UK Aviation Museum News – Page 60

Monospar Autumn Update 2014

Newark Air Museum Monospar

Following the successful application of polyester fabric to the inner wing sections of the General Aircraft Monospar airframe during the summer, work is about to proceed with the more complex wing sections.

The starboard wing has just been moved into the museum’s on-site workshop and an epoxy primer coating is being applied to the complex lattice work structure of the wing. After this has cured the complex task of applying the fabric will commence, this work will be undertaken by the members who developed their fabric application techniques earlier in the year.

Sufficient fabric and associated materials have now been ordered to allow both the Monospar airframe and the Auster AOP9 fuselage to have fabric applied. Some work is still to be completed on the ‘top hat’ longerons on the Monospar fuselage, but once this has been undertaken the fuselage fabric will also be applied.

All of the rebuild work on the General Aircraft Monospar VH-UTH at Newark Air Museum is being without any working drawings or airframe plans.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Duke Of Edinburgh Opens New First World War Exhibition

Duke of Edinburgh open exhibition

Today The Duke of Edinburgh conducted the official opening of a new permanent First World War exhibition at the Royal Air Force Museum London.

Whilst at the Museum, His Royal Highness met and spoke with members of Museum staff as well as designers and technicians who worked on the exhibition.

Karen Whitting, Director of Public Programmes at the Royal Air Force Museum, said: “It was a pleasure and an honour to have the Museum’s Royal Patron The Duke of Edinburgh, open this landmark exhibition The Museum looks forward to sharing this incredible story with both local visitors and audiences from across the globe. It is particularly fitting that we mark this anniversary in the approach to 2018, the centenary of the founding of the Royal Air Force.”

Blondel Cluff, Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund London Committee, said: “Thanks to lottery players, this new permanent exhibition means that the RAF Museum will be able to play a full part in marking the centenary of the First World War, bringing to the fore an important but currently less well known aspect of the War.”

Chris Boardman, Managing Director of BAE Systems Military Air and Information, said:
“The evolution of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force from 1912 to the present day is closely intertwined with the growth of BAE Systems and its predecessor companies. We are delighted to be supporting the opening of this new gallery and the ambitious plans to redevelop the site over the next four years to inspire future generations of engineers and entrepreneurs.”

The ‘First World War in the Air’ is a new permanent exhibition supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), that will enable visitors to discover and explore the unique and often overlooked role of air power during the First World War through the incredible stories of the men and women who served and protected our nation

Set in a Grade II listed building, which was part of one of the factories where aircraft were constructed for the First World War; the exhibition uses these authentic surroundings and the RAF Museum’s world-class collection of aircraft, documents, film and photographs to reveal how aviation changed the character of war forever.

Described as the ‘Birthplace of Aerial Power’, the story of air power at Hendon began in 1862 when Henry Coxwell took a short flight in a balloon to a field near Mill Hill. In 1910, the site on which the RAF Museum is located was purchased by The London Aerodrome Company, then sold to aviation pioneer Claude Grahame-White in 1911. Grahame-White was a noted name in the early development of British aviation and his Grahame-White Aviation Company began building aircraft in 1910. During the First World War Hendon played an important role in the development of air power and pilots for both the Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Flying Corps trained at the site. In just ten years, driven by the requirements of the conflict, aviation technology developed from being barely able to cross the English Channel in 1909 to crossing the Atlantic in 1919.

Designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, the exhibition explores what it was like to be involved in the earliest days of military aviation through the story of Britain’s air services, the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. These two organisations merged on 1 April 1918 to become the world’s first independent air force, the Royal Air Force. Displays incorporate the experiences of pilots, ground crew and factory workers to help tell this fascinating story.

Exhibits include iconic aircraft such as the Sopwith Camel, the Fokker D VII and an example of an aircraft that was built in the factory at Colindale – the Avro 504. The exhibition’s narrative-led design is rich with interactivity, dramatic media and diverse collections. The thrilling story of the evolution of flight, from the early days of experimentation to full-force fighting machines, is underpinned by stories of people ‘on the ground’. The exhibition also explores the extraordinary expansion of Britain’s air services, the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service, from 1,800 men in 1914 to a Royal Air Force of 290,000 men and women at the end of the war in 1918.

