Duxford Airspace

Is it still the case that the Viscount and the Buccaneer are being removed from the completed AirSpace? It seems such as shame as a great amount of work has gone into these two airframes. I imagine the Buccaneer will go into one of the other hangars, but will the viscount? What other airframes still have to go in? The Comet, Hastings and the DH9? Is anything else in the pipeline?

I’ve walked round AirSpace a couple of times now and every time I do, I find something that niggles me. The aircraft look great, but they would look have looked great in the old super hangar after they had been through a similar restoration. What annoys me about AirSpace is the actual finish of the building.

The floor looks unfinished and frankly spoils what could be an excellent exhibition hall. Are they going to skim another final surface over it so it is smooth like the one in the American Air Museum? At the moment it looks like they built around the old floor and simply forgot about it.

There are concrete splashed up the beams as you walk into the main exhibition hall from the upstairs foyer. It just looks messy and unfinished.

The old super hangar doors spoil the finished product too. I can understand the point of having them there to allow moves to take place (by creating a airlock as it were), but when they are closed they look dreadful. I guess the point of them is to keep the restoration area separate, but if they are to keep dust and any restoration chemicals/fumes etc out of the main exhibit area, then why is the main entrance foyer open to the restoration area. Surely this limits what kind of restorations can be done in this very expensive facility.

When Children in Need was filmed in AirSpace last week, the doors were open and the hangar looked very impressive. Why not use the “conservation area” (that really cannot be used for the kind of conservation that some of the aircraft need) be used to exhibit actual displays? Leave the doors open all the time and close them when the main doors need to be opened. Obviously, do not park any display aircraft in the way of the closing doors.

I’m just an outsider who visits the museum on occasions. I am sure the powers that be have their reasons for doing it they way it has been done and I accept that the official opening date is not until next year so things have time to change, but after being hassled by the “airspace ambassadors” at every airshow I have been to for the last few years to donate (in the end I did donate something just to keep them off my back) I would have hoped for a more polished building.

Nice Pics, good to see the Viscount in such good fettle!

wow looks gr8, brillant news to see the Sea vixen in there !!!

Its going to be interesting to see how they get the last airframes in. The aritists impressions show the Hastings and the Comet in there for sure. I also thought they showed the Shackleton in the front section.
And wheres the Victor going to go?

Phanton phixer to let you know the OFMCs F4 made it as far as the restoration hanger part at the front, but she was so far away i could not get any good shots but at least she is in from the cold, how is MAMs F4 coming along ? hope to be up sometime over xmas.

I agree that hanging aircraft removes the tactile sense of been near them or even touching them (and then displaying them with the gear down is odd, the harrier i can understand but the jaguar ?) and you do loose the look of them on the ground but they have to make the most of the space they have at least in the airspace hanger it does not have the cramped feel of the american air museum.

Still the other hangers are fairly empty now all of them have been moved out so things like the MI24 have come back out from hiding and maybe they can get things like the viking inside as there is really no excuse for any aircraft outside small enough not to be tucked away for the winter.

curlyboy

Nice pics Curly. The tweeks have worked wonders

UNsure what to make of the new hanger. Its obv good to get airframes in from the cold but I dont like the way museums want to suspend everthing these days. Just leaves me a bit cold the way things dangle. Much prefer being able to walk around things.

Why ? Did the Saudi Strikemasters do much? I would have thought a RAF T.5 would have been appropriate as they tended to whistle round the countryside quite a lot!

I believe BAE (or whatever the current correct name is) had a big input into “Airspace” and I assume the Strikemaster is there to help illustrate the export successes of the UK aircraft industry.

Roger Smith.

It is in a flying pose ‘Straight and Level.’

Steve

re

Its just that it would look better in a flying pose like any other J/P or strikemaster

Why ? Did the Saudi Strikemasters do much? I would have thought a RAF T.5 would have been appropriate as they tended to whistle round the countryside quite a lot!

that Strikemaster could have been displayed in a much more dramatic angle! Better to display it in a diorama…

Peter,
I asked the question for a different aircraft and the answer was “that due to our new status as an “accredited” museum, we do not allow access except for curatorial reasons”. Hope that helps.

How come Johnathan?

Hi Peter,

As I understand the situation, it’s IWM policy. Access has been granted on a case-by-case basis in the past (usually requiring a legitimate research reason, or a connection with that airframe), but AFAIK none of their airframes have been “open to the public” in the same way as the DAS ones. Staff time, H&S, potential damage/cumulative damage, the usual reasons.

I’ve been in that Vulcan several times, join Friends of Duxford and go on one of the photoshoots and you may well get to go on board. Details are on the Duxford web site.

How come Johnathan?

Was the Vulcan at Duxford ever open to the public?.

Brian

Not going to happen.

Ahem!
Getting back to the original question shall we…
does anyone know if the vulcan cockpit is opened up?

Has the R.E.8 now got grey-painted front cowls?

When I saw it earlier this year apparently finished and ready to hang the cowls were polished which I didn’t think was right.

Roger Smith.

It was open today, 17th September, with limited access to the exhibits and without starting any rants about hanging airframes, I personally liked the chance to get a few different shots.