RAF – Page 5 – Airscene News

Museum to commemorate The Fallen on Remembrance Sunday

Sunday 13th November 2011

Service to commence at 10.45am

The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will be holding a Remembrance Service paying respect to those Service men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice during their tours of duty.

For those wishing to pay their respects, the Museum will be holding a Service of Remembrance in Hangar 1 on Sunday 13th November. The service will be lead by Rev (Flt Lt) John Baptiste, C of E Chaplain RAF Cosford, in front of the Comet, with Air Training Cadets and RAF personnel present. During the service there will be readings by Wing Commander J Tomlinson, OC Aeronautical Training Wing DCAE Cosford and Dave Leek, Chairman of the Aerospace Museum Society.

All visitors to the Museum are welcome to join the service for this Act of Remembrance and are politely requested, if they wish to attend, to assemble in Hangar 1 no later than 10:30am ready for the Service to commence at 10.45am. A bugle will mark the beginning of 2 minutes silence with the sounding of The Last Post.

Organiser Nina Mitchell, says:

“It is a privilege and an honour for the RAF Museum Cosford to host such a poignant service, where visitors can pause to reflect on the sacrifices made by our brave service men and women. Following the service, visitors will be able to view our Remembrance Book which lists the names of RAF Aircrew who lost their lives during the Battle of Britain in 1940.”

The Museum is open daily from 10am and entry to the Museum is FREE. For further information, please call the Royal Air Force Museum, Cosford on 01902 376 200 or visit the museum website, www.rafmuseum.org.

VIP Unveils Comper Swift

The Royal Air Force Museum yesterday officially unveiled the Museum’s latest acquisition, the Comper Swift CLA.7 G-ACGL. The aircraft was unveiled to invited guests including relatives of the aircraft’s designer and of original owner in the Museum’s Hangar 1, where it is now on permanent display to the public.

During the unveiling guests gathered by the Comper Swift for a welcome speech from the RAF Museum Director General, Peter Dye. Immediately afterwards the aircraft was unveiled by special guest Alex Henshaw Junior, son of Alex Henshaw Senior, the original owner of the aircraft. The Swift was flown by Henshaw Senior in several air races around the country including the Kings Cup Air Race in1933 where he won the Siddeley Trophy. Other V.I.Ps at the launch included Comper Swift Aircraft Designer’s grandson, Mr Stephen Perry and its Engine Designer’s daughter Mrs Shirley Ann Manser.

Designed by Nicholas Comper, an ex-RAF Flight Lieutenant in the early 1920’s, the first prototype Swift flew in 1929. Whilst designing the Swift, Comper drew on his experiences with the Cranwell Light Aeroplane Club (CLAC), a group founded by Comper as an extra curricular activity for RAF Apprentices. Members of the CLAC also included Frank Whittle and George Stainforth plus many other individuals who became legends within the RAF.

Only 41 Swifts were ever built and they were only available in two colours – red or blue of which the Museum’s is red. Most were fitted with a Pobjoy R type engine and they were popular in air racing throughout the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s. At only 5ft high, 17ft long with a wingspan of 24ft the Swift could reach a maximum speed of 140mph. Big enough for just one person, a Swift was flown solo by Mr Arthur Butler between England and Australia in 1931 establishing a new record time. Another was flown to South Africa and only just missed out on the record.

Henshaw Senior sold the Swift G-ACGL in 1934 and it passed through four more owners before reportedly being scrapped in 1942. Henshaw went on to become Chief Test Pilot at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory and test flew more Spitfires than anyone else. The remains of the Museum’s Swift were saved and secured by various groups until 2008 when its parts donated by Mr Stanley Brennan of Manchester to the Royal Air Force Museum. The aircraft has recently been restored by Skysport Engineering, Bedfordshire. There are now only eight remaining Swifts; four in the UK, one in Argentina, two in Australia, and one in Spain.

The Comper Swift is now on permanent display at the RAF Museum Cosford. 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.

Museum staff help construct charity pedal car

Staff at RAF Cosford, assisted by staff in the Michael Beetham Conservation Centre at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford have created a pedal car in the form of a World War Two Hurricane aircraft. The pedal car will be entered into a 24 hour charity cycle car race taking place in St Etienne de Chigny in the centre of France. A team of four from RAF Cosford will travel to France for the race in August 2012 hoping to raise money for RAF Charities whilst winning the best design for their pedal car.