As part of ‘First World War in the Air’ the creation of temporary exhibitions and supporting activities will include programmes for lifelong learning, volunteering, apprenticeships and public events. This four-year project marks the Centenary of the First World War, exploring the development of air power as an integral part of modern warfare including the birth of the RAF itself in 2018.

A linked online resource includes the digitisation of and wider public access to historical documents such as First World War Casualty Cards, Casualty Forms and Muster Rolls, that tell the story of the men and women of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force. This will be of particular interest to genealogists and family historians. These can be accessed at www.rafmuseumstoryvault.com

The First World War in the Air exhibition was made possible with a grant of £898,558 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The Museum would also like to thank BAE Systems for its support for the exhibition.

RAF Museum Visitor Numbers

The Royal Air Force Museum is proud to announce that both its London and Cosford sites have enjoyed year on year double-digit growth in visitor numbers for the period from 1 April 2014 to 30 September 2014.

This growth in numbers has been driven by three strategic decisions made by the Trustees of the Museum in late 2013: to invest more in the marketing of the museum’s London and Cosford sites to key audiences; to create engaging temporary exhibitions & events promoting them through social media; and to invest in a new, technology-based counting system for visitor numbers as recognised throughout the Museum and Visitor Attraction sectors.

Visitor numbers for the Museum’s London site now stand at 203,105 – up 69% on the same period last year; whilst visitor numbers for Cosford stand at 184,506 , excluding the Cosford Air Show, – up 20% on the same period last year.

To put these figures into further context, total visitor numbers for the year 2013/2014 were 236,458 for the museum’s London site and 265,808 for Cosford, excluding the Cosford Air Show.

Commenting on this performance, Paul Hudson, Head of Marketing for the Museum stated:

‘This growth in numbers is indicative of the work that the Museum has undertaken at both its sites in creating new exciting temporary exhibitions and a dynamic calendar of events that have struck a chord with the public.

You only have to look at the interest on various social media platforms generated by exhibitions such as ‘Pilots of the Caribbean’ at Cosford and ‘Biggles and Chums’ in London, and events such as our Open Cockpit Evenings, Cosford Food Festival or Public Service Broadcasting’s London Residency for Museums at Night to see that we are producing experiences that are not only being talked about by our visitors but also being recommended to others.

We anticipate that this trend will continue as we unveil new exciting exhibitions and events that will get the public talking even more about the Museum. We also anticipate that our visitor numbers for the latter half of the year will be given yet a further boost thanks to the opening of our Heritage Lottery Fund supported ‘First World War in the Air’ exhibitions at both London and Cosford later this year.’

Admission to the Royal Air Force Museum at London and Cosford is free of charge. The Museum is open daily from 10:00 am. For further information about the events and exhibitions at either site please go to www.rafmuseum.org/whatson for London and www.rafmuseum.org/fun4all for Cosford.

Dominie moves undercover

Dominie at Newark Air Museum

After a relatively straightforward reassembly process, which took just over six weeks Hawker Siddeley Dominie T1 XS726 has now been moved to its new display location inside Display Hangar 2 at Newark Air Museum. Work will now be completed on ‘panelling-up’ up the airframe and returning it to full-display condition.

This carefully co-ordinated move took place on Wednesday 12th November 2014 and it involved a lot of hard work and careful manoeuvring by the Restoration Manager and a team of volunteers. It has involved the Fairey Gannet moving outside on a permeant basis and the brief move outside of the museum’s Folland Gnat trainer, this has now been moved back into Display Hangar 2.

The Dominie was moved to Newark Air Museum in September 2014 having been acquired thanks to the generosity of two long-standing museum members, Mike and Kathy Smith, and placed on long-term loan with the museum.

