RAF – Page 6 – Airscene News

Cockpits open to aviation fans

17th September 2011

6.00pm – 8.30pm

£10.00 per person

(Open cockpits and aircraft may be subject to change)

The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will be opening up its doors to visitors for a special evening event taking pace on Saturday 17th September 2011. During ‘Open Cockpits Evening’, a selection of historic aircraft and cockpits will be available for close viewing for a limited number of visitors, allowing rare inside access to some of the World’s most historic aircraft.

During ‘Open Cockpits Evening’ members of the public will have the chance to see inside a number of cockpits including; the MH-53 Combat Search and Rescue helicopter, as used by the United States Air Force; the Jaguar ACT Demonstrator a ground attack aircraft modified to demonstrate fly-by-wire /active control technology (ACT) and a Gnat T1 as previously used by the world famous Red Arrows team.

The evening will be a rare treat for visitors to get inside some of the iconic aircraft on display at the Museum and get a feeling of what it was like to fly these much loved aircraft. Major highlights for aviation enthusiasts include the opportunity to see inside the famous TSR2 a twin engined tactical strike reconnaissance prototype and to examine how pilots operated the unique Meteor F8 Prone Position, whilst flying lying down. Other aircraft accessible to the public on this evening will include the York, Hastings and Twin Pioneer.

Museum Events Executive, Nina Mitchell says:
“After the success of the first ‘Open Cockpits Evening’ held in May this year, we hope to make this an annual event. Access inside the aircraft is something we are not able to do all the time. By opening them up to a limited number of visitors for this event, we are able to offer them quality time inside the aircraft, with our team of volunteers available to answer any questions.”

A total of 14 aircraft will be available for close viewing on the night. In addition to this, visitors will have exclusive access to the Museum which contains over 70 aircraft on display and its award winning National Cold War Exhibition.

This evening event will run from 6.00pm to 8.30pm. Numbers onto the Museum site will be limited to 300 people, to allow enthusiasts to spend as much time as possible examining these wondrous aircraft. Admission is by advance ticket only. Tickets costs £10.00 per person and are on sale now at the Museum. Height restrictions of 1.07 metres will apply. Parking charges are included in the ticket price.

For further information on the ‘Open Cockpit Evening’ or to purchase tickets over the phone, please contact the Museum on 01902 376200. Visit www.rafmuseum.org for information on the Museum and other events. Please note: Open cockpits and aircraft available for close viewing may be subject to change.

http://www.rafmuseum.org/

Calendar Competition Prizes from RAF Museum

Cosford RAF Museum have confirmed their prize offering which will be allocated to the 3 runners up place in this years competition.

Each runner up will win the following:

RAF Museum T Shirt – http://www.rafmuseumshop.com/node/4305

RAF Museum Teddy Bear – http://www.rafmuseumshop.com/node/4594

The RAF Museum’s aim is to preserve an important part of Britain’s national aviation heritage and to display it for future generations. At Cosford we have collections of artefacts unique in the world.

Donate to RAF Museums in London & Cosford and help us preserve our unique collection. We are a registered charity (no.244708).

Millennium Squadron Print exhibition goes on display

On display from 29th July 2011

A unique collection of aviation prints will be on display at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford from Friday 29th July 2011. The ‘Millennium Squadron Print’ exhibition is a collection of aviation prints of UK Armed Forces Flying Units that were in existence at 12.01am on the 1st January 2000.

In 2000, the RAF Museum Cosford displayed the “Millennium Squadron Print” exhibition. Now, 11 years on, the Museum is revisiting this unique collection to examine how many of the units in existence in 2000 are still active, and what fate has befallen the exhibition’s featured aircraft.

The collection consists of 116 prints from units as diverse as the Red Arrows, 1435 Flight (RAF), patrolling the skies of the Falkland Islands, many of the Royal Naval Air Service squadrons, Army Air Corps units, and RAF flying training units. As an added feature, the aircrew on each unit signed their print. Famous signatures on the prints to look out for include Tony Blair and Geoff Hoon, UK Prime Minister and Defence Secretary respectively on 1st January 2000.

This popular collection was compiled by Group Captain W.A.W. James MBE, now Station Commander of RAF Shawbury. In 1999 when the collection was produced, he was the commanding officer of the RAF Central Flying School (Helicopter) at RAF Shawbury.

RAF Museum Cosford Assistant Curator, Clare Carr says:

“The Millennium Squadron Print collection is a fascinating insight into the range of UK military flying units. We thought it would be an interesting exercise, in the light of various defence reorganisations, to review the units featured (not every flying unit participated) and see how many are still operational today and whether their home bases and aircraft have changed. We hope visitors will enjoy viewing the prints and seeing for themselves how the Royal Air Force, Royal Naval Air Service and Army Air Corps have changed over the past decade.”

