Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Just had an up-date from Duxford, informing that the American Museum, situated at the west end of the airfield, will re-open on 19th March.
The Museum has been closed for the past year, whilst re-furbishment of the building was undertaken, and some exhibits re-painted and general maintenance carried out on most of the aircraft. Some of the aircraft have been re-positioned, and I believe the replica Mustang (in 78th FG colours) is to be replaced by a real example, although I'm not certain on this. If so, then I believe it's the one shown below, recently completed, and on display in the 'Air Space' hangar annexe in September last year.
The 'new' Museum will include personal artefacts, inter-active displays, and audio-visual accounts from USAAF veterans and, I believe some new exhibits, in the refurbished building.
The Museum was designed to resemble, in its curved frontage, a typical hangar, and is built partly into a mound, with the entrance being reached via a winding path, lined with glass screens, each engraved with US aircraft, showing every USAAF aircraft lost on operations from the UK.
The front wall is totally glass, with two entrance doors which are normally open on airshow days and, as can be seen in the photo below, taken during the renovation, can be removed to allow aircraft to be moved in or out. The tail of the B-52 gives some idea of the size of the building.
The Museum has been closed for the past year, whilst re-furbishment of the building was undertaken, and some exhibits re-painted and general maintenance carried out on most of the aircraft. Some of the aircraft have been re-positioned, and I believe the replica Mustang (in 78th FG colours) is to be replaced by a real example, although I'm not certain on this. If so, then I believe it's the one shown below, recently completed, and on display in the 'Air Space' hangar annexe in September last year.
The 'new' Museum will include personal artefacts, inter-active displays, and audio-visual accounts from USAAF veterans and, I believe some new exhibits, in the refurbished building.
The Museum was designed to resemble, in its curved frontage, a typical hangar, and is built partly into a mound, with the entrance being reached via a winding path, lined with glass screens, each engraved with US aircraft, showing every USAAF aircraft lost on operations from the UK.
The front wall is totally glass, with two entrance doors which are normally open on airshow days and, as can be seen in the photo below, taken during the renovation, can be removed to allow aircraft to be moved in or out. The tail of the B-52 gives some idea of the size of the building.
