RAF Museum Hendon - Closure / Dispersion of Battle of Britain Hall

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13 years 3 months

Posts: 429

I visited the BoB Museum at Hawkinge on Sunday for the first time, and have to say I loved it. Although I was irked about the ban on photography and even phones, I love the quaintness of the place, and it's historic authenticity is not to be ignored. Plus of course the thousands of exhibits with excellent background info. Walking around the place is as much about reading as it is about looking. The icing on the cake for me was the fine art collection in the ops room and the dozens of battle damaged engines dotted around the place. As a pistonhead, these were a real treat.

What does this have to do with the RAF Museum I hear you say.

Well, I will be recommending it to anybody with an interest in the Battle of Britain, along with a recommendation to avoid the RAFM.

Member for

19 years 1 month

Posts: 142

Interesting link Brian I'm all up for them using the other buildings and trying to get more of the general public to look around, not so sure of spreading some of the airframes around the country but I concede it gives a better chance for people who wouldn't travel to London to see them. Which bf109 is moving as in the article they talk about bf109e 'black 6'?

Member for

14 years

Posts: 4,996

Reading what Maggie Appleton has to say about the future of Hendon, it doesn't seem to be all doom and gloom.
I look forward to visiting again, once everything has been set up for the 100 anniversary. Very often change turns
out to be for the better. As with the AAM at Duxford for instance.

Member for

16 years 2 months

Posts: 1,528

Reading that article makes me wonder what space there is at Cosford and just which aircraft previously on display there will end up out of sight in one of the blister hangars.

Member for

20 years 6 months

Posts: 405

I've found some more pictures from my visit to Hendon in 1980. A few examples....

https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8459/28152360620_8aea5affbf_b.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8354/28435342985_d4ed98d975_b.jpg

https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8330/28435340415_c0df34a5a9_b.jpg

Some present an interesting comparison to pictures I took in 2009

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8755/28152362840_b2e716f0f7_b.jpg

https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8886/28435347885_3911eb16a3_b.jpg

https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8074/28435342215_a2fc8cff99_b.jpg

https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8626/28435345535_dfe66114ef_b.jpg

https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8355/28435341205_58f2fd1648_b.jpg

https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8882/28435344325_5a3b36ed5b_b.jpg

Member for

13 years 3 months

Posts: 774

I visited the BoB Museum at Hawkinge on Sunday for the first time, and have to say I loved it. Although I was irked about the ban on photography and even phones, I love the quaintness of the place, and it's historic authenticity is not to be ignored. Plus of course the thousands of exhibits with excellent background info. Walking around the place is as much about reading as it is about looking. The icing on the cake for me was the fine art collection in the ops room and the dozens of battle damaged engines dotted around the place. As a pistonhead, these were a real treat.

What does this have to do with the RAF Museum I hear you say.

Well, I will be recommending it to anybody with an interest in the Battle of Britain, along with a recommendation to avoid the RAFM.

Seconded:
I totally agree with you danjama the Kent Battle of Britain Museum is an absolute Gem, i guess with what is currently happening to the Battle of Britain hall at Hendon, we must be even more grateful that we have such a dedicated Museum to the memory of the Few and keeping the Battle of Britain story alive alive.

I visited the Hawkinge Museum on Sunday and it is remarkable what they are achieving there displays are changing every year and the facilities and volunteers are very public friendly, when you think of the size in comparison of the 2 Museums the Kent Version for me certainly puts the London version to shame.

I visit Hendon in the region of some 7/8 times a year but once the Battle of Britain hall is no more then i know where i will be spend more of my Saturdays.

The word disrespectful comes to me in summing up Hendon ref the Battle of Britain Hall

(Thats my own personal opinion)

Member for

17 years 5 months

Posts: 8,980

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/centenary-programme/raf-centenary-programme-news/a-new-dawn.aspx

Interesting view, and strangely it shows how it might be going, Multi media area, plastic spit outside ( I hope) and squat real aviation wise shown inside, its appears to of had the heart of the museum ripped out of it, and that is the main reason it is there, to show the relics of the RAF, to the public. The BOB was the worlds first aerial battle and was the pivotal moment in the UK's history, to remove and disperse this collection is both stupid and a great disrespect to those that fought to save the Country.. People the world over travel to Hendon to view this collection, to disperse it is crass.

Sadly it is what you get when you take on a new CEO who has not served nor understands the RAF.

..

Member for

17 years 5 months

Posts: 8,980

the Museum will be interpreting the Battle of Britain story within the wider context of the Second World War across both London and Cosford – which currently does not reference this important chapter in the RAF’s history.

Err so I never saw a Dornier, Spitfire MK1 or Hurricane at Cosford? my, how my eyes are failing me...

Member for

16 years 3 months

Posts: 1,813

I visited the Hawkinge Museum on Sunday and it is remarkable what they are achieving there displays are changing every year and the facilities and volunteers are very public friendly, when you think of the size in comparison of the 2 Museums the Kent Version for me certainly puts the London version to shame.

Just don't try to take a photograph there.....!!! You can at Hendon !!!!

Member for

17 years 10 months

Posts: 3,778

And what will happen to Maffets Hurricane?

Member for

19 years 11 months

Posts: 1,988

Enjoy

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/galleries/london-2018/?utm_source=LGPlane&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CentenaryNews-6Aug

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/galleries/raf-centenary-programme-first-100-years-of-the-r/?utm_source=LGPlane&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CentenaryNews-6Aug

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/galleries/raf-centenary-programme-now-and-the-future/?utm_source=LGPlane&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CentenaryNews-6Aug

Brian

Well at least they managed to tick all the PC boxes in those presentations. I wonder if future generations will thank us for this current revamp. The people who established the RAFM must be spinning in their graves.

Member for

20 years 6 months

Posts: 405

It seems to be turned into just another amusement/theme park, which you'll visit only once (if at all). Very sad for the real aviation enthousiasts.

Member for

9 years 2 months

Posts: 564

It seems to be turned into just another amusement/theme park, which you'll visit only once (if at all). Very sad for the real aviation enthousiasts.

Good job the museum is not for aviation enthusiasts then. They serve a tiny proportion of the museums remit.

Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 5,196

words fail me.....very depressing. The kids who come to our museum love looking around cockpits and sitting them, not sure they'd like the new RAFM. They say the display in the ex BoB Hall was permanent....that's what they said about the BoB Hall museum!

Member for

16 years 2 months

Posts: 1,528

What they appear to want to put in the BoB hangar could easilly fit in the side galleries of the main building. These galleries and the Dermot Boyle Wing (Do they ever use that?) should be put to use before the floor space that can take aircraft. They are reducing the number of airframes at Hendon, there is precious little space left at Cosford and I doubt Stafford will take any more. In addition the RAFM airframes at MOSI look like they may have to move (where to?). Just where are all these airframes going to go? and I suppose they'll have to stop collecting any more or start selling those they alrfeady have.

Member for

16 years 8 months

Posts: 197

Hasn't Christopher Nolan bought the Luftwaffe aircraft to "crash" for the Dunkirk movie ;)