Aerospace Bristol has been awarded £514,000 as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) to help face the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and to ensure they have a sustainable future, the Culture Secretary has announced today.

Aerospace Bristol is one of 1,385 cultural and creative organisations across the country receiving urgently needed support. £257 million of investment has been announced today as part of the very first round of the Culture Recovery Fund grants programme being administered by Arts Council England. Further rounds of funding in the cultural and heritage sector are due to be announced over the coming weeks.

Aerospace Bristol reopened its doors to the public on 1 August. The grant from the Culture Recovery Fund is vital in allowing the museum to remain open and continue to provide the opportunity for people to enjoy and learn about the region’s rich aviation heritage, including Concorde.

The grant will protect key jobs and skills and allow Aerospace Bristol to resume its learning and community outreach programmes. It will also enable the museum to further develop its digital content, adapting for a ‘post-Covid’ world.

With a comprehensive range of Covid-19 safety measures in place, Aerospace Bristol is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said:

“This funding is a vital boost for the theatres, music venues, museums and cultural organisations that form the soul of our nation. It will protect these special places, save jobs and help the culture sector’s recovery.

“These places and projects are cultural beacons the length and breadth of the country. This unprecedented investment in the arts is proof this government is here for culture, with further support to come in the days and weeks ahead so that the culture sector can bounce back strongly.”

Chair, Arts Council England, Sir Nicholas Serota, said:

“Theatres, museums, galleries, dance companies and music venues bring joy to people and life to our cities, towns and villages. This life-changing funding will save thousands of cultural spaces loved by local communities and international audiences. Further funding is still to be announced and we are working hard to support our sector during these challenging times.”

Executive Director, Aerospace Bristol, Lloyd Burnell, said:

“We are delighted to have received this grant from DCMS Culture Recovery Fund which should safeguard the future of Aerospace Bristol, our wonderful collections of objects and archives, our important learning and community engagement programmes and, of course, jobs and skills. We look forward to continuing to welcome visitors to the museum, especially over the upcoming October Half Term”.

www.aerospacebristol.org

The Royal Air Force Museum is inviting the public to remember service personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice during their tours of duty, by contributing a personal act of remembrance, either a poem, short story, or by designing a poppy, that will feature in a virtual display at both RAF Museum London and Cosford over the remembrance period.

Write a poem or short story about remembrance and share it with RAF Museum audiences. All the entries received will feature in a digital display within the Museum’s hangars in London and Cosford, and the two best entries will be incorporated into the services being held at the Museum on Remembrance Sunday.

Or why not make a poppy that will feature alongside the poems. Use the free poppy template available to download from the Museum’s website, or create your own design using the materials you have at home. Whether you knit or crochet your poppy, or cut out and colour in the template, all designs received will be included in the display.

Those wishing to take part can find further information and free remembrance templates on the Museum’s website rafmuseum.org. The activities will run throughout October and participants have until Sunday 1 November to submit their poetry, story or a photo of their poppy by emailing remembrance@rafmuseum.org.

The RAF Museum’s annual Service of Remembrance will be held on Sunday 8 November, with the number of visitors attending limited and with other restrictions in place. A recording of the service will be shared online on 11 November.

RAF Museum London:
A small service will take place on Remembrance Sunday, with invited guests from the local community. The service will include readings, and the sounding of ‘The Last Post’ followed by a two-minute silence. Wreaths will be laid by volunteers and local community representatives. Measures will be in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved.

RAF Museum Cosford:
The Service will be led by RAF Cosford Station Chaplain, Wg Cdr Wynn, and will include readings and the sounding of ‘The Last Post’, followed by two minutes of silence. Wreaths will be laid by representatives from RAF Cosford and the RAF Museum in honour of those who have fallen in the line of duty.

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved, this years’ service has been adapted in accordance with guidance from Public Health England and the Government. A limited number of free tickets are available for the event and must be booked in advance at www.rafmuseum.org. Ticket holders are asked to arrive at Hangar 1 on Sunday 8 November by 10:30am, ready for the service to commence at 10:45am.

The Museum is now open daily with a range of measures in place to ensure a safe and great day out for the whole family. While still offering FREE entry to all, visitors are kindly asked to pre-book their arrival time online at www.rafmuseum.org.

On Thursday 1st October 2020, another Puma fuselage arrived at Newark Air Museum’s site in eastern Nottinghamshire, close to the county border with Lincolnshire. This arrival was accompanied by a significant collection of Puma spares.

The collection of donated items was transported from its former location in the south of England, to Newark as part of the museums’ efforts to effect a complete rebuild of Aerospatiale Puma HC Mk 1 helicopter, XW208.