Designed and built by a team of staff in Mechanical Training (Airframe and Propulsion Training) at RAF Cosford, the original concept and idea to enter the race came from Malcolm Hill, an instructor at RAF Cosford. Malcolm is hopeful that the unique design and the history behind the Hurricane it replicates will be enough to secure the top spot.

The paint scheme used on the pedal car represents the aircraft flown by Pilot Officer Paul Richey who was stationed during the early days of World War Two at Chateaudun near to where the pedal car race will take place. Once the framework was completed, the pedal car was handed to the Museum’s skilled Aircraft Technician – Surface Finish Engineer to recreate Pilot Officer Richey’s aircraft. The body of the car and the demountable wings were then covered in authentic material ‘Irish Linen’ and doped to strengthen the fabric. It was then painted in the authentic Hurricane colours of the period with the markings of the aircraft flown by Pilot Officer Paul Richey before being handed back to Mr Hill and Cpl Ree.

Surface Finish Engineers, Michael Rose and Tony Pass say:

“We were more than happy to assist for such a good cause and hope the team are successful and raise a lot of money for the Help 4 Heroes Charity Appeal.”

The construction of the pedal car occurred at RAF Cosford during staff lunch breaks and was funded through donations from the Mechanical Training staff tea bar. Members of staff used a discarded post bike from workshops at RAF Cosford. Additional much needed parts were sourced through Halfords in Telford, who agreed to also provide additional spare parts for the competition.

The pedal car has been designed to comply with the French ‘Voitures Pedales’ regulations. Before the race in August it will also be entered in a shorter race in England, in early 2012, as a ‘shake down exercise’ to ensure everything is in working order before the main race. The intention is that the victorious pedal car will be used by the RAF Cadet force at the Birmingham International Tattoo in their ‘Red Barrows’ display. The Tattoo will take place in December 2012.

For further information on this charity event and the team taking part in the race, please contact Malcolm Hill at RAF Cosford on 01902 377386. For more information on the Museum visit www.rafmuseum.org

Museum unveils new Spitfire

A Supermarine Spitfire Photo Reconnaissance PR. XIX PM651 is the latest addition to the aircraft collection at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford. This rare reconnaissance Spitfire can now be seen on display in the Museum’s Warplanes Hangar standing next to a Hurricane and a Mk 1 Spitfire.

Ordered in 1943 as a Mk VII, the aircraft was eventually built by Vickers at Eastleigh as a PR. XIX and was not collected from them until November 1945. It never saw RAF Squadron service, instead operating Meteorological Research Temperature and Humidity flights from RAF Woodvale. These involved the pilots reporting on clouds, ice formation, turbulence, haze, visibility and prevailing weather conditions. During its short time with this unit, PM651 was forced to make two emergency landings including one at Halfpenny Green airfield in Staffordshire, after it was damaged in a flying accident.

After a period on display at RAF Andover and RAF Benson, the aircraft was loaned to Spitfire Productions for use in the iconic film “Battle of Britain”. It appears in ground shots in the hangars at RAF Duxford.

The aircraft then spent 16 years on display at the main gate at RAF Benson. By 1989 the aircraft had found its way into the Royal Air Force Museum but had been heavily stripped of essential parts for other Spitfire restorations. After some time in the Museum’s storage hangar at RAF Stafford, the aircraft was brought to the Conservation Centre at Cosford where restoration work commenced in October 2010. Work included building a new Elevator assembly and other conservation work. Finally the aircraft was repainted to its original paint scheme for display purposes.

The Spitfire PR. XIX was the last of the specialised photo reconnaissance Spitfires. It was unarmed and could carry two vertical cameras and one oblique camera mounted in the rear fuselage. With a top speed of 445mph the aircraft could reach 42,500ft in height.

There are significant differences between the Mk1 and PR. XIX Spitfires both on display at the Museum. The much more modern PR. XIX was fitted with the Griffon engine as opposed to the Merlin engine used in earlier models and was notably faster than its predecessor. The PR. XIX had extra fuel tanks in place of the machine guns that were fitted to the Mk 1 and a retractable tail wheel making its profile more streamlined for its flights at high altitude. Probably the most significant difference between the two Spitfires on display is the pressurised cabin in the PR. XIX, critical for the high altitude reconnaissance flights.

Clare Carr, RAF Museum Cosford Assistant Curator says:

“We are delighted to be able to display two models of such an iconic aircraft. They help to show the diverse roles in which the Spitfire served ranging from fighter interceptor to high altitude photographic reconnaissance.”

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.

