The Royal Air Force Museum ( RAFM, R.A.F.M)

The Royal Air Force Museum ( RAFM, R.A.F.M) Our purpose is to tell the story of the R.A.F through its people and collections. Our ambition is to ensure that the R.A.F's story endures.
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Our purpose is to tell the story of the Royal Air Force through its people and collections. - For our visitors, we make our collections and the RAF story relevant and stimulating - For current and former RAF personnel and their families, we preserve, honour and share the stories of their service - For our nation, we help people to understand the impact of the RAF in the world Our ambition is to ensure that the Royal Air Force's story endures and enriches future generations. The Museum occupies two public sites at Colindale in North London, and Cosford in Shropshire, West Midlands. Each site offers a unique experience to the visitor and the exhibits complement each other. Both Museums are free to enter and tell the story of the people who moulded the world of aviation from the daredevil early aviators to wartime heroes and the thousands of ordinary Service men and women who have served in the RAF and whose contribution has shaped the world that we live in today.

During this Conservation week we have highlighted some of the aircraft which are undergoing conservation in the MBCC at ...
17/06/2020

During this Conservation week we have highlighted some of the aircraft which are undergoing conservation in the MBCC at Cosford. However, this is only part of the Museum’s conservation work. We have a wonderful team of volunteers who help us with conserving the objects in our collection, both small and big. Today we tell the story of the Large Object Volunteer team.

In order that you, the visitor, can see our exhibits in the best condition, the Large Object Volunteer team regularly clean the aircraft, vehicles, engines and other items. They use long-handled mops, fibre clothes and other tools to clean the exhibits once a month. It is quite a privilege to get up close and personal with such famous aircraft like the Spitfire and be able to see and touch this famous fighter; to see the panels where the machine gun ammunition was loaded, the 1940s colour scheme and in some cases, actual repairs that were undertaken in wartime.

Aside from ensuring that our exhibits are in the best possible condition for our visitors, cleaning is a key part of conservation. Dust, over time, can damage the fragile parts of the exhibits – for example the fabric covered fuselages and wings of World War 1 aircraft.

As easy as cleaning an aircraft may sound, it is imperative that this is done in a safe and non-intrusive manner. And in a practical sense, it is often a challenge to reach every part of every aircraft, especially if they are very large, like the Lancaster or Sunderland, or if they are hanging from the ceiling, such as the DH9a. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mdq0p_hFss

Beyond the cleaning of the aircraft, the Large Object Volunteer team assist David Green, the Conservation Technician with the regular checks of the aircraft on display. Sometimes these need to be ‘opened up’ to see if the structure is still sound. As much as we like to see these aircraft as sturdy combat veterans, they suffer degradation as any other object. It is important that we find out any issues on time so we can take appropriate measures and start with an interventive conservation.

Recently, the Team was tasked to make special checks on some of the aircraft displayed in Hangars 3,4 & 5. The focus was on the bolts that secure the wings and tailplane to the fuselage, and ensure they were in good condition. Over several Sunday and mid-week sessions the volunteers removed panels in the appropriate areas, such as wing roots, so that the bolts could be observed. This involved the unscrewing of hundreds of screws, carefully labelling them and keeping them secure and then removal of the panels, to reveal the bolts, nuts, etc. To reach the screws, the volunteers had to safely lay on the floor, or reach up to shoulder height areas, and in some cases, carefully use the walkways on some aircraft inner wings.

The aircraft included the Chipmunk, Thunderbolt, Spitfire F24, Vampire, Meteor, Harvard and Hudson. The team enjoyed this unique experience – being able to get up close to these iconic aircraft, learning about some elements of their construction. The Conservation Manager, Brendan O’Gorman, commented ‘It’s great to have a wealth of responsible volunteers willing to assist in such an important task. By carrying out these checks and flagging any issues, David and the volunteers are ensuring the safety of the objects, as well as the public’.

To find out more about volunteering at the RAF Museum, please have a look at our website https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/support-us/volunteering.aspx

As a Museum sitting in the heart of Colindale we love working and spending time with our local community and those that ...
17/06/2020

As a Museum sitting in the heart of Colindale we love working and spending time with our local community and those that live on our doorstep. As we all know things are very different at the moment, meaning we aren’t able to get out and about and see our local community or welcome them into the Museum as we usually would. Over the next three weeks we’ll be reminiscing over the last year of the Museum’s community engagement whilst we plan for time when we can all be together again! This post will focus on activities the Museum has been involved in with local families and children.

