Tag: RAF Museum

RAF Museum Visitor Numbers

The Royal Air Force Museum is proud to announce that both its London and Cosford sites have enjoyed year on year double-digit growth in visitor numbers for the period from 1 April 2014 to 30 September 2014. 

This growth in numbers has been driven by three strategic decisions made by the Trustees of the Museum in late 2013: to invest more in the marketing of the museum’s London and Cosford sites to key audiences; to create engaging temporary exhibitions & events promoting them through social media; and to invest in a new, technology-based counting system for visitor numbers as recognised throughout the Museum and Visitor Attraction sectors.

Visitor numbers for the Museum’s London site now stand at 203,105 – up 69% on the same period last year; whilst visitor numbers for Cosford stand at 184,506 , excluding the Cosford Air Show, – up 20% on the same period last year.

To put these figures into further context, total visitor numbers for the year 2013/2014 were 236,458 for the museum’s London site and 265,808 for Cosford, excluding the Cosford Air Show.

Commenting on this performance, Paul Hudson, Head of Marketing for the Museum stated:

‘This growth in numbers is indicative of the work that the Museum has undertaken at both its sites in creating new exciting temporary exhibitions and a dynamic calendar of events that have struck a chord with the public.

You only have to look at the interest on various social media platforms generated by exhibitions such as ‘Pilots of the Caribbean’ at Cosford and ‘Biggles and Chums’ in London, and events such as our Open Cockpit Evenings, Cosford Food Festival or Public Service Broadcasting’s London Residency for Museums at Night to see that we are producing experiences that are not only being talked about by our visitors but also being recommended to others.

We anticipate that this trend will continue as we unveil new exciting exhibitions and events that will get the public talking even more about the Museum. We also anticipate that our visitor numbers for the latter half of the year will be given yet a further boost thanks to the opening of our Heritage Lottery Fund supported ‘First World War in the Air’ exhibitions at both London and Cosford later this year.’

Admission to the Royal Air Force Museum at London and Cosford is free of charge. The Museum is open daily from 10:00 am. For further information about the events and exhibitions at either site please go to www.rafmuseum.org/whatson for London and www.rafmuseum.org/fun4all for Cosford.

New Chief Executive Officer Appointed

The Royal Air Force Museum is pleased to announce the appointment of its new Chief Executive Officer: Maggie Appleton MBE.

Maggie Appleton has over twenty years’ experience in the heritage sector. She is passionate about the difference that museums and culture can make to people’s lives and, after beginning her heritage career at the Royal Armouries (when it was based in the Tower of London) she focused her work in community museums, at Stevenage (1991 – 2003) and in Luton (2003 – 2008).

Maggie has led significant heritage initiatives and developments, notably the £6.2million development of Stockwood Discovery Centre which opened in July 2008, and securing the medieval Wenlok Jug for Luton and the nation after it was export stopped in 2006.

Since August 2008, Maggie has been the Chief Executive of Luton Culture, a values-led charity that comprises museums, arts, libraries and community centres. Maggie is currently a Heritage Lottery Fund Committee Member for the East of England and a Board Member for the Museums Association.

In 2012, Maggie Appleton received an MBE for Services to Museums and Heritage.

As CEO she will be responsible for leading the Museum through a major period of transformation in terms of infrastructure, exhibitions and activities which will also cover the period of 2018 which marks the Centenary of the RAF.

Commenting on her appointment as Chief Executive of the RAF Museum, Maggie said:

“I am thrilled to join the RAF Museum’s team in the run up to the RAF’s centenary in 2018. The opportunity to lead a National Museum with collections of international importance telling stories of global significance is a huge privilege.”

Reporting to the Board of Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum, Maggie will also be an ambassador for the Museum within the local community as well as nationally and internationally and will enhance the visibility, growth of visitor numbers and reputation of the Museum.

Museum Chairman Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Lester Torpy GCB, CBE, DSO said:

“I am delighted that Maggie Appleton is joining the Museum as our new CEO. She brings a wealth of experience from her previous appointment and the Trustees are very much looking forward to her arrival.”

 www.rafmuseum.org

Unseen First World War Casualty Card Archive and Muster Roll Now Online

The Royal Air Force Museum has today launched a new website, rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk, which enables members of the public to interrogate previously unseen Casualty Cards of members of the Royal Flying Corps who suffered injury during the First World War. In addition to these records online visitors are now also able to search the Muster Roll for the RAF as drafted on 1 April 1918 and the Air Force List as of 1 February of the same year.

