UK Aviation Museum News – Page 73

Celebrating the iconic Spitfire with a day of nostalgia

We’re thrilled to be presenting a brand new event, Spitfires, Merlins & Motors, on Sunday 5 August.

We’ll be celebrating the legendary Supermarine Spitfire, the unmistakable Merlin engine and the close relationship between this classic flying machine and the four-wheeled speed demons of the golden age of motoring and beyond.

Between 10am and 1.30pm, see a number of historic Spitfires up close on static display, including the rare Spitfire Mark 1a from Aircraft Restoration Company, the Mark V from Historic Aircraft Collection, Mark IX from the Old Flying Machine Company, Mark XIX from the Rolls Royce Heritage Trust and Mark IXT from Air Leasing.

At various points throughout the afternoon, these Spitfires will be taking to the skies to perform short displays. Also flying will be the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire.

Aircraft Restoration Company is offering a rare opportunity to sit in a Spitfire. This costs £15 per person and includes a souvenir T-shirt and photo opportunity. All proceeds go to the Blenheim Restoration Fund.

There will also be the chance to see a Merlin engine erupt into life as it will be on dynamic display throughout the day.

Living history groups will be bringing RAF Duxford’s wartime relationship with the Spitfire to life with evocative displays.

The Military Equipment Collectors will be recreating the role of the RAF ground crew who kept Spitfires constantly at scramble readiness throughout the Battle of Britain and beyond. They will be displaying an RAF Mobile Mechanic Unit with early Second World War field equipment.

Past to Present Historical will be representing the 1940s Home Front with a dashing RAF pilot costumed character, a jolly tent where you can try your hand at wartime games and a very worthy Women’s Voluntary Service representative who is collecting saucepans for Spitfires.

There will be a display of glorious vintage Rolls-Royce cars alongside hundreds of stunning vehicles, from pre-war vintage to contemporary classics. The Veteran Cycle Club will be displaying a range of traditional bicycles and chatting about the history of cycling.

Discover Vintage presents a fabulous vintage fair in the Conservation Hall in Air Space. Exhibitors will be selling vintage fashion, homeware and curios from the 1930s to the 1950s. Enhancing the nostalgic atmosphere will be a gramophone DJ and singing group.

Between 10am and 2pm, in the Visitor Centre, author Andy Saunders will be signing copies of the extraordinary new book Spitfire Mark I P9374 – The remarkable story of how a unique aircraft returned to flight. Also present will be Martin Overall, Historic Flying Limited’s Chief Engineer, who oversaw the restoration of this incredible aircraft, and who contributed significantly to the book.

There will also be traders selling a range of wares. Vector Fine Art will be hosting a signing session with a number of Battle of Britain veterans.

There are lots of fun things for all the family to do together. At the Airfix Make and Paint Zone between 11am and 3pm, visitors can make their own model aircraft, paint it in a range of colours and take it home as a souvenir of a fabulous day at themuseum. There are also fun craft activities to try your hand at.

In the American Air Museum between noon and 4pm, we’ll be seeing if you have what it takes to become a Second World War special agent and putting you through your paces to undertake secret operations in enemy territory. See the imaginative gadgets used by the Special Operations Executive, send covert messages in Morse code and undertake a cloak-and-dagger mission which will prove your expertise in espionage.

Join us for a fun and nostalgic day as we celebrate a golden age of style, elegance and derring do!

www.iwm.org.uk

Tickets now on sale for Modellers Air Show

28th – 29th July 2012

On site camping

Gates open 8.30am

Advance tickets for the annual Large Model Aircraft Rally taking place at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford are now on sale at the Museum. This famous air show in miniature is an absolute must see for any aviation enthusiast and this year’s show will mark the twentieth Anniversary of the event at Cosford.

Taking place on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th July 2012, hundreds of scale models of iconic aircraft will be taking to the skies during the two-day event. Other activities keeping the whole family entertained throughout the day include: a children’s entertainment area; trade and food stalls selling everything from modelling equipment to burgers and candy floss; plus, access to the award winning RAF Museum where you can see many of the aircraft flown during the show in full size.

