Museum – Page 10 – Airscene News

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

Heroic Spitfire Veterans to Attend 75th Anniversary Event

5 March 2011
Spitfire Appearance 1.00pm
FREE Admission

The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, home to the world’s oldest Spitfire, will be marking the 75th Anniversary of the first Supermarine Spitfire flight on Saturday 5th March 2011. Attending the event will be a host of special guests including three Spitfire Pilots and an Engine Fitter. This 1936 Anniversary will be marked with a day packed full of events, activities and exhibitions for the whole family to enjoy.

Visitors will have the opportunity to meet with a number of Spitfire pilots including; female pilot Margaret Frost from Wales. Margaret is one of only 15 women and 100 men to have a special merit award for serving in the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) flying replacement fighters to RAF bases during WWII.

Pilot Tony Pickering from Rugby who flew both Spitfires and Hurricanes was aged just 19 when he was fast tracked into active service in July1940, after just three short flights in a Hurricane. Tony has flown in the Mk1 Spitfire currently on display in the Museum.

Also attending will be pilot Ken Wilkinson from Solihull and Spitfire Engine Fitter Sid Lenthall from Albrighton. All three Pilots and Engine Fitter will be speaking with visitors on the day during a Question and Answers session taking place the in the Lecture Theatre.

Another exciting treat for visitors on the day will be an appearance from a MK9 Spitfire at 1pm, Courtesy of The Aircraft Restoration Company, based at Duxford Airfield.

As an extra incentive members of the public will be given a free ticket on arrival to enter a prize draw, to win a limited edition Spitfire print by Richard Broom signed by the RAF pilots who will be visiting the Museum on the day. Tickets will be handed out to visitors on arrival and the draw will take place at the end of the day and the winner will be notified.

The Museum is open daily from 10am. Entry to the event and to the rest of the Museum is FREE. For more information on this event and details of the activities and exhibitions on display please contact the Museum on 01902 376200 or visit www.rafmuseum.org. (Charges may apply for some of the activities)

Event Marks 75th Anniversary of the First Spitfire Flight

5th March 2011
10.00am – 4.00pm
FREE Admission

The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, home to the world’s oldest Spitfire, will be marking the 75th Anniversary of the first Supermarine Spitfire flight on Saturday 5th March 2011. This 1936 Anniversary will be marked with a day of events, activities and exhibitions for the whole family to enjoy.

Members of the public will have the chance to ride in a replica Spitfire cockpit simulator and to compete against their friends and family as you go into combat against a Messerschmitt. Children and adults can find out what it was like to be a 1940’s RAF pilot by sitting inside a replica Spitfire, complete with flying jacket and goggles; and will have the opportunity to have their photo taken professionally as a memento of the day (charges apply). In addition to this visitors can also try out in yet another replica Spitfire its controls and to get a feeling of what it was like to fly this much loved aircraft.

Especially for this event will be a display of artefacts from the collection of Second Officer Eric Crowder, an Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) pilot. Crowder delivered over 350 different aircraft during his ATA service, including 40 Spitfires and he regularly flew to and from RAF Cosford. The items will be on display in the Museum’s Model Room.

In the Warplanes Hangar the Museum will be displaying a collection of artefacts relating to Reginald J. Mitchell, designer of the Spitfire, including photographs, drawings, Schneider Trophy memorabilia and aircraft models. These will be complimented with a display relating to the prototype Supermarine Spitfire, serial number K5054, including photographs, models and the knee pad notebook used by test pilot Jeffrey Quill when evaluating the aircraft in the air.

At regular intervals throughout the day the Museum will be showing a short documentary in the Lecture Theatre ‘A Story Of Fighter Development’; whilst children will have the opportunity to make for free their own Spitfire glider to take home and keep. Don’t forget when visiting to view the 1:1 scale model Spitfire built by James May or the specially commissioned images of the Museum’s Spitfire by Richard Broom, which will be on sale in the Museum Shop.

* Special guests are being lined up for the event – more details to be released soon.

The Museum is open daily from 10am. Entry to the event and to the rest of the Museum is FREE, charges may apply for some of the activities. For further information on this and other events scheduled for 2011, please contact the Museum on 01902 376200 or visit www.rafmuseum.org

Historic RAF Dominie aircraft flies into Cosford

The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford took delivery of its latest acquisition, an RAF Dominie T.MK.1 on Friday 11th February. The aircraft was flown in from RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire, by Flt Lt Andy Owen and Flt Lt Andy Preece both of 55 squadron. The aircraft will now undergo some preparation work prior to going on display at the museum in the next few weeks.

