RAF Museum London – Page 6

Open Cockpit Events

The RAF Museum London offers a unique opportunity to access cockpits of some of its most iconic aircraft.

Date: 3rd March 2015

Time: 18:15 to 21:00

Tickets: £15.50/£20.50 (Vulcan ticket)

Join us in March for an exclusive evening at the Royal Air Force Museum. For one night only the Museum will open its doors and allow access to some historic aircraft. Get a closer look at legendary aircraft like the Spitfire, Lancaster and Vulcan. With staff on hand to explain the controls visitors will experience the collection in a new light.

Cockpit viewing:
Avro Lancaster
Spitfire 5B
Canberra
B24 Liberator

Cockpit access:
Chipmunk
Jet Provost 5
Gazelle
Vulcan (you must buy a separate ticket to access this aircraft)

Cabin access/viewing:
Merlin Helicopter (A)
Whirlwind (V)
Wessex (A)
HE162 (V)
Vampire (V)
ME109G (V)
Sycamore (V)

V = viewing, A = access

Please note:

*A Vulcan access ticket is for the Vulcan only. It does not allow you access into the event – you will need to purchase an event ticket (Adult or member) to access the Museum

**Access to the Vulcan Aircraft is challenging and only for the physically able. The Museum reserves the right to refuse access to the Vulcan if you are not physically fit enough. If you have any questions please call the event organiser on 0208 358 4997 for more information.

Doors open at 6.15pm until 9.15pm Royal Air Force Museum, Grahame Park Way, NW9 5LL (please use NW9 5QW if travelling using a SAT NAV)

For more information please email whatson@rafmuseum.org or telephone the event organiser on 0208 358 4997.

Tickets on sale now. Click here to book: https://royalairforcemuseum.digitickets.co.uk/tickets?branches.branchID=353

To register your interest and to receive an email notifying you when tickets are available please email london@rafmuseum.org

City Bridge Trust aids Museum engage older visitors

City Bridge Trust

The RAF Museum London is pleased to announce that the City Bridge Trust has donated £87,600 towards its program to engage older visitors.

City Bridge Trust is the grant-making arm of Bridge House Estates, whose sole trustee is the City of London Corporation. It supports London’s charities and provides grants totaling around £15 million annually.

In December of last year HRH the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh conducted the official opening of a new permanent exhibition at the Royal Air Force Museum London entitled ‘First World War in the Air.’ The exhibition was funded by the HLF with support from BAE Systems and encompasses a four year long program of supporting events.

The funds from City Bridge Trust will be used to ensure a run of events and activities to support the First World War exhibition which are specifically targeted at an older audience. It will also fund three posts Education Officer, Community Development Officer and Volunteer Co-ordinator, all of which encourage a wider engagement with the Museum’s audiences

Jeremy Mayhew, Chairman of the City Bridge Trust, said: “The Royal Air Force has played a vital role in British military history – and the Royal Air Force Museum offers people, of all ages, a great opportunity to learn about that role; this is an excellent national resource which can be used to connect and engage with an older audience, who are also in a position to share their knowledge of history with younger generations. We are delighted that our grant will enable more older people to get involved in a number of aspects of the Museum’s activities – including its work with schools, both as visitors and volunteers.”

Karen Whitting, Director Public Programmes RAF Museum: “We are delighted to receive this grant from City Bridge Trust which will enable us to widen and develop our relationship with more mature audiences. As we near the Centenary of the RAF itself, it is of utmost importance to engage the different generations whose lives have been touched by the work of the Service and the bravery and sacrifice of its men and women.”

www.rafmuseum.org

BBC’s Flog It at RAF Museum

The popular BBC One antiques programme Flog It presented by Paul Martin, is coming to London on Thursday 29th January 2015.

Flog It – the major BBC antiques show is now on its fourteenth series and regularly achieves an audience of over two million viewers in its weekday afternoon slot.