As well as the Puma 9L-LSG fuselage, other significant items that arrived for the project were: a rotor head, gearbox, rotor blades, tail booms, tail rotor blades and troop seats. As with the arrival of XW208 back in February 2018, this latest collection and delivery project was completed by local contractor Gillivers Haulage.

“We are extremely grateful for this latest significant donation of parts”, commented museum trustee and XW208 rebuild expert, Kev Graham, he continued. “The first job will be to undertake an extensive spares recovery programme from the fuselage.”

He concluded, “Once this has been completed we will start refitting the recovered items to XW208 with the aim of making it the first complete Puma HC.1 to be displayed in the UK!”

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Aviation Photography Workshop
Date: 21 November (beginners) / 22 November (advanced)
Time: 10.00am to 5.00pm
Cost: £75 per person (over 16s only)

Photography Night Shoot
Date: 27-28 November
Time: 5.00pm to 9.00pm
Cost: £40 per person (over 16s only)

This November, the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will be hosting two exclusive photography events, where the iconic aircraft will be the inspiration for the photos. Whether you’re an amateur with the camera, or already have some experience, the aviation photography workshops, and after-hours night shoots are suitable for anyone looking to advance their skills, with the added bonus of exclusive access to the Museum’s aircraft.

The Aviation Photography Workshop is a full-day, hands-on course offering attendees the chance to learn, plan, execute and develop as aviation photographers. Learn about composition, shutter speed, aperture and ISO, in a practically led course, utilising the Museum’s historic aircraft to capture internal and external shots, cockpit photos and even working with a re-enactor to bring the images to life. Photographers will then put their newly acquired skills to the test and enjoy exclusive access to one of the Museum’s hangars for one hour after the Museum closes.

Choose the workshop that best suits your needs. If your aim is to have the confidence to take your camera out of automatic mode, join the beginner’s workshop on Saturday 21 November. If you are looking to develop your skills further, the advanced workshop on Sunday 22 November will help you achieve this goal. Workshops run from 10.00am until 5.00pm and costs £75 per person, this includes lunch and is limited to 15 people per workshop (over 16s only). Both courses are delivered by Lee Chapman of Chappers Photography, an experienced aviation photographer and lecturer.

The Photography Night Shoot event is not to be missed if taking stand-alone photos of the aircraft, outside of the hangars is something you would like to see. The Museum is delighted to host the popular evening event once again, perfect for capturing aircraft in the changing light conditions, as the sun sets and on into the evening.

Six historic aircraft from the Museum’s collection will be illuminated for the evening with LED lighting, and are guaranteed to provide a spectacular photo opportunity. Exclusively for the night shoot, aircraft from the Test Flight hangar, including the British Aerospace Experimental Aircraft Programme EAP, Fairey FD2 and the SEPECAT Jaguar ACT Demonstrator, will be displayed outside, giving photographers the rare opportunity to capture unobstructed images. Other highlights will include the Vickers VC10 C1K, Hawker Siddeley Dominie T.Mk.1 and the Lockheed Hercules C130K Mk3, displayed within the Museum grounds.

Taking place on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 November, the night shoot will commence at 5.00pm, with up to 150 photographers each evening enjoying after-hours access to the Museum’s grounds and the opportunity to photograph the aircraft like never before. The event will close at 9.00pm and tickets cost £40 per person (over 16s only). For beginners, there is the option to participate in a two-hour workshop in addition to the Saturday night shoot, for £65 per person. The Refuel Café in the Visitor Centre will open until 9.00pm serving hot and cold drinks and light refreshments. Pre-order your dinner when purchasing tickets, and receive a complimentary hot drink, options include Fish and Chips and Cheese and Onion Pie. The Museum has teamed up with Threshold Aero, specialists in aviation night shoot photography, to deliver this event.

RAF Museum Cosford Public Events Manager, Ulrike Stuebner said:
“You don’t need to be a professional photographer to enjoy these events, they are suitable for all abilities, however there will be experts on hand to offer advice if needed. We’re really looking forward to seeing the incredible images people capture, and we’re excited to showcase the aircraft in a completely different light, especially those usually displayed indoors.

To ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience, we are putting in place a number of precautions for the safety and wellbeing of our visitors, volunteers and staff. This has included reducing the number of tickets available, social distancing markers, queue management systems and barriers to control the number of individuals in each area. We are working closely with the Public Protection Officer at Shropshire Council to ensure the event meets the requirements of the health and safety legislation and guidance released by public health bodies and the government.”