Al McLean, Curator at the RAF Museum Cosford says:

“We are pleased to have received a Dominie aircraft. It will be a significant addition to the museum collection as it is at present, the longest serving aircraft in the RAF. We hope that the aircraft will be popular with our visitors.”

The Dominie T.MK.1 was built as a navigation training aircraft and has been in RAF service since 1965. A total of twenty Dominies were built in the 1960’s to replace the Meteor NF (T) 14 and it could reach speeds over 320MPH.

Initially it flew in a silver/day-glow colour scheme which later changed to the red, white and grey scheme and finally to today’s black, grey and white. They were used to train Navigators and other air crew members in systems management, air leadership, decision making and teamwork. The retirement date for the Dominie was brought forward by two years due to cancellation of the Nimrod and the planned reduction of the Tornado fleet.

The RAF Museum Cosford is home to over 70 aircraft and the award winning National Cold War Exhibition. The Museum is open daily from 10am, admission is FREE. For more information on the Museum please call 01902 376200 or visit www.rafmuseum.org

Historic RAF aircraft to fly into Cosford

The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will be taking delivery of its latest acquisition, an RAF Dominie T.MK.1, on Friday 11th February 2011 at 11.30am, when it makes its final flight into RAF Cosford. This particular aircraft is significant because it was the first Dominie to enter RAF Service.

The Dominie T.MK.1 was built as a navigation training aircraft and has been in RAF service since 1965. On arrival at RAF Cosford, the aircraft will undergo a short period of preparation and defueling before going on permanent display as part of the Museum’s extensive collection.

Al McLean, Curator at the RAF Museum Cosford says:

“We are very pleased to be receiving a Dominie. It is at present the longest serving aircraft in the RAF, having been in continuous use for more than 45 years. However, its timeless design means it looks far more modern and it will be an excellent addition to the Museum aircraft collection. ”

A total of twenty Dominies were built in the 1960’s to replace the Meteor NF (T) 14 and initially flew in a silver/day-glow colour scheme which later changed to the red, white and grey scheme and finally to today’s black, grey and white. They were used to train Navigators, Air Engineers and Air Loadmasters in systems management, air leadership, decision making and teamwork and could reach speeds over 320MPH. The retirement date for the Dominie was brought forward by two years due to cancellation of the Nimrod and the planned reduction of the Tornado fleet.

This is the first of a number of new aircraft expected at the RAF Museum Cosford this year. The RAF Museum Cosford is home to over 70 aircraft and the award winning National Cold War Exhibition. The Museum is open daily from 10am, admission is FREE. For more information on the Museum please call 01902 376200 or visit www.rafmuseum.org

RAF Museum to display City Hall Blitz Exhibition

The Blitz, the aerial bombing campaign on London during the Second World War ran from 7th of September to 11th May 1941. During this period 50,000 bombs and millions of incendiary devices fell on the city bringing death and destruction to London’s civilian population. In total 30,000 Londoners were killed, entire communities destroyed and countless thousands left homeless.

To commemorate this turbulent period in the capital’s history the Mayor of London has specially commissioned an exhibition on the 70th anniversary of the London Blitz dedicated to those individuals involved in the emergency, volunteer, transport and specialist services who kept London going during the darkest days of the War. Previously displayed at City Hall, this exhibition will now transfer to the Royal Air Force Museum London where it will be on view to the public, free of charge, from 1st February until the end of May.

Central to this exhibition are the iconic war-time images and histories from the collections of various London organisations, each of which vividly portray the story of London’s people, their Blitz Spirit and determination. These rare and poignant images are provided courtesy of London Transport Museum, the Museum of London, the Metropolitan Police Historical Collection, the Fire Brigade Museum, London Ambulance Service, Barts and London NHS and the Royal Pioneer Corps Association. Each brings alive the story of a capital bowed but not broken and of a people quietly resolved to keep calm and carry on with their daily lives in the face of terrible war-time deprivation.

