Tag: April

French Mirage IV Strategic Nuclear Bomber Gifted by France to Britain

Dassault Mirage

On Monday 27th March, the Director of the Allied Air Forces Memorial & Yorkshire Air Museum, Ian Reed ONM FRAeS, was at Châteaudun Airbase on the outskirts of Paris, to sign the contact and see off the departure of the convoy of 4 transporters on an epic 850km journey bringing the iconic Mirage IV BR (No. 45) strategic nuclear bomber gifted by the French Government to its new home at Elvington in Yorkshire.

This unique Anglo/French Project occurs just as British Prime Minister Theresa May begins the formal BREXIT process, an irony not lost on our colleagues both sides of the Channel (La Manche).

Sally Greenaway, Head of Visit York, said: “This unique gift recognises the historic links and friendship between France and Britain and we’re thrilled the Mirage IV will be making its home at the Yorkshire Air Museum. As the only example in the world of this aircraft type on display outside of France, this adds yet another unique offer for our 6.9 million visitors to York and is sure to create lots of interest not just in the UK but also overseas”.

Tens of thousands followed the journey on social media, whilst others lined the route through England as the transporter carried it’s load up the M25, M3, M25, M1, A1(M), A64 and finally the B1228 to Elvington.

This is the culmination of 12 years of negotiation and is already being followed by tens of thousands of supporters across the world by social media, TV and Press. There is a dedicated website for up to date media information with pictures, background history and supporters: http://mirage.yorkshireairmuseum.org

Chocks away for the RAF Centenary!

artists impression

April 1 2017 marked 99 years since the Royal Air Force was founded. With the services 100th anniversary approaching next year, the RAF Museum is hard at work preparing for the historic occasion by delivering a £26m RAF Centenary Programme, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Forged in the crucible of the First World War, the story of the Royal Air Force has shaped the modern world. By inspiring technological development, pioneering cultural change and pushing the boundaries of human achievement, the RAF has touched the lives of millions around the globe.

The RAF Museum is a national award-winning museum telling the story of the RAF past, present and future, through its people and collections at sites in both London and Cosford. 2018 is a once in a life-time opportunity to mark the 100th anniversary of the RAF as well as recognising the on-going impact and contribution the service plays on the world today.

Through a national collection of aircraft and artefacts, the Museum will honour this important milestone through a £26m major transformation of its visitor experience at its London site. Work is already underway to deliver the exciting plans that will celebrate and commemorate this anniversary as well as looking to the future, by creating a Royal Air Force legacy that endures and enriches future generations.

At London, new landscaping will welcome visitors to discover a new green heart of the community, reflecting the historic RAF Hendon airfield. New, innovative galleries will explore the first 100 years of the RAF, its roles today and entice visitors to imagine its future contribution and technology. Plus, a new digital sharing project will promote conversation with a global audience and help connect people to the RAF story, sharing information onsite and online.

The development plans will also include new exhibitions at Cosford, exploring the first 100 years of the RAF and new aircraft displays which are already underway, to enable the RAF’s story to be more comprehensively represented to Museum audiences in the Midlands. The Cosford site will also be the focus of ‘My RAF Story’, which promises to be the largest collection of publicly sourced RAF stories.

The new exhibition halls at London will be opening in Summer 2018 as part of the wider calendar of national RAF events. Until then it’s business as usual at both RAF Museum sites, open daily from 10 am….along with aircraft moves, exhibition construction, re-landscaping, design work and public events…..and not forgetting that admission is FREE!

Aviation fans can keep up to date with the centenary aircraft moves and on-going developments by signing up to the Museum’s free e-Newsletter http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/contact-us/newsletters.aspx

Easter Trail, Half-Price 4D Experiences and Family Fun Galore at Brooklands Museum

Concorde Experience

1st – 23rd April

There is some speggtacular Easter Family Fun at Brooklands this April with an Easter Trail that will keep visitors entertained every day from 1st – 23rd April. During this period visitors will be able to collect their free Trails on arrival, head off around the Museum to solve the hidden clues, and then back to the Shop to claim their FREE Easter-egg prize.

