The Battle of Britain Beacon News - RAF Museum London
Latest News: 4 February 2012
Helicopter Half Term 13th To 17th Of February
This Half Term we are giving children of all ages the opportunity to learn more about the history of our Helicopter Collection through a series of interactive workshops.
We will be opening up our Whirlwind and Royal Wessex Helicopters so that people can view inside.
We will also be allowing children to make their own simple paper helicopter to take home and keep free of charge. This activity will be situated just outside the Museum's Dermot Boyle Wing towards the far end of the Museum's Helicopter Collection.
Session times are 11.00 – 13.00 and 14.00 – 16.00. daily Monday through to Friday.
Museum To Exhibit Fresh Air
FREE ART EXHIBITION
21st May 2012 to June 2013
The Royal Air Force Museum London will be displaying from late May a year long retrospective of the work of renowned aviation artist David Bent in an exhibition entitled, Fresh Air
Over the last decade David Bent’s modern and distinctive style has won a plethora of devoted fans including the Red Arrows, with whom he has collaborated as Artist in Residence. Considered as challenging, thought provoking and innovative, his works combine art with technology and compel the viewer to stop and take notice. Each composition demands time for re-examination as details, previously hidden when first seen are revealed anew forcing multiple re-interpretations of the works viewed.
His work is considered by many to be a breath of fresh air in the world of aviation art.
Green Park Memorial Gives Charity Exposure
The construction of a memorial in London’s Green Park has given a children’s charity vital exposure via a 100m long advertising hoarding.
The Memorial to honour the 55,573 men of Bomber Command who lost their lives in World War II is currently being constructed in the North West corner of Green Park, close to Buckingham Palace.
During the eight month build, the Bomber Command Association has partnered with national children’s charity, Caudwell Children, to run an advertising campaign along the stretch of Piccadilly being used for the Memorial.
This Month's Flickr Appeal - Rnas Dundee
This month's Flickr Appeal consists of a photograph album, found during a recent inventory of unrecorded photographs, was donated to the Royal Air Force Museum by a Mrs E.M. Griffin in the 1970s.
The album dates from 1916-1919 and includes photographs of Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) personnel and aircraft at RNAS Dundee, later RAF Dundee - plus the occasional monkey.
Can you provide more information and help the Museum record these photographs in more detail?
Save 15% On Meeting Room Hire Until March 31st 2012
Throughout 2011, it's fair to say, that all our piggy banks have taken beating and that's before the Christmas season gets fully under way!
So we at the RAF Museum are offering a 15% discount on our venue hire charges for all events taking place at the Museum between now and 31st March 2012.
Whether it’s a meeting for 20 or a dinner for 400, our awe-inspiring displays of aircraft will make for a memorable and unique experience guaranteed to ‘Be the Best’ without blowing your budget.
For further information about our offers - or to discuss our year round event facilities further - please contact the Corporate Events Team on 020 8358 4848 or email events@rafmuseum.com quoting ref NY15...there's still time to book a Christmas Reception with us or to take advantage of our Festive Day Delegate Package. (Terms & Conditions apply)
Museum Unveils Raf Photography Exhibition - 15th January
The winning images from the annual Royal Air Force Photographic Competition will be on view to members of the public at the RAF Museum London from 15th January 2012.
The Royal Air Force is celebrating the superb achievements of its photographers following the judging of the annual RAF Photographic Competition. The winning entries are to be displayed at a unique exhibition at the RAF Museum in North London which opens on 15th January.
Wanted, Your Unwanted Books
The Royal Air Force Museum London is launching an appeal for members of the public to donate their unwanted military and aviation books & magazines to the Museum’s shop. These items will then be sold by the shop with the money raised going to the continued and on-going maintenance of the museum’s collections.
Interactive Gallery To Receive £25,000 Upgrade
The Royal Air Force Museum is pleased to announce it has received a grant from the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust for the purpose of upgrading its interactive gallery for children.
The grant comes soon after the Charitable Trust supported the successful upgrade of the interactive gallery at the Museum’s Cosford site earlier this year, which refurbished the older exhibits and also added updated ones.
The upgrade will create a new interactive activity area for younger visitors and families and allow the Museum to develop advanced scientific information displays for older visitors.
Gloster Meteor F9/40 Arrives In London
Hot on the heels (or should that be tail fins?) of the the F.35 full scale model arriving in Milestones of Flight last week we are able to announce that the Gloster Meteor F9/40, which was originally on display at Cosford, has also joined this gallery's aircraft collection and will be fully on display to the public from this weekend (1st October).