RAF Museum London will be hosting the Flog It valuation day. Rather like a treasure hunt, members of the public are invited to bring along up to three antiques and collectables they might be interested in selling. Once valued, the owner and a team of experts decide whether an object should go forward for auction. If the item is chosen it is included in a sale a few weeks later – hopefully when the auctioneers hammer falls its owners make a tidy sum. Everyone who goes along to the Valuation Day will receive a free valuation – even if their antiques are not chosen to go forward for auction.

The show recently made a significant find when a rare Aboriginal Broad Shield that had been kept hidden away in a Flog It viewers wardrobe was brought along to a valuation day in North Lincolnshire and went on to sell at auction for £30,000! The series also uncovered an unusual Royal Doulton Spook figurine in Blackpool which had been bought at a car boot sale for £2; it went on to sell at auction for £5000.

Alex Habgood, Location Manager says “Paul Martin and the entire Flog It team are really pleased to be bringing the show to RAF Museum London. We always receive a warm welcome when we come to the capital. The museum will provide the perfect setting for our filming; our experts are all looking forward to welcoming people along for their free valuations amongst such a significant collection of aircraft. If you’ve ever wondered how much your boot sale bargains or clutter in the loft might be worth, now is your chance to find out.”

Paul Martin, Presenter of Flog It said “I’m delighted to be bringing Flog It to RAF Museum London, and I hope as many people as possible will come along to see us with their items for valuation.”

Vicki Hibbert, RAF Museum London Corporate Events Manager said “The Museum is looking forward to hosting the Flog It team. Our collection of historic aircraft should make for a great setting and a really special set of shows!”

Paul Martin will be joined on the valuation day by Flog It on screen experts Anita Manning, Mark Stacey and Michael Baggott. The BBC are planning to transmit the four editions of Flog It featuring RAF Museum London within a year of recording.

Flog It will be at RAF Museum London, Grahame Park Way, London, NW9 5QW on Thursday 29th January 2015 between 10.00am and 4.30pm. The items selected at the valuation day will go under the hammer at Chiswick Auctions, 1 Colville Road, London, W3 8BL on Tuesday 17th February 2015.

www.rafmuseum.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.

RAF Museum Joins Forces with Germany and France to Share First World War Stories

The Royal Air Force Museum has partnered with Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace (Paris) and the Militärhistorische Museum der Bundeswehr (Berlin) to mark the centenary of the First World War in the air.

www.3p1w.eu will publish the letters, diary entries and artefacts relating to three First World War pilots over the course of the centenary. Letters written by Bernard Rice, Jean Chaput and Peter Falkenstein have been fully transcribed and translated and will be published 100 years after they were originally written.

This online project is linked to a series of centenary exhibitions at the three museums that deal with the often overlooked aerial aspect of the First World War. Many of the items featured online will be displayed as exhibits in the respective museums:

The Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace will be running a temporary exhibition “La grande Guerre des Aviateurs” (“The Great War of Airmen”) from 5 October 2014 to 25 January 2015 (more information).

The Militärhistorische Museum der Bundeswehr will present “14 Menschen – Krieg” (“14 – People – War”) in Dresden and an exhibition “Falkenstein zieht in den Krieg” (“Falkenstein Goes To War”) in Berlin-Gatow (more information).

Adam Shepherd, Head of Collections Management at the Museum said:

“This marks a unique partnership between three European museums as we reflect on the First World War and remember the people who served in the world’s first air forces.

Through their own letters and diaries, we wanted to tell the stories of three ‘ordinary’ airmen who lived through these extraordinary moments in time. We also wanted to tell a more diverse story. The popular image of the air war is that of daring fighter ‘aces’ and ‘Knights of the Air’. We wanted to tell some less well known stories, such as aerial reconnaissance and artillery observation, which became key roles for aircraft in a war dominated by trenches and big guns, and bombing, which literally brought war close to home.

I would especially like to thank my French and German colleagues, Georgia Santangelo, Jan Behrendt and their teams for all their work on this pioneering new venture, through which we can more widely share the stories of Bernard, Jean and Peter.”

www.rafmuseum.org

Museum offers Online First World War Course

Marking the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, registration is now open for ‘World War One: Aviation Comes of Age’, which will allow users to explore the aerial aspect of the conflict through a series of academic resources and multimedia content.