And there are loads of other Easter attractions at the Museum to keep visitors absorbed for the rest of their visit once they’ve solved the Trail clues. In fact, the offering is so varied that the Museum has created a special mini-calendar (see below) to remind visitors of the attractions available on each day.

Also from the 1st – 23rd April visitors can experience one of the three exhilarating rides in the 4D Theatre for HALF the normal price between 10am and 1pm – that’s just £2 for Adults and £1 for Children. Once seated and strapped in, the motion simulator provides a thrilling experience to make visitors feel as if they are taking part in the real-life action. ‘Race’ around the Brooklands track in the awesome Napier-Railton Special, ‘fly’ with the Red Arrows or ‘drive’ with legend Mike Hawthorn in his Jaguar at Le Mans in 1956. The rides run all day and last around 8 minutes each. For rides taken after 1pm, normal prices will apply (£4 and £2).

The Concorde Experience is a half-hour virtual supersonic ‘flight’ on the Brooklands Concorde and runs every day, but on each weekday from 3rd – 21st April, special Kids Tours will be running twice a day. And don’t forget to look out for the Museum’s larger than life mascot, Bertie Bear, who will be roaming the site looking for fans to have his photograph taken with weekdays 3rd – 13th April.

The Museum’s long-established and hugely popular rides in vintage-style cars and on London Bus Museum’s iconic double-decker buses will also be operating during weekdays from 3rd – 13th April. Car rides take in the challenging summit of Test Hill and the Members’ Banking, the steepest part of the original Race Track, as long as it’s not too wet or slippery. Or, for a more relaxed journey, hop on board a real double-decker bus for a bus trip through the surrounding streets. Car and bus rides will run in the mornings and afternoons with a short break for lunch and are subject to crew and vehicle availability.

The Brooklands Learning Team will be running two FREE drop-in workshops for youngsters: from 3rd – 7th April they can find out about how forces and friction work by making Bertie Bear bounce up and down on his elastic string while from 10th – 14th April and again on 17th (Easter Monday), they can look for various objects around the museum in Brooklands Bingo with the first one to fill in their sheet and shout ‘Bingo’ being the winner. All materials will be provided for these workshops and no pre-booking is necessary.

Add to this a visit to the Museum Shop to pick up a souvenir and a “refuel” in the Sunbeam Café and Brooklands Museum offers the recipe for a perfect Easter day out. Normal admission prices apply: Adults £11, Seniors £10, Children (5-16 yrs) £6, Family ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children) £30. The Concorde Experience is £5 for adults, £3 for children. A minimum donation of £1 per passenger is requested for car and bus rides. The main visitor entrance for the Museum is via Mercedes-Benz World, on Brooklands Drive off Wellington Way between Weybridge and Byfleet.

For full details of events, directions and general Museum information, please telephone 01932 857381 or visit www.brooklandsmuseum.com. The Museum is open daily from 10am.

German front line duo are highlights of Open Cockpits Evening

Focke Wulf 190

Date: 19-20 May 2017

Time: 6.00pm to 9.00pm

Cost: £12.50 per person

Two Second World War German front line fighter aircraft, the Messerschmitt BF109G-2/Trop and the Focke Wulf Fw190A-8/U-1 have been announced as highlights at the forthcoming ‘Open Cockpits Evening’ taking place at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford on 19-20 May 2017.

With just 300 tickets available per evening, organisers are anticipating the event will be hugely popular with aviation fans eager to get a look inside two former Luftwaffe aircraft. In addition, a wide range of transport aircraft, jet fighters and unique research airframes from each of the Museum’s display hangars and within the Museum grounds will be open on the night for close viewing.