Tickets to the RAF Museum’s photography events are now available to purchase via the Museum website. Ticket holders must be aged 16 years and over. For more information on the event, visit www.rafmuseum.org/cosford.

Date: 10 November 2019
Time: 10.30am arrival / 10.45am service commences
Cost: FREE

The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will hold a Service of Remembrance on Sunday 10 November, paying respect to members of the armed forces who made the ultimate sacrifice during their tours of duty.

Visitors are invited to join the service, led by RAF Cosford Station Chaplain, Wg Cdr Wynn and pay their respects and reflect on the sacrifices made by our brave service personnel. Those attending will also be treated to renditions from the Cosford Military Wives Choir, who will perform for visitors on arrival and during the service.

The service will take place in the Museum’s Hangar 1 and visitors are politely requested to assemble no later than 10:30am ready for the Service to commence at 10.45am. A marching contingent from No 1 Radio School (phase 2 students), RAF Cosford will begin the proceedings, which will also include readings, hymns and the sounding of ‘The Last Post’, followed by a two minute silence.

RAF Museum Cosford Public Events Manager, Abi Betteridge said:
“We hope visitors and nearby residents will choose to join us once again for the RAF Museum’s Remembrance Service on 10 November, which saw more than 500 people attend last year. We would like to thank RAF Cosford and Cosford Military Wives choir for making the event possible as well as students from Albrighton Primary School who will be participating in the service, reading poems they have written.”

Year six students at Albrighton Primary School recently took part in a workshop delivered by the Museum’s Access and Learning team, exploring the history behind Remembrance Sunday and the significance of the poppy, using a handling collection to spark discussion. A selection of poems and artwork created by the students will be displayed in the Museum’s ‘War in the Air’ Hangar over the remembrance period for visitors to view.

During the service, wreaths will be laid by representatives from RAF Cosford, RAF Museum staff and volunteers, Cosford Military Wives Choir and Albrighton Primary School in honour of those who have fallen in the line of duty. Following the service visitors are free to explore the Museum at their own leisure.

If you would like to find out about Service Personnel who fell serving in the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force during the Great War of 1914 to 1918, or to dedicate a digital poppy, please visit the RAF Museum’s online story vault: www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk

The Museum is open daily from 10.00am and entry to the Museum is FREE of charge. For further information please visit www.rafmuseum.org/cosford.

Date: 2-3 November 2019
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: Free
Location: RAF Museum Cosford / RAF Museum London / participating venues

The Royal Air Force Museum is teaming up with venues across the country for the ‘RAF Stories Big Weekend’, a national story collecting event capturing local stories relating to the Royal Air Force. Taking place on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 November, the RAF Museum aims to capture hundreds of stories with the help of participating venues and events at both its Cosford and London sites.

Whether you’re a veteran, current serviceman or servicewoman, an air cadet or have family links to the RAF, whatever your connection, however big or small, you’re invited to attend and share your favorite anecdotes at a venue near you.

RAF Museum Community Engagement Officer – RAF Stories, Jess Boydon said:
“We are extremely grateful to all the participating venues for hosting one the RAF Stories Big Weekend events. With venue’s up and down the country taking part, it’s easier for members of the public to get involved and ensure their RAF memories are captured. Whether its stories about courage, love, tragedy, friendship, bravery, triumph, humour and everything in between, we hope people will find their local participating venue and take up the opportunity to share their story with us.

Over the last two years, the RAF Museum has recorded hundreds of stories now available online for the public to view. By working together with other venues, the Museum is able to widen its reach and together this catalogue of stories will expand and enrich peoples understanding of the RAF today.”

RAF Stories is a global oral history project which digitalizes and makes accessible engaging, historical and contemporary stories of people’s personal connections to the RAF and the service’s influences on their lives.

All stories captured over the RAF Stories Big Weekend will then be uploaded to the RAF Stories website for audiences around the world to hear first-hand some of the inspirational and ground-breaking recollections from former RAF personnel and their families about their RAF journey.

Whether you have one anecdote or ten to share, join us at the RAF Museum Cosford and RAF Museum London on 2 and 3 November between 10.00am and 4.00pm, or search for your nearest venue on our website www.rafmuseum.org

The RAF Stories project is proudly supported by National Lottery Players through the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Date: 19-20 October 2019
Time: 10.00am-4.00pm
Cost: £13.50 per person (Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult)

The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will be opening the doors to thirteen aircraft during a two day Open Cockpits Weekend on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 October. Aviation fans and families with budding young pilots can enjoy a closer look inside some of the unique and historic aircraft from the Museum’s collection, including one of the RAF’s iconic V-Bombers.