The Exhibition will be on display to visitors from Friday 29th July 2011 until Easter 2012 in the Museum’s Exhibition Gallery in Hangar 1. For further information on the Museum please call 01902 376200, visit www.rafmuseum.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. The Museum is open daily from 10am – 6pm. Entry to the Museum and the exhibition is FREE.

Models take to the skies this weekend

16-17 July 2011

Lancaster flying display 2.35pm on Saturday 16th July

(Subject to weather and operational requirements)

Hundreds of scale models of iconic aircraft will be taking to the skies this weekend at the annual Large Model Aircraft Rally taking place at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford. This famous air show in miniature is an absolute must see for any aviation enthusiast.

The main theme of this year’s show will be the 75th Anniversary of the first flight of the Spitfire with a mass Spitfire scramble consisting of 15 models taking place twice each day. Plus, all three of Britain’s V-Bombers; Vulcan, Victor and Valiant will be flying together in model form, in an exclusive for Cosford. A major highlight for visitors on Saturday will be a flying display from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster – scheduled for 2.35pm (subject to weather and operational requirements).

There is plenty taking place over the weekend to keep the whole family entertained including trade stands selling modelling and non-modelling related items, food stalls, and access to the RAF Museum, plus a fun fair to keep the youngsters entertained throughout the day.

Why not beat the rush and buy tickets in advance at a discounted rate. Advance tickets for the event are priced at just £9 for adults, £5 for children and £7 for senior citizens with a family ticket of 2 adults and up to 2 children retailing at £20, saving £5 on the gate price. Gates open at 8.30am. Unfortunately, free admission to the Museum is not possible this weekend. On site camping including entrance to the show is only £45.00 for the weekend when booked in advance. Contact Dave Bailey for more details on camping at dave.bailey08@tiscali.co.uk or call 07827 675665.

For further information on how to purchase advance tickets and for on the gate prices, please call the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford on 01902 376200 or visit the Museum website at www.rafmuseum.org.

Lancaster flying display set to be a highlight for large model aircraft show

16-17 July 2011

Tickets available in advance or on the gate

Flypast 2.35pm on Saturday 16th July (subject to weather and operational requirements)

Visitors at the Large Model Aircraft Rally, taking place at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford on 16-17 July, will be treated to a flying display from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster – scheduled for 2.35pm on the Saturday (subject to weather and operational requirements).

This famous air show in miniature is an absolute must see for any aviation enthusiast. Last year the show attracted in excess of 12,000 visitors over the weekend, with hundreds of scale models of iconic aircraft taking to the skies during the two-day event.

The main theme of this year’s show will be the 75th Anniversary of the first flight of the Spitfire. Taking place twice each day, there will be a mass Spitfire scramble consisting of 15 models – possibly the largest number of model Spitfires flying together ever seen at a model air show.

Last year saw a large scale model Vulcan and Victor flying together for the first time in formation. This year all three of Britain’s V-Bombers; Vulcan, Victor and Valiant will be flying together in model form, in an exclusive for Cosford.

During the course of the show there will be a display of aircraft from both World Wars including the largest ever formation of the Dawn Patrol WWI fighter team, approximately two waves of 20 aircraft each including air combats within the display. In addition to this, several WWII Fighter and Bomber display teams will be performing.

Chairman of the Large Model Association, Dave Johnson says:

“At present we already have over 150 aircraft booked in and we’re still counting, so it’s sure to be a real busy display as always. Many of the aircraft on display cannot be seen flying in full size form anymore, so a real pull for aircraft enthusiasts everywhere.”

Events and activities on the airfield include trade stands selling modelling and non-modelling related items, food stalls, and access to the RAF Museum and full size aircraft displays, plus there will be a fun fair to keep the youngsters entertained throughout the day.

Large Model Association organisers are hoping this year’s event will prove just as popular and are now offering the chance to beat the rush and buy tickets early on at a discounted rate. Advance tickets for the Large Model Aircraft Rally at the RAF Museum Cosford are priced at just £9 for adults, £5 for children and £7 for senior citizens with a family ticket of 2 adults and up to 2 children retailing at £20, saving £5 on the gate price. Gates open at 8.30am.

On site camping including entrance to the show is only £45.00 for the weekend when booked in advance. Contact Dave Bailey for more details on camping at dave.bailey08@tiscali.co.uk or call 07827 675665.

For further information on how to purchase advance tickets and for on the gate prices, please call the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford on 01902 376200 or visit the Museum website at www.rafmuseum.org.

75th Anniversary of the first Wellington Flight

Wednesday 15th June 2011 marked the 75th Anniversary of the first flight of the Vickers Wellington. Part of the Royal Air Forces bomber strength during World War II, the prototype Wellington (K 4049) first took to the skies on the 15th June 1936.The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford is home to the world’s only complete example, Vickers Wellington B.X MF628. The Wellington is currently undergoing restoration work in the Museums award winning Michael Beetham Conservation Centre, where it will spend the next four years being carefully restored, before going back on display at the RAF Museum London.