One of the highlights of the last year was hosting families from Home Start Barnet at the Museum for Toddler Takeover Day. The day involved the toddlers of Colindale taking on museum jobs and becoming mini curators, conservators and shop staff. Polishing our mini planes, using a pricing gun and whizzing objects around the exhibition using a trolley certainly livened up a morning in Hangar 1.

Another local group that meet a stone's throw from the Museum on Grahame Park is FUSE youth club who we’ve also been working with over the last year. FUSE’s mantra ‘Working with young people living on Estates to show them a world outside of it’ inspired sessions at the Museum focusing on job roles and BAME history. The young people watched a performance of ‘Pilots of the Caribbean’ which highlights the role of African and Caribbean people throughout RAF history and today. The group were encouraged to ask questions and also explore the Museum using our BAME history trail. Another session used RAF uniforms to talk about different roles and skills needed within not only the air force but in other jobs.

Speaking of uniforms, hats were the order of the day when we tried on and created our own RAF hats at Burnt Oak Library. Children explored the different types of hats used in the RAF and designed their own stylish paper hats to take home with them. Getting out and about in local libraries is a brilliant way of meeting new families who haven’t visited the Museum before as well as getting to see some familiar faces who love getting stuck into different activities.

We also worked with Barnet Libraries at East Finchley Library to trial a session where families got to get hands on with some objects from our handling collection and write their own fantasy labels. It was great fun hearing the weird, wonderful and wacky uses the children came up with for each object. We had a ring compass masquerading as a bracelet for a bunny and a Gosport Tube which they decided was a stethoscope. The best part of this activity was that the children were actually

more fascinated with the original uses of the objects than their own ideas; perhaps we have some budding Museum professionals and historians amongst the children of Barnet.

Getting children, families and young people involved with the Museum and sharing the RAF story with them is one of the most important aspects of our outreach and engagement work. We can’t wait to get back to normal and work with all our amazing local families and community partners. For more information about previous community engagement work go to our Community Events page. https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/local-community-news/community-events.aspx

Earlier today we shared the video of the webinar which discussed the recovery and conservation of the Dornier Do 17 bomb...
16/06/2020

Earlier today we shared the video of the webinar which discussed the recovery and conservation of the Dornier Do 17 bomber. Although a German bomber it has significant relevance to the history of the RAF as it was one of the main aircraft used during the Battle of France, Battle of Britain and the Blitz.

Was the Dornier Do 17 the German Lancaster? Not exactly. It is best to see the Dornier along the lines of the British Bristol Blenheim and Handley Page Hampden light bombers. The legend of the Do 17 is similar to that of the story of the Blenheim as it was originally designed as a fast commercial transport aircraft until it was adopted by the military as a bomber aircraft.

In reality, Dornier knew that the German military wanted a bomber. The reason for the secrecy was that the Treaty of Versailles, officially ending the First World War, stipulated Germany was forbidden to have any air force. In secret, the military was rebuilding an air force. This was accelerated when Hitler came to power. The Luftwaffe, the Nazi German air force was founded in 1935 after Hitler renounced the Treaty. One of its first bomber aircraft was the Do 17.
Like the Blenheim, the Dornier was built with speed in mind. Its long narrow silhouette gave it the nickname ‘the Flying Pencil’. It could carry a bomb load of 1000 kg (2,205 lb), more than the Blenheim but less than the slower Hampden. All three aircraft had a weak defensive armament, though standard for its day. The Dornier relied on its speed and manoeuvrability at lower altitude to get away from enemy fighter aircraft.

The Dornier Do 17 and the Heinkel He 111, of which an original example exists at the RAF Museum London, were the main German bombers when the Second World War broke out. During the Phoney War, the first ‘quiet’ months of the war, the Dornier excelled as a long-range reconnaissance aircraft flying over France and providing valuable intelligence to the German military. As no radar was available, the Dornier was rarely intercepted.

