Airscene News

Date: 28 May – 5 June 2016

Time: Tours run between 10am and 4pm, each tour lasts 15 minutes

Cost: Adult and children £5 per person

As May half term fast approaches, organisers at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford are gearing up for a busy week of family tours on-board one of the RAF’s most sophisticated aircraft. From Saturday 28 May until Sunday 5 June, families can step inside the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod R.1 XV249 and learn about its intelligence gathering role in the Royal Air Force.

Tours will run throughout the day for groups of up to six people, lasting approximately 15 minutes. During the tour visitors will learn about the history of the aircraft, hear about the crews on board and view the sophisticated surveillance equipment up close. Perfect for any budding aviators, there will be plenty of opportunities for photos and tour guides will be on hand to answer any questions the inquisitive youngsters may have.

Families will discover why this aircraft and its missions were so secret that even the existence of 51 Squadron who operated it wasn’t mentioned in official documents until 1992, after the end of the Cold War. They will learn why the aircraft’s capabilities were such that even flying through friendly and allied nation airspace required diplomatic clearance. Mixed with a few light hearted stories of the crew stationed on board the Nimrod, including tales of the giant tea pot that could brew almost a gallon of tea, these fascinating tours led by museum staff will have visitors wondering what really goes on in the skies above us. Eagle eyed youngsters are challenged to see if they can find the Argos controls? This equipment was so secret that there was never any mention as to what it was or what it did even in the restricted crew manuals.

RAF Museum Cosford Events Manager Abi Betteridge said:

“Nimrod tours have proved popular with aviation fans in the past, but there is also a real demand from families and our younger visitors who are eager to get on-board and find out more – for some children, this is the first time they have stepped inside an aircraft and what a fascinating one it is! We are able to tailor the tours depending on our audience so the youngsters visiting us during half term will learn lots about the aircraft’s capabilities as well as quirky stories about what it was like to work on board the Nimrod, keeping it fun and not too overwhelming.”

The Nimrod flew in both the maritime patrol and electronic intelligence gathering role. Maritime surveillance, anti-submarine operations and intelligence gathering have been key tasks for the Royal Air Force for much of its long history. When the Nimrod was finally retired from service in 2011, the type had operated with distinction for over forty years in all these roles, and more.

Nimrod tours are available daily throughout May half term week from 10am – 4pm and tickets cost £5.00 per person. Organisers are advising any interested visitors to pre-book their time-slot now via the museum’s website www.rafmuseum.org/cosford to avoid disappointment. Tickets can be purchased on the day subject to availability. All children must be accompanied by an adult, tours are not recommended for children under the age of 5. For further information please call the museum on 01902 376200. The museum is open daily from 10am to 5pm and entry to the museum is FREE of charge.

Date: 20 May 2016

Time: 12.30pm

Cost: FREE

The forgotten role of the Royal Air Force during the Korean War will be the focus of the next Cold War Lunchtime Lecture held at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford later this month. The lecture entitled ‘The RAF in the Korean War, 1950-1953′, will be presented by Ewan Burnet, Curator of Film and Sound at the RAF Museum and examines an often overlooked aspect of the RAF’s history. The lecture will take place on Friday 20 May 2016 at 12.30pm.

This forthcoming lecture is the second in the new series of lectures launched earlier this year, which each cover a different topic related to the Cold War. During this discussion, Ewan will look back to 1950 when the Korean War broke out and how at that time, British resources, severely depleted by the Second World War, were already stretched by existing commitments in parts of the world such as Malaya. As a result, the RAF’s involvement and British involvement more generally, was limited by this and by more pressing Cold War concerns over Soviet intentions.

Despite limited resources and the global unrest in the midst of the Cold War, the RAF was there to offer support with Sunderland flying boats. Based at Iwakuni in Japan, they patrolled the sea around the Korean peninsula and RAF pilots often served on exchange tours with the United States Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force. Offering additional support, Auster’s, still under RAF authority although often manned by Army personnel, provided reconnaissance and artillery spotting capability and aircraft such as the Hastings evacuated casualties back to the UK.

RAF Museum Curator of Film and Sound, Ewan Burnet said:

“Korea highlighted the importance of effective aircrew training and the inadequacy of the Gloster Meteor against modern Soviet designs such as the MiG-15. It underscored the flexibility of air power; a Shorts Sunderland could be patrolling the sea around Korea on one day, and very soon after be on search and rescue duty from Hong Kong or bombing targets in Malaya while based in Singapore. During this lecture I will explore the RAF’s involvement in Korea, and attempt to place it in a broader Cold War context.”

The Cold War lunchtime lectures form part of the RAF Museum’s Research Programme for 2016. ‘The RAF in the Korean War, 1950-1953′, is the second of four lectures taking place at Cosford this year. The programme also consists of the Trenchard Lectures in Air Power Studies and the First World War in the Air Lunchtime Lectures, which are held at the University of Wolverhampton, the Royal Aeronautical Society in London and the RAF Museum in London respectively.

This FREE lecture will be held in the RAF Museum’s National Cold War Exhibition lecture theatre at 12.30pm on Friday 20 May. As spaces are limited, organisers advise visitors to book their tickets in advance via the museum’s website to avoid disappointment.

For further information about the museums research programme or to book your FREE ticket to the lecture, please visit the museum website www.rafmuseum.org/cosford. The museum is open daily from 10am and entry to the museum is FREE of charge.

Date: 13-14 May 2016

Time: 6.00pm to 9.00pm

Cost: £12.50 per person

Tickets to the popular Open Cockpits Evening event taking place at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford next weekend are almost sold out. Less than 70 tickets are available for the event on Friday 13 May and all tickets for Saturday 14 May have now gone.

With new aircraft recently added to the line-up, the evening is packed with a mix of modern jets and nostalgic wartime aircraft, meaning there is something to please aviation enthusiasts young and old. The new line-up includes the Folland Gnat F1 – the forerunner of the Gnat T1 trainer which achieved fame with the ‘Red Arrows’ aerobatic team. It was also used by the Finnish Air Force and the Indian Air Force with whom it was successful in combat in the 1965 and 1971 wars against Pakistan, becoming known as the ‘Sabre slayer’ for it success in downing Pakistan Air Force Sabres. Also new to the line-up is the Hawker Hunter nose section – part of an aircraft that served on the front line of the Cold War in RAF Germany from 1955 to 1957 and the FMA 1A58 Pucara – flown by Argentina’s military government during the 1982 Falklands conflict.

With fifteen historic aircraft available for a close viewing both evenings, aviation fans who would like to climb on board are encouraged to purchase their tickets soon, before they sell out. Admission on the evening is by advance ticket only which are available to purchase via the museum’s website www.rafmuseum.org/cosford, where you can also view a full list of aircraft open on the night.

Visitors will have exclusive after-hours access to the museum which displays a collection of over 75 aircraft, military vehicles, engines and aviation artefacts within three wartime hangars and the National Cold War Exhibition. To ensure visitors get the most out of this unique experience, the museum’s team of volunteers will be on hand to talk through the aircraft controls and answer any questions they may have.

The museum will close at 5.00pm both days, however the Visitor Centre and Refuel Restaurant will remain open for visitors attending the evening event which commences at 6.00pm and finishes at 9.00pm. Tickets cost £12.50 per person which includes parking. Minimum height restrictions of 1.07 metres will apply.