means lack of floor space for museums struggling to build an extra building or two.

There is the most important point that the management has failed to address. With all this money available exactly what additional space or infrastructure has been added to either Hendon or Cosford inorder to display and interpret the story of the RAF ? If the management want to have kiddies play areas, cafe’s and interactive screens and slide shows great they can all be accommodated in simple, traditionally constructed or modular buildings at reasonable cost. Without the need to ‘re-purpose’ an existing hangar full of aircraft. If the management wants to engage the local population thats also great, then provide a meeting point, a restaurant, gallery space or lecture theatre, but allow it to be open beyond the standard museum hours and the local population might use it and hopefully the museum can make use of it as well.
I remember the very well attended annual model shows and book fairs once held within the museum, as Hendon is not interested in the additional admission such events generate, then one would like to think the would at least enjoy the additional foot fall. As an aside if a suitable events building had been constructed it would have been very easy to charge a admission to this area, a welcome income stream ?