This online resource is the culmination of a three-year digitisation project involving over 10,000 hours of work by staff of the museum, who electronically preserved over 300,000 fragile records – all of which are free to examine for anyone with access to the internet.

Karen Whitting, Director of Public Programmes for the Museum stated:

“As part of the Museum’s on-going mission to open up our archives to the public, we felt it was of paramount importance that, as the world unites to commemorate the outbreak of the First World War, our online visitors were able to read these fragile documents which previously would have only been accessible through supervised visits with our curators. Each of the records contained within this digital archive reveals the story of a member of the Royal Flying Corps who suffered injury, often making the ultimate sacrifice to protect their families and their country at a time of major global conflict – heroes such as Albert Ball and Mick Mannock whose names are central to the story of the First World War in the air. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Heritage Lottery Fund for their grant of £19,000, which enabled the museum to build this site.”

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

‘I would l like to thank all the members of the Museum’s Collections Management team who worked so tirelessly on digitising and indexing these important RAF personnel records. Their dedication and sheer hard work on this intricate and intensive project has helped make it such a success. I would also like to thank the project’s main sponsor, the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund, whose generous donation of £64,000 enabled the Museum to complete the rapid digitisation and indexing of so many records, as well as providing for the all-important public access. Without the Fund’s support we would not have been so successful in preserving, developing and opening up these important records, which will help future generations unlock the stories of RAF people.’

Leading the technical development of the site, was Dr Alan Whitfield, CEO of Congruis and Wididi UK:

‘The Congruis-Wididi partnership has worked closely with colleagues at the RAF Museum in one team of many talents, to create a digital environment in just a few weeks that can help everyone in the UK, and across the world, remember and reflect on the bravery and sacrifices of their ancestors and of the many thousands of members of the Royal Flying Corps. We hope that modern digital technology will help rebuild many lost, perhaps previously unknown, connections to those to whom we owe so much.’

Rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk is part of a larger 4 year project undertaken by the RAF Museum dedicated to engaging audiences with the story of the First World War in the air. The main focus of this project will be a new permanent exhibition at both of the Museum’s Cosford & London sites, the ‘First World War in the Air’, opening December 2014. This exhibition will be supported by a dedicated programme of events at both sites, plus an outreach programme that will work with local communities and schools in London and the West Midlands thanks to the generous support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and BAE Systems.

www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk

RAF Museum wins PR award for Dornier Campaign

RAF Museum awards

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations has awarded the RAF Museum an Excellence Award for its ‘Raising the Dornier’ campaign.

The Awards Night, at London’s Old Billingsgate on Tuesday 17th June, saw approximately 800 guests gather to celebrate over 150 leading Public Relations consultancies, teams and individuals competing to win 30 prestigious CIPR Excellence Awards.

The Museum won its award in the ‘Not-For-Profit’ category for the ‘Raising the Dornier’ campaign. Headed up by the Museum’s PR Manager – Ajay Srivastava, the Dornier story garnered front page coverage across the globe and included live broadcasts of the aircraft being lifted from the waters of the Dover Straits.

Citation from the CIPR:

“Changing the culture of an organisation to work positively with the media is central to any PR operation and a major reason for this entry winning. This excellent campaign, with its detailed planning and using limited staff and budget resources, carefully managed internal and external expectations. Successfully planning for weather interruptions when lifting an aeroplane from the bottom of the sea and keeping the media on side lifted the image of the RAF Museum not only in public but also among the museum community. PR that prompts a donation from across the Atlantic when funds are running out due to the weather is good PR.”

RAF Museum PR Manager, Ajay Srivastava:

“The Dornier campaign was an exhilarating, once in a life time experience which ultimately led to phenomenal worldwide coverage. It’s wonderful for the Museum to receive this accolade from the CIPR as staff across the board gave their time and efforts to make this a successful campaign. . We now look forward to our future campaigns with even more passion.”

www.rafmuseum.org.uk

RAF Museum gets funding for First World War in the Air Exhibition

WW1 in the Air Exhibition

The Royal Air Force Museum is delighted to announce that it has received a confirmed grant of £898,558 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the creation of ‘The First World War In The Air.’ 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.