Wellington Restoration Progress is highlight of Open Week

14th to 19th November 2011

10.15am to 1.00pm

FREE Admission

The award winning Michael Beetham Conservation Centre at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will be opening its doors to visitors for one special week to enable greater public access and understanding of the Centre’s work. From Monday 14th to Saturday 19th November, a range of aircraft and other artefacts in various stages of restoration will be on display daily from 10.15 to 1.00pm. This includes the Centre’s largest project, the Wellington Bomber.

Since its arrival at the Museum there has been significant progress made on the Wellington. The project to date has included detailed photographs being taken of the fuselage section, including the fabric joints to record how the material was fitted to the airframe. This will also provide an ongoing reference for the Museum about original technical information. After this process the fabric that was previously covering the Wellington was carefully removed, wrapped in special acid-free tissue for storage and boxed in a special container. The process of removing the fabric revealed the distinctive Barnes Wallace designed geodetic structure. Smaller items such as the Fin, Flaps and Wing False-work structures have also been carefully removed and removal of corrosion on many of the smaller structural components has commenced.

The Vickers Wellington is one of the largest aircraft that the Conservation Centre has ever undertaken restoration of during its nine year history. This history has seen many new arrivals or established exhibition aircraft pass through its doors for conservation, restoration or maintenance. The extensive conservation work on the Wellington structure will take place at the Museum’s Conservation Centre over the next four to five years.

Manager of the Conservation Centre, Tim Wallis says:

“At almost every stage of our work thus far, the Wellington has presented us with new challenges and we are constantly impressed by the innovation and workmanship that the original build represented. The aircraft remains one of our main projects but much more than that, she is much-loved by the staff, volunteers and visitors alike and a sort of kinship exists that borders on pride. We hope that the public will choose to share that experience with us and visit during the week”

During the Open Week, visitors will gain exclusive behind-the-scenes access to aircraft conservation work and have a rare opportunity to speak with the skilled Technicians and Apprentices and view current projects including on-going refurbishments such as the Handley Page Hampden TB1, Spitfire Mk XIX and Range Safety Launch. This may also be the last opportunity to view the conservation efforts on the Mk1 Sopwith Dolphin which is nearing completion.

Admission to the Conservation Centre Open Week is FREE and from 10.15am to 1.00pm each day. Cosford’s main Museum will open daily from 10am. The next Open Week is planned for November 2012. For further information, please contact the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford on 01902 376200 or visit www.rafmuseum.org.

Polish & Czech RAF Veterans Honoured

Brothers in Arms:

Poles and Czechs in the Battle of Britain & Beyond.

Free Exhibition – 16th of September to 4th March 2012

During the Battle of Britain one fifth of Fighter Command’s aircrew came from overseas with 16 nations represented in its many squadrons. Arguably the RAF’s most prolific and successful pilots of the campaign were the dispossessed Polish, Czech and Slovak pilots who had fled their homelands to fight, as brothers in arms, against the tyranny that dominated most of Continental Europe. The Royal Air Force Museum will honour the efforts and sacrifice of these selfless individuals in a new multi-media exhibition, ‘Brothers in Arms’, which will be on display to the public in the Museum’s new temporary exhibition Gallery from 16th September onwards.

In this exhibition, created in association with the Polish Institute of National Remembrance, visitors will be invited to explore through drawings, archive film footage and sculpture the bravery of the men of No 303 Polish Squadron and individuals such as Czech Fighter Pilot Josef Frantisek. Sadly, many of those who survived the war were later deemed criminals and outcasts in Poland & Czechoslovakia for fear that they might oppose the new communist regimes of Eastern Europe

As well as historic uniforms, personal documents – including original combat reports and private diaries – and other artifacts, the Museum will also have on display the remains of the first German aircraft shot down by No 303 Squadron during the Battle of Britain, as well as exhibition panels created by the Polish Institute of National Remembrance.

To engage younger visitors, a giant board game commemorating the role of No 303 Polish Squadron, the top scoring squadron of the Battle of Britain, will be on display in the Museum’s Reception Area. Created by Dr Tomasz Ginter & Karol Madaj from the Institute of National Remembrance’s Public Education Office in Warsaw the game’s aim is to engage children with the history of No 303 Squadron through play – inspiring them to learn further about all the nationalities who contributed to the Royal Air Force during World War 2.

