UK Aviation Museum News – Page 78

Celebrate Fathers Day in style at the Military Vehicle Show

Imperial War Museum Duxford celebrates Father’s Day on Sunday 19 June with the power, excitement and thrill of the Military Vehicle Show.

Hundreds of military vehicles of all shapes and sizes will be on display, including a 1943 Excelsior Welbike, 1966 Daimler Ferret, 1943 Dodge WC63, 1924 Morris Bullnose Home Guard Staff Car and the iconic Sherman Tank. The very rare Sturmgeschutz III assault gun, Germany’s most produced armoured fighting vehicle during the SecondWorld War, will also be on display.

A number of military vehicles normally on static display at the Museum will move out of Land Warfare for the Military Vehicle Show. Land Warfare will be open as usual and visitors will be able to take a sneak peek behind the scenes in the workshop where military vehicles are being conserved and rebuilt.

Activities will take place across the Museum with a number of living history groups bringing military campaigns to life:

The 1939-45 Living History Society’s British Airborne Forces section will represent military personnel from 1942 to 1945, who deployed by parachute and glider into the European, North African and Far Eastern theatres of war.

On display will be a living history encampment, with troops under canvas in Orderly Offices and accommodation sections. There will also be a Motor Transport Section, with motorcycles and jeeps, together with a recreated traditional British pub.

Displays will include weapons and personal kit, tactical communications equipment, field engineering and demolitions apparatus. The Society’s Auxiliary Territorial Service section will also be in attendance, portraying the essential supporting role of women working with vehicles and communications during the Second World War.

The Burma Mule Living History Group will be discussing the Forgotten War, with Burma Star veterans chatting to visitors about their wartime experiences, period equipment and mules carrying authentic war-issue pack saddle and loads.

The Royal Ulster Rifles represent the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the regiment in North-West Europe from 1944 to 1945. The Royal Ulster Rifles uniquely had both battalions present during the Normandy Landings on 6 June 1944. After weeks of bitter fighting, the 2nd Battalion had the honour of being the first Allied unit to enter the French city of Caen. Through some rare and authentic exhibits, the Royal Ulster Rifles aim to demonstrate what it would have been like to experience the D-Day Landings at first hand.

There will be guided tours of the Normandy Experience in LandWarfare at 12.00pm and 2.00pm and, as part of the regular programme of Funday Sundays at IWM Duxford, there will be craft activities, object handling sessions and the opportunity to meet a wartime costumed character in Hangar 4: Battle of Britain.

At 2.00pm there is the opportunity to see the military vehicles in action as they take part in a cavalcade along Duxford’s runway, with accompanying commentary. Following the cavalcade, one of the amazing vehicles on display will be awarded Best in Show.

There will also be a Military and Aviation Book Fair in the American Air Museum, together with a range of themed traders, mini tanks on display and the opportunity to ride in a tank between 10.30am and 1.00pm.

The Miniature Armoured Fighting Vehicles Association will be holding its 2011 UK National Championship at the Military Vehicle Show.

This event is included in standard admission to the Museum. Children aged 15 and under go free when accompanied by an adult.

For the first time, exclusively for Military Vehicle Show, digby trout Restaurants will be offering a traditional Sunday lunch to make Father’s Day extra special for all the family. It will be served in the Conservation Hall, under the wings of some of Duxford’s mightiest aircraft, from 11.30am to 3.30pm. Lunch is £19.95 for adults and £9.95 for children. To purchase tickets for the Father’s Day Lunch, call 01223 497 511.

Enjoy the power, excitement and thrill of Military Vehicle Show – the perfect way to celebrate Father’s Day!

www.iwm.org.uk/duxford

60th Anniversary of Valiants First Flight

First Flight 18th May 1951

Wednesday 18th May 2011 will mark the 60th Anniversary of the first flight of the Vickers-Armstrongs Valiant. Part of the Royal Air Forces V-Bomber nuclear deterrent during the 1950’s and 1960’s, the Valiant was the first of the V-bombers to make it into the air, when prototype WB210 took to the skies on 18th May 1951.