This obviously changed during the Battle of Britain when the deficiencies of the Dornier became apparent. When it entered service in early 1937, it was faster than most fighter aircraft then in service. When confronted with the modern Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire, its slow speed and weak armament became apparent. https://www.rafstories.org/story/raf-wp-19479#

Many examples of such encounters exist, but the most famous battle occurred on 15 September 1940, now known as Battle of Britain Day. A Do 17 Z-2 of Kampfgeschwader (Bomber Group No. 76), flown by Robert Zehbe, had developed engine problems and became isolated from the main bomber formation. Although it is unclear what exactly happened, it seems the Dornier was first attacked by Pilot Officer ‘Skeets’ Ogilvie of No. 609 Squadron. He made three attacking passed with his Spitfire. Next up was Sergeant Ray Holmes of No. 504 Squadron. His Hurricane had run out of ammo but decided to ram the Dornier, which came crashing down near Victoria station. Three out of five German crew members died.

Ray Holmes bailed out of his damaged Hurricane and was received by an ecstatic crowd who had witnessed his selfless ramming attack. The RAF Museum London’s Hurricane gate guardian is a replica of the Hurricane that he flew that day. Several parts of the original Hurricane wreck are on display in Hangar 1. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1760607407398887

The Dornier which is now at the Michael Beetham Conservation Centre (MBCC) at Cosford was shot down on 26 August 1940 and forced to make an emergency landing on the Goodwin Sands at low tide. The Dornier, flown by Feldwebel Willi Effmert attempted a wheels-up landing and touched down and the aircraft sank inverted. It stayed there for 70 years until the RAF Museum decided to raise it from the seabed.

The careful and innovative process of raising and conserving the bomber is discussed in detail in the webinar we posted earlier today. The museum originally intended to exhibit the Dornier in London. Due to fragility of the airframe structure, which was identified during the conservation process, it has been decided to retain the aircraft at Cosford within a display environment conducive to its long-term preservation. To this end, options for exhibiting the Dornier are now being considered. In the meantime, we hope to welcome you in a future Open Cockpit event at Cosford in which the Dornier will be shown to the public.

16/06/2020
From Recovery to Restoration: Bringing World War II's Lost Aircraft Back to Life

The RAF Museum's Head of Collections and Research, Ian Thirsk and Conservation Centre Manager, Darren Priday recently participated in a webinar with The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana to discuss the Dornier 17 recovery and conservation.

In this one hour webinar, Ian and Darren give an overview of one of the most exciting and challenging projects ever undertaken by the RAF Museum, the recovery of the Goodwin Sands Dornier 17. Learn more about how the aircraft was discovered and identified, preparations for its recovery, the recovery itself and the challenges in conserving the aircraft.

Click to view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5BExOZIJRM&feature=youtu.be

In 2013, divers recovered the remains of a German Dornier 17 bomber, which had lain underwater since it was shot down during the Battle of Britain in August ...

Today we are celebrating a DOUBLE birthday! On this day, 15 June in 1936, two aircraft made their first flight. Both wer...
15/06/2020

Today we are celebrating a DOUBLE birthday! On this day, 15 June in 1936, two aircraft made their first flight. Both were to have a long and versatile career with the RAF during the Second World War. They were the Westland Lysander and the Vickers Wellington.

The Lysander was developed for the army co-operation role. In short, the RAF needed to provide the army with an aircraft capable of directing its artillery fire and providing photographic reconnaissance. Despite its archaic appearance the Lysander was quite advanced. Its fully automatic wing slats, slotted flaps and a variable incidence tailplane made it capable of flying at low speed without stalling.

And yet, when the Second World War broke out, the Lysander squadrons suffered terrible losses at the hands of the German fighter pilots. The Lysander fell between two stools. It was too slow and vulnerable for photo reconnaissance, and it was too big for inconspicuous artillery observation. Withdrawn from France, Lysanders were temporarily used as a patrol aircraft and armed to be used against a potential German invasion, as unlikely that would have been. Some were used for air-sea rescue while others became target tugs to train anti-aircraft artillery units.

It is most remarkable that the Lysander performed its greatest role after its replacement. Its ability to fly at low speed, and land and take off at short distances made it a perfect aircraft to fly special agents into occupied Europe. No. 138 (Special Duties) Squadron was formed for the Special Operations Executive (SOE) to maintain clandestine contact with the French Resistance. Lysander flew several missions, at night, with only the pilot and no navigator trying to locate a crude landing strip in the middle of Occupied France. They would insert or bring back special agents.

One of the best-known agents was Inayat Noor Khan. She volunteered for the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and was trained as a radio operator, later joining the SOE. In the summer of 1943, she became the first woman radio operator to be infiltrated into occupied France and worked undercover in Paris. She was betrayed, tortured, and executed in Dachau Concentration Camp. She was posthumously awarded the George Cross, Britain’s highest civilian honour. The Museum has the log book on display of the Lysander pilot who flew Noor Khan into France.