This aircraft was the first F9/40 manufactured. However, due to engine problems with the early prototypes the fifth prototype became the first to fly on 5 March 1943. Employed in essential early airframe and engine development trials, the F9/40 fleet laid the groundwork for the introduction into RAF service of the Gloster Meteor fighter and represented a milestone in the use of jet engines by the British aircraft industry.
F-35 Model Takes Pride Of Place In Milestones Of Flight
The Royal Air Force Museum has recently taken delivery of a full scale model of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Built by Lockheed Martin, the model is a fully accurate representation of the aircraft currently in flight test and due to enter service with the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy in 2020.
Measuring 15.4m long with a wing span of 10.67m, the F-35 Lightning 2 makes an impressive debut alongside the Royal Air Force’s Typhoon fighter and the earlier Harrier GR3 – a veteran of the Falklands War. The model has been employed by Lockheed Martin across the world at numerous exhibitions and air shows.
Their decision to donate the aircraft to the Royal Air Force Museum reflects the importance of British companies in the development of the F-35 and the aircraft’s significant role in the Royal Air Force’s future front line.
Minister Of Foreign Affairs For The Republic Of Poland Opens Exhibition
Last night the Royal Air Force Museum London held its annual banquet in honour of Veterans of the Battle of Britain.
Prior to the banquet Mr. Radoslaw Sirkorski, the Minister of Foreign affairs of the Republic of Poland, who honoured the museum with his attendance at the banquet, officially opened the Museum's newest exhibition 'Brothers in Arms'.
At the banquet he delivered an address to honoured guests which included Chief of Air Staff Sir Stephen Dalton and His Excellency Michael Žantovský the Ambassador of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in London and Veterans of the Battle of Britain.
The contents of his address are given below (Read more).
The Museum would also like to take this opportunity to thank BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin for their sponsorship of the Museum's annual banquet in honour of the Battle of Britain Veterans attending and Brent Cross Development for their donation of £1,500 on the evening to the Museum.
Sir Richard Branson Helps Kick Start Dornier Campaign
The Royal Air Force Museum has launched today 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 states: “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.”
Omani Hunter Officially Unveiled
On Thursday 21st of July, our London site was proud to welcome the Commander of the Royal Air Force of Oman, Air Vice Marshal Yah Ya Al Juma. Whilst at the museum, The Air Vice Marshall conducted the official unveiling ceremony of the Hawker Hunter FR10 (Oman) which was donated to the Museum by the Sultan of Oman.
Visitors will now greeted by our newest Gate Guardian on arriving at the Museum. The Omani Hunter is located, dynamically showcased 10 feet off the ground, in its new position directly opposite the Museum’s Main Gates.
To read the full history of this aircraft, please click on the link below.
Battle Of Britain Hall Opening Hours From 1st July.
From 1st July 2011 the Museum's Battle of Britain Hall will be opening to the public from 10.00 am as opposed to its current published opening hours of 12 noon.
To reflect the Hall's new opening hours 'Our Finest Hour' the Museum's sound and light show, which narrates the story of the RAF in the Battle of Britain, will be shown daily on the hour from 11am to 5pm.
Last admission to the Museum's Battle of Britain Hall will be at 5.30pm.
These new opening hours reflect the recent extension of the Grahame White Factory opening hours to 6pm and the re-opening of the Museum's Art Gallery.
Museum To Re-Open Art Gallery To The Public
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, which will run until 7th of May 2012, 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.
Get Ready 4d Feeling Of Flight
If you have ever wondered what it actually feels to soar amongst the clouds or to participate an intense aerial battle wonder no more. From next Saturday visitors to the Royal Air Force Museum will be able to experience all the thrills and exhilaration of powered flight by entering the Museum’s newest attraction – its 4 Dimensional Theatre.
Much Loved Wimpy Packs Her Bags And Moves North.
Our Wellington bomber, Wimpy, has been on display at RAF Hendon since the museum opened in 1972. The old lady is getting tired and is starting to show her age.
Following a series of extensive engineering inspections, by museum technicians, it was decided that she should be dismantled and taken to the Michael Beetham Conservation Centre at Cosford for a major restoration programme.
Until the aircraft has been completely stripped it is impossible to say how long our Wimpy will be away - certainly several years. Present planning will see the last parts leave the Hendon site on 1st July. You may no longer be able to see her at our London site but do remember the Museum runs ‘open’ weeks at its MBCC facility at Cosford.
The RAF Museum has been fortunate in being able to shortly bring in a replacement for the Wellington. Big Nig III is an A-20 Havoc recovered some years ago from jungles in New Guinea and completely rebuilt and restored for the museum in Australia.
