Admiral Beez
Captain
I'm thinking to visit the RAF Museum London | London Aircraft Museum | Free Admission tomorrow. Has anyone been? It's closer to London than the Imperial War Museum's hangar in Duxford.
RAF Museum London
- Thread starter Admiral Beez
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I have been to the museum. It's great, although I dislike the lighting. I posted quite a few pics in my warbirds thread.
Crimea_River
Marshal
Yes, I was there in 2015 but I gather there have been quite a few changes since. I believe the closest underground station is Colindale and it's an easy walk from there.
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- #4
Admiral Beez
Captain
I'm looking forward to seeing their Beaufighter. That'll be a first for me.
Things have changed in the last few years.
With a little more notice i could've visited too and we could've met up, always up for meeting forum members when possible.
enjoy your visit
With a little more notice i could've visited too and we could've met up, always up for meeting forum members when possible.
enjoy your visit
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special ed
1st Sergeant
- 4,855
- May 13, 2018
What happened to the Canadian Beaufighter in Ottawa?
I know just the thing, Admiral.
A Deep Dive into the Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon
Hello everyone, my next deep dive is another world class aviation museum, the RAF Museum at Hendon, now "London", apparently so as to not confuse punters as to its location. I have decided to do this museum the justice it deserves since it gets a lot of flack online, particularly because of...
ww2aircraft.net
I used to work there. It has changed since I took these photos, and the thread is nowhere near finished yet - it takes time writing these and I'm writing research papers right now, but the gist of it is there to this stage.
I would also recommend getting to Duxford when you are there. You will be disappointed if you don't. You can catch a train from Victoria Station to Cambridge and IWM used to run a shuttle bus to Duxford, or there is a local bus that runs intermittently past the main gate, but it isn't that frequent and it never used to match timings of train arrivals from London. Either way, I would highly recommend making the effort to get to Duxford.
You'll also need time as it is more than just a "hangar", there are several and you could find yourself spending the entire day there if you're not careful.
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There is one at Rockcliffe, Ontario as part of the National Aviation Museum, but it's been undergoing restoration for some years. TF.X RD867 is a former RAF Museum aircraft that was presented to the Canadians.
This is the RAF Museum's "other" Beaufighter in its current condition, it's been on display at Hendon since the museum opened in 1972. It is due for restorative work as it badly needs it.
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- #9
Admiral Beez
Captain
I was in university in Ottawa in the early 1990s and I remember when they opened the reno'd museum, but I can't recall the Beaufighter. Clearly another trip is needed once I get home.
special ed
1st Sergeant
- 4,855
- May 13, 2018
A trip to Ottawa in 1972? to see the museum and photos. The Beau was on outside storage then.
Crimea_River
Marshal
I was there in 2019 and was able to go around back in the shops and warehouses. The Beaufighter wing was in a jig but restoration was in a stalled state owing to issues with funding but that's all I know.
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- #12
Admiral Beez
Captain
Had a great visit today. One of the best aviation museums I've ever seen. Every time I turned a corner it was, wow, there's a Typhoon, Beaufighter, Beaufort, Tempest, Stuka, Lancaster, Halifax, Meteor, etc. I stayed for about four plus hours and read every plaque in the place. The lighting was fine, my old BlackBerry Key 2 camera was not up to the task.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
Wonderful airplanes. Really great stuff!
Great to see, Admiral. Nice to see they have the place back together again after the moving of airframes that took place late last year. Lighting has always been a bit of an issue at Hendon, but good results can be had, but you need a good camera with a good light sensor and a steady hand.
Nice to see the Typhoon back on display. It was in Canada the last time I was there, although from your second picture I have noticed the P-47 missing? Has it been moved to elsewhere in the hall?
How much time do you have in the UK? Being an FAA-phile, will you be going to the Fleet Air Arm Museum?
wow things have changed , great pics
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- #17
Admiral Beez
Captain
I fly home on Monday. I toured the FAA mussum in Yeovilton in 2002. On that trip my wife was lagging, turns out she was pregnant rather than just bored with my aircraft pursuits.
This three week trip is just London, though we did a train ride out to tour Highclere Castle (Downton Abby). Here's what we've seen here in London on this trip, not including the shops like Harrods, F&M, etc:
Natural History Museum
British Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
Kensington Palace Tour (and high tea)
Museum of the Home
Cutty Sark
Royal Geographical Society's Shackleton's legacy exhibit
Royal Observatory Greenwich
National Maritime Museum
RAF Museum
Thames river boat tour
HMS Belfast
St. Paul's Cathedral (climbed right to the top)
London Monument (great fire)
London Transport Museum
Woolwich Arsenal
Museum of London
Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
Greenwich Market
Camden Market
Borough Market
Duchess Theatre (saw The Play That Goes Wrong | MISCHIEF)
I'm undecided on what to do today. I've been to the Tower of London, Imperial War Museum (London) and Westminster Abbey previously in 2002 and 2005. I'm thinking of the Charles Dickens Museum for today. Or maybe the Science Museum. My hotel is near Portobello Road Market so that's on the maybe list. I've no interest in the London Eye, gondola, zoo, or prison museum. I'm looking to take a George Orwell guided tour on Saturday.
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- #18
Admiral Beez
Captain
It was there. If you look at the photo of the Hawker Hart you can just see the P-47's nose beneath the overhead aircraft's wing.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
Hey, congratulations Dude!
buffnut453
Captain
The "Jack the Ripper" walking tour is excellent if you're interested in crime history.. Also recommend the Science Museum if only to see the Supermarine S.6 and the Schneider Trophy. That said, Allcock and Brown's Vickers Vimy and Amy Johnson's Gypsy Moth are always worth a look, as is the last fabric-winged Hurricane in the world. That said, the lighting in there isn't great for photography and some of the aircraft are tricky to see properly.