Ticket holders will be given up to six hours to explore everything from British, German and Japanese Second World War fighter aircraft, to the pioneering research and development aircraft, many of which are sole examples.

The popular Vickers Valiant B1, one third of Britain’s strategic nuclear strike force during the 50s and 60s, known as V Force, is guaranteed to be one of the weekend highlights. The Valiant was the first of Bomber Command’s V class aircraft and established Britain’s air-borne nuclear deterrent force before pioneering operational in-flight refuelling in the Royal Air Force. Not only was it the first V-Bomber to enter service, it was also the first to drop an operational British nuclear weapon over Christmas Island in 1957. The Valiant is displayed alongside the Handley Page Victor H2 and Avro Vulcan B2 in the Museum’s National Cold War Exhibition, the only place in the world where you can view all three aircraft together.

Also in the event line-up is the Bristol 188, often a talking point for the Museum’s younger visitors, curious by its unusual design. Built mainly of stainless steel, this aircraft was designed to investigate the effects of heat on aircraft structures at very high speeds. To protect the pilot against heat build-up a special cockpit refrigeration system was installed. Nicknamed ‘Flaming Pencil’, only two Bristol 188s ever flew, a third being used for ground tests.

Families will get the chance to climb on board and explore the Short Brothers Belfast, a giant of the RAF’s Cold War air fleet and take a seat inside the Focke Wulf FW 190, one of the most successful combat aircraft of the Second World War and the backbone of the Luftwaffe’s fighter force. Marvel at the cockpit of the world’s oldest Supermarine Spitfire I, the most iconic aircraft of all time (close view only) and view inside the fuselage of the Avro Lincoln B2.

Other aircraft open exclusively for the event include: Hunting H126, English Electric P1A, Fairey FD2, Saunders-Roe SR53, Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR3, Kawasaki Ki-100-1b (close view only) and the Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer CCII. Aircraft will be manned by over 70 volunteers and cadets.

A total of 300 tickets per day are available for Open Cockpits Weekend on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 October and are available to purchase through the Museum’s website www.rafmuseum.org/cosford or on the day subject to availability, costing £13.50 per person. The ticket price also includes parking and a 10% discount on purchases made in the Museum shop on the day. For an additional £1.00, ticket holders can purchase a Log Book to keep a record of the aircraft they’ve accessed! A minimum height requirement of 1.07 metres applies for this event. Entry to the Museum is free of charge.

Saturday 12th October 2019

The next Newark Air Museum Indoor Aeroboot / Aerojumble Sale at the museum’s site in eastern Nottinghamshire takes place on Saturday 12th October 2019. This charity fund raising event has attracted interest from a wide range of sellers and once again is a sell-out event.

The funds that the museum raises from organising the event will be used to support the development of facilities at its Gateway Aviation Site, which is located in eastern Nottinghamshire close to the Lincolnshire border.

Forty eight (48) tables, featuring a host of different sellers, who come from around the UK will be arranged amongst the aircraft in Display Hangar 2 at the museum.

Buyers / visitors who attend this fund raising event will have the opportunity to search through a varied selection of aviation and avionic items: including books, paintings, prints, DVDs, plastic kits, die-cast models, clothing, radio equipment and aircraft parts. Regular updates / seller’s information are being posted on the news page of the museum website www.newarkairmuseum.org

Buyers / visitors at this event will be able to access the museum site on Saturday 12th October, 2019 at a special discounted admission price of just £4.50 per person.

The museum opening times will be 09.00 to 17.00 hours; with the sale taking place between 09.00 and 14.00 hours; to get the best bargains we suggest that you get there early.

Further details are available on the Events Page of the museum website www.newarkairmuseum.org or by telephoning 01636 707170.

A Second World War Westland Lysander III (S.D.), the only surviving Special Duties variant of its type has been restored to its former glory at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford.

The aircraft has undergone conservation work including a new fabric outer skin and complete repaint in the Museum’s Michael Beetham Conservation Centre. Formerly displayed at the Museum’s London site in No 225 Squadron markings, the Lysander is now painted in No 161 Squadron Special Ops colour scheme, reflecting its service towards the end of the war in non-operational special transport services.

Following the Lysander’s arrival at Cosford in November 2016, the aircraft underwent an in-depth inspection and condition assessment followed by a few minor structural repairs. The airframe’s damaged fabric covering was replaced while a team of volunteers cleaned and lubricated mechanical systems back to a functional state.

The aircrafts biggest transformation comes from the recovering of its airframe in a traditional Irish linen fabric, hand sewn by the Museum’s Surface Finish Technician and then strengthened using original doping techniques.

