Category: News UK

RAF Museum Cosford Events 2015 Diary Date

Forthcoming events taking place at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford during 2015:

 

 

Event

Date

Jan

Airfix Make and Take

17 January

Feb

Model Making Half Term

16-20 February

Mar

Easter Activities

30 March – 2 April

Apr

Easter Activities

7-10 April

 

Shropshire Scale Model Show

12 April

 

Bike4Life Fest

26 April

May

Open Cockpits Evening

15-16 May **

 

Half Term Activities

25-29 May

Jun

Dornier Do 17 – Two Years On

10 June **

 

RAF Cosford Air Show

14 June **

 

Armed Forces Day

27 June

Jul

Large Model Aircraft Rally

18-19 July **

 

Cosford Food Festival

25-26 July **

Aug

August Activities

1-31 August

Sep

Battle of Britain Weekend

12-13 September

 

Battle of Britain Afternoon Concert

13 September **

 

Open Cockpits Evening

18-19 September **

Oct

Half Term Activities

26-30 October

Nov

Remembrance Service

8 November

 

Conservation Centre Open Week

9-14 November **

** Admission Charges Apply.

More details on each event will be issued closer to the time. Some events may incur a small participation fee and additional events may be added during the year.

RAF Museum Cosford Public Events Manager Abi Betteridge said:

“This year’s event calendar is packed with popular favourites including the Large Model Aircraft Rally and the Cosford Food Festival, plus we will also see the return of the Battle of Britain Weekend as 2015 marks the 75th anniversary of this significant milestone in RAF history. We have doubled the number of Open Cockpits Evenings to try and keep up with demand and we have plenty of fun packed activities planned for each of the school holidays to keep the youngsters entertained.”

For further information on forthcoming events taking place at the RAF Museum Cosford in 2015, please contact the Museum on 01902 376200 or visit www.rafmuseum.org.

Festive opening dates at Cosford

RAF Cosford Britannia in snow

If you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle this Christmas, why not visit the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford during the festive period? The Museum will be open daily throughout December from 10am apart from Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Not only will you be able to reminisce in the Warplanes Hangar where you can view a wide range of historic aircraft including the world’s oldest Spitfire, visitors can get up close to a unique collection of experimental jets including the TSR2 and the Bristol 188.

Step in from the cold into the award winning National Cold War Exhibition, where you will find much more than aircraft on display. The exhibition includes a genuine section of the Berlin Wall, audio visual displays telling the story of the Cold War in a fun and innovative way, plus a collection of military tanks and civilian vehicles – all housed under the wings of Britain’s three V Bombers; Vulcan, Victor and Valiant and other aircraft suspended in flying attitudes.

The RAF Museum Cosford is also home to a number of smaller unique exhibitions including Lucky Mascots and RAF Boy Entrants. Plus, in Hangar 1 you will find the 1:1 scale Airfix Spitfire model built by TV Presenter James May and the popular ‘Pilots of the Caribbean – Volunteers of African Heritage in the RAF’ exhibition. Best of all, if your credit cards are maxed out after Christmas, a visit to the Museum won’t cost you a penny as admission is FREE!

So if you’re looking to entertain the children in the run up to Christmas, or your nearest and dearest in the lull before New Year, the RAF Museum has something to occupy visitors of all ages. The fun filled area of Fun ‘n’ Flight will keep the youngsters fascinated, packed with hands on excitement; it’s the easy way to answer all those questions about how aircraft stay up in the air. Or, if you’re in need of a break from all the cooking, why not treat yourself to a warming meal and freshly brewed cup of Coffee in our Refuel Restaurant overlooking the Museum grounds.

The Museum will close again on New Year’s Day and will reopen on Friday 2 January 2015 from 10am until 5pm (last admission 4pm). The Museum’s annual closure week for maintenance, training and cleaning will run from 5-9 January 2015. For further information, please call the Royal Air Force Museum on 01902 376200 or visit the Museum website www.rafmuseum.org. The Museum is open daily from 10am and admission is FREE of charge.

Re-Live All Of The Air Tattoo Thrills

RIAT dvd

Forget Santa’s Sleigh, when it comes to providing an aerial spectacle to savour this Christmas, look no further than the official 2014 Royal International Air Tattoo Souvenir DVD.

Featuring all the thrills and excitement from the world’s greatest airshow, it’s the perfect gift for anyone with a passion for aviation.

Filmed in High Definition and featuring multiple camera angles, including on-board footage, the official DVD captures the very best of the flying display including the rarely-seen Polish Air Force Su-22M4 pair, the Turkish Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon, the RAF Chinook and the RAF Typhoon plus the ever-popular Alenia C-27J Spartan from the Italian Air Force.

