Closed Battle of Britain Museum Hendon – where are the other exhibits now?

Well that might catch out the people who complain about aircraft being suspended from the ceiling!

Enjoy. :dev2:

https://twitter.com/RAFMUSEUM/status/1009375516703502336

Brian

The Royal Air Force Museum, London

Our #London site will be closed from Sunday 24 June to Friday 29 June in preparation of the re-opening of our London site and its 3 new exhibitions to the public on 30 June.
These are: RAF Stories: The First 100 Years 1918–2018, RAF: First to the Future, The RAF in an Age of Uncertainty, 1980 – Today.

We look forward to welcoming you to London’s grand re-opening on Armed Forces Day – 30 June.

Brian

Thanks

The vulture is in store at Stafford.

FB

Talking about scrap hardly worth attention in a modern, relevant, forward-looking museum, what became of Hendon’s RR Vulture engine?

From memory, accredited museums are required to offer said items to other likewise accredited museums, but are not required to endlessly pursue this, and can dispose of (sell or scrap) fairly easily as the items offered can be listed as misc rusty tubes etc.

In my experience of this, no other museums were forth coming and the items were indeed scrapped (the preferred option as opposed to selling, as once it’s gone it’s gone, and doesn’t keep doing the rounds causing embarrassment)

Many would pay a pretty penny for rusty metal, especially if it come from RAFM.

‘The RAF Museum in an Age of Uncertainty’ springs to mind !

And what do you think of it Brian?

The old BoB Hall, or ‘Hangar 1 – RAF Stories, The First 100 Years 1918–2018 and RAF – First to the Future’ as it’s now known is open to the public ‘For Preview’. I’ve been and a few display’s need populating with exhibits but the bulk of it is there. The old Milestones of Flight building now called ‘Hangar 6 – The RAF in an Age of Uncertainty’ is also open.

Brian

Having been very much of an ‘I’ll wait and see before passing judgement’ persuasion regarding the changes, after being distinctly unimpressed when I last visited days before the actual centenary to find exhibits out in the rain and nothing new save a vast new car park and expanse of newly laid turf, I am now not ‘wait and see’ but ‘daren’t look’…

Looking at the pictures on the museum Facebook page, it looks like near where the Defiant and the Blenheim once stood, is now The Mad Hatter’s Hat Shop, the Wall of 80 hats.
This has attracted some attention over on Pprune too
https://www.pprune.org/military-aviation/608248-wall-hats-raf-museum.html

“The Keith Park statue is no longer at Hendon and is now on display at the new RAF Uxbridge bunker visitor centre.”

I stand corrected.

I think the blast pens were wood? Surely another museum could have had them? i guess Churchill and Goering went into store?

Time will tell – but the RAFM have probably had their work cut out with the 100th anniversary exhibition, so one can hardly blame them for putting some things in storage, at least temporarily. They only have so much manpower and money, and expecting everything to be instantly re-assigned to new homes or redisplayed is probably optimistic! Hopefully artifacts will re-emerge on display once the dust has settled a bit, although I sincerely hope that some more undercover display space is procured at Cosford, as quite a lot of airframes formerly on display have disappeared to Stafford…

From memory, accredited museums are required to offer said items to other likewise accredited museums, but are not required to endlessly pursue this, and can dispose of (sell or scrap) fairly easily as the items offered can be listed as misc rusty tubes etc.

In my experience of this, no other museums were forth coming and the items were indeed scrapped (the preferred option as opposed to selling, as once it’s gone it’s gone, and doesn’t keep doing the rounds causing embarrassment)

If the display of Gerard Muffets Hurricane has gone into storage like “Foray” has mentioned, then why couldnt it of been loaned to another museum for example the likes of “The Kent Battle of Britain Museum” at Hawkinge or similar, i appreciate it is in extremely fragile condition, but im sure with the right care it could be moved.

After all isnt this type of display all about remembering those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

AND SHOULD NEVER BE HIDDEN

The Keith Park statue is no longer at Hendon and is now on display at the new RAF Uxbridge bunker visitor centre.

The remains of Gerard Maffett’s Hurricane have been moved to the Museum’s store at Stafford for the duration of the centenary activities. The move must have presented quite a challenge! Thereafter the exact location for displaying the remains has yet to be decided. For those with an interest in this particular aircraft there is a small display of items not included in the original Hendon display at the East Essex Aviation Museum at Point Clear near Clacton.

I was told you don’t need a replica ops room now they have a real one at Bentley Priory. I know Keith Park’s statue is there. Shame they got rid of the flight office. I remember walking out of it at 4 years old and falling in love with the Gladiator 🙂

I thought the ops room and blast pens had been victims of the skip?

Always found Gerard Maffett’s Hurricane quite moving with Elgar’s Nimrod stirring the emotions.