The Wellington went into active RAF service in 1938 and played a significant role in the RAF during World War II. This twin-engined, long-serving, medium-range bomber was utilised heavily within Bomber Command at the outset of World War II, and was affectionately known as the ‘Wimpy’ by its crews. Flying on many of the Wars defining bombing operations, the ‘Wimpys’ last mission with Bomber Command was in October 1943. During WWII the Wellington served in other theatres including the Middle East and Far East and as a maritime patrol and anti-submarine craft in Coastal Command; some also served with Transport Command illustrating what an incredibly versatile aircraft the Wellington was. As an aircrew trainer it served with the RAF until1953.

With a wingspan of 86ft, over 60ft in length and a height of 17ft, the Wellington had a bomb carrying capacity of 4,500lb. In total 11,461 Wellington’s were built, the bomber typically carried a crew of five or six which would vary depending on the operation.

The Wellington is famous for its unique geodetic construction, built up from a number of strong channel-beams that were formed into a large geodesic-based network. Originally designed by Barnes Wallis, the geodetic construction gave the aircraft tremendous strength because any one of the stringers could support some of the weight from even the opposite side of the aircraft.

The Museums Wellington B.X MF628 will be on display to visitors during the Conservation Centre Open Week taking place from Monday 14th to Saturday 19th November 2011. Open each day from 10.15am -1.00pm, a range of aircraft and other artefacts in various states of restoration will be on display, including the Centre’s largest project, the Wellington Bomber.

The Museum will open daily from 10am – 6pm (last admission 5pm). Admission is FREE of charge. For further information, please contact the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford on 01902 376200 or visit www.rafmuseum.org.

Permanent Tribute to National Service Men and Women Unveiled at Parade

Parade 11.00am

Spitfire Display 1.00pm (weather permitting)

The National Service (RAF) Association will be holding their annual reunion and parade at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford on Sunday 3rd July 2011 from 10.00am.

The parade is expected to see hundreds of ex National Service men and women participate and will form up between two of the old airfield Hangars at 11.00am. The parade will be led by the Central Band of the Royal Air Force, with additional music on the day provided by (Alsager) Sqn ATC Band and a Drill display by (Fordhouses) Sqn ATC. Visitors and guests will then be treated to a flying display by two Spitfires from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight scheduled for 1.00pm (weather permitting).

This year, as well as the parade the Minister for International Security Strategy, Gerald Howarth MP will unveil a permanent tribute to National Service men and women, consisting of three graphic displays and a video, funded by the National Service Association. The unveiling will take place before an invited audience within the National Cold War Exhibition at the RAF Museum Cosford at 2.00pm. The area will be closed to the general public for the unveiling at 1.00pm and reopen on completion of the ceremony at around 2.30pm.

This event first came to the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford in 2004 and has grown in strength each subsequent year. Last year, over 2,000 guests attended of which over 600 presented themselves for the parade. All Veterans who served in the Royal Air Force are welcome to participate and members of the public are invited to watch the parade.

National Veterans Organisations, as well as many training camp associations will be represented in Hangar 1 alongside displays of memorabilia and the Museum shop. On completion of the formal events, guests will have access to the whole RAF Museum site to catch up with old friends and colleagues, exchange news and view the exhibits.

The Museum gates will open at 9.00am on Sunday 3rd July 2011, although the Museum itself will open at 10am. Entry to the Museum is FREE. For further information, please call the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford on 01902 376200 or visit the Museum website at www.rafmuseum.org.

The Face of Courage

Portraits of the British at War

1940-45, by Eric Kennington (1888-1960).

Free Art Exhibition – 10th June to May 2012

The Royal Air Force Museum London is proud to announce the re-opening of its Art Gallery to the public on Friday 10th June with the installation of an exhibition of portraits by renowned wartime artist Eric Kennington. The guest curator of the exhibition is the Senior Research Fellow in History of Art at Kingston University, Jonathan Black, who has mounted two other shows about Kennington in the last decade.

For much of his distinguished career, Kennington was counted amongst the ranks of exceptional portraitists such as: Hans Holbein the Younger; Albrecht Dürer; Franz Hals; Van Gogh and Augustus John. Many of his artistic contemporaries rated him as the finest draughtsman of his day, while he enjoyed the admiration of prominent public figures such as Winston Churchill; George Bernard Shaw and T.E. Lawrence.

The exhibition will present about three dozen works covering all of the Armed Services, the Auxiliary Services, London Transport and some notable civilians. Pictures have been loaned by the National Portrait Gallery, the Imperial War Museum, the National Army Museum, the Tate, the National Maritime Museum, the Ministry of Defence and by Kennington’s family and other private lenders and art dealers.

