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    Aircraft Museums of the United Kingdom
    Aircraft Museums of the United Kingdom
    Aircraft Museums of the United Kingdom
    Ebook307 pages32 minutes

    Aircraft Museums of the United Kingdom

    By Frank E. Hitchens

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    About this ebook

    Aircraft Museums of the United Kingdom has been written for the aviation enthusiast with an interest in aircraft from the past. Aircraft range throughout the museums from 1909 up to recent years. Thirty-five museums are listed within this book and each is presented on its merits for the aircraft displayed. A brief description of each museum describes aircraft of special interest, museum presentation and lighting quality for photographing the aircraft. Also included is a list of aircraft held by each museum with over 300 photographs included, plus address and contact details for each museum.
    The aircraft museums are all part of the UK's aviation heritage to be preserved for the enjoyment of the present and future generations. All are worth a visit for their exhibits of aircraft from days gone by.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAUK Academic
    Release dateApr 26, 2016
    ISBN9781785384509
    Aircraft Museums of the United Kingdom

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      Book preview

      Aircraft Museums of the United Kingdom - Frank E. Hitchens

      Title page

      Aircraft Museums

      of the

      United Kingdom

      F. E. Hitchens

      Publisher information

      2016 digital version by Andrews UK Limited

      www.andrewsuk.com

      Copyright © 2016 Frank E. Hitchens

      The right of Frank E. Hitchens to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998.

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Any person who does so may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

      Front cover photo: Handley Page Hastings T.5, at the Newark Air Museum

      Introduction

      The three top aviation museums in the UK renowned for their varied and numerous aircraft collection are RAF Museum Cosford, RAF Museum Hendon, and RNAS Yoevilton. These are all government funded or sponsored aircraft museums exhibiting mainly military aircraft. There are several private or Trust owned museums displaying donated or bought aircraft, which are operated mainly by volunteer staff to run the museum and renovate the aircraft. These museums rely on income from visitor’s entrance fees, donations, or gift shop sales, etc, for the required financial support.

      The military have surplus-to-requirement aircraft, which have reached the end of their service career and are available for exhibition. The Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm having their own aircraft and museum space give them a head start over private organisations. Therefore, the big three are a great attraction to the aviation enthusiast and visitors in general where several hours can be spent enjoying these museums. This is not to say the smaller, private aviation museums should be avoided. All are worth a visit for their varied selection of aircraft on display, usually a mix of civilian and military aircraft; some very rare types can be seen with sole-survivors of a fleet, one-of-a kind types and prototype aircraft that have made history, etc. Each aircraft museum I have visited during my research for this book has revealed several aircraft of the same type. On the other hand, each museum has an aircraft type that other museums do not possess; therefore, there is always something new to see in each museum. [The term ‘aircraft type’ is common to the aviation industry and refers to the manufacturers name followed by a name and/or number given to that model of aircraft; it may also be further divided into ‘Mark’ numbers].

      Aircraft on display from the WW I era are quite often replicas of a famous type, and expensive to build or buy in their own right. Some original aircraft are still around and would be a priceless treasure for any museum to hold; The De Havilland aviation museum for example, owns the prototype Mosquito.

      In some aircraft museums, access to aircraft interiors, cockpits or flight decks may be allowed, otherwise a ‘no-touch’ policy usually applies and this should be respected. Remember, these exhibits may be priceless and are here for ourselves and future generations to enjoy. They are all part of our aviation heritage.

      The degree of lighting inside museum buildings may vary from excellent to very dim in regards to photography and tending to be on the dimmer, rather than the excellent end of the scale. The reason for low-light levels is because bright lighting can deteriorate the aircraft’s paintwork over a period of time. A good flashgun is an asset for photographing aircraft within the museums’ hangers. A tripod would also help for long exposures but ask permission first; some museums don’t allow their use. Accessible vantage points for camera positions is also a variable - usually quite restrictive requiring the use of a good wide-angle lens. Obviously, outside locations are easier to cope with, taking advantage of natural lighting and generally more space for camera positions.

      Many aircraft exhibits are roped-off or have floor boundary markers - stay on the correct side of the line! If permission is requested from a staff member, it may be possible to step over the line to take photos; however, if permission is denied accept this politely as final. In most museums, the aircraft are non-flying static displays. Other museums fly some of their aircraft on public display days; these aircraft can be identified by an oil drip-tray placed below the engine(s).

      This book has been written as a guide to the numerous aviation museums located within the United Kingdom. The museum’s name, address, phone number, email address, web site and post code (for GPS users) has been included, where available. Opening times vary between each museum; some are open daily, others on selected days. Times may vary between summer and winter months and all are closed on Christmas Day and other public holidays. Check their websites or phone for up-to-date information to avoid disappointment if you plan to visit. A brief description of the museum is included, followed by a list of aircraft types to be found in that museum, which is taken from that museum’s website and/or viewed by this author. Not all aircraft are complete airframe exhibits; some are fuselage sections devoid of wings and tailplane, or just the nose (cockpit) section is displayed, indicated by ‘n/s’ after the entry.

      This list is complete and correct as of the summer of 2015, when this author visited the museums. However, new aircraft additions are continuously being added to each collection while present aircraft may be loaned, or sold off to other museums, or can be removed from the exhibition to the restoration shop, which is usually off-limits to the visiting public for safety reasons. Artefacts, propellers, engines,

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