By moving Dominie T1 XS726 undercover it becomes the first example of this RAF training type to be displayed undercover in the UK. In Display Hangar 2 it is now displayed alongside several other training airframes, like the Varsity, Jetstream, Bulldog, Gnat, Chipmunk and Jet Provost. XS726 is expected to retain its current training scheme markings and retains its original in-service configuration.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

RAF Winthorpe book published

RAF Winthorpe book

During World War Two Royal Air Force Winthorpe was a major RAF station providing vital training for aircrews destined for No.5 Group bomber squadrons operating in Lincolnshire. A new book is now available about the station in Nottinghamshire, which was located close to the Nottinghamshire/Lincolnshire county border.After several years of detailed research, Colin Savill BA (Hons) has written a new history of RAF Winthorpe. The book has just been published by the Newark (Notts & Lincs) Air Museum, which is located on part of the former RAF Winthorpe airfield site.

The book is entitled RAF Winthorpe – The Story of an Airfield 1939 – 1959 and it is the story of RAF Winthorpe from its beginnings to its demise as an RAF station.

The book (ISBN 978-0-9500341-6-4) is in a softback format; 216 pages (paper weight: 130gsm); with circa 120 black & white photographs and illustrations; and it includes a Foreword by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford KCB CBE ADC RAF.

Copies of the book are now available to purchase from the Museum Shop and they cost £15.00 each. Anyone wishing to purchase a copy can visit the museum between 10am and 4pm daily and you do not need to pay a museum admission fee if you just wish to shop. Copies are also available by mail order – please check for rates; telephone 01636 707170.

A book signing event will take place in the Museum Shop on Saturday 15th November 2014, between 10am and 3pm when Colin will be on hand to sign copies of the book and to discuss aspects of his research.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

New Chief Executive Officer Appointed

The Royal Air Force Museum is pleased to announce the appointment of its new Chief Executive Officer: Maggie Appleton MBE.

Maggie Appleton has over twenty years’ experience in the heritage sector. She is passionate about the difference that museums and culture can make to people’s lives and, after beginning her heritage career at the Royal Armouries (when it was based in the Tower of London) she focused her work in community museums, at Stevenage (1991 – 2003) and in Luton (2003 – 2008).

Maggie has led significant heritage initiatives and developments, notably the £6.2million development of Stockwood Discovery Centre which opened in July 2008, and securing the medieval Wenlok Jug for Luton and the nation after it was export stopped in 2006.

Since August 2008, Maggie has been the Chief Executive of Luton Culture, a values-led charity that comprises museums, arts, libraries and community centres. Maggie is currently a Heritage Lottery Fund Committee Member for the East of England and a Board Member for the Museums Association.

In 2012, Maggie Appleton received an MBE for Services to Museums and Heritage.

As CEO she will be responsible for leading the Museum through a major period of transformation in terms of infrastructure, exhibitions and activities which will also cover the period of 2018 which marks the Centenary of the RAF.

Commenting on her appointment as Chief Executive of the RAF Museum, Maggie said:

“I am thrilled to join the RAF Museum’s team in the run up to the RAF’s centenary in 2018. The opportunity to lead a National Museum with collections of international importance telling stories of global significance is a huge privilege.”

Reporting to the Board of Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum, Maggie will also be an ambassador for the Museum within the local community as well as nationally and internationally and will enhance the visibility, growth of visitor numbers and reputation of the Museum.

Museum Chairman Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Lester Torpy GCB, CBE, DSO said:

“I am delighted that Maggie Appleton is joining the Museum as our new CEO. She brings a wealth of experience from her previous appointment and the Trustees are very much looking forward to her arrival.”

www.rafmuseum.org

Rare behind the scenes look into aircraft conservation

RAF Museum apprentice

9-15 November 2014

10:15am – 1:00pm

£5 per person (under 16’s free of charge)

This November, the Sir Michael Beetham Conservation Centre at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will once again be opening its doors, allowing Museum visitors behind the scenes access to aircraft conservation projects and the chance to speak with the team who make them happen. This rare and exclusive opportunity is for one week only and based on the overwhelming success of previous events, organisers are expecting thousands of visitors to attend.

It’s been almost twelve months since visitors last passed through the doors of the Conservation Centre and what a busy years it’s been…

During the last year, significant progress has been made to one of the centre’s longest running conservation projects, the Handley Page Hampden and regular visitors are sure to be astounded by the developments being made. The Hampden’s tailplane, fin and rudder have been restored, incorporating as much of the original parts and materials as possible. Some sections have been reproduced by Aircraft Technicians and apprentices who worked to the original technical drawings and soon work will commence on the elevator, which will be entirely manufactured on site. The Hampden’s rear fuselage is nearing completion and structural work is taking place inside the tailboom to repair the damaged framework and skins.