Kennington was among a handful of British artists who distinguished themselves as official war artists in both World Wars. His portraits were widely hailed not only as works of art, but also as capturing the indomitable spirit of British and Allied Servicemen in the struggle for victory.

This exhibition, the first to focus specifically on his Second World War Art, seeks to re-assess Kennington’s significant contribution to British War Art and to acknowledge his undoubted standing as one of the great British portraitists of the Twentieth Century. In a ‘People’s War’ he produced unforgettable images of ordinary men and women who displayed extraordinary courage and resilience under exceptional circumstances.

www.rafmuseum.org

60th Anniversary of Valiants First Flight

First Flight 18th May 1951

Wednesday 18th May 2011 will mark the 60th Anniversary of the first flight of the Vickers-Armstrongs Valiant. Part of the Royal Air Forces V-Bomber nuclear deterrent during the 1950’s and 1960’s, the Valiant was the first of the V-bombers to make it into the air, when prototype WB210 took to the skies on 18th May 1951.

The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford is home to the world’s only complete example, Vickers-Armstrongs Valiant B (K).1 XD818. The Valiant is on display in the Museums award winning National Cold War Exhibition, the only place in the world where you can see all three of Britain’s V-Bombers: Vulcan, Victor and Valiant on display together under one roof.

This British four jet bomber went into active RAF service in 1955 and played a significant role during the Cold War period. With a wingspan of 114ft, over 108ft in length and a height of over 32ft, the Valiant had a bomb capacity of a 10,000lb nuclear bomb or 21 x 1,000lb conventional bombs. In total 107 aircraft were built, each carrying a crew of five including two pilots, two navigators and an air electronics officer. The type was retired from RAF service in 1965 due to structural problems.

RAF Museum Cosford Curator, Al McLean says:

“The Valiant was the first of the V-bombers to enter service, the first to drop a nuclear weapon and the first to go into combat. One of the few pilots to have flown all three of the V bombers also described the Valiant as being the nicest to fly of the three. “

The Museums Valiant B (K).1 XD818 was one of eight Valiant’s specially modified by Vickers for involvement in Operation Grapple – the testing of Britain’s first H-bomb. The modifications included measures to protect the aircraft and crew, instrumentation for scientific operations and the addition of extra and special equipment for navigational and bombing requirements. The modified aircraft carried the metal anti-flash screens for the crew and bomb bay cameras to record the bomb drop characteristics.

The Museum is open daily from 10am. Entry to the Museum is FREE. For further information please contact the Museum on 01902 376200 or visit www.rafmuseum.org

F.A.B! A Night at the RAF Museum

18th April 2011

Calling all children of the 60s & 70s! The Royal Air Force Museum London is inviting you to revisit your childhood on Saturday 14th of May by opening its doors for a special evening event that will take them back to their childhood futures.

From 7pm until 11pm, the museum will be opening up its Milestones of Flight, Bomber and Historic Hangars for free to over 18s and giving adult visitors the opportunity to play with giant sized versions of classic children’s games whilst listening to music of the 60s and 70s inspired by ‘futurism’, ‘the white heat of technology’ and Cult TV shows from their childhoods.

For those who spent their school hours idly day-dreaming about living on Tracy Island and piloting Thunderbird 2 the museum is offering the exclusive and rare opportunity to enjoy an audience with Sylvia Anderson, the voice of Lady Penelope and the co-creator of Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlett, UFO and Space 1999.

In an interview to be held in the museum’s cinema at 7.30pm, Sylvia will talk to fans about her career; the iconic actors that she worked with and the inspiration behind the characters that she created taking questions from the audience. After this she will be available to talk to fans whilst signing copies of her latest book ‘Sylvia Anderson – May Fab Years’ in the museum shop. Only 210 tickets for this element of the evening will be available from www.rafmuseumshop.com from Thursday 28th April retailing at £12.50 each, the profits of which will go to the maintenance of the museum’s aircraft collection.

Additionally, the museum will have on display throughout its galleries original and studio standard models and characters from Century 21 television programmes and will also show favourite episodes from Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlett in the Museum’s cinema specially selected by Sylvia Anderson herself.

Paul Hudson, Head of Marketing at the Museum states:

‘The Royal Air Force is renowned across the world for the humanitarian aid that it provides at times of global crisis. Indeed, it could be argued that for many across the world it is truly their International Rescue. As a child of the late 60s, who was captivated by the adventures of the Tracy Brothers, I am particularly honoured to host their co-creator and to display original models from the series. I am confident that this event will prove to be as fascinating to our adult audience as our day-time events are to our younger visitors.’

The Royal Air Force Museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm daily. Admission is free with last admission being at 5.30 pm. For further details about this event, please visit www.rafmuseum.org/london. Tickets will be sold through the museum’s online shop.