Peter Dye, Director General of the Royal Air Force Museum stated, “It is important to remember that the ‘Few’ contained many nations, including pilots from across occupied Europe. These brave men died defending their adopted country while those that survived were often unable to return home and, if they did, found themselves treated as criminals. It is vital that their efforts and sacrifices are not forgotten and that their example continues to inspire a new generation to work together in defence of democracy and our shared values. The Royal Air Force Museum is honoured to host this exhibition and to recognise the debt owed to those thousands of Polish, Czech and Slovak veterans who fought for Britain in its darkest hour.”

As a companion piece to this exhibition, the Museum has also created an online exhibition ‘For Your Freedom and Ours’ which narrates the History of 303 Polish Squadron and other Polish Pilots who served with the Royal Air Force during World War 2 together with a Polish language podcast on this topic. Polish & Czech RAF Veterans, their families and friends are invited to contribute to their stories to this exhibition through an online form. To visit this online exhibition please go to www.rafmuseum.org.uk/online-exhibitions

The Royal Air Force Museum London is open daily from 10:00am to 6:00pm with last admission to the Museum being at 5.30pm. Admission to the Museum, and to ‘Brothers in Arms’, is free of charge. For further details about this exhibition please call 020 8205 2266 or visit www.rafmuseum.org.uk

Sir Richard Branson Helps To Kick Start RAF Museum Fundraising Campaign

The Royal Air Force Museum has launched a fundraising campaign to rescue the sole surviving example of the WWII Dornier Do-17 aircraft.

The Museum is now appealing to the public to raise the remaining £250,000 to complete the recovery and restoration project. The public fundraising campaign is also endorsed by Sir Richard Branson who is a supporter of the Museum.

Sir Richard Branson: “The discovery of the Dornier is of international importance. Please support the RAF Museum’s appeal to save this unique aircraft as a tribute to the loss of life on both sides of the Battle of Britain.”

The German wartime bomber was shot down during the height of the Battle of Britain exactly 71 years ago and has since then been submerged in the waters of the Goodwin Sands. It is currently at risk from tidal forces, the effects of salt water corrosion and is exposed to looters. Therefore it is imperative that the aircraft is recovered and conserved urgently.

With a crew of four, and loaded with 2000lb of bombs, the aircraft, a twin-engine Dornier Do-17 – known universally as ‘The Flying Pencil ‘- was part of a large enemy formation intercepted by RAF fighter aircraft at midday on 26 August 1940 as they attempted to attack airfields in Essex.

The aircraft is in remarkable condition – considering that it was damaged in air combat and has spent so many years under water. Other than marine concretion, it is largely intact, the main undercarriage tyres remain inflated and the propellers clearly show the damage inflicted during the aircraft’s final landing.

Since the Dornier emerged from the sands two years ago, the RAF Museum has worked with Wessex Archaeology and English Heritage, as well as Imperial College London and the Dornier Museum, to complete a full survey of the wreck site in preparation for the aircraft’s recovery and eventual exhibition.

Work to conserve and prepare the Dornier for display will be undertaken at the RAF Museum’s award-winning conservation centre at Cosford. Here the Dornier will be placed alongside the Museum’s Vickers Wellington which is currently undergoing long term restoration.

Air Vice-Marshal Peter Dye, Director General of the RAF Museum said that “As a survivor of the Battle of Britain, the Dornier Do-17 is a unique aircraft of national and international importance and our long term plan is to conserve it for display at the Museum. We very much hope that this exciting and unique project will receive support from the public and become the focus for a collaborative effort by apprentices from across the world.”

Other major donors to this project include EADS (£7,500) and the RAF Museum Society of Friends (£6,000).

Public donations can be made at: http://www.justgiving.com/Dornier17

Special delivery flight to mark 100th Anniversary of the first Air Mail Letter

One hundred years ago Claude Grahame-White launched the World’s First Aerial Post, flying mail from Hendon to Windsor to celebrate the Coronation of King George V.

On September 9th this year The Royal air Force Museum takes part in the centenary celebrations for the first ever Air Mail flight with a commemorative flight and letters to Her Majesty The Queen!

In a world before emails, texts and social networking the first ever Air Mail flight in the world took place between the London Aerodrome in Hendon North London to Windsor on September 9th 1911.

The historic 15 minute flight was piloted by Gustav Hamel in a Bleriot aircraft and as well as letters from the general public it also carried a number of official ones to reigning monarchs, emperors and world leaders.