The course will look at:

How technological innovations turned the aeroplane into a machine of war and how British factories developed to supply the pilots of the Western Front with aircraft and ammunition.

How the aeroplane became a commercially viable tool for the first time, with passenger and mail routes starting to appear

How the government tried – and failed – to regulate the aviation industry

How all the key moments in the air in the Second World War followed from lessons learned during the First World War.

The RAF Museum provided locations for filming across its site in London. This included the Grahame White office that was active in overseeing aircraft production during the First World War. This footage will form the core of the course’s lecture content. Many of the RAF Museum’s aircraft will feature in various guises. Additionally, various documents from the RAF Museum’s collection were used in the filming and some will be made available to students once the course launches in October.

A MOOC is a Massive Open Online Course – these are free, open, online courses designed to offer a taste of higher education to learners from across the UK and the world. The University of Birmingham is delivering new MOOCs in partnership with the BBC, Futurelearn, the UK’s first MOOCs provider established by the Open University.

The course has been developed by Air Commodore (ret’d) Dr Peter Gray of the University of Birmingham and it will be delivered by world-class academics from the university. Dr Gray is also a member of the RAF Museum’s Research Board and one of the UK’s leading air power historians. The course enables learners worldwide to sample high-quality academic content via an interactive web-based platform from a leading global university, increasing access to higher education for a completely new cohort of learners.

The MOOC will allow the RAF Museum to interact with a range of learners in a new and innovative manner that moves beyond the traditional confines of the museum environment. Learning forms an integral aspect of the Museum’s new ‘First World War in the Air’ exhibitions, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, which opens to the public in December 2014. The exhibitions at both Museum sites in London and Cosford explore the vital role air power played in delivering victory in the First World War through the stories of those involved in this pioneering field.

This initiative forms part of the RAF Museum’s desire to develop its academic and research programmes as it moves towards the RAF’s Centenary in 2018 and beyond.

RAF Museum Aviation Historian, Ross Mahoney: “The Royal Air Force Museum is proud to have worked with the University of Birmingham and the BBC on this new innovative course, ‘World War 1: Aviation Comes of Age’. The First World War was a key moment in the development of military aviation and by its end; Great Britain had formed the world’s first independent air force, the RAF. However, many myths have developed around the use and influence of aviation in this period. This course, filmed at the RAF Museum, explores those myths and shows how aviation gripped people’s imagination and transformed the very character of warfare, which still influences the world today.”

www.rafmuseum.org

Museum Seeks Blogger In Residence for First World War In The Air Exhibition

The Royal Air Force Museum London is opening its doors to welcome in a blogger in residence as it gears up to the opening of its first major exhibition in over 10 years.

First World War In The Air is a brand new permanent exhibition opening in December 2014 in the museum’s historic Grahame-White Factory: this Grade II listed building was an active aircraft factory during the First World War. The Museum site in North London has a rich history and played an important role in the early development of British aviation. English aviation pioneer Claude Grahame-White described the area as ‘the birthplace of aerial power.’

The exhibition, supported by the HLF will explore 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. This story will incorporate the experiences of pilots, ground crews and factory workers as well as the local North London community.

The lucky blogger will be invited to visit the Museum across key dates* including the VIP opening. They will have full access to the team behind the exhibition and take a behind the scenes look at the exhibition development, installation, aircraft suspension and exhibition build.

Bloggers interested in being considered need to follow @rafmuseum and Tweet us telling us what your favourite thing about the Museum is using #FWWIA and a link to their current blogs by Friday 17th October.

www.rafmuseum.org

First World War Camel takes its place

GWF Camel

The RAF Museum is pleased to announce the Sopwith Camel is now in position, suspended from the ceiling of the Grahame White Factory. The aircraft will be a key exhibit within the First World War in The Air Exhibition

First World War in the Air is opening December 2014 with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).This major new exhibition, will allow museum audiences 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 took part.