The RAF Museum’s Lysander has now been restored to its former glory after undergoing three years of conservation work including a new fabric outer skin and complete repaint. As the only surviving Special Duties variant of its type, the Lysander is now painted in No. 161 Squadron SOE colour scheme, reflecting its service towards the end of the war in non-operational special transport services.

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The Vickers Wellington was designed as a twin-engined bomber together with the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley and the Handley Page Hampden. What made the Wellington unique was its geodetic structure – a kind of basket weave framework developed by aeronautical engineer and bouncing bomb inventor, Barnes Wallis.

According to Darren Priday, the manager of the MBCC in which the Wellington is undergoing restoration, ‘the easiest way to think about it is like an airship construction brought into the fixed wing world’. This structure was then covered in fabric, Irish linen treated with a chemical called dope. Fabric was easy to apply and to repair, and obviously cheaper than a metal sheet covering. The only limitation of fabric covering is that it restricts the maximum speed.

Several squadron were equipped with the Wellington. Several missions were flown against German naval bases, but it quickly became apparent that the slow Wellington was too vulnerable against German Messerschmitt fighter aircraft. The decision was taken to switch to night attacks. In this the Wellington proved its worth. It could carry a bomb load of 4,500 lb (2,000 kg) over a very long range, which was far superior than that of the other twin-engined bombers.

The Wellington was Bomber Command’s main bomber aircraft during the first half of the Second World War. It was gradually replaced by the Handley Page Halifax and of course the Avro Lancaster, which with their four engines could carry a heavier load at higher speed. This was not the end of the career of the Wellington. It remained in production until the end of the war at which time it was used in various roles – from anti-submarine duties with Coastal Command to airborne radar for Fighter Command and Air Defence of Great Britain.

Over 11,400 were produced but today, only two remain and the one at Cosford is the only complete example of its type. Since its arrival at Cosford in June 2010, the Wellington has been stripped of its linen outer skin so that work to repair small amounts of corrosion to the geodetic framework could take place. The wings are now free of corrosion and have been painted in a protective layer and the fuselage will soon undergo the same treatment. Following this, the aircraft will then be re-covered in Irish linen, doped and painted in its Bomber Command colour scheme.

Darren Priday reflects on the role of the MBCC which is ‘to make sure that in 50 or 100 years time, families can still come into a museum and see Spitfires, Hurricanes, Messerschmitts or anything else that we've got in our collection.’ Both the Lysander and Wellington will go back on display in the near future.

Address

Grahame Park Way
London
NW9 5LL

General information

The Royal Air Force Museum hosts a unique collection of iconic aircraft at two main sites, Colindale in North London and Cosford near Birmingham in the West Midlands. Admission and Parking to both sites are free, and both sites host throughout the year a series of free family orientated events. For further details, please visit the What's On section of our website www.rafmuseum.org.

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0208 205 2266 (London) 01902 376 200 (London)

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Videos

RAF Museum 2019 Air Show activities
RAF Museum 2019 Air Show activities

Today should have been the 2020 RAF Cosford Air Show (Official), but instead we are taking a look back at some of the highlights from the RAF Museum's activities at the 2019 Air Show. We supported the show with a collection of our aircraft joining the static display line-up, including a rare reconnaissance Spitfire. The Supermarine Spitfire Photo Reconnaissance PR. XIX PM651 was the centre of a Museum display in the Air Show’s popular Vintage Village which transports visitors back to the 1940s. Visitors to the Museum’s stand, themed ‘Summer of Spitfire’, were amongst the first to get up close to the last of the specialised photo reconnaissance Spitfires, for a view inside the cockpit. The much more modern PR. XIX has a number of stark differences to the Mk1 on display in the Museum's War in the Air hangar at Cosford, 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, a retractable tail wheel making its profile more streamlined, and a pressurised cabin critical for the high-altitude reconnaissance flights. Other Museum aircraft displayed at the 2019 Air Show included the Gloster Gladiator 1, Harrier GR3, de Havilland Devon, Percival Provost T1 and the Hunting Percival Pembroke C1. In addition to aircraft displays, Our Access and Learning team delivered hands-on family fun to thousands of visitors in the Whittle Innovation Hub, including rocket car activities during free drop-in sessions, just one of the many STEM themed activities running throughout the day. RAF Museum Trustee Nick Sanders and Museum Ambassador Robin Southwell completed a gruelling 101 mile walk at the RAF Cosford Air Show in 2019, joined by our CEO Maggie Appleton on the final leg. Nick and Robin led the march of over 100 miles to raise money for a bespoke outdoor children’s playground at the Museum site in Cosford, due to be installed later t