Today the Royal Air Force Museum stands at the grounds of the original London Aerodrome and on 9th September, a commemorative helicopter flight will leave the Museum at 1100 flying over the original 1911 route to Windsor Great Park. It will be carrying mail, anniversary cards and covers produced by Buckingham Covers. Air Marshall Sir Ian Macfadyen, the Constable and Governer of Windsor Castle will be on board and it is hoped that a Bleriot will fly again in the park at Windsor (weather permitting), piloted by Henk van Hoorn.

Also in attendance at Windsor, will be Eric “Winkle” Brown who holds the record of the largest number of aircraft flown) and Tony Iveson – the only Battle of Britain pilot to have won a medal as Bomber Captain (Tirpitz).

The Museum is also inviting its younger visitors to write a brief message to Her Majesty the Queen, telling her what they like the most about growing up in 2011. Letters should be brought to the Royal Air Force Museum where there will be a special post box and all letters posted there will be carried by helicopter to Windsor on Friday 9 September.

Letters can be written on site at the Museum on a special letterhead and placed in a postbox at the London site.

The Royal Mint will also be issuing a miniature sheet of stamps, Tower Mint have struck a commemorative medallion and Buckingham Covers are producing commemorative presentation packs and covers.

http://www.rafmuseum.org/

Museum commemorates Battle of Britain with family weekend

10-11 September 2011

Spitfire Flypast on Saturday (weather permitting)

The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will be commemorating the Battle of Britain, considered the most important event in Royal Air Force history, with a family weekend of events and activities for the whole family to enjoy, including a flypast on Saturday from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire (weather permitting).

Activities taking place over the weekend include real life working Merlin & Griffon engine demonstrations lasting approximately 30 minutes and a chance to see how a WWII Ops Room operated. A land army re-enactment group will be digging for victory in the wartime garden with Hoo Farm bringing along sheep, ducks, chickens, goats and a sheep dog as part of the land army experience.

A main highlight of the weekend will be a Question and Answer session with Battle of Britain veterans. Come along and listen to their remarkable tales and ask those in the know, what it was really like to be in the RAF during the Battle of Britain era. The Q&A session plus screenings of outtakes from the 1969 epic film Battle of Britain will be taking place in the Conference Room located in the Visitor Centre.

Over this weekend 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). Also on display over the weekend will be a range of 1940’s military vehicles and a Guild of Aviation Artists exhibition displaying 51 paintings themed around the Battle of Britain will be on display in Hangar 1.

And to keep the children entertained the Museum will be running its popular ‘Step Back In Time’ workshop where children and adults alike, will write with a dip pen using old fashioned inkwells and have a go at pounds, shilling and pence arithmetic and fill in a replica evacuee label and identity card. But, be prepared to evacuate the class quickly at any time in order to make it down to the Anderson Shelter to escape a day time bombing raid. Other children’s activities including colouring in Spitfires and Union Jack flags, will be taking place throughout the site over both days.

The Museum Restaurant will be offering some culinary delights with their wartime menu and visitors will be able to dine in true street party style. Visitors are also welcome to dress up for the occasion in their 1940’s clothing. For more information about the Battle of Britain Weekend event please contract the Museum on 01902 376200 or visit www.rafmuseum.org.

Hercules makes final flight into Cosford

The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford today took delivery of its latest acquisition, an RAF Hercules C130K Mk.3 transport aircraft. The aircraft made its final flight into RAF Cosford at 11.30am yesterday morning after a farewell flypast over the Museum.

The XV202 Hercules C130K Mk. 3 was an American aircraft built by Lockheed in Marietta, Georgia and was used by the United States Air Force. It was acquired by the RAF in 1966 and used mainly on longer routes and for paratrooping.

This particular aircraft was one of 30 Hercules modified during the early 1980’s, with the fuselage being lengthened by 15ft. Work was carried out by Marshall of Cambridge (Engineering) Ltd, using fuselage plugs in front of and behind of the wing.

RAF Museum Curator, Al McLean says:

“We are very pleased to be given a Hercules. For more than forty years it has been the corner stone of the RAF’s tactical transport fleet and has operated all over the world.”

The aircraft will remain at RAF Cosford for the next 3-4 weeks and will undergo a short period of maintenance carried out on the airfield. After work has been completed, the aircraft will be moved onto the RAF Museum site and will go on permanent display as part of the Museum’s extensive collection.

The aircraft was flown into RAF Cosford by No 47 Squadron, based at RAF Brize Norton. This is the second new aircraft to arrive at the Museum this year, following the Dominie’s arrival in February. More aircraft are expected to arrive later this year, including a Nimrod.

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