Last year’s event attracted in excess of 12,000 visitors and organisers are hoping this year’s show will prove just as popular. Exclusively for the Large Model Aircraft Rally, visitors are able to camp on site, meaning you can make the most of the weekend’s flying and activities by being at the centre of all the action.

RAF Museum Cosford General Manager, Alex Medhurst says:

“This is one of the most popular and busiest events in the Museum’s calendar and we are delighted to be celebrating twenty years this summer.”

Anyone wishing to attend the event can save money by purchasing tickets in advance at a discounted rate. Advance tickets are priced at just £9 for adults, £5 for children and £7 for senior citizens with a family ticket of 2 adults and up to 2 children retailing at £20, saving £5 on the gate price. Gates open at 8.30am and flying starts a 9.00am.

On site camping available from Friday 27th to Monday 30th July, including entrance to the show both days is only £40.00 when booked in advance. Any visitors interested in camping should contact Dave Bailey for more details on 07827 675665 or email dave.bailey08@tiscali.co.uk.

For further information on how to purchase advance tickets and for on the gate prices, please call the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford on 01902 376200 or visit the Museum website at www.rafmuseum.org.

FLOWER POWER TO AIR POWER

FRESH AIR: AN ORIGINAL NEW PERSPECTIVE ON AVIATION ART

On display: 31st May 2012 – 31st May 2013

Entrance: FREE

The Royal Air Force Museum invites its visitors to turn on, tune in and take off with the revolutionary aviation artist David Bent.

His fans include international air force pilots, art collectors, Chiefs of Staff, captains of industry and even the legendary Red Arrows – with whom he has collaborated as Artist in Residence.

Considered as challenging, thought provoking and innovative, David Bent’s art combines the technological with the spiritual and compels the viewer to stop and take notice.

Inspired at an early age by his father’s passion for aviation, David has dedicated his life to his art and love of aviation and travelling. All of his work references aspects of his life’s journey and offer a personal glimpse into his unique world view. Each composition demands time for re-examination as details, previously hidden when first viewed are revealed anew forcing multiple re-interpretations.

Big, bold and captivating, whether wittily subverting the destructive power of nuclear arms race, celebrating the sheer joy of pilots in flight or enticing the viewer to work out the hidden imagery contained within his art, David Bent’s style is considered by many to be a breath of fresh air for aviation art.

Combining both the traditional and avant garde, David Bent presents the Royal Air Force in a way that you have not thought of it before. His view is, so to speak, through an unfamiliar prism, at times humorous, at times fantastical and at times linking his admiration for the shapes of the natural world with his interest in aeronautical structures.

Andrew Cormack Keeper of Visual Arts, Medals and Uniforms at the Royal Air Force Museum:
“The RAF Museum is delighted to host an exhibition of the work of aviation artist David Bent. He brings a new look to the subject, at times witty and charming, at others subtly menacing, but imbued with a deep respect and affection for the Royal Air Force and for all who conduct their business in the heavens”.

David Bent:

“As an artist in love with aviation, I am honoured that such a historic and brilliant place as the RAF Museum is hosting this exhibition of my work.”

The exhibition will also be supported by a series of activities and trails enabling unique opportunities for children and young people to interact and to be inspired by the Art and the stories behind it.

Further details on these activities will be posted on the Museum’s website during the next couple of months.

Entry to Fresh Air is free of charge to visitors; as is entry to the Museum. The exhibition will be shown daily from 10am to 6pm until May 31st 2013. For further details please visit www.rafmuseum.org/whatson or dial 020 8205 2266.

Flying display honours National Service Veterans

20th May 2012

Vulcan flypast 12:25pm (weather permitting)

Lancaster display 1:00pm (weather permitting)

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster and Vulcan XH558 will be taking to the skies over Shropshire in honour of the thousands of National Service RAF veterans. These iconic aircraft will perform for visitors and guests at the National Service (RAF) Association parade, taking place at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford on Sunday 20th May 2012.