The Hampden suffered significant damage when en-route to Murmansk in Russia for convoy defence duties as part of 144 Squadron. It was shot down on 4th September 1942 during its transit flight and three crew members died, although two survived to become prisoners of war (P.O.W’s). The wreckage lay on the Kola Peninsula, Northern Russia until 1989 when it was rediscovered. The RAF Museum acquired the airframe in 1991 and although progress is being made, the aircraft still requires substantial work before going on public display.

Aviation fans and public who have followed the story of the world’s last surviving Dornier Do 17 will know the forward fuselage, engines and propellers have now all moved from the hydration tunnels into the Conservation Centre for treatment. Whilst the wings will remain in the hydration tunnels until later this year, the majority of the aircraft will be on display inside and visitors will be able to get up close to the aircraft for the very first time. Volunteers will also be working on some of the smaller Dornier components during Open Week giving visitors first hand access to the intricate work taking place to conserve this unique aircraft.

Repeat visitors will be able to view the on-going refurbishments of the Vickers Wellington. The structural work to the aircraft wings and flying controls along with the surface finish is now complete and the next stage will see Technicians re fabric the wings. Work will then commence on stripping the internal fuselage to allow for structural work to take place. The Wellington is expected to remain at Cosford for a few more years before eventually going back on display at the RAF Museum London.

Darren Priday, RAF Museum Conservation Centre Manager says:

“It has been a very busy year for the conservation team in particular with the work carried out on the Dornier Do 17 and the Hampden. The last 12 months has also seen a lot of aircraft movements both here at Cosford and at our sister Museum in London in preparation for the ‘First World War in the Air’ exhibition due to open later this year at both sites. We hope visitors will take this opportunity to speak with our team of Aircraft Technicians, Apprentices and Volunteers about the conservation work they carry out on the hundreds of aircraft within the Museum’s collection.”

Admission to the Conservation Centre Open Week is £5.00 per person with proceeds going towards supporting the Museum’s collection (Children under 16 are free and must be accompanied by an adult). The Conservation Centre will open to the public from the 9-15 November 2014 between 10.15am to 1.00pm during Open Week. The Museum’s other hangars will be open from 10am until 5pm, entry is free of charge. For further information, please visit the Museum’s website www.rafmuseum.org or call 01902 376200.

RAF Museum Joins Forces with Germany and France to Share First World War Stories

The Royal Air Force Museum has partnered with Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace (Paris) and the Militärhistorische Museum der Bundeswehr (Berlin) to mark the centenary of the First World War in the air.

www.3p1w.eu will publish the letters, diary entries and artefacts relating to three First World War pilots over the course of the centenary. Letters written by Bernard Rice, Jean Chaput and Peter Falkenstein have been fully transcribed and translated and will be published 100 years after they were originally written.

This online project is linked to a series of centenary exhibitions at the three museums that deal with the often overlooked aerial aspect of the First World War. Many of the items featured online will be displayed as exhibits in the respective museums:

The Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace will be running a temporary exhibition “La grande Guerre des Aviateurs” (“The Great War of Airmen”) from 5 October 2014 to 25 January 2015 (more information).

The Militärhistorische Museum der Bundeswehr will present “14 Menschen – Krieg” (“14 – People – War”) in Dresden and an exhibition “Falkenstein zieht in den Krieg” (“Falkenstein Goes To War”) in Berlin-Gatow (more information).

Adam Shepherd, Head of Collections Management at the Museum said:

“This marks a unique partnership between three European museums as we reflect on the First World War and remember the people who served in the world’s first air forces.

Through their own letters and diaries, we wanted to tell the stories of three ‘ordinary’ airmen who lived through these extraordinary moments in time. We also wanted to tell a more diverse story. The popular image of the air war is that of daring fighter ‘aces’ and ‘Knights of the Air’. We wanted to tell some less well known stories, such as aerial reconnaissance and artillery observation, which became key roles for aircraft in a war dominated by trenches and big guns, and bombing, which literally brought war close to home.