The creation of new exhibitions and supporting activities will be delivered across the museum’s two public sites and online. It will include programmes for lifelong learning, volunteering, apprenticeships and public events. The four-year project will mark the Centenary of the First World War, exploring the development of air power as an integral part of modern warfare and end by celebrating the birth of the RAF in 2018.

www.rafmuseum.org

THE FORGOTTEN FIRST WORLD WAR HERO WHO CHANGED THE FACE OF MODERN AVIATION

Sir Alan Cobham’s Flying Circus: A life of a Pioneering AviatorDate: 14th September 2014 – 11th September 2015

Entrance: FREE

A brand new exhibition uncovers one of Britain’s forgotten heroes. Sir Alan Cobham was a true aviation pioneer both in the air and on the ground. Amongst his many contributions was the ‘Air to Air’ refuelling technique still used by air forces across the globe today.

Sir Alan Cobham was one of the biggest celebrities of his day. Brave, visionary and innovative – he was a record setter whose legacy still holds to this day with an aerospace company that provides technology to air forces around the world.

Famous for landing his seaplane on the River Thames in front of the Houses of Parliament, he learned to fly during the First World War and later went on to set many long distance aviation records.

These include becoming the first person to fly from London to Cape Town and back in 1926 for which he received the Air Force Cross, and in the same year to be the first person to fly from London to Australia and back, for which he was knighted by King George V at the age of 32.

Sir Alan Cobham also organised a series of flying tours of the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa which became affectionately known as ‘Sir Alan Cobham’s Flying Circus’. These tours promoted aviation to the public and were a source of inspiration for countless pilots in the Second World War.

This new exhibition will be opening on the Museum’s Battle of Britain Day on the 14th September. It will be a highly visual display of Sir Alan Cobham’s life and his many notable achievements, showcasing some of the ‘treasures’ from the collection including a Union Flag that was flown on Cobham’s de Havilland D.H.50J biplane while on his Cape Town flight. The exhibition will also feature film footage that will show how he made aviation into a breathtaking spectacle.

The ‘Sir Alan Cobham Collection’ forms the basis of this new exhibition. This Collection may be viewed by appointment in our London Reading Room.

www.rafmuseum.org

Military Historians Join Up for Battle of Britain Weekend Lectures

Date: Sun 14th SeptemberTickets: £17 / £12 (concession for children)

Time: As given below

In commemoration of the 74th anniversary of the Battle of Britain the museum will be hosting three very special lectures by Military Historians; James Holland, Peter Caddick-Adams and Stephen Bungay.

Each lecture will look at a specific area of the Battle of Britain, giving an overall insight into the events that took place on the 15th September 1940:

Stephen Bungay: The Girls in Blue – The WAAF in the Battle of Britain

11.30 to 12.30

The difference that made the difference in the Battle of Britain was Fighter Command’s unique Air Defence System.

Many of the jobs in it were carried out by members of the WAAF. They were the first women in any military organisation to be placed in what was effectively the front line.

Stephen Bungay will talk about who they were, what they did and why it mattered.

James Holland: The Battle of Britain – Myth & Reality

13:00 to 14:00 in the Museum Lecture Theatre

In this talk, James Holland takes a fresh look at one of the most iconic episodes in British history, examining the story that has been passed down into folklore and assessing the performance of both sides.
In so doing he will be asking whether Britain’s victory in the summer of 1940 was even more comprehensive and significant than perhaps is widely thought.

Peter Caddick-Adams: Blue and Grey – Command in the Battle of Britain

16:00 to 17:00 in the Museum Lecture Theatre

Peter Caddick-Adams will contrast the operational commanders, Dowding and Goring, and examine how concepts of leadership within the two opposing air forces were quite different.

The Public Opening of the ‘Sir Alan Cobham’s Flying Circus; A Life of a Pioneering Aviator’ exhibition

16:00 to 17:00 in the Museum Lecture Theatre

Daniel Albon, curator of the ‘Sir Alan Cobham’s Flying Circus’ exhibition will give a free lecture to officially open the exhibition to the public. This hour long lecture will feature footage from the Battle of Britain film and a personal tour of the exhibition which opens on 14th September 2014.

Sir Alan Cobham was a pioneering long distance aviator and technical innovator who became famous for his exploits in the interwar years by making aviation accessible and popular throughout the world.