A sell-out crowd of 140,000 visited RAF Fairford over three days in Julyto join celebrations marking the Red Arrows’ 50th display season. The souvenir DVD, which is also available on Blu-ray or as a digital download, captures behind-the-scenes preparations, interviews with team members and display footage as well as coverage of the Reds’ unique flypast with the leaders of four other international aerobatic display teams.

More than 220 aircraft, representing 32 air arms from 26 countries took part in this year’s airshow, which is staged in support of the RAF Charitable Trust. In a special ‘extras’ section on the DVD, there is the opportunity to see many of those aircraft that appeared on static display either arriving or departing RAF Fairford. They include the debut airshow appearance of the Textron AirLand Scorpion, the final Air Tattoo appearance by two Hellenic Air Force LTV A-7E/TA-7C Corsair IIs and a rarely seen Japanese Boeing KC-767J.

And with narration by one of the UK’s most respected airshow commentators, Ben Dunnell, the official RIAT 2014 DVD shines an entertaining and informativespotlight on modern military aviation.

Air Tattoo Chief Executive Andy Armstrong said: “Air Tattoo DVDs are renowned for featuring great in-cockpit footage and this year is no different. We went all out to get access to as many aircraft as we could and the result is fantastic. Viewers will be able to enjoy many of the displays from the pilots’ perspective – which can sometimes make you feel quite dizzy!”

The official Air Tattoo 2014Souvenir DVD is available on DVD (priced £19.95); Blu-ray (£24.95) and, for the first time via digital download (£14.95). To order your copy, visit www.airtattoo.com or call 0800 107 1940.

Newark Air Museum Events for 2015

Newark Air Museum Victory Day

Here at Newark Air Museum, a registered charity, we’re already starting to make plans for our 2015 special events and we hope that you may be able to join us…

7 March 2015 – Indoor Aeroboot / Aerojumble Table Top Sale 48 sellers tables all hosted inside Display Hangar 2 amongst the aircraft at the museum site in eastern Nottinghamshire. {Special discount admission rates apply, open to everyone to attend.}

16 & 17 May 2015 – Tribute to our Training Aircraft an open cockpit style event based around the museum’s extensive display of training aircraft, cockpits and CIMs; with viewing opportunities and in some cases aircraft access. {Normal admission rates apply; and small additional fees when going inside aircraft.}

13 & 14 June 2015 – Cockpit-Fest 2015 & Aeroboot / Aerojumble; this regular two day event provides the perfect opportunity for the public to view a diverse range of visiting aircraft cockpits. {Normal admission rates apply}

25 & 26 July 2015 – Victory Days 2015; this weekend will include 40’s attractions such as the Anderson Shelter and Dig for Victory Garden experience, music, re-enactors, period traders, Tea Tent, period food, vintage civilian / military vehicles, and displays of period clothing and other items; all set amidst the museum’s aircraft collection. A flypast from the BBMF has been applied for. Anyone visiting is encouraged to wear period clothing but no Axis uniforms will be allowed as this is a Home Front event. {Normal admission rates apply}

www.newarkairmuseum.org

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.

Super Offer For Air Tattoo Earlybirds

Air Tatto 2015 promo art

A special commemorative flypast marking the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain will be among the highlights of next summer’s Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford.

The details were announced as specially-priced tickets for the three-day airshow, which takes place on July 17-19, went on sale for a limited period.

Super Earlybird admission tickets, priced at £26 for the Friday and £36 for Saturday and Sunday are available until January 31, 2015. The prices represent a saving of more than 20 per cent off the cost of a standard admission ticket.

Next summer’s airshow will focus on aircraft from around the world whose primary role is to protect their nations’ skies whether in support of combat missions, intelligence gathering, providing an airlift capability or delivering humanitarian aid.

Themed ‘Securing The Skies – Past, Present, Future’, the airshow will look to feature legendary aircraft such as the Spitfire and Hurricane, that proved so effective during World War Two; operational aircraft such as the RAF Tornado, currently in action over Iraq; and the RAF Typhoon, which remain on 24-hour standby in the UK and were scrambled recently to intercept Russian bombers.

The Air Tattoo also hopes that the futuristic Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, which was due to take part in the 2014 airshow, will make its much heralded European display debut at RAF Fairford next summer.

Air Tattoo Chief Executive Andy Armstrong saidthat with so much instability in the world, it was the ideal time to turn the spotlight on the important role air power has played and continues to play in making Britain and our allies around the world, safer.

He added: “Already, the response from international air arms has been extremely positive and we’ll be looking to build on last summer’s hugely successful event. With ticket prices starting at £26 and all under-16s enjoying free admission, the Air Tattoo continues to offer extraordinary value for money.”

The Royal International Air Tattoo is staged annually at RAF Fairford in support of the RAF Charitable Trust. To purchase Super Earlybird admission tickets and to view enclosure options, visit www.airtattoo.com. All under-16s go free. Free parking.

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