RAF Museum

A few more closeups from the RAF Museum, Hendon, London.

RAF Museum

Here are another couple of images from the recent trip to the RAF Museum along with some of the text at the display. The Rolls Royce Avon Mk203 Turbojet:

"After a major re-design in 1950 a new and very different Avon emerged which led to the 200 series, including the RA.28 Avon Mk203 shown here. This particular engine type was used in the Hunter F6, later Valiants and Canberra PR9 as well as the World speed record-breaking Fairey FD2. However, Avon production was not confined to aircraft use: the industrial and marine division of Rolls Royce successfully developed the engine for electricity generation, gas and oil pumping. More have been sold for these uses than any other gas turbine."

"In 1983 an Avon aero-engine was fitted into a specially designed car for an attempt on the World land seed record. On 4 October 1983 the car, Thrust 2, was driven by Richard Noble to a new record of 633.468mph at Blackrock in the United States."

RAF Museum 2005

Another picture of the Bristol Mercury:

RAF Museum 2005

Another up close and personal image. This time of a Fiat CR42 Falco.

RAF Museum 2005

Yesterday, the England Project family and friends paid another visit to the RAF museum at Hendon, London. Not our first visit but the place is always worth seeing again. Unfortunately this time the bomber hall was closed; I think they are dismantling a vulcan so that it can be loaned to another museum somewhere.

Anyhow, this time I decided to get close up and personal with the exhibits and stuck the lens of my D70 where most lenses are too scared to go.

Here's an example of the kind of thing, this one of a Napier Gazelle helicopter engine:

And here's another, this time of a Bristol Mercury:

Now these are what I call dirty pictures and there's plenty more where they came from.

Early fisking

Is this the earliest example of fisking in the world?

No enemy plane will fly over the Reich territory.

I took the picture at the RAF museum in Hendon but haven’t posted it until now because, well, it’s not a particularly good photograph. I believe the aircraft is a Lancaster bomber and the phrase written on the side is, apparently, an infamous Goering quotation suitably fisked by the addition of a number of bomb graphics symbolising each completed raid over the stated territory.

RAF Museum visit - part 6

Pictures taken during a recent visit to the Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon. Click here to expand to the RAF Museum category.

This is the last entry from the visit.

de Havilland Gipsy Moth

Click here for more information on the de Havilland Gipsy Moth.

Sopwith Camel

Click here for more information on the Sopwith Camel.

RAF Museum visit - part 5

Pictures taken during a recent visit to the Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon. Click here to expand to the RAF Museum category.

Hawker Hurricane

Unfortunately I didn't pay much attention to the information available on this aircraft because I was in a bit of a rush. However, a quick google turned up the following on this particular aircraft, HURRICANE P3175:

The RAF's No. 257 Squadron was based in the south east of England throughout the Battle of Britain. By mid August 1940, at the height of the battle, the squadron was based at RAF Debden in north west Essex and operating from there and the forward base of RAF Martlesham Heath near Ipswich in Suffolk.

During the late afternoon of Sunday 18th August 1940, designated as 'the hardest day' of the Battle of Britain by one leading aviation historian, the Hurricanes of 257 Squadron intercepted a raid inbound over the Thames Estuary. In the combat which followed, Pilot Officer Gerard Maffett, flying Hurricane P3175, claimed his first damage to an enemy aircraft. Describing the encounter in a letter home a few days later, the young pilot concluded with a tribute to his own aircraft, "...the Hurricane certainly is a grand aircraft."

As the conflict intensified, Hurricane P3175 eventually succumbed to enemy action. The aircraft fell on the Essex coastal marshes at Walton-on-the-Naze near Harwich. Decades later the substantial remains were recovered by a team of local people; the full story of which is told in the book "One Hurricane One Raid" (Airlife 1990).

Hurricane P3175, DT-S, now lies in the Battle of Britain Hall of the RAF Museum in London, which occupied part of the former site of RAF Hendon where 257 Squadron was formed in 1940.

Click here for more information on the Hawker Hurricane.

RAF Museum visit - part 4

Pictures taken during a recent visit to the Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon. Click here to expand to the RAF Museum category.

This extra posting today shows the underside of a German Junkers Ju88 fighter/bomber. The bit I found interesting is the iconic BMW symbol sported by the engine housing. It seemed such an odd place to see one, though I guess retrospectively I shouldn't have been so surprised.

The BMW symbol is so ubiquitous round these parts that it just kind of jumped out at me. It seemed so out of place, like getting a glimpse of a digital wrist watch on a Roman centurion when watching a film.

Junkers Ju88 engine housing

Click here for more information on the Junkers Ju88.

RAF Museum visit - part 3

Pictures taken during a recent visit to the Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon. Click here to expand to the RAF Museum category.

Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Click here for more information on the Messerschmitt Bf 109G.

RAF Museum visit - part 2

Pictures taken during a recent visit to the Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon. Click here to expand to the RAF Museum category.

North American P-51 Mustang

Click here for more information on the P-51 Mustang.

This aircraft was visually very impressive. If anyone would like to be mailed the larger versions (about 200k each) of the above pictures please let me know.

RAF Museum visit

On Sunday, a group of England Project acolytes went to the Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon.

If you’ve not been there and you ever get the chance to go you should jump at it because it really is one of those museums that is worth the trouble. Entrance is free though the experience is worth much more. Indeed, this is the first museum I have been to where we actually shoved paper money into the donation box at the exit.

For your viewing pleasure, The England Project will be trying to put up a picture or two a day of what we saw all grouped under the category RAF Museum. The images were taken with a Canon s20 digital camera often under very poor lighting conditions.

Spitfire MkIX

Spitfire MkIX. Just a model this one I think, but full size and a very welcoming sight as you drive into the museum car park.

Spitfire MkVb