Every Sunday during lockdown have been focusing on women who served in the RAF or left their mark on the history of aviation. As this week is all about Spitfires, today is the perfect moment to highlight that many women flew Spitfires during the Second World War. They served with the Air Transport Auxiliary; their job was to ferry RAF aircraft from factories and maintenance to units to the operational squadrons. This was a very important task as it freed up pilots to focus on the combat missions. They delivered more than 309,000 aircraft of 147 types, including all types of fighter aircraft, but also large bombers such as the Avro Lancaster. One of these women was the enigmatic Jackie Moggridge. In 1940, at the age of only 18, she was recruited into the ATA. Beside ferrying aircraft, ATA pilots sometimes were called on to transporting passengers. Jackie’s daughter Candida was recently interviewed by the RAF Museum and she shared with us a story about her mother: ‘The weather was terrible and they were flying through this awful weather. And when they landed the commandant of the airfield came over and asked, “How was the flight?” And the chap who'd been given a lift said “well, it was just dreadful weather, and I can't believe not only was I flying back here by a woman but she was reading a book!”’ To this Jackie replied ‘”Oh no, I wasn't reading a novel, these are my ATA notes, I hadn't flown this type of plane before.” He nearly threw up. But this is what it was really like, they hadn't flown that plane before. They were just told that's what you're flying next.’ After the war she joined the RAF Voluntary Reserves. Jackie was given her RAF wings in August 1953. Together with Jean Bird, Benedetta Willis, Freydis Leaf and Joan Hughes, she was one of the first five women to be awarded their wings. The next didn't gain wings until Julie Ann Gibson in 1991 and we will tell her story this evening. Candida shared a very moving and inspiring story with us from her ch

RAF Museum aircraft sneak peek
RAF Museum aircraft sneak peek

Can you guess which aircraft from the RAF Museum collection (London or Cosford) this is? Keep a look out on Facebook later this week when we reveal the answer.

Flight Lieutenant Roger Wilkins and his Hawker Hunter FGA9
Flight Lieutenant Roger Wilkins and his Hawker Hunter FGA9

In our next video we share the personal recollections of one of our hidden heroes, the late Flight Lieutenant Roger Wilkins, who was a long-standing RAF Museum Volunteer and the pilot of the Hawker Hunter FGA9 which is located in Hangar 3 at the RAF Museum London. In this short video Roger recalls paired take-offs, dog fights and the effects of G-Force whilst flying the Hunter during his time in Aden, serving with No. 43 Squadron, RAF in the early 1960s. The Hunter was the first high-speed jet fighter with radar and fully-powered flying controls to go into widespread service with the Royal Air Force. It was one of the most successful of the British post-war jet fighters; it became the Royal Air Force's standard single-seat fighter, replacing Meteor, Sabre and Venom aircraft. In 1958 the Royal Air Force held a competition to find a suitable type to replace its Middle East-based Venom ground attack fighters. Hawkers won with a proposal for a modified Hunter F6, this new version was designated FGA9 to show its new role and the first flew in July 1959. FGA9s saw most of their service overseas. You can learn more about the Hunter, including its full aircraft history on our website: https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/collections/hawker-hunter-fga9/ Roger's valuable contribution to the Museum will be sadly missed by all his RAF Museum friends. We would like to thank Roger's family who have kindly given their permission for us to re-share this video of Roger.