The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford is home to the world’s only complete example, Vickers-Armstrongs Valiant B (K).1 XD818. The Valiant is on display in the Museums award winning National Cold War Exhibition, the only place in the world where you can see all three of Britain’s V-Bombers: Vulcan, Victor and Valiant on display together under one roof.

This British four jet bomber went into active RAF service in 1955 and played a significant role during the Cold War period. With a wingspan of 114ft, over 108ft in length and a height of over 32ft, the Valiant had a bomb capacity of a 10,000lb nuclear bomb or 21 x 1,000lb conventional bombs. In total 107 aircraft were built, each carrying a crew of five including two pilots, two navigators and an air electronics officer. The type was retired from RAF service in 1965 due to structural problems.

RAF Museum Cosford Curator, Al McLean says:

“The Valiant was the first of the V-bombers to enter service, the first to drop a nuclear weapon and the first to go into combat. One of the few pilots to have flown all three of the V bombers also described the Valiant as being the nicest to fly of the three. “

The Museums Valiant B (K).1 XD818 was one of eight Valiant’s specially modified by Vickers for involvement in Operation Grapple – the testing of Britain’s first H-bomb. The modifications included measures to protect the aircraft and crew, instrumentation for scientific operations and the addition of extra and special equipment for navigational and bombing requirements. The modified aircraft carried the metal anti-flash screens for the crew and bomb bay cameras to record the bomb drop characteristics.

The Museum is open daily from 10am. Entry to the Museum is FREE. For further information please contact the Museum on 01902 376200 or visit www.rafmuseum.org

Aerobatics competition hosted at Imperial War Museum Duxford gets Royal approval

Imperial War Museum Duxford is delighted to welcome the very best British aerobatics pilots on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 May, as they compete for the Duxford Trophy.

The 2011 Duxford Trophy promises to be even more visually exciting than in previous years, with an enhanced competitive zeal amongst the pilots, leading to more dynamically exciting displays.

For the first time, The British Aerobatic Association has been granted the right to award the inaugural Queen’s Air Race Challenge Cup to the winner of its Speed Aerobatics contest at IWM Duxford on Sunday 29 May.

Queen Elizabeth II has followed in her grandfather’s footsteps in recognising achievements in aviation sport through the Queen’s Air Racing Challenge Cup in association with the Royal Aero Club. The Royal Aero Club Council voted for the British Aerobatic Association to award the first Queen’s Cup to the winner of the Duxford Speed Aerobatics competition.

The trophy, made of Irish silver, bears the Queen’s Coat of Arms and dates back to 1724. At 287 years old, it becomes probably the oldest active sporting trophy in the UK.

The King’s Cup was originally established by King George V as an incentive to the development of light aircraft and engine design. An annual British handicapped cross-country air race, the King’s Cup was first contested on 8 September 1922.

During its years as an RAF fighter station, Duxford was home to a number of pilots who entered the King’s Cup Air Race, including Flying Officer Richard L R Atcherley, who was a pilot and Qualified Flying Instructor with No.29 Squadron at Duxford, equipped with Sopwith Snipes. He was the winner of the King’s Cup in 1929.

Hubert Jones had already competed in the King’s Cup when he was appointed Commanding Officer of No.19 Squadron in 1925 and he continued to compete in the Air Race during his time at Duxford.

IWM Duxford upholds the tradition of those wartime aerial aces in its annual hosting of The Duxford Trophy. Participants in the 2011 competition are amongst the most skilful aerobatic pilots in the UK, with proven records in competition at Advanced and Unlimited levels. They include members of the British Aerobatic Team representing Great Britain at international events.

Come and see the adrenalin and excitement of competition aerobatics at Imperial War Museum Duxford and see the winning pilot claim the first Queen’s Air Race Challenge Cup.