The Messerschmitt BF109G-2, designed by Willi Messerschmitt, is a legend alongside the British Spitfire, American P51 Mustang and the Japanese Zero. First flown in 1935, the Bf109 was obsolescent by the second half of World War Two yet it remained the backbone of the German Air Force’s day fighter force and was flown by many of her allies. In production right up to the end of hostilities, more than 33,000 were built second only to the Russian ‘Sturmovik’ as the most prolific military design, and post-war versions served with the Czech, Israeli and Spanish Air Forces, the latter until the mid-1960s – with Rolls Royce Merlin engines. Compact, rugged, fast and heavily armed the Bf109 has the distinction of being flown by the highest-scoring fighter aces in history. The museum’s rare example is a recent edition to the aircraft display at Cosford following its arrival in November 2016 and this is the first time the aircraft will be opened up to the public to have a closer view inside (no internal access).

Also new to the ‘Open Cockpits Evening’ line-up is fellow German fighter the Focke Wulf Fw190 – a single-seat single-engine multi-role fighter-bomber, capable of carrying a larger bomb load than its counterpart the Messerschmitt Bf109. Entering Luftwaffe service in August 1941, the Fw 190 proved superior in many respects to the Royal Air Force’s main frontline fighter, the Spitfire V. It took the introduction of the much improved Spitfire IX in July 1942 for the RAF to gain an aircraft of equal capability. One of its more unusual roles was as part of the twin-aircraft drone combination, code-named mistletoe or Mistel where a single engine fighter was mounted on top of a twin engine bomber, and on lining up with the target the fighter detached itself, leaving the bomber, packed with explosives, to impact the target. Cosford’s Fw 190 is a unique survivor of a Mistel combination and was part of a combination with a Junkers Ju 88. Although not its original partner aircraft, the Museum’s Ju88 example is now on display alongside the Fw190. Visitors to ‘Open Cockpits Evening’ will be able to sit inside the cockpit of the Fw190 on the night.

RAF Museum Cosford Curator, Al McLean said:
“The event in May is a rare chance to see inside the two most iconic German fighter aircraft of the Second World War, positioned directly opposite their British counterparts.”

Other highlights for visitors on the night will include the British Aircraft Corporation TSR 2, BAe Harrier GR9A, General Dynamics F-111F-CF and the Lockheed Hercules C130K Mk3 to name but a few.

Ticket holders will also have exclusive after-hours access to the Museum from 6pm to 9pm to experience what it feels like to sit inside a military aircraft that’s seen action around the world and marvel at the advanced technologies on unique airframes. To make sure visitors get the most out of the event, there will be a team of Volunteers manning each aircraft on the night to answer any questions from visitors.

Tickets are now available to purchase through the museum’s website www.rafmuseum.org/cosford and cost £12.50 per person which includes parking. Minimum height restrictions of 1.07 metres will apply. The Museum will close at 5.00pm both days; however the Visitor Centre and Refuel Restaurant will remain open for ticket holders and will be serving a special ‘Open Cockpits Evening’ menu.

A second Open Cockpits Evening will take place on 15-16 September and will feature a different line-up of aircraft.

RAF Aircraft Showcased at Air Show Media Launch

Cosford Air Show 2017

Various Royal Air Force aircraft were showcased at last monday’s Media Launch of the RAF Cosford Air Show 2017, giving a sneak preview of what’s to come on Sunday 11th June.

With RAF Cosford hosting the Royal Air Force’s only official Air Show, it comes as no surprise that all the RAF display teams are scheduled to perform at the show, including the world famous Red Arrows flying their nine Hawk jets. The Eurofighter Typhoon is also scheduled to perform a thrilling solo display, with Flt Lt Ryan Lawton showcasing the power and agility of the combat aircraft. The RAF’s Grob Tutor is returning to the Air Show circuit for 2017, and Sqn Ldr Andy Tagg was on hand at the Media Launch to show off the Tutor aircraft. Displays from the RAF Falcons and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will also form part of the six-hour flying display.