Ian Thirsk, Head of Collections at the Royal Air Force Museum, stated:

‘I would like to thank the Mayor’s Office and City Hall for granting the Royal Air Force Museum the opportunity of showcasing this exhibition during this 70th anniversary year of the London Blitz. We are particularly honoured to display this collaborative effort, from so many of the capital’s organisations, which narrates the story of how they were central to the on-going delivery of vital public services during late 1940 and early 1941.’

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson welcomed the exhibition being shown at the RAF Museum: ‘We must never forget the bravery and dogged determination of the men and women who battled to keep London going in the face of a terrifying and unremitting bombardment which sought to destroy our great city during the Blitz. This tremendous spirit and resilience remain at the very heart of the capital and we owe a huge debt of gratitude and respect to all those who helped secure London’s future.’

Entry to the ‘London Blitz 70th Anniversary Exhibition’ is free of charge to visitors; as is entry to the Museum. It will be shown daily from 10am to 6pm until Tuesday 31st May in the Museum’s Bomber Hall. For further details please visit www.rafmuseum.org/whatson or dial 020 8205 2266. If you would like to learn more about the Blitz, the Museum has produced a podcast on this topic which may be accessed at www.rafmuseum.org/podcasts.

Tin Hats and Football Boots

On January 22nd the Royal Air Force Museum London will be unveiling its latest temporary display ‘Tin Hats and Football Boots’. This display explores the contribution made by various members of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal Football Clubs to the Royal Air Force and Air Raid Precautions during the Second World War whilst examining how important regular competitive football was to the upkeep of the capital’s morale.

With the outbreak of the Second World War, the world of football changed. Hostilities affected clubs in every league all over the country. The Football League was suspended and then re-instated in a new guise with many professional players joining the armed services and being called upon as ‘guest’ players by clubs near their billets.

North London rivals, and RAF Hendon’s major local clubs, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur found themselves sharing Spur’s ground at White Hart Lane; Arsenal’s Highbury ground having been requisitioned by the government as an ARP centre.

Not only did these two neighbouring giants have to work together to ensure that both teams catered for their fans but also that they did so through the provision of nail-biting and stimulating games, quite often without the key players or support staff who had been so central to each team’s success before the War.

Ellen Soall, football fan and Curator of the display said:

‘ It was only whilst conducting research into local history for a Museum project that I realized how integral both Clubs were to London’s war effort. For 90 minutes both players and spectators could escape the horror of war and life would, for a brief period, assume an air of normality – all important for maintaining morale and a reminder of more peaceful times.

The aim of this display is to highlight the hidden history of both clubs. Success should not only be measured by the amount of silverware in trophy cabinets but also by the contribution made by football to the war effort.

My thanks go to the following people for their assistance: Samir Singh (Arsenal Football Club), Andy Porter (Tottenham Hotspur Football Club), Peter Cooper and the RAF FA and finally the Abelheim family for use of family photographs. ‘

Entry to ‘Tin Hats and Football Boots’ is free of charge to visitors; as is entry to the Museum. It will be shown daily from 10am to 6pm until Monday 4th July in the Museum’s Historic Hangars. For further details please visit www.rafmuseum.org/whatson or dial 020 8205 2266.

St George Handover Historic Watchtower to RAF Museum

St George, London’s leading mixed-use developer, has refurbished and relocated the historic Grahame-White Watchtower building to the adjacent RAF Museum site.

The redundant Watchtower building built in 1911 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 since then the Watchtower had fallen into disrepair.

To celebrate completion of the relocation and renovation, St George and the RAF Museum are commemorated this further milestone in the buildings history by handing over the watchtower to Air Marshal R F Garwood on Monday
13 December.

Ross Faragher, Managing Director, St George Central London: “We are delighted to celebrate completion of the works to relocate the redundant Grahame-White Watchtower. The historic building which was once the central part of the former Claude Grahame-White aircraft factory in Hendon, has been rejoined to the Grahame-White factory here at the Royal Air Force Museum and is set to become an important learning resource reflecting the achievements of this early aviation pioneer and the history of the local area, for the benefit of the nation.

Air Chief Marshal Sir John Day, Chairman of Trustees, Royal Air Force Museum: “This building provides a fitting tribute to Claude Grahame-White and the history of aviation in the local area. We hope the building will provide a new focal point for the local community and reinforce its importance in the history of British aviation.”