The Duxford Trophy is included in standard admission to the Museum and, as usual, children aged 15 and under go free. www.iwm.org.uk/duxford

F.A.B! A Night at the RAF Museum

18th April 2011

Calling all children of the 60s & 70s! The Royal Air Force Museum London is inviting you to revisit your childhood on Saturday 14th of May by opening its doors for a special evening event that will take them back to their childhood futures.

From 7pm until 11pm, the museum will be opening up its Milestones of Flight, Bomber and Historic Hangars for free to over 18s and giving adult visitors the opportunity to play with giant sized versions of classic children’s games whilst listening to music of the 60s and 70s inspired by ‘futurism’, ‘the white heat of technology’ and Cult TV shows from their childhoods.

For those who spent their school hours idly day-dreaming about living on Tracy Island and piloting Thunderbird 2 the museum is offering the exclusive and rare opportunity to enjoy an audience with Sylvia Anderson, the voice of Lady Penelope and the co-creator of Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlett, UFO and Space 1999.

In an interview to be held in the museum’s cinema at 7.30pm, Sylvia will talk to fans about her career; the iconic actors that she worked with and the inspiration behind the characters that she created taking questions from the audience. After this she will be available to talk to fans whilst signing copies of her latest book ‘Sylvia Anderson – May Fab Years’ in the museum shop. Only 210 tickets for this element of the evening will be available from www.rafmuseumshop.com from Thursday 28th April retailing at £12.50 each, the profits of which will go to the maintenance of the museum’s aircraft collection.

Additionally, the museum will have on display throughout its galleries original and studio standard models and characters from Century 21 television programmes and will also show favourite episodes from Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlett in the Museum’s cinema specially selected by Sylvia Anderson herself.

Paul Hudson, Head of Marketing at the Museum states:

‘The Royal Air Force is renowned across the world for the humanitarian aid that it provides at times of global crisis. Indeed, it could be argued that for many across the world it is truly their International Rescue. As a child of the late 60s, who was captivated by the adventures of the Tracy Brothers, I am particularly honoured to host their co-creator and to display original models from the series. I am confident that this event will prove to be as fascinating to our adult audience as our day-time events are to our younger visitors.’

The Royal Air Force Museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm daily. Admission is free with last admission being at 5.30 pm. For further details about this event, please visit www.rafmuseum.org/london. Tickets will be sold through the museum’s online shop.

Rare Chance To Step Inside Historic Aircraft

14th May 2011
6.00pm – 8.30pm
£10.00 per person

The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will be opening up its doors to visitors for a special evening event taking pace on Saturday 14th May. A selection of aircraft and cockpits will be available for close viewing for a limited number of visitors. This event is one of many taking place around the country as part of the national ‘Museums at Night’ weekend.

During ‘Open Cockpits Evening’ members of the public will have the chance to see inside a number of cockpits including the Hunter F4, Buccaneer, Phantom and a Gnat T1 as previously used by the world famous Red Arrows team and get a feeling of what it was like to fly these much loved aircraft.

Other major highlights for aviation enthusiasts include the opportunity to walk through the mighty Vulcan bomber cockpit and other Cold War aircraft including the Belfast, York and Hastings. It is hoped to have a total of 13 aircraft available for this rare opportunity of close viewing.

Museum Curator, Al McLean says:

“The open cockpits evening will be a rare treat for our visitors. This is something that we have not able to do very often and some of these cockpits have not been seen at Cosford before.”

This is an evening event open from 6.00pm to 8.30pm. Numbers will be limited and admission is by advance ticket only. Tickets costs £10.00 per person and will be on sale from Monday 11th April from the museum. Height restrictions will apply.

The event ties in with ‘Museums at Night’, a national event where hundreds of museums, galleries, libraries, archives and heritage sites will unlock their doors for special evening events over the weekend of 13th-15th May.

A second ‘Open Cockpits Evening’ at the Museum is planned for Saturday 17th September 2011.

