London Science Museum – Aviation

The Supermarine S6B is oftem climbed on, and last time I was there there was a kid hanging from the nose wheel leg of the P1127!

Its the same in the railway section, when I visited my classmates were amazed that they could touch the original ‘Rocket’. Obviously the Science Museum is taking the new ‘Hands On’ experience to every exhibit!

Dread to think what damage this might be causing to historic airframes like the S6B.

Regards,

Dan

Westland Hill Pterodactyl

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/on-line/flight/flight/hill.asp

Aha, I was looking for the Armstrong Whitworth flying wing Pterodactyl!!!
Telle me more about the one in the Museum, then, please, James (or anyone else).

Erm…
It’s the aircraft in the left upper background of your shot, PL. The one with the red Pterodactyl painted on the side… 😉

Science Museum Hurricane

Just checked through all my Science Museum photos and couldn’t see the Pterodactyl anywhere! For future reference, and my next visit, which aircraft are underneath it?

I’m not sure who ‘owns’ the P1127, it used to be in the RAF Museum.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Science Museum Aviation Gallery – I love the subjects but hate the way they are displayed. They have some fantastic rare subjects (No-one has mentioned the Fokker EIII yet) yet the gallery is dark and dingy.

They could improve the whole thing by painting the ceiling a lighter colour, so that you could see the aircraft hung from the ceiling – the Pteredactyl is easily missed.

The Supermarine S6B is oftem climbed on, and last time I was there there was a kid hanging from the nose wheel leg of the P1127!

Oh, and that Hurricane is the sole surviving (I think) fabric winged example

The Shorts SC1 and the P1127 should go to Cosford along with other the experimentals, come to think of it the ‘Flying Bedstead’ too.

Regards,

John.

Quite agree John! I hate what they’ve done to the SC-1! As far as I know, the Science Museum and RAF Museum have never done any deals, but as both are Government owned perhaps an MP could help? I know that once the Science Museum get hold of something, it’s theirs for life!

The Shorts SC1 and the P1127 should go to Cosford along with other the experimentals, come to think of it the ‘Flying Bedstead’ too.

Regards,

John.

YES!! the national gallery is somehing completely different altogether

The whole museum is great, to be fair. The space section is also interesting. Don ‘t miss out the national history one, next door.

On the other bank of the river, the War museum has some neat stuff as well. A V1 and a V2, a Spit, can’t remmber all…

I think you mean the Natural History Museum.

The whole museum is great, to be fair. The space section is also interesting. Don ‘t miss out the national history one, next door.

On the other bank of the river, the War museum has some neat stuff as well. A V1 and a V2, a Spit, can’t remmber all…

There’s an interesting Pathe News film about the opening of the Aviation Gallery in 1963 on their website:

http://www.britishpathe.com/product_display.php?searchword=science+museum+spitfire

Pete, do you mean the Babbage Analytical Engine – if so, I am disappointed that I missed seeing it when I did a quick whizz round in January. Science Museum, IWM Lambeth and HMS Belfast all in one day! That’s what comes of living in Sweden!

Probably improve the Typhoon! Talking to a chap from RAF bomb disposal at the weekend and apparently the RAF had 8 typhoons lined up for the Queens Flypast and four went tech -they envisaged the requirement for 100% reserve backup!

TT

When they removed the Castle and Deltic, they had to remove all the exhibits between them and the back entrance then roll them out on rails.

I assume that the aircraft must also have to be taken out through the back entrance.

I ran out of time to see the aviation section in 2002 when I went up there as part of my A-Level D&T studies. I saw the Apollo capsule though 🙂

Regards,

Dan

Surely they have to be craned in through the roof somehow, yes I saw the Apollo capsule, thought it was magic even if it allegedly never went to the moon, not my opinion, my favourite is the Babbington computer, they were restoring it on my last visit, amazing piece of kit, try sticking that in a Typhoon.

When they removed the Castle and Deltic, they had to remove all the exhibits between them and the back entrance then roll them out on rails.

I assume that the aircraft must also have to be taken out through the back entrance.

I ran out of time to see the aviation section in 2002 when I went up there as part of my A-Level D&T studies. I saw the Apollo capsule though 🙂

Regards,

Dan

Good point Paul F, superb collection and a very ‘atmospheric’ gallery, but I’d never actually thought about getting the exhibits out in a dire emergency.

Steve.

It’s few years since I’ve been there, but I’ve always wondered how they get them in there, similarly with their large railway locomotives, though I believe that Caerphilly Castle and Deltic have since moved on.
My only complaint about the Science Museum was when they refused to give back the special valve gear and cylinders of 71000, Duke of Gloucester, a few years ago when the loco was being restored.
However this worked in the ‘Dukes’ favour when new cylinders were being constructed, as they found a serious design flaw in the original system which was soon rectified and considerably assisted it’s steaming capabilities.
Sorry to go on about trains again.

And it’s damned hot up there!

Not only is the gallery crowded, dimly lit, and full of walkways etc, it also gets bl00dy hot up there, A combination of sun beating down on the roof immediately above, and hot air rising up from the many floors and people) down below.

It’s well worth a visit though if only to see Amy Johnson’s Moth “Jason”, and Alcock and Brown’s TransAtlantic Vimy.

There’s also a V2 rocket, a Sopwith Biplane ( a 1 1/2 Strutter if my memory is correct), plus a used Apollo Space capsule, down stairs alongside the Lockheed L10A shown in the first post.

And of course, entry is free 🙂 .

Everytime I go there I can’t help but worry about the risk of fire destroying the “unique” airframes displayed there, unlike a hangar on an airfield there is absolutely no chance of dragging any of them out of trouble if the worst did happen 🙁 . No doubt they have a fire detection and sprinkler system installed, but I’m not sure a severe dousing in water would be any less disastrous than a total loss :confused: .

Paul F

WOW!.. I had no idea… not sure which got me drooling more… the Kestrel
JJ

That’s not a ”Kestrel’ but the prototype Hawker P.1127. The Kestrel was a development without nose probe, different wing shape and larger tailplanes, of which six were used by the Tripartite Evaluation Squadron in 1964.