London:

A brand new permanent exhibition will open 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.’

Using the RAF Museum’s world-class collection of aircraft, documents, film and photographs ‘The First World War in the Air’ will reveal how aviation changed the character of war driven by innovation, sacrifice and a spirit of adventure.

The exhibition 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.

As part of this new exhibition the museum will develop unused spaces in the Grahame-White Factory. A ‘drawing office’, equipped with sketching tools, open drawers filled with facsimiles of original technical drawings and aviation-related publications, will give visitors a ‘balcony view’ of the aircraft and hangar. A community space will provide an area for the local community and volunteers to develop programmes at the museum. A new temporary exhibition gallery will enable local schools to stage a series of First World War related displays from April 2015.

Visitors will also experience improved orientation with a new signage system and landscape design, providing better connection and easier access to the building.

Cosford:

A new exhibition will be created at the museum’s site in Cosford (West Midlands) that will tell the national story of the First War in the Air using content, displays and aircraft. The exhibition will be enriched by individual stories of pilots such as ‘local hero’ pilot, Lt. Kevin Furniss, who was posted to France in April 1917. Shot down on his second mission he died as a Prisoner of War on 29 April 1917 aged 19. He was born and bought up in Trysull, a village on the outskirts of Wolverhampton and attended Wolverhampton Grammar School. The Museum will be using his story and artefacts to engage with schools, as well as in informal learning activities.

This story and others will complement new First World War themed interactive and educational activities including a linked site activity trail.

Online:

The development of an online version of the museum-based exhibition will also include the digitisation and wider public access to historical documents such as the Casualty Cards, Casualty Forms and Muster Roll, 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.

Peter Dye, Director General of the Royal Air Force Museum: “We are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us the support needed to tell the important story of air power in the First World War. It is of particular significance to us because of the related heritage of our London site, an active airfield and aircraft factory throughout the war, and because it embraces the birth of the Royal Air Force, built on the achievements of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. It is greatly encouraging that the public have been able to play a major part in determining the content of the new exhibition area and the selection of exhibits. As well as being a national story, the project will help the local community to understand how much their neighbourhood changed as a result of aviation and the long-term impact on their lives.”

Sue Bowers, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund for London: “The role played by aircraft in the First World War is largely overlooked. This centenary project will redress the balance and in so doing explain how aviation itself was given a significant boost as a result of the conflict. It will also enable the wider story of the first air war pioneers and the fledgling RAF to be told.”

Helen Grant, Minister for the First World War centenary programme: “In the run up to the start of the First World War Government centenary programme I am delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund is supporting ‘The First World War in the Air’. These enduring exhibitions will bring to life the start of air power – and the personal stories behind the aviation advances – during the war years. They will provide engaging local and national material and activities for visitors to discover and explore.”

www.rafmuseum.org

BAE Systems support Museum transformation

EAP

The Royal Air Force Museum has officially announced a major partnership with BAE Systems who have pledged to support the transformation of the Museum at both its Cosford and London sites, in advance of the Centenary of the Royal Air Force in 2018.

The announcement was made at the official unveiling of the Experimental Aircraft Programme (EAP) technology demonstrator exhibition at RAF Museum Cosford. The event was attended by The Chairman and Trustees of the RAF Museum and Directors of BAE Systems with key partners, contributors and invited guests. The new exhibition celebrates the ground-breaking achievements of this unique aircraft through the use of previously unseen video footage, interactive kiosks and images.

Peter Dye, RAF Museum Director General said:

“The Trustees of the RAF Museum would like to take this opportunity to thank BAE Systems for their generous support. The international success of the Eurofighter Typhoon, and its contribution to the Royal Air Force’s frontline, underscore the importance of the EAP in safeguarding our nation. The EAP can now take its proper place in the history of British scientific and engineering achievements, alongside other famous and iconic test aircraft that form the Royal Air Force Museum collection. We are privileged to be able to exhibit the EAP, to tell its story and hopefully, to inspire a new generation of scientists, engineers and pilots.”