As well as dazzling displays in the air, there will also be an array of aircraft on static display across the airfield on Sunday 11th June which visitors will be able to get up close and personal with. Two of the aircraft types which are scheduled for static display at the Air Show, a Tucano T1 and Squirrel HT1, were present at the Media Launch today. The organisers said that more aircraft would be announced over the coming weeks.

With the Air Show fast approaching, and with no tickets available at the gate, those wishing to attend are being encouraged to purchase their tickets soon. Air Show Tickets, priced £25.00, are currently available from the Air Show website and selected retail outlets including the RAF Museum at Cosford and Hendon. Accompanied under-16s enter the Air Show for free, making the event a great family day out.

www.cosfordairshow.co.uk

Air Tattoo Tickets Flying Out The Door

Royal International Air Tattoo

Saturday tickets for this summer’s Royal International Air Tattoo are set to sell out by the end of April, predict airshow organisers.

Tickets for all the enclosures have already sold out for Saturday, July 8, and admission tickets are set to follow as the Air Tattoo’s Earlybird offer comes to an end on Bank Holiday Monday (May 2).

Highlights such as the first ever international display by the world’s most advanced jet – the F-35B Lightning II – and the Red Arrows are fuelling an unprecedented demand for tickets for the airshow, which takes place on July 8-10 at RAF Fairford in the Cotswolds.

Air Tattoo Head of Marketing Helen Webb said: “After last summer’s 150,000 sell-out, people don’t want to miss out this year. By securing Earlybird tickets by our May 2 deadline, they’ll not only be guaranteed a great day out, but they will be making a saving of £5 off the cost of a standard advance ticket.”

In addition to an eight-hour flying display, visitors will be able to view a wide range of aircraft in the Showground and enjoy a feast of fun-packed interactive activities for the whole family including the Techno Zone, Adrenalin Zone, Vintage Village and Autodrome.

The Air Tattoo is staged annually in support of the RAF Charitable Trust. Tickets for the event are only available in advance. Specially-priced Earlybird tickets are available until May 2 from www.airtattoo.com or by calling 0800 107 1940. All accompanied under-16s go free. Free parking.

Croatia Joins Exclusive Air Tattoo Club

Wings of Storm

The UK display debut of aerobatic team KrilaOluje at RAF Fairford in the Cotswolds this summer will see Croatia become the 56th nation to take part in the Royal International Air Tattoo since it was established in 1971.

KrilaOlujefly six Swiss-built PC-9M turboprop aircraft and are renowned for performing attractive and imaginative display sequences including dynamic close-formation, opposition and solo elements. Its pilots and aircraft are drawn from the ranks of the 93rd Air Base at Zemunik near Zadar on the Adriatic coast.

Since its first public appearance in 2004, Croatia’s national aerobatic team, whose name translates as Wings of Storm, has displayed around the world but it has never before appeared in the UK.

The name KrilaOluje salutes a major Croatian military operation named ‘Oluje’ (Storm), which took place in August 1995 during the country’s war of independence from the former Yugoslavia. It was the climax of that campaign and a major event in the wider Balkan conflict of that era.

Another treat for visitors to RIAT 2016 comes in the form of the KrilaOluje support aircraft, a Mil Mi-171 transport helicopter, which will be on static display.

RAF Charitable Trust Enterprises’ Chief Executive Andy Armstrong said: “The Air Tattoo team is always extremely happy to add new countries to the long list of participating nations, and Croatia’s presence in 2016 is sure to be a highlight of the show. Not only will this be the display team’s first appearance in the UK but it will be the first time any Croatian aircraft has appeared here. For this reason alone, I am sure they will receive a particularly warm welcome when they touch down in July.”

www.airtattoo.org

The American Air Show at IWM Duxford

Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 May

Celebrating the reopening of the transformed American Air Museum

May Bank Holiday weekend (Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 May) will see the American Air Show at IWM Duxford, celebrating the reopening of the newly-transformed American Air Museum .

