# The Science Museum, South Kensington, London



## nuuumannn (Feb 4, 2022)

Hi Guys, some photos from the Science Museum, the first British museum to exhibit items of an aeronautical nature when Sir Hiram Maxim donated the steam engine and other bits and pieces from his big "Captive flying Machine" he built in the late 19th Century. One of the largest holdings of aeronautical ephemera in the UK, the Science Museum collection has some of the most historic aircraft in the world within its halls, which haven't changed much - the upstairs gallery full of aeroplanes hasn't seen much alteration in 40 years. It's also very difficult to photograph because of the open ends and windows along one side, contrasting with dark blue ceiling and illuminated display cases, as we'll see. Anyway, here's some of the airframes on display in this real time capsule of a museum.

Avro 504.





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Lockheed 10 Electra.




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Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig, a.k.a. the Flying Bedstead.




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Short SC.1 showing its four RB.108 jet lift engines, the essential idea behind this was one Dr A.A. Griffith.




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Apollo 10 "Snoopy".




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The first prototype Hawker P.1127 that first hovered untethered in 1960.




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Alcock and Brown's Vickers Vimy that they crossed the Atlantic in in 1919.




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Amy Johnson's DH.60 Moth "Jason".




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The last surviving original Fokker E III Eindekker.




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The second example of Britain's first military aeroplane, the Cody V.




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Alliot Verdon Roe's first triplane, built in 1909.




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This was the first reproduction of the Wright's 1903 Flyer. When the Wrights and Curtiss were immersed in legal matters, the Flyer, at that stage a mess of struts and fabric was sent to Britain in 1912 and there it stayed until after WW2 it was reassembled and the first accurate blueprints produced of the type were drawn up from the completed aircraft - the Wrights didn't build it from blueprints. Placed on display in the Science Museum in a ceremony attended by Orville Wright, the Flyer was returned to the USA in 1948 and this reproduction made by de Havilland apprentices, went on display in its place. Quite a piece of aeronautical history this one is.




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Maxim's steam engine, the first item of aeronautica received by the Science Museum.




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The Schneider Trophy winning S.6b seaplane.




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And finally, Britain's first jet powered aircraft, the Gloster E.28/39 prototype.




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More images here: The Science Museum

Thanks for looking.

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## Wurger (Feb 4, 2022)




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## Crimea_River (Feb 4, 2022)

Good shots Grant. Aileron issues on the last one.


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## Thumpalumpacus (Feb 4, 2022)

nuuumannn said:


> Thanks for looking.



Thanks for posting!

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## Airframes (Feb 4, 2022)

Great stuff Grant. 
Last time I was there was in 1966, the first time I'd been really close to a Spitfire and Hurricane, and a BoB survivor at that.

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## SaparotRob (Feb 4, 2022)

Very impressive group of airplanes. That E 1 was very cool but I have a soft spot in my head for the Vimy. Thanks for posting.


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## special ed (Feb 4, 2022)

Thanks for this museum visit. These are the aircraft of reading about in my youth.


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## Gnomey (Feb 5, 2022)

Good shots Grant!


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