I would especially like to thank my French and German colleagues, Georgia Santangelo, Jan Behrendt and their teams for all their work on this pioneering new venture, through which we can more widely share the stories of Bernard, Jean and Peter.”

www.rafmuseum.org

Museum offers Online First World War Course

Marking the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, registration is now open for ‘World War One: Aviation Comes of Age’, which will allow users to explore the aerial aspect of the conflict through a series of academic resources and multimedia content.

The course will look at:

How technological innovations turned the aeroplane into a machine of war and how British factories developed to supply the pilots of the Western Front with aircraft and ammunition.

How the aeroplane became a commercially viable tool for the first time, with passenger and mail routes starting to appear

How the government tried – and failed – to regulate the aviation industry

How all the key moments in the air in the Second World War followed from lessons learned during the First World War.

The RAF Museum provided locations for filming across its site in London. This included the Grahame White office that was active in overseeing aircraft production during the First World War. This footage will form the core of the course’s lecture content. Many of the RAF Museum’s aircraft will feature in various guises. Additionally, various documents from the RAF Museum’s collection were used in the filming and some will be made available to students once the course launches in October.

A MOOC is a Massive Open Online Course – these are free, open, online courses designed to offer a taste of higher education to learners from across the UK and the world. The University of Birmingham is delivering new MOOCs in partnership with the BBC, Futurelearn, the UK’s first MOOCs provider established by the Open University.

The course has been developed by Air Commodore (ret’d) Dr Peter Gray of the University of Birmingham and it will be delivered by world-class academics from the university. Dr Gray is also a member of the RAF Museum’s Research Board and one of the UK’s leading air power historians. The course enables learners worldwide to sample high-quality academic content via an interactive web-based platform from a leading global university, increasing access to higher education for a completely new cohort of learners.

The MOOC will allow the RAF Museum to interact with a range of learners in a new and innovative manner that moves beyond the traditional confines of the museum environment. Learning forms an integral aspect of the Museum’s new ‘First World War in the Air’ exhibitions, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, which opens to the public in December 2014. The exhibitions at both Museum sites in London and Cosford explore the vital role air power played in delivering victory in the First World War through the stories of those involved in this pioneering field.

This initiative forms part of the RAF Museum’s desire to develop its academic and research programmes as it moves towards the RAF’s Centenary in 2018 and beyond.

RAF Museum Aviation Historian, Ross Mahoney: “The Royal Air Force Museum is proud to have worked with the University of Birmingham and the BBC on this new innovative course, ‘World War 1: Aviation Comes of Age’. The First World War was a key moment in the development of military aviation and by its end; Great Britain had formed the world’s first independent air force, the RAF. However, many myths have developed around the use and influence of aviation in this period. This course, filmed at the RAF Museum, explores those myths and shows how aviation gripped people’s imagination and transformed the very character of warfare, which still influences the world today.”

www.rafmuseum.org

Museum Seeks Blogger In Residence for First World War In The Air Exhibition

The Royal Air Force Museum London is opening its doors to welcome in a blogger in residence as it gears up to the opening of its first major exhibition in over 10 years.

First World War In The Air is a brand new permanent exhibition opening in December 2014 in the museum’s historic Grahame-White Factory: this Grade II listed building was an active aircraft factory during the First World War. The Museum site in North London has a rich history and played an important role in the early development of British aviation. English aviation pioneer Claude Grahame-White described the area as ‘the birthplace of aerial power.’

The exhibition, supported by the HLF will explore what it was like to be involved in the earliest days of military aviation through the story of Britain’s air services, the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. These two organisations merged on 1 April 1918 to become the world’s first independent air force, the Royal Air Force. This story will incorporate the experiences of pilots, ground crews and factory workers as well as the local North London community.

The lucky blogger will be invited to visit the Museum across key dates* including the VIP opening. They will have full access to the team behind the exhibition and take a behind the scenes look at the exhibition development, installation, aircraft suspension and exhibition build.

Bloggers interested in being considered need to follow @rafmuseum and Tweet us telling us what your favourite thing about the Museum is using #FWWIA and a link to their current blogs by Friday 17th October.