Over the weekend, vibrant flying displays will be accompanied by evocative living history, veterans’ voices and powerful film and music to show the developing relationship between Britain and America through the World Wars, Cold War and into the present day.

In addition to the dynamic flying display, visitors will be able to meet living history groups representing the United States Air Force in the Second World War and during the Vietnam era, listen to nostalgic music performed by Miss Holliday Swing, The Bluebird Belles and Pete Wayre and explore the newly-transformed American Air Museum, containing the best collection of American aircraft on display outside North America.

Highlights of the flying programme include:

• Epic flying displays depicting the bomber operations of the Second World War, the war in the Pacific and the Vietnam War.

• Thrilling contemporary displays by the Patrouille de France (Saturday only), the Red Arrows (Sunday only) and the Eurofighter Typhoon.

• Two replica Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a biplanes and a replica Nieuport 17, representing the relationship created between Britain and America during the latter stages of the First World War.

• Four North American Harvards, key training aircraft for British and American pilots, take to the skies to represent the British-American alliance reinforced while America remained neutral in the Second World War. The Harvards are followed by a Spartan Executive and a Ryan STA, glorious 1930s aircraft that were also used for training purposes.

• Archive sound and film footage places visitors on an Eighth Air Force bomber airfield in the Second World War as the ground crew await the arrival of the last B-17 Flying Fortress to return from a mission. B-17 Flying Fortress Sally B flies in, accompanied by two P-51 Mustangs and a TF-51 Mustang, the fighter aircraft that accompanied the huge bombers for part of their mission. Following a poignant display by B-17 Flying Fortress Sally B, the Mustangs are intercepted by a Hispano Buchón (Messerschmitt Bf 109) and a thrilling tail chase ensues.

• As two Douglas C-47 Skytrain aircraft fly in, large screens are filled with footage of American paratroopers and, in a filmed interview, Henry ‘Duke’ Boswell, a paratrooper in the Second World War, describes his experiences as a young man carrying out combat jumps, including on D-Day, 6 June 1944. The two C-47 aircraft are followed by a de Havilland Dragon Rapide and a Piper L-4 Club.

• Demonstrating the war against Japan in the Pacific, a North American B-25 Mitchell, Mitsubishi A6M Zero Replica, Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, Grumman FM-2 Wildcat and Goodyear FG-1D Corsair, take to the skies accompanied by archive film footage of the Doolittle raid.

• In commemoration of the decade-long Vietnam War two North American T-28 Fennecs take to the skies to the unmistakable sound of Jimi Hendrix. Bell UH-1 Iroquois (‘Huey’) and Hughes OH-6 Cayuse (‘Loach’) helicopters fly through accompanied by the dramatic Ride of the Valkyries by Wagner. The Vietnam display concludes with a display by a North American OV-10 Bronco and a Shorts SC-7 Skyvan to the rousing music of The Doors.

The story of British and American collaboration in conflict concludes with an exploration of modern warfare and the causes of conflict in the Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq.

www.iwm.org.uk

Royal Navy Black Cats confirmed for Wings & Wheels

Royal Navy Black Cats

Wings & Wheels are thrilled to confirm the dynamic Royal Navy Black Cat four-man helicopter display team will be delighting audiences on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th August in their front-line Lynx maritime attack helicopters.

Not seen at Dunsfold Aerodrome since 2013, the Lynx is the backbone of the Fleet Air Arm and front-line operations by the frigate and destroyer fleets. Operating over the ice of Antarctica and the sands of the Gulf, the expanse of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans and the confines of the Strait of Gibraltar or English Channel, the Lynx truly is a jack of all trades.

The fearsome helicopter is capable of taking on enemy ships (with Sea Skua missiles), enemy submarines (with Sting Ray torpedoes or depth charges), and smaller surface targets courtesy of machine-gun pods or sniper rifles.

