseum.org/cosford.

TriStar Simulator Acquired

TriStar Simulator Newark Air Museum

During the week commencing 15th February 2016 the Newark Air Museum took delivered of its latest exhibit, a Lockheed TriStar Simulator at its site in eastern Nottinghamshire, close to the border with Lincolnshire.

The museum was first made aware of the possible disposal of this Lockheed TriStar simulator from the Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon, back in autumn 2015. This potential acquisition was to be in the form of a gift. After gathering more details about the simulator, the museum trustees decided to register the museum’s interest in the former crew-training aid.

It was just before Christmas 2015 that Newark Air Museum was notified that, out of several other groups who had registered interest in the simulator, that it had been selected to receive the item.

Initially it had been anticipated that the simulator would arrive in one piece, but this was not the case as the simulator had already been disassembled. An assessment of the move requirements was made and the first of several loads arrived at Newark on Monday 15th February.

The TriStar simulator has been placed into temporary storage in Display Hangar 2 at the museum and is not currently on display. It is understood that the museum’s mainly volunteer workforce will start to reassemble the simulator after the Spring Indoor Aero boot sale event on 5th March.

Various display locations in Display Hangar 2 are currently being evaluated and at this time it is not known to what extent the simulator will be returned to an operational condition. This latest acquisition complements the museum’s growing collection of ‘synthetic’ trainers and adds part of a notable airliner cockpit to the museum collection.

The museum trustees are grateful to the RAF Museum for donating this exhibit to the Newark Air Museum.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Spitfire legends honoured at 80th anniversary event

R J Mitchell

Date: 5 March 2016

Time: Talk 1 – 11.30am

          Talk 2 – 2.15pm

Cost: FREE

The Supermarine Spitfire, the most famous British fighter aircraft in historyfirst took to the skies on 5 March 1936 and won immortal fame throughout the summer months of 1940 by helping to defeat the German air attacks during the Battle of Britain.The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will be marking eighty years since the first flight of the Spitfire on Saturday 5 March 2016, with a day of special talks.

The talks will pay tribute to Spitfire creator RJ Mitchell CBE and Vickers Supermarine test pilot Alex Henshaw MBE and the men of the Battle of Britain.

In the first talk entitled ‘R. J. Mitchell CBE, the Spitfire and the Battle of Britain . . .Their Finest Hour’,Tony tells thestory of Staffordshire born R. J. Mitchell CBE, the creator of Britain’s most iconic aircraft and some of the men who flew Spitfires in the Battle of Britain. The Spitfire, an evolution from the Schneider Trophy Races, first flew in 1936, remained in production through the 1940s and in service throughout the 1950s. Hear stories from some of the men who fought the Battle of Britain, including a distinguished Luftwaffe ace in interviews recorded with Tony. The talk will commence at 11.30am lasting approximately one hour.

The second talk of the day entitled ‘Alex Henshaw MBE. . .The Flight of the Mew Gull and Sigh for a Merlin’includes video footage of Alex Henshaw telling his own story. He won the King’s Cup Air Race and achieved a record-breaking solo flight from London to Cape Town and back in four and a half days with just a compass, a chronometer and a set of maps – a record unbeaten for more than 70 years. He served throughout the war as Chief Production Test Pilot for Vickers Supermarine, personally testing more than 2,000 Spitfires and the occasional Lancaster at both Southampton and Castle Bromwich (now the Jaguar factory). He finished his flying career marketing aircraft in South Africa where he flew his last epic flight. During the video footage, Alex recallsmemories of his heroic tales includingflying an aircraft down the centre of Broad Street in Birmingham when asked by the Mayor. The talk will commence at 2.15pm lasting approximately an hour and 15 minutes.

The talks will be presented by Tony Edwards, a friend of Alex Henshaw. Tony has enjoyed a comprehensive career within the aerospace industry, commercially, within the Ministry of Defence and Academia. He is a keen supporter of the Royal Air Force Museum and a former Trustee.

Both talks will take place in the museum’s lecture theatre inside the National Cold War Exhibition and are suitable for all ages.

Don’t forget, thatof the 1,566 Spitfire I’s that were built, the RAF Museum Cosford is home to the world’s oldest surviving example of its type. Especially for this 80th anniversary event, the canopy will be opened and visitors can get an up-close view of the cockpit. The Spitfire is displayed alongside the Hurricane in the Museum’s War in the Air hangar and viewing will be available all day.

The Museum is open daily from 10am and entry is FREE of charge. To book your place on the FREE talks, please visit the Museums website www.rafmuseum.org/cosford.