FC95-309 Speed-up on Stirlings - AssemblyLine Edit (1).mp4
FC95-309 Speed-up on Stirlings - AssemblyLine Edit (1).mp4

Following up on our previous post about the Short Stirling heavy bomber of the Second World War, here is a 1942 film on the production of the Stirling at the Short Brother factory in Swindon. It is fascinating to have this insight in the production facilities with only minimal automatisation. The film also clearly shows how dependent the industry was on women. From ‘IWM Film and Video Archive’

The Canberra
The Canberra

Story of the English Electric Canberra and footage of different models of Canberras at RAF Cottesmore

RAF Museum Hawker Typhoon 1B aircraft build
RAF Museum Hawker Typhoon 1B aircraft build

Next in our new video series is behind the scenes footage of the Hawker Typhoon 1B aircraft build. Originally designed as a twelve-gun fighter, the Typhoon was intended to be the successor to the Hurricane. It suffered many development problems both with the airframe and its twenty-four cylinder Napier Sabre engine. At the time of its introduction in 1941, it was the first 400mph fighter in the RAF and proved a match for the low level tip-and-run Focke-Wulf Fw190s. It was, however, in the low level close support role that the Typhoon excelled. The Typhoon reached the height of its fame operating as a tank destroyer. During the final European campaign, the aircraft flew in standing patrols, known as "cab ranks" awaiting calls from ground forces to make immediate strikes against any German target which lay in the path of Allied troops. They disrupted enemy communications and wrought havoc amongst his transport both on land and at sea, thereby playing a decisive part in many of the final battles. With the end of the war in Europe the Typhoon's specialised role was finished and it quickly disappeared from service. You can learn more about the Typhoon, including a full aircraft history on our website: https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/collections/hawker-typhoon-1b/

Vying for Victory: Britain’s Army,Navy and Air Force in Myth and Memory
Vying for Victory: Britain’s Army,Navy and Air Force in Myth and Memory

Vying for Victory: Britain’s Army,Navy and Air Force in Myth and Memory The Second World War was the first major conflict to see the implementation of a truly joint operations and command: three different services with three different sets of traditions, cultures and experiences. Now, 75 years after Victory in Europe, how do we recognise the contribution of the separate branches of the armed forces on the Road to Victory? Should we view it as anything but a joint operation? Author and historian James Holland joins lead curators from the National Museum of the Royal Navy, the National Army Museum and the Royal Air Force Museum to explore the highs and lows in the evolution of this unique working relationship. And, as the modern media continues to draw on wartime experiences and expressions, they will assess how each of the services has cemented its own contribution in myth, tradition and popular culture today. There will be a Crowdcast live Q&A at 7.00pm sign up at: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/vyingforvictory/register

Virtual VE Day 75 Festival - The Blue Bird Belles in Conert
Virtual VE Day 75 Festival - The Blue Bird Belles in Conert

Round off your Bank Holiday celebrations with a concert from 40s trio The Bluebird Belles. Sing along to some iconic tunes and practice your newly learnt dance moves. This will be broadcast at 5.00pm on our YouTube Channel and this page.

Join us, @NAM_London , @NatMuseumRN from 5.00pm today as we commemorate 75 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe. From what was on the wireless to digging for Victory, find out what life was like on the Home Front and the Front Line. https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/about-us/virtual-ve-day-75.aspx

Join us from your home tomorrow, 7 May, as we kick off our #VE75Day weekend of virtual commemorations alongside the National Museum of the Royal Navy and the National Army Museum at 5.00pm. Download your your free programme of events at https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/about-us/virtual-ve-day-75.aspx #StandWithYourServices

RAF Museum aircraft sneak peek
RAF Museum aircraft sneak peek

Can you guess which aircraft from the RAF Museum collection (London or Cosford) this is? Keep a look out on Facebook later this week when we reveal the answer.

On this day, 2 May in 1952, the first jet airliner entered service: the Comet. Flying faster than any airliner, it hailed a new era in civil aviation. Between 1930 and 1950 military aircraft design advanced from propeller driven biplanes to jet powered monoplanes. Civil aviation remained dominated by large propeller driven aircraft until 1949 when de Havilland introduced the world to the age of the jet airliner. Sir Geoffrey de Havilland conceived the idea of the DH106 'Comet' in 1943 and design work began in September 1946. The prototype first flew on 27 July 1949. On 2 May 1952 the de Havilland Comet entered service with BOAC as the first commercial jet airliner. This marked a new era in civil aviation and left other aeroplane manufacturers years behind. The new aircraft could carry 36 passengers at a cruising speed of 720 km/h (450 mph) over a distance of 4000 km (2500 miles). BOAC became the envy of world airlines by operating the first jet fleet. In order to carry the maximum amount of passengers and freight, the weight of the aircraft and fuel had to be kept to a minimum. The construction techniques were a mixture of old and new: rivets were used but also glued together using a technique known as Redux bonding. This technique had been pioneered by de Havilland in the Hornet and Dove aircraft, to reduce the weight of the structure whilst keeping the strength. After only eighteen months of service two aircraft disappeared within three months of each other. The Secretary of State for Civil Aviation ordered a full investigation into the causes of the disappearances. This was carried out by the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough and a court of enquiry was established. One part of the investigation examined cabin pressurisation. The skin of a recovered Comet wreck had undergone 3057 flight cycles (1221 actual and 1836 simulated) before a fatigue crack produced a failure. This occurred at a rivet hole near the forward port escape hatch. Fatigue is the g