For further information on the Open Cockpit Evening, please contact the Museum on 01902 376200 or visit www.rafmuseum.org

Large Model Air Show Set To Fly High With Discounted Advanced Tickets

16-17 July 2011
Advanced tickets on sale from 1st April
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 on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th July 2011 will be on sale from Friday 1st April 2011.

This famous air show in miniature is an absolute must see for any aviation enthusiast. Last year it attracted in excess of 12,000 visitors over the weekend, with hundreds of scale models of iconic aircraft taking to the skies during the two-day event. Large Model Association organisers are hoping this year’s event will prove just as popular and are now offering the chance to beat the rush and buy tickets early on at a discounted rate.

The main theme of this year’s show will be marking the 75th Anniversary of the first Spitfire flight, with scale models of this iconic aircraft flying both days. The event also includes a family fun fair, trade and food stalls, access to the RAF Museum and full size aircraft displays. Gates open at 8.30am.

Advance tickets for the Large Model Aircraft Rally at the RAF Museum Cosford 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.

On site camping including entrance to the show is only £40.00 for the weekend when booked in advance. Contact Dave Bailey for more details on camping at dave.bailey08@tiscali.co.uk or call 07827 675665.

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

Get Ready 4D Feeling of Flight

If you have ever wondered what it actually feels to soar amongst the clouds or to participate an intense aerial battle wonder no more. Visitors to the Royal Air Force Museum will be able to experience the all thrills and exhilaration of powered flight by entering the Museum’s newest exhibit – its 4 Dimensional Theatre.

The 4D Theatre is a fun interactive experience that takes you right into the heart of the action! It combines cutting-edge 3D computer animation with the added dimension of dynamic seating and special environmental effects like water spray, smoke machine and shaking seats. Visitors are transported directly into each story as they become a young crew member of a B17 Bomber; or a jet pilot with lighting quick reactions careering along a desert canyon in a frantic race against your bitterest rival; or passenger in a airship surveying the history of flight a various aircraft swoop around you.

Get ready for turbulence as you dodge enemy fire; feel an aerial battle explode around you; and experience the chill on your skin as you parachute through the clouds. Each stunning film is delivered to you through exciting stereoscopic 3D with 4D special effects.

Vinit Mehta, Merchandising Manager, for the museum states:

“The most common question that our Tour Guides, particularly those who have served in the RAF, are asked by the public is ‘How does it feel?’ to be in a particular aircraft or part of a crew in a high octane situation. With our 4D Theatre we can now offer our visitors a unique opportunity to understand the actual experience that RAF Pilots undergo in combat or as part of their training. By entertaining them, the experience becomes more real and so does their appreciation of our unparalleled collection of aircraft and the men and women who flew them.”

Tickets for each ride retail at £4 per person. Whilst a Family Ticket at £12 entitles two adults and two children for a ride. A single ticket entitles the bearer not only to a rise but also to a free tea or coffee from the Museum’s Wing’s Restaurant or Wessex Café ; a family ticket, two complimentary teas or coffees. Terms and conditions apply. Tickets for each ride may be purchased from the Museum’s Main Entrance, Shop, the Museum’s simulators and the 4D Theatre itself. Each ride lasts between 5 and 10 minutes, depending upon the film being shown.

Entry to the Royal Air Force Museum is free of charge to visitors. The museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm with last admission at 5.30 pm. For further details about the Museum’s 4D Theatre and its individual films please visit www.rafmuseum.org/london or dial 020 8205 2266

Bikers Ride Out For The RAF

Sunday 8th May 2011

£5.00 per person

A charity motorcycle run will take place again this year in aid of the RAF Association and RAF Museum. Motorheads from all over the UK are invited to join the third annual RAF ride out from Shrewsbury Meole Brace park & ride to the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford in Shropshire on Sunday 8th May 2011.

Thousands of bikers from across the country are expected to join together for a massive ‘Ride Out’ in support of the RAF. Registration costs just £5 per person, with all proceeds being shared equally between the RAF Association’s Wings Appeal and the RAF Museum.