The aircrew and engineers are all volunteers from 702 Naval Air Squadron and the Lynx Wildcat Maritime Force based at the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset. The name ‘Black Cats’ is derived from the fierce cat depicted on the 702 Naval Air Squadron emblem and the term ‘blackcatting’ which is naval slang for one-upmanship – doing or owning something better than someone else.

Jamie McAllister, Event Director, Wings & Wheels comments: “We are delighted to confirm that the Royal Navy Black Cats will be flying at Wings & Wheels on both days this year. With the very best of aviation excellence headlining the Show and highly skilled pilots demonstrating the expertise with which they handle their aircraft, Wings & Wheels is one event people will not want to miss!”

The Royal Navy won’t just be displaying their prowess in the air but also in the static ‘Wings Zone’ with a Royal Navy Merlin Helicopter and Royal Navy Hawk on show. The Royal Navy Mobile Recruiting Van (MRV) manned by Royal Marines will also be demonstrating team building activities in the arena and will be on hand to answer any questions.

Wings & Wheels has an all-star line-up of RAF display teams this year. The Red Arrows, Typhoon, King Air and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) (Spitfire, Hurricane, Dakota) will all be displaying at Dunsfold Aerodrome on both days, Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th August 2016 as well as the Attack Helicopter Display Team from the Army. More aviation displays will be announced in May.

Visitors to Wings & Wheels can also enjoy supercars and classic and vintage icons put on awe inspiring displays of power and speed on the Top Gear track in a two-hour auto spectacular from Brooklands Museum. Over in our Wheels Zone is an array of interactive and static displays as wells as two and four wheeled shows in the Stunt Zone and a new Monster Truck arena offering demonstrations and passenger rides.

The show also includes over 25 fixed-price catering outlets, 2 bars, hospitality facilities, free on-site parking, public camping, lost children point, disabled access, informative show commentary, opportunities to meet the pilots, official show merchandise and grandstand seating.

The 12th annual Wings & Wheels will be held over the August Bank holiday weekend; Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th August 2016, at Dunsfold Park near Guildford, Surrey, and is open to spectators from 09:00 until 21:00.

Advanced rate tickets from £22 for adults or £50 for a family. Single child tickets (for children aged 5 – 15) will be £7. Children under 5 go free. Hospitality packages start from £155 per person, weekend passes, grandstand tickets and camping are also available. For more information visit www.wingsandwheels.net or to book standard tickets call 08712 305 572.

Wings & Wheels is promoted by Dunsfold Park Limited and in 2016 will be assisting the fundraising efforts of Brooklands Museum Trust and Help for Heroes.

Major Shackleton Repaint Now Underway

Newark Air Museum Shackleton

The major repaint of Avro Shackleton WR977 is now underway at Newark Air Museum.

Scaffolding started to be erected around the whole of the sixty (60) year old aircraft on Monday 4th April and the scaffold installation was completed and officially handed over to the museum on Thursday 7th April.

Some initial pressure washing work was undertaken on the airframe on Friday 8th April. After a short induction session on Saturday 9th April from the museum’s Restoration Manager the first restoration team went on to the airframe later that day. In reasonably benign weather conditions some excellent progress was made by nine members of the newly established WR977 Painting Team, who travelled to the museum from around the UK.

This project will involve cleaning, de-corrosion and repainting work and will be carried out with major support of the aircraft’s owners, the Lincolnshire’s Lancaster Association.

Opportunities still exist to support this work programme, which is running seven days a week, as and weather allows. Details of this volunteer appeal can be found in the News & Events section of the Newark Air Museum website www.newarkairmuseum.org

Avro Shackleton WR977 was moved from RAF Finningley in spring 1977, just prior to Her Majesty the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Review of the Royal Air Force. WR977 is believed to be the longest serving Shackleton Mk3 Phase 3 airframe to have flown with the RAF.