RAF Museum FE2b aircraft assembly
RAF Museum FE2b aircraft assembly

Next in our new video series is behind the scenes footage of the Royal Aircraft Factory FE2b aircraft build. The FE2b was delivered to the RAF Museum London in 2009 for public display. Five years later it was dismantled and moved to the Grahame White Factory (Hangar 2) by our team of Technicians and Volunteers where it is now on suspended display. First introduced as a two-seat fighter on the Western Front in late 1915, they were later used extensively in the night bomber role in Europe. The pilot occupied the rear cockpit (seen here) and the gunner the front, giving his one or two Lewis machine guns an unobstructed field of fire of over 180 degrees. The last of the type in front-line service served with occupation forces in Germany until March 1919. The FE2b was specifically designed for large-scale wartime production by companies inexperienced in aircraft production. You can learn more about the FE2b, including a podcast and full aircraft history on our website: https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/collections/royal-aircraft-factory-fe2b/

RAF Museum aircraft sneak peek
RAF Museum aircraft sneak peek

Ahead of the next behind the scenes video, here's a sneak peek, but can you guess which aircraft from the RAF Museum collection (London or Cosford) this is? Keep a look out on Facebook later this week for a brand new video of previously unseen footage.

RAF Museum aircraft sneak peek
RAF Museum aircraft sneak peek

Ahead of the next behind the scenes video which we will share with you tomorrow, here's a sneak peek, but can you guess which aircraft from the RAF Museum collection (London or Cosford) this is? Keep a look out on Facebook tomorrow for a brand new video of previously unseen footage.

We received a lovely video from Kate Rose, whose son Logan has made a little stop-motion film to cheer us up during the Museum closure. The Museum is his favourite place to visit and he is sad they can't visit over Easter. Thanks Logan and we hope to welcome you soon!

Cold War Podcast
Cold War Podcast

In a new series of Cold War podcasts, delivered by our dedicated team of Volunteers, we’re giving you the opportunity to ask the questions! In our first podcast we will be discussing - THE ROLE OF THE RAF DURING THE COLD WAR. Send us your questions by commenting below or using the hashtag #coldwarpodcast and we will do our best to answer as many as we can. Questions to be submitted by 5.00pm on Thursday 9 April.

English Electric Lightning at RAF Museum Cosford
English Electric Lightning at RAF Museum Cosford

Bringing more of the RAF Museum collection (both London and Cosford) to everyone at home, we will take you behind the scenes in a series of videos showcasing everything from aircraft builds to pilot interviews, plus lots more never before seen footage. Today we start our new video series with the birds eye view of the English Electric Lightning, displayed in the National Cold War Exhibition at Cosford, during its annual clean. The Lightning was capable of supersonic interceptions of enemy aircraft and remained in front line service for nearly three decades. You can learn more about the Lightning, including a podcast and full aircraft history on our website: https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/collections/english-electric-lightning-f1-p1b/

We are privileged to have welcomed Baroness Goldie, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence and former Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party to the RAF Museum. She was shown around by CEO Maggie Appleton and Head of Collections, Ian Thirsk. The Baroness commented: 'I was delighted to visit the RAF Museum today and see the rich history of our Air Force on display, from the trailblazing Noor Inayat Khan, to flying in the Dambusters Virtual Reality Experience. Equally impressive is the sense of vision, recognising new challenges and innovations and actively encouraging debate around these. The Museum is a very important part of the local community and shows the breadth of opportunity in our RAF.'

Jacob the Pilot visits the RAF Museum
Jacob the Pilot visits the RAF Museum

One of our biggest fans and a pint-sized pilot in the making, Jacob the Pilot, has shared with us a mini video of all his favourite highlights during his recent visits to both RAF Museum Cosford and London. If you haven't heard of Jacob before, you can follow him on Twitter @Jacob_The_Pilot and keep up to date with all his RAF adventures. We hope you enjoy the video as much as we did and if Jacob's video has inspired you to visit us, we're open daily from 10.00am and entry is FREE!