Starting at 11.00am, the parade will be led by 495 (Sutton Coldfield) ATC Sqn Band and will form up on the entrance roadway to the Museum site. Following a short 100m march, the parade will finish next to the Museum’s Hangar 1, where Air Marshal Garwood, Air-DComOps will be the reviewing officer.

This year will mark the organisations 10th parade and re-union which has been held at Cosford since 2004. Last year, over 2,000 guests attended the event of which over 600 presented themselves for the parade. All Veterans who served in the Royal Air Force are welcome to participate, providing them with the opportunity to reunite with lost friends and colleagues.

Members of the public are also invited to join in the days activities which will include a Vulcan flypast scheduled for 12:25pm and a Lancaster flying display at 1:00pm (both weather permitting). Entertainment will be provided by vocal group the “D Day Darlings”, plus National Veterans Organisations and training camp associations will be represented in Hangar 1. On completion of the formal events, guests will have access to the RAF Museum site where they can catch up with old friends and view the exhibits.

The Museum gates will open at 9am on Sunday 20th May, although the Museum itself will open at 10am. Entry to the Museum, participation in the parade and viewing the displays is FREE. For further information, please call the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford on 01902 376200 or visit the museum website at www.rafmuseum.org.

Revealing the new Historic Duxford exhibition

We’re delighted to announce the development of Historic Duxford, a new permanent exhibition at IWM Duxford that will open in spring 2013, and to give a first glimpse of some of the proposed designs for the exhibition.

Our Interpretation and Collections team are working with London-based MET Studio to design the exhibition and site trail. Formed in 1982, MET Studio has earned a reputation as one of the most creative and innovative experiential design companies in the world. It has worked with the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, English Heritage and the National Army Museum, to name but a few of its high-profile clients.

Situated in the old Watch Office, opposite the Control Tower, the Historic Duxford exhibition will bring to life for visitors the history of Duxford during its time as an operational airfield, from1918 to 1961.

We’ll be recreating in its exact location the original 1930s Watch Office, fromwhich the duty pilot would record the activities of landing and departing aircraft. Atmospheric audio recordings and visual period details will give visitors a sense that they have travelled back in time and the duty officer has only just left the room.

For the first time, we’ll be telling the fascinating personal stories of the individualmen and women who worked and lived on this busy RAF base.

Combining audio recordings, film, interactivemodels, trails and historic objects, we’ll be painting a vivid picture of daily life at RAF Duxford. Visitors can find out what it was like to serve in the Royal Air Force and how several generations ofmen and women were shaped by their experiences at RAF Duxford.

Through the personal testimonies of veterans who served at RAF Duxford, we’ll look at some of the big questions: What was it like to fly from RAF Duxford? How did people cope with the stresses and strains of an often-dangerous job, particularly in wartime?

The displays will enable children and adults to understand famous events in IWM Duxford’s history from the perspective of the people who were there. They will also understand how events changed the physical development of RAF Duxford – including the ‘domestic site’ where people relaxed, ate and slept – as it wasmodernised, adapted and expanded.

After learning more in the exhibition, we hope that visitors will look with fresh eyes at the airfield and historic buildings that make up the unique atmosphere of the museum.

Complementing the Historic Duxford exhibition is a heritage trail with carefully-positioned structures that allow visitors to understand what happened in that exact spot at a key point in history.

Some of the trail structures will feature audio, allowing the veterans’ voices to speak to visitors from the exact places that they served. Others will allow a window on the past, using historic photographs from the IWM archives, together with photographs specifically gathered for this project, displayed in the positions that they were taken.