Chris Boardman, Managing Director of BAE Systems’ Military Air & Information business said: “EAP has played an important role in the recent history of BAE Systems. It paved the way for Eurofighter Typhoon, widely regarded as the world’s best swing-role combat aircraft. Today we continue our work on technology demonstrators in the shape of Taranis – the most advanced aircraft ever built in the UK. I am delighted that we are able to announce our partnership with the RAF Museum on their RAF Centenary Programme to mark it with the formal unveiling of EAP in its new exhibition area.

BAE Systems has been a partner in the Museum’s success for more than forty years and the unveiling of the EAP is the start of a joint transformation of the Museum. By developing new exhibitions and activities it will ensure that the Royal Air Force story endures and enriches future generations.

Phase one of the transformation will mark the Centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. Supported by BAE Systems, a major new exhibition, exploring the birth of air power through the stories of men and women who took part in the war, will open at RAF Museum London in Autumn 2014. An accompanying exhibition will also be unveiled at RAF Museum Cosford by the end of 2014. BAE Systems funding will also support the Museum’s conservation and award winning apprentice programmes.

Members of the public are now able to view the new EAP exhibition at the Museum’s Cosford site, located in the Test Flight Hangar. The creation of this new exhibition area has been funded by BAE Systems who deliver a wide range of advanced defence, aerospace, and security solutions globally.

The Museum is open daily from 10am and admission is free of charge. For more information on the Museum, visit www.rafmuseum.org or call 01902 376200.

Cracking Christmas Gifts from the RAF Museum

RAF Museum Teddy Bear

If you’re searching for that particular gift which will make their spirits soar once they have ripped open the wrapping paper on Christmas Day morning, why not visit the Royal Air Force Museum’s online shop – www.rafmuseumshop.com? For Christmas 2013 the Museum has substantially expanded its gift range to suit a variety of budgets including its jewellery and clothing ranges.

We have revived the classic children’s game of the 70s and 80s, Top Trumps, by creating a pack dedicated to our aircraft collections at both London and Cosford. Containing 30 beautifully photographed aircraft, 15 from each site, this game of skill is highly addictive and will have young aviation buffs trying their best to outwit each other on Christmas Day for just £5.99.

Summer 2014 marks the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. As part of the Museum’s series of activities to commemorate this cataclysmic period of early 20th Century we have created our Great War Centenary Teddy Bear. We have kitted him out in the same clothing worn by British Aircrew of the time to reflect the extreme cold experienced by crews flying at high altitudes in open cockpits. Sitting at approximately 8 inches high, our mascot of the Royal Flying Corps boasts a long flying coat, leather flying helmet and goggles and retails for a very affordable £10.00

Little Pilots aged a year or below will adore our range of RAF Airman Body Suits and T-Shirts. Made from 100% cotton, for delicate skins, these items are fully machine washable and perfect for fancy dress, themed events or for when your future pilot needs to express themselves. This quality printed garment is the perfect gift for any child at £9.50 each.

Back by popular demand, we have expanded our range of hand painted Christmas Tree Baubles by introducing the RAF Stripe Bauble, a perfect complement to our Roundel and Historic Aircraft Baubles. Individually created, these intricate works of art are designed by the artist expertly hand painting each image, using the hole at the top of each bauble. Beautifully gift-boxed, these baubles are the perfect decoration for any aviator’s Christmas Tree at just £5.99 each.

If you’re searching for that gift that will stand the test of time we are now able to offer a Royal Air Force Skeleton Pocket Watch for men for £70.00 and Ladies Pendant Watch for £45.95. Both of these charming time pieces are fashioned from pewter by British Craftsmen and feature the Royal Air Force’s Crest as part of their design. The perfect ornament for any smart individual these timeless watches will become much loved heirlooms. We also offer a personalised engraving service to make these gifts even more special.

For the man who has everything what better present to give than an Escape & Evasion Map Tie? These ties are made from genuine issued escape and evasion silk maps from the Cold War period (circa 1949 -1960). Easily concealed upon the person, these maps were used to assist servicemen in their attempts to escape or evade capture if shot down behind enemy lines. These unique ties are lined with blue silk and come presented in a Home Front style gift box with an information sheet about the map depicted – all for £85.00.