RAF Museum, Surface Finish Technician Clive Roberts said:
“Thousands of stiches were made attaching the linen to the fuselage, wings and tailplane followed by six coats of doping, a UV microwave protection layer, primer and then finally painted in its 161 Squadron Special Ops colour scheme. It’s a slow process but essential to preserving the aircraft for as long as possible. We sought the help of a Lysander expert based in Switzerland, who provided us with original photographs and technical drawings to help with the paint scheme. One of the photos shows that during R9125’s service with 161 Squadron the cooling gills were incorrectly fitted so the camouflage no longer lined up. Since this has been documented we will change ours to match that.”

The Museum’s example, serial number R9125 first became operational with No 225 Squadron in 1940 as a coastal patrol and photo reconnaissance aircraft, based along the south coast of England. It took on the Special Duties role with No 161 Squadron in 1944 and was operational for a further two years until they became obsolete from the RAF in 1946.

The Lysander was originally designed for Army Co-operation duties including artillery spotting and reconnaissance. However, its lasting fame is not in this role, but as a Special Duties aircraft ferrying Allied agents in and out of enemy occupied Europe. Despite some notable successes, the Army Co-operation units suffered extremely high casualties – over 170 Lysanders were sent to France in 1939 and only 50 came back. Following their withdrawal from France, Lysanders patrolled the coastal areas of south and east England as an anti-invasion reconnaissance measure and later, began air-sea rescue duties in the Channel and North Sea.

Visitors to the RAF Museum Cosford will get the first glimpse of the aircraft during the annual Conservation Centre Open Week in November, before it’s transported in the new year to the Museum’s London site for public display.

RAF Museum Conservation Centre Manager, Darren Priday said:
“It’s been a real privilege to work on such a beautiful aircraft. The reason she came to the Conservation Centre at RAF Museum Cosford was because the Irish Linen was deteriorating and needed to be replaced; this was not the original Second World War covering. Apart from this work our main aim was to conserve as much of the original aircraft as possible; the majority of the aircraft has had little work done to her apart from a clean and an application of a museum standard wax to help protect any bare metal areas. We have a few tasks still outstanding as we are looking at fitting a long-range fuel tank and a ladder as this would have been standard fit in her Special Ops role. The fresh paint scheme has given her a new lease of life and she is going to look great when she goes back on public display. The aircraft will return to our London site in 2020 but anyone who would like to view the aircraft will have the chance at our Open Week in November.”

From 11-16 November visitors can get up close to the current conservation projects undertaken by the team of Technicians, Apprentices and Volunteers at Cosford during the annual Conservation Centre Open Week. In addition to the Lysander, visitors will also be able to view the continuing progress on the Handley Page Hampden, Vickers Wellington, Range Safety Launch, Messerschmitt Me 410, Dornier Do 17 and the LVG C.VI and speak with the teams who carry out this vital work.

The Conservation Centre will open from 10.15am to 1.00pm each day and admission is £5.00 per person (children under 16 are free and must be accompanied by an adult). The Museum’s display hangars will open from 10.00am until 4.00pm and entry to the Museum is free of charge. For further information visit www.rafmuseum.org/cosford.

Friday 26th October saw  the latest addition to Newark Air Museum’s collection of airframes and cockpit sections arrive at the museum site in eastern Nottinghamshire, close to the county border with Lincolnshire. Friday’s arrival was the cockpit section from Blackburn Buccaneer S.2B XX899.

The cockpit was transported from its former display location in Coventry to Newark by Nottinghamshire based contractor Gillivers Haulage. The move was made possible thanks to the good offices of the managers at Coventry Airport who were kind enough to grant their permission for the cockpit to be lifted over their perimeter fence from its previous display location.

Owned by Robin Phipps, Buccaneer cockpit XX899 has been placed on long-term loan at the Newark Air Museum, where it will be displayed alongside several other cockpits outside Display Hangar 2 on the museum’s Southfield Site. These cockpits were recently repositioned to create sufficient space to accommodate XX899.

A few panels have been removed from XX899 on a temporary basis and this is to allow them to be returned to display standard by the owner. One important feature of this particular Buccaneer cockpit is that it retains a significant section of fuselage structure, which allows the canopy to slide on its rails as per its original design.

The trustees of the Newark Air Museum were happy to welcome both the Buccaneer cockpit and its owner to their Gateway Aviation Site in eastern Nottinghamshire. They are also pleased to report that the cockpit will be participating at their Cockpit-Fest 2019 event that takes place on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd June, 2019.

www.newarkairmuseum.org