Following its major success over the last two years, organisers are hoping this year’s event will see a record number of bikers taking part, smashing the previous year’s totals. The events held over the last two years have attracted thousands of bikers and proved to be an incredible visual spectacle. Hundreds of members of the public lined the bridges of the M54 to watch almost 3,000 bikers make their way to the RAF Museum.

Participants are asked to arrive at Shrewsbury’s Meole Brace Park and Ride from 10.00am, where they will be able to catch up with bikers from across the country, enjoy a warm breakfast and speak with the Shropshire Road Safety Team. Departing for the RAF Museum Cosford at 11.30am, bikers will travel ‘on mass’ by police escort along the M54 motorway. On arrival at the Museum there will be the opportunity to view the award winning National Cold War Exhibition, visit the trade stalls and auto jumble or take a ride on the family fun fair. Catering stalls will be selling hot and cold food, plus Costa Coffee is available in the Museum restaurant.

For more information or to register for this fun charity ride out, book your place online now at: www.rafmuseum.org/cosford or call 01902 376252.

HRH The Duke of Gloucester opens new exhibition hall

Date: Tuesday 15th March

The refurbished and relocated historic Grahame-White Watchtower building has been given a Royal public opening by HRH The Duke of Gloucester

The redundant Watchtower building built in 1915 was once the centre piece of aviation pioneer Claude Grahame-White’s aircraft factory in Hendon, home to the British aircraft industry and the birthplace of British aviation. Flying from Hendon ceased in the late 1960’s and use of the building ceased with the closure of RAF Hendon in 1987. Since that time the building had fallen into disrepair.

Now relocated and renovated, the building sits next to the Grahame-White Factory on the main Museum site. The Watchtower will exhibit displays on the life of Claude-Grahame White, the history of the Hendon Aerodrome and the pioneering years of flights. The upper floor will also feature a recreation of Claude Grahame-White’s original office as well as a learning centre.

Air Vice-Marshal Peter Dye, Director General, Royal Air Force Museum: “This building and new exhibition provides a fitting tribute to Claude Grahame-White, one of this country’s most important aviation pioneers. We intend to sustain his legacy through an exciting education programme that will provide a community resource as well as allowing visitors to understand the vital role of the local area in the history of British aviation.”

www.rafmuseum.org

Wolverhampton Wanderers In The RAF

The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford is embarking on an exciting new venture with Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club. They are working together on a joint project to examine the lives of footballers who served in the forces during the Second World War era.

The Museum is particularly interested in those players who went on to join the RAF and the careers they had within that branch of the armed forces.

Information provided by Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club Historian and Archivist Graham Hughes, shows that during the Second World War, Wolves Manager Major Frank Buckley who served in the Army himself, issued a call to arms to his football team and backroom staff. His encouragement led to 91 men joining up for active service by the end of the war in 1945.

Philip Clayton, Education Officer at RAF Museum Cosford says:

“The research will look into the lives and memories of Wolves players that served in the RAF for both club and country. This is an exciting long term project which I hope will bring a greater understanding of football during this period.”

This mammoth task is believed to be one of the first of its kind and the more information that can be gathered, the better. If anyone has any memories, information, photos or medals of people who served in the forces and played for Wolves, we would like to hear from you. Please contact wwfcresearch@rafmuseum.org or visit the Museum website and complete the online form at www.rafmuseum.org/wwfcresearch. Alternatively, please write to the Museum at: Philip Clayton, Access and Learning, RAF Museum Cosford, Shifnal, Shropshire, TF11 8UP.

This exciting local project will be a combination of efforts from the RAF Museum Cosford, Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club, RAF Cosford and Wolverhampton University being led by Post Graduate Samantha Leek.

The Museum is open daily from 10am and entry to the Museum is FREE. For further information please contact the Museum on 01902 376200 or visit www.rafmuseum.org