If your budget is able to extend a bit further, we are also able to offer original Irvin Sheepskin Flying Jackets for £609. Made from top quality, supple sheepskin with a long rugged wool interior, the Irvin Sheepskin Flying Jacket became the definitive flying jacket from pilots during the Second World War. Today they are still manufactured in the United Kingdom to the same fastidious attention of detail demonstrated by Leslie Irvin, their creator, and bear the authentic Irvin, woven label. The perfect addition to any aviation enthusiast’s wardrobe the Original Irvin Sheepskin Flying Jacket comes in a variety of sizes suitable for both men and women.

Furthermore, by purchasing any of the items contained from our online shop you will be helping the Museum maintain its unique collection of aircraft, medals, films and documents – preserving a vital part of our nation’s heritage for future generations. So this Christmas why not give your personal high-flyer a gift that will make their Festive spirits soar whilst at the same time making a donation, through your purchase, to our nation’s aviation heritage?

Raising the Dornier

On Sunday 2nd June the Royal Air Force Museum attempted to lift the world’s last surviving Dornier 17 from the bottom of the English Channel, just off Goodwin Sands, following three weeks of intensive engineering and archaeological work. After three years of planning, the Museum came within 40 minutes of success when a sudden increase in winds around the Goodwin Sands area made the sea too choppy to complete the lift. Regrettably, and with the safety of the crew and the aircraft in mind, the lift was called off.

With success within grasp, the Royal Air Force Museum has been hugely encouraged by the support received from across the globe. Not only has this taken the form of messages of goodwill, but the Museum has received substantial additional funding from private individuals and organisations in Europe and America determined to see this historic project brought to a successful conclusion.

The forecast now suggests two weather windows this week when we can return to the wreck site and complete the lift. These are Monday 10th June between 1530 – 1800hrs and early Tuesday morning between 03.30 – 06.30hrs.

If this proves to be the case, and we know how erratic the weather has been this year, we will raise the Dornier early this week for transfer to our conservation facility at Cosford.

Despite the exceptionally poor weather over the past month, which has required the salvage team to return to port on at least four occasions, everything is now set for the aircraft to be successfully lifted from the seabed where it has lain for over seventy years.

Because of the weather difficulties and strict deadline to save the aircraft, the Museum has instructed the dive company SeaTech to alter their methodology of assembling a lifting frame around aircraft to ensure the operation is complete within the given boundaries.

The new method which is more delicate in nature, involves attaching lifting equipment to specific points on the aircraft that the Museum have identified as the strongest parts of the airframe. An attempt will still be made to raise it complete, and in a single lift.

Once the aircraft has been laid on onto the support barge it will be transported directly to Ramsgate Harbour where it will be dismantled for travel to the Museum’s Conservation Centre at Cosford.

Peter Dye Director General, Royal Air Force Museum “We have adapted the lifting frame design to minimise the loads on the airframe during the lift while allowing the recovery to occur within the limited time remaining. The RAF Museum has worked extremely closely with SeaTech throughout this process and both organisations remain determined to complete this challenging task and see the Dornier safely recovered as planned and delivered to the Museum’s Conservation Centre for preservation and public exhibition.”

Dornier Project – A recap

The Royal Air Force Museum is undertaking an exciting, challenging and historically fascinating project to remove a German bomber, the last remaining Dornier 17, from the sea-bed off Kent right now. The project was made possible with funding by The National Heritage Memorial Fund.

The complex project has not been entered into lightly and has used a number of ground-breaking techniques for underwater recovery and conservation. It has been undertaken with an impressive group of experts ranging from chemists and physicists from Imperial College London who advised on the conservation and structural integrity of the aircraft, to SeaTech who are managing the actual lift.

The project has stimulated a huge amount of interest across the world and events are being followed closely by millions around the world.

This is not the first time the Museum salvaged an aircraft wreck, as a visit shows, other examples have been found and reassembled before. Should the weather provide additional challenges to the actual integrity of the aircraft, the Museum is committed to salvaging the parts it can in order to treat, examine and exhibit this incredible part of aviation history.

www.rafmuseum.org