This is a fascinating opportunity for us to tell IWM Duxford’s own story – its eventful past, fascinating people and unique place in the community.

www.iwm.org.uk

Comet pilot unveils anniversary exhibition

Wednesday 2nd May 2012

11.30am

On the 2nd May 1952 a BOAC de Havilland Comet 1 carried 36 passengers on the first leg of a journey from London to Johannesburg on what was the first fare paying passenger flight in a Jet Airliner. To mark the 60th anniversary of this historic flight, the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will be unveiling a specially commissioned temporary exhibition which charts the Comets story and includes previously unseen archive film footage. The exhibition will be displayed alongside the Museum’s Comet, the only complete Comet 1 remaining anywhere in the world.

The exhibition includes display cases with a collection of artefacts including photos, log books and airline memorabilia. In addition to this information, display boards highlight key facts and figures on the Comets checkered history plus archive film footage shows Comets during their route proving flights in Africa during 1951/52.

The exhibition will be unveiled on Wednesday 2nd May by Comet pilot George Aird, now aged 84. As a test pilot for de Havilland, the manufacturers of the Comet, George flew the Museum’s Comet extensively throughout the 1960s. Although George never flew the Comet for an airline, he was a Captain of the Museum’s example when it was used as a flying laboratory, carrying scientists and test equipment in its cabin during guided missile tests. George flew the Museum’s Comet on its final flight to RAF Shawbury in 1968, for storage for the RAF Museum.

Also attending on the day is Comet 4 Air Stewardess Judy Lerrigo who will be bringing along her uniform and original flight plans and offering a perspective on what it was like to work within the passenger cabin of a Comet.

In the Early 1950’s the Comet was a pioneering aircraft that could fly higher, faster and further than any other commercial aircraft of its time. When the de Havilland Comet entered service with BOAC as the first commercial jet airliner, it marked a new era in civil aviation and left other aircraft manufacturers years behind. The new aircraft could carry 36 passengers at a cruising speed of 720 km/h (450 mph) over a distance of 4000 km (2500 miles). BOAC became the envy of world airlines by operating the first jet fleet.

After only eighteen months of service two aircraft disappeared within three months of each other. The Secretary of State for Civil Aviation ordered a full investigation into the causes of the disappearances. One part of the investigation examined cabin pressurisation. Through the water tank testing of another ex-BOAC Comet, and the reconstruction of the recovered remains of one of the crashed aircraft, evidence revealed that metal fatigue in the pressure cabin was the cause of the accidents.

Once this was known the Comet was redesigned and went on to serve as a transport aircraft with the RAF and as a commercial airliner in its larger Comet 4 guise, flying around the world with various airlines until the late 1970s.

The Comet 60th anniversary exhibition will be on display from Wednesday 2nd May to Monday 11th June 2012 in the Museum’s Hangar 1. The Museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm and admission is free of charge. For more information on the exhibition or the Museum please call 01902 376200 or visit www.rafmuseum.org

HM The Queen To Visit RAF Museum Cosford

HM The Queen is coming to Shropshire in July as part of her Diamond Jubilee Tour – and everyone in the county is invited. Along with His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, The Queen is due to attend the spectacular Diamond Jubilee event at RAF Cosford and The Royal Air Force Museum on 12th July, when the county stages its celebration of “60 Glorious Years”.

The Lord-Lieutenant, Her Majesty’s representative in Shropshire, is delighted that The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are able to attend Shropshire’s day. Mr Algernon Heber-Percy said,

“We hope that this will be one of the most memorable days Shropshire can remember. This will be a unique opportunity for the County to thank Her Majesty for her exceptional dedication and leadership, which she has given us all over the last 60 years.”

The “Brightest and Best” of the County’s industrial, commercial and agricultural expertise will be showcased. The significant achievements that these sectors have made to the local and national economy throughout The Queen’s reign will be displayed in a special exciting indoor exhibition. The event will also highlight numerous voluntary and charitable organisations in Shropshire giving them the opportunity to demonstrate their outstanding achievements. A spectacular moving Pageant will be taking place involving approximately 5000 school children/students and numerous organisations from across Shropshire. The Pageant will reflect the last 60 years of Her Majesty’s reign from a Shropshire perspective, including the emergence and growth of Telford and Wrekin.

