RAFM Hendon ~ ex-BoB Hall Exhibits 19Nov16

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 ?

I agree with all you posted there Meddle : ) – except perhaps for the rampant paranoia bit – perhaps cynicism would be a more accurate term ; )

‘Shed full of stuff’ just usually means lack of floor space for museums struggling to build an extra building or two.

Edit to say ‘stuff’ is always better in a shed than outside – as long as its the ‘Right Stuff’ of course : )

That is what forums are for Meddle – everybody has an opinion – many of which might differ from yours ; )

There is a difference between simply holding an opinion and the rampant paranoia going on here. All we’ve learned is that Hendon are moving some exhibits around and the manager (or whoever) doesn’t know the entire inventory of their stores. This thread would give the impression that these airframes were off to the smelters!

Opinion time! Hendon is behind the times, as a museum. They’ve made an impressively boring, dry museum out of fascinating exhibits. The lighting is crap and the exhibits are crammed in gracelessly. On paper at least, a museum with a Liberator, Lancaster and Vulcan within a few feet of each other should be astonishing, but the gravitas of these airframes is lost of the murk and the clutter. If you want to know anything about what you are looking at you have to squint at screeds of text in either gloomy darkness or the unrelenting glare of a spotlight. I think this forum tends to favour museums that follow the ‘shed full of stuff’ model, such as Hawkinge and the like, but I don’t believe the general public do! If money is an issue then Hendon should consider charging an entry fee.

That is what forums are for Meddle – everybody has an opinion – many of which might differ from yours ; )

Change is ok if for the better,many changes are not necessarily for the better – so we shall see ; )

I’m greatly amused at the sheer level of bellyaching coming from some forumites, generated purely by some images of a museum moving its exhibits.

Read the post…
“They weren’t touching the walls…
At a guess…etc etc…”
They were stored vertical, on egg boxes, supported by egg poles.
I’m going on what I remember seeing, my eyesight is pretty decent and they weren’t propped up against a wall…
Please get your facts right and stop knocking the conservation centre staff. They do a pretty decent job given how many of them there are and the equipment they’ve got.
In fact, most of them were missing that week as they were at Hendon doing the Battle of Britain shuffle, where they’ve been for most of this year, 100 miles down the M1, living out of a hold-all for weeks at a time like Crash and Smash, for no extra pay, no paid overtime, no bonuses… Do you fancy it…?

If you opened a brand new RAF Museum today (like they did in the 1970’s), having never had one before, there would be people who liked what they had done, and people who hated it. Over time, we get used to what we have, and it becomes accepted as a ‘norm’. The truth is that the RAF Museum has, in some aspects changed very little over the years – some aircraft still rest where they did over 40 years ago.

I’m pleased to see some changes – and not before time IMHO.

Bruce

You measured the distance?:)

They weren’t touching the walls…
At a guess I’d say they were about 12 inches away from the walls…
I’ll submit a photo later…

I had spotted them, the walls were not covered in felt though.:o

Ps…
I was at Cosford last week for the Conservation Centre open week too…
And the Gladiator wings were being stored behind the Hurricane…
On egg boxes…
Supported by egg poles…

Thanks Rat Acc,
I knew about the eggboxes but not about the beams, I feel much better now:eagerness:

I had hoped to see the Defiant but that one obviously hasn’t moved yet. Although looking at the fuselage clamped between two wooden beams I fear some transit damage will be in order.

CeBro, and others…
Those “wooden beams” are known as “eggpoles” and slot into one of the many offset holes in the “eggboxes” under the aircraft.
They are indeed wooden beams, approximately 3″ square, BUT they are wrapped in at least 1/2″ thick felt padding, which itself is wrapped in a linen covering.
The “eggboxes” have either a similarly felt padded or rubber strip running lengthwise on the tops.
They have been used on every RAF flying and maintenance unit since Pontius was a Pilot, for safely and securely storing (and transporting) large aircraft components like undercarriage doors, bomb bay doors, flying controls, horizontal and vertical stabilizers, mainplanes and fuselages…

It’s age. I’m mellowing.

Moggy

We will see Moggs, We will se

Demise?, it’s not closing is it?, I thought these moves are part of work and investment in it?

…demise in it’s current form.

Ps. unlike you to be sitting on the woodwork !!!! 🙂

It’s age. I’m mellowing.

Moggy

I visited Cosford the previous weekend and some of the new arrivals were there such as Black Six and the Fw-190 (previously with the IWM) and the wings of the Gladiator were propped against a wall. I must say it made a very nice collection display of some very important WWII fighters. I had hoped to see the Defiant but that one obviously hasn’t moved yet. Although looking at the fuselage clamped between two wooden beams I fear some transit damage will be in order.

Moggs I understand what you are saying but from where I see it the airframes are not coming back in the foreseeable future and the BoB hall could of been developed further by creating good dioramas of lets say BoB dispersals from the British and German sides along with further interpretation of the Battle.

Ps. unlike you to be sitting on the woodwork !!!! 🙂

I just feel that Hendon was once famous for S for Sugar but now seems more like S for Brains

Might it be better to wait until the revamp is completed before passing judgement?

I am sad at the loss of the BoB Hall, then I also miss the son et lumiere which those who thinks a museum’s only purpose is to provide them alone with photo or viewing opportunities at a time that suits them didn’t seem to appreciate.

The truth is that even when finished there will be no consensus. Look at IWM Lambeth and the divided opinions over that.

Moggy

I just feel that Hendon was once famous for S for Sugar but now seems more like S for Brains

😀

Interesting that some aircraft are going for conservation/maintenance at Cosford – in the future it will be interesting to see if they carry out anti – det maintenance on the poor old aircraft strung up in the Fallen down Hangar/Monstrosity/Cold War Tent at Cosford – always pains me to see that super cute F86 hung at an alarming angle up in the tent roof.I cannot ever see them coming down – it would be a major/expensive task : (

Also thanks for the nice pics everybody