RAF Museum Store

Is the Halifax cockpit section, formerly with CARG, still in the RAF Museum store?

It was last month………………..

Is this where the RAFM stores Douglas Bader’s tin legs?

It is not mentioned in the article but it was a great read.

Curlyboy

One of the things I want to see. I’d heard his wartime pair were at the roehampton hospital but when I wrote to them they had no knowledge of them.

When searching for a Halifax throttle box many years go I came into contact with Ewan Cameron, very nice chap. Is he still working at Stafford?
Cees

Yes he is Cees.

Rob

Is the Halifax cockpit section, formerly with CARG, still in the RAF Museum store?

Is the store at Stafford ever opened for visits by the public?

There is a visit report from 2009 at www.wattisham.org.uk

When searching for a Halifax throttle box many years go I came into contact with Ewan Cameron, very nice chap. Is he still working at Stafford?
Cees

Is this where the RAFM stores Douglas Bader’s tin legs?

Saw the Bader tin legs on a recent visit, I believe however that these were his postwar versions.

Steve,

I hope this is of some interest, Tony Broadhurst

It was, very interesting. I’d love to see it restored as a static exhibit, perhaps as an Indian or Rhodesian example if not 24 EFTS. The Cornell’s use by the RAF outside of Canada has had little coverage over the years.

Is this where the RAFM stores Douglas Bader’s tin legs?

It is not mentioned in the article but it was a great read.

Curlyboy

RAF Museum Store

Steve,
You are correct. The ex Southend/Earls Colne Cornell is now in private hands and being restored to fly. I think the owner is a subscriber to the forum and therefore I will leave him to add any further details.

The RAF Museum remains are from several aircraft obtained from the Canadian Warplane Heritage.

In 1990 whilst delving into RAF Cornell records at Hendon a member of the archive staff first told me of this aircraft held in the store at Cardington. I obtained permission to view the Cornell and found there to be the parts of at least three identifiable ex RCAF PT-26As.

During a talk with the curator I was asked not to publicise the aircraft’s existance – I presume because there were many other more pressing projects. However, as that was over twenty years ago and the Cornell project has moved location several times but I far as I know has not progressed I feel that obligation has run it’s course.

The curator, Mr Funnell, told me that on a visit to the CWH he was invited to look around the store and pick out what he would like – presumably this was part of an exchange of airframes. He chose the best parts of several Cornells and these were transferred to the RAF Collection.

Bearing in mind during the past 30 years the CWH has been involved in the airworthy restoration of at least three Cornells it is not surprising that they had such a stockpile of parts. The three restored examples had all been flown as civil aircraft previously and the parts the RAF obtained where from examples that had never been converted to civil aircraft. The use of these parts in an airworthy restoration may have been problematical and therefore more suitable for a static exhibit.

I have seen the RAF Cornell project mis-identified in several published accounts and so I will take this opportunity to put on record what I found.

The Cornell fuselage had a metal plate which bore the RAF/Fleet Aircraft Ltd serial no. FV351 which relates the RCAF Cornell Mk.II 15252.

The outer wings were held in storage racks nearby. The port panel bore the RCAF serial 15195 and the starboard panel bore the serial 14590.

All three aircraft served at No.24 EFTS., Abbotsford, BC. and the above identities were duly reported to Mr Funnell.

Also stored in racking was a unidentified Cornell centre section and a crated Ranger engine, which I neglected to note the serial no. of.

I hope this is of some interest, Tony Broadhurst

Interesting article there.

However, it states that the Cornell came from the Historic Aircraft Museum in the early 1980’s. Seem to remember still having that at Earls Colne into the 1990’s!

Regards;
Steve

Check out Bob Gardner’s article from a while back on RAFM Stafford – HERE:

http://www.aeroclocks.com/images/pics_articles/Stafford%20June%2006.pdf

ATB

TT

Until recently there were lots of group visits at Stafford, I’ve been there myself, twice. I think there were getting to be too many, so they stopped them to let the staff get on with what they should really be doing, though they were really very friendly and helpful during visits, just letting people wander anywhere, and not even searching your pockets when you left !. I have to say that it is an Alladdin’s Cave, I could have spent days in there

you can see LOTS of RAF Museum artefacts at Hendon

Not as much as you could once see. Hendon used to have an excellent display of small objects / uniforms but that was before they closed off the side galleries / converted them into a kiddies playground. 😡

I suspect for many reasons Black Knight. It’s a bit cluttered for a start. Then there are small artefacts (read easily pinched), and some things which are very fragile and people, it seems, can’t help but to touch!! Nope, you can see LOTS of RAF Museum artefacts at Hendon and Cosford, it perhaps ought to stay that way!

Can’t see why they can’t open up a couple of times a year for a guided tour.

There seems to be some movement of items from the Collection.

Earlier this year NAM took on loan a Yellow Sun casing:

“The Yellow Sun nuclear weapon casing was the second item to be collected on Tuesday and this item has been placed on loan at the Newark Air Museum by the RAF Museum Reserve Collection at RAF Stafford. Yellow Sun was the first British operational high-yield strategic nuclear weapon.”

Plus a Skyflash missile set, which is now displayed alongside the Swift in Hangar 2.

I believe not. I went in when I was at Stafford to collect the current 14Sqn assets, and a few years back. It was fascinating. The Stirling sections are substantial and the other airframes deserve better. Quite a hoard of small arms were being auctioned off as well.