Musical groups and artists from across the county will be performing on stage throughout the day. It is hoped that thousands of people will attend this free event, to enjoy a day filled with activities, fun and partying but without doubt, the highlight of the event will be the presence of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. Enjoy the magnificent Shropshire food and drink available to purchase on the day and don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity.

The Lord-Lieutenant is Chairman of the organising team with his deputies and local experts heading up various activities. If you would like to attend this event you will need to register for your free ticket on the official website, www.shropshirejubilee.co.uk

Enjoy a taste of the past at Flying Legends new Vintage

Flying Legends encapsulates nostalgic charm with its evocative combination of iconic flying aircraft, period music and immaculately- attired Second World War living history groups. At this year’s Flying Legends (Saturday 30 June and Sunday 1 July) we’re taking the period feel further with the new Vintage Village, where you can relax in 1940s comfort and watch the world go by.

Situated on the historic hangar base next to Wing Co Joe’s Café, the Vintage Village offers everything you could want for a stylish rendezvous. Enjoy a glass of fizz or two from the Prosecco Bar and listen to the romantic sounds of Harry and Edna’s Revolution 78. These dapper DJs will be playing 1930s and 1940s music in all its original atmospheric splendour on period gramophones.

The Manhattan Dolls make a welcome return after going down a stormat last year’s Flying Legends. This glamorous New York-based Andrews Sisters-style group will be performing those instantly-recognisable hits of the thirties and forties in their own inimitable style.

Enjoy a unique living history experience aboard the Home Front Bus. This classic double-decker bus contains detailed reconstructions of a 1940s living room, a wartime shop, a bombed-out street and an air raid shelter. Containing period features and artefacts, the Home Front Bus replicates the sights, sounds and smells of the Home Front – an authentic trip back in time.

Complete your vintage experience by ordering an IWM Duxford Picnic Hamper. Soak up the atmosphere in the Vintage Village as you enjoy a perfect ration-free picnic lunch for two, including the Duxford sausage roll, homemade sandwiches, hand-cut crisps, seasonal salad, a refreshing Pimms summer berry jelly and traditional elderflower presse, all served in a disposable hamper including cutlery, plates and glasses.

The IWM Duxford Picnic Hamper for two costs £21. To order, please email duxfordevents@elior.com or call 01223 497 501. Please give a minimum of three days notice for your picnic order. Picnic orders are collected from Wing Co Joe’s Café on the day.

Join us in the Vintage Village for some forties fun as we recreate the days when ladies were glamorous, gentlemen were dapper and we may have been at war, but we certainly knew how to have a jolly good knees up!

www.iwm.org.uk

Cockpits open for Museums at Night

19th May 2012

6.00pm – 8.30pm

£10.00 per person

(Open cockpits and aircraft may be subject to change)

Tickets are now on sale for the ever popular ‘Open Cockpits Evening’ at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford. The evening will commence at 6pm on Saturday 19th May. A total of 16 aircraft will be available for close viewing on the night: including transport aircraft, jet fighters plus unique research airframes. Exclusively for this evening the Museum will be opening up one of its latest arrivals, weather permitting, the Hercules – a military transport aircraft.

The evening in May will be the third time the Museum has held this event which allows rare access to the interiors of some of the world’s most historic and iconic aircraft. Visitors will be able to get a feel for what it was like to fly these much loved machines: aircraft such as the unique Bristol 188, a twin engined stainless steel supersonic research monoplane designed to investigate the effects of heat on aircraft structures at very high speeds. Or the F-111 an American twin engine, two seat, multi-purpose attack aircraft which not only became the first variable-geometry combat aircraft to enter service but also saw action during the Vietnam War.

Other major highlights for aviation enthusiasts include the opportunity to see inside the Museum’s Tornado P02, one of the prototypes of the RAF’s twin-engined, two-seat ground attack jet fighter that saw extensive action during the first Gulf War. Visitors will also be able to examine the interior of the Museum’s Sikorsky MH-53 long range combat search and rescue helicopter, a helicopter that saw conflict in various arenas of war from Vietnam to Afghanistan as part of the United States of America Air Force.