Throwback to last month's cleaning of the aircraft at Cosford

STAAR - Summer Time Advanced Aerospace Residency
STAAR - Summer Time Advanced Aerospace Residency

The Royal Air Force Museum is offering young adults aged 14-15 years the chance to become a high-flyer in STEM, as applications for the highly commended Summer Time Advanced Aerospace Residency (STAAR) programme officially open on 10 February 2020. https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford/schools-and-colleges/staar.aspx STAAR is fully funded by the global aerospace and defence technology giant, Northrop Grumman, in partnership with the Royal Air Force Museum. The programme of activities is delivered by the RAF Museum in association with RAF Cosford and Tablet Academy. #5daystogo #STAAR

We celebrate that on this day in 2000, the ban on LGBT+ people serving in the British Armed Forces was lifted. For this occasion, the RAF Museum has interviewed several LGBT+ people to talk about their experiences in the RAF, before and after the lifting of the ban. They discuss their experiences of hiding a part of themselves away, inventing fake partners and being personally investigated before speaking about the relief they felt once the ban had been lifted, to be able to get on with their job without fear. For these and more stories about the LGBT+ Experience in the RAF, have a look at the RAF Stories website: https://rafstories.org/stories/search?terms%5Bthemes%5D%5B0%5D=th-term-21

Just a quick reminder
Just a quick reminder

Good morning, on behalf of everyone at the Museum we hope that you have had a wonderful Christmas. This is just a quick reminder to you all that tomorrow, New Year's Day, we will be closed for the day, re-opening promptly at 10.00am on 2 January. We hope we may have the pleasure of welcoming you to our London and Cosford sites in the New Year. In the meantime, however you decide to see the New Year in, we hope that it is exactly as you wish. See you soon. ###x

Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!

We couldn't let the day dawn without taking this opportunity to thank all our Facebook followers for their support and comments over the last 12 months. Merry Christmas to each and everyone of you from us all at the Museum. We hope that today will bring you joy, laughter,and fond memories. We will be open again from 10.00am on 27 December. We hope that we may have the pleasure of welcoming you and your loved ones then.

Help create something special and enduring this Christmas by making a donation to the RAF Stained Glass Window at Scampton Church, a fitting memorial that will honour RAF personnel that have served at the base over the years. To make a donation, please go to: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/rafwindow

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Comments

Is there any interest in that?
I wonder if anyone might have any information about the raf on the ards pennisula in norther n ireland in ww2 ...a couple of airfields at kirkstone, ballyhalbert and ards airfield...also stationed in mount stewart along with the American s. Grateful if anyone could shed a bit of light on this ...
Wish I was on your side of the Pond so I could visit.
Every time I visit, half the museum is closed off and the half feels like it's suffering from a power cut it is so dark. I have given up going.
Can anyone tell me where R Group, No 3 Depot were based during WW1 please?
why on ur leaflet do u have postcode WV7 3EU AND TF11 8UP? I followed satnav for one of these and there was nothing there .!!!!!!!
I love visiting this please, but come on £2.35 for a 330ml can of pop absolutely attrocious. I dont mind supporting a charity but at a fair price.The catering facilities here are very poor now. Must remember to bring my own in future, if there will be one.😞
Open this Sunday from 12 - 4pm, free entry tea and coffee available, lift and wheelchair friendly :) www.152hyderabad.co.uk
Short visit but amazing! Fantastic collection of fantastic aircrafts!
In 1919, civil rights activist W. E. B. Du Bois wrote that America’s Black soldiers were returning from WW1 to fight for democracy at home – civil and human rights. What of the Black experience in the Caribbean at this time? Here, a Black Jamaican WW1 veteran recalls the grinding poverty faced by returning Black soldiers in the British Caribbean. See his on-camera testimony in Mutiny - now available on Amazon Prime, and, Vimeo On Demand. Please visit our website for details – http://www.sweetpatootee.co.uk/work/mutiny/ #AAAM2019 #BlackHistoryMonth2019 #blackhistorymonth #oralhistory #blackexperience #slavestocitizens #newnegroes #caribbeanstudies #windrush #blackrenaissance #ww1 #firstworldwar #westindies #caribbeanhistory #diaspora #turningpointr&d #sweetpatooteearts
FYI visit ptsheritage.com