Here’s some photos I took today of closed areas at Hendon, the Sunderland and the area with the Lysander and Walrus is closed off, the bit on the ground around the Sunderland is being re-done and should be very good when finished. The upper galleries are very empty now, the medals section is also still there though. Took a lot of detailed photos of the Triumph model H for someone who’s restoring one, I can upload some of those if anyone’s interested. I’ve decided to start volunteering at Hendon, so hopefully be able to help improve the museum. I was told that the Beaufort won’t be so empty inside for long, they have interior parts for it now that are being worked on and fitted, and the two RAF rescue launches outside are being restored.
Took quite a few photos inside the Sunderland
Hope they’re of interest, as has been said before, best way to get these closed areas open again is to write and complain. As for the Battle of Britain hall, apparently when the display they put on is broken they put all the lights on so that’s the best time to visit, only thing is you have to find out when it’s broken and rush over there!
By: RPSmith - 14th October 2007 at 00:41
….. Sunderland ML 824 was saved by the Sunderland trust which was set up by Peter Thomas later to found Skyfame….. ….. His son is planning to write a book about his fathers battle to save our air heritage at a time when few official bodies had any interest…..
That’s good to hear – although I was naively critical of Skyfame in it’s latter days we all owe a great deal to Peter Thomas.
Roger Smith.
By: scotavia - 13th October 2007 at 16:46
Sunderland origins
Doc Stirling,
the RAF museum Sunderland ML 824 was saved by the Sunderland trust which was set up by Peter Thomas later to found Skyfame. He was a far sighted person who used the letters pages of Flight International to raise awareness of the need to preserve aircraft. The Sunderland flew into Pembroke Dock in 1961 in its Aeronavale markings,moved to Hendon in 1971. His son is planning to write a book about his fathers battle to save our air heritage at a time when few official bodies had any interest.
The ex night club Sunderland ML796 is at Duxford,it is also ex Aeronavale and was moved by road and sea in five truck convoy in June 1976 from La Baule.France. This one actually served in the Berlin air lift while 824 was in reserve.
By: scotavia - 13th October 2007 at 16:31
And more than one Sunderland caught fire and sank at its moorings when the techies were using petrol to clean parts.
By: Pondskater - 13th October 2007 at 15:50
I always try to imagine what kind of work the crew did at the workbench during flight.
Urgent.
However, there were a few crews landing away from base with a troublesome engine etc who found having a workbench compete with vice very useful. Conversely, on flying boats a dropped spanner was a lost spanner – unless it was tied to the engineer’s wrist.
By: GliderSpit - 13th October 2007 at 11:15
Great pictures of the inside of the Sunderland. I always try to imagine what kind of work the crew did at the workbench during flight.
By: Pondskater - 13th October 2007 at 10:36
Always nice to see inside the Sunderland.
This one – ML824 – was with the French air force postwar and was then on display at Pembroke Dock through the 1960s. In the early 70’s she was acquired for the RAFM.
The one that was used as a night club and restaurant in France was another ex French aircraft, ML796, which is at Duxford.
By: DocStirling - 12th October 2007 at 21:21
Thanks for posting the Sunderland interiors.
I think someone told me it had been used as a night club before being restored – is this true?
Also, good news about the Beaufort. It is really just a shell at present.
DS
By: barnstormer - 12th October 2007 at 18:49
Rob; Thanks for the WWI bits. Interesting front/rear cockpit view.. The Sunderland intererior shots were great. Have never seen that before, and nice and clear and well lit. Aprreciated! 😀
By: Arabella-Cox - 12th October 2007 at 18:45
Did you get in the Grahame White hangar or was that closed?
The pics look good and it would be good to have a forum member as a volunteer to give us some insight into the baffling works of the RAFM.
I love the place but hate that when i go somewhere is always shut normally for the same old staffing reasons (normally lots of clerical bods plodding around though?).
curlyboy
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October 12, 2007 at 3:59 pm