Other aircraft accessible to visitors on this evening will include the Pembroke, JU52, Jaguar and the Phantom. In addition to this, visitors will have exclusive after hours access to the Museum which displays over 70 aircraft.

RAF Museum Cosford Assistant Curator, Clare Carr says:
“This Open Cockpits Evening allows visitors to have close up access to Cold War warriors such as the F-111 and MiG21 as well as work horses such as the Hercules and Belfast. The evening is a must for any aviation fan.”

Cosford’s ‘Open Cockpits Evening’ is part of the Museums at Night, an annual international event where hundreds of museums, galleries, libraries, archives and heritage sites across Europe open their doors to the public for special after hours events. This evening will commence from 6.00pm and finish at 8.30pm. Numbers onto the Museum site will be strictly limited to only 300 people, to enable enthusiasts to spend as much time as possible examining these wondrous aircraft. Admission is by advance ticket only. Organisers are advising, given the popularity of previous ‘Open Cockpit Evenings’ to purchase your tickets as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Tickets cost £10.00 per person and are now on sale at the Museum. Minimum height restrictions of 1.07 metres will apply. Parking charges are included in the ticket price.

For further information on the ‘Open Cockpit Evening’ or to purchase tickets over the phone, please contact the Museum on 01902 376200. Visit www.rafmuseum.org for information on the Museum and other events. Please note: Open cockpits and aircraft available for close viewing may be subject to change.

Brick by Brick – Rebuilding Our Past

BBC2, 9pm Friday 6th April

The Grahame-White Watch Office at The Royal Air Force Musem London is the subject of an hour long documentary on BBC2 this Friday.

On Good Friday at 9pm BBC2 will be showcasing the Royal Air Force Museum’s Grahame-White Watch Office Restoration Project in a documentary that explores the building’s dismantling brick by brick from its original site, the salvaging of its original materials, its relocation to the Museum’s site and its final restoration to its full 1915 glory. A task made all the more difficult by the 25 years of vandalism and decay the building suffered since closing to the public in the mid 1980s.

During the course of this restoration process architectural engineer Charlie Luxton will guide viewers through this vast and complex three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle as it is pieced back together; whilst exploring the traditional crafts necessary to restore the dilapidated Grahame-White Watch Office; and discovering the challenges that the building’s original construction created for the restoration team. At times, things are not quite what they seem, and rather than correcting the mistakes of the past both architects and the restoration team adhere to the original drawings and errors to reconstruct the building as it actually was during its hey-day.

At the same time, architectural historian Dan Cruickshank investigates the building’s history, discovering the incredible stories it has to tell of the people who worked, slept, played in its environs.

People such as Richard Thomas Gates, the Grahame-White factory’s first manager and the first serving pilot to die defending London from aerial attack during the First World War ; female workers such as Miss Pilkington for whom working at the factory was an escape from the day to day drudgery of unskilled labour offered to women at the time; and of Claude Grahame-White, a man very nearly written out of the pages of history by an Officer and Upper Class who showed him little or no respect for his achievements in the defence of the realm and his plans to turn Hendon into a major aviation hub, with the site that the Royal Air Force Museum currently occupies becoming the world’s first international airport.

This programme is the first in a series of three that explores the incredible stories of historic buildings as they are rescued from the bulldozers and meticulously resurrected in completely new locations; and will be broadcast on Friday 6th of April at 9pm on BBC2. After viewing the programme members of the public are welcome to examine the work of the restoration team for themselves.

The Claude Grahame-White Watch Office and Hangar is open daily to the public from 10am to 6pm and like the rest of the Royal Air Force Museum site is free for members of the public to visit. For further details about the restoration project, and the aircraft of the Grahame-White Watch Office and Hangar, please visit www.rafmuseum.org/london.