Revamp at the RAF Museum, Hendon

re;

It depends on when you last visited. There are a couple of aircraft moved down from Cosford and painted in fake Omani markings (Provost and Pioneer) in Milestones, and a few gaps in the halls where things have been moved into the new WWI exhibition (Camel, D.VII, FE2b and F2b), other than that, not much has changed in the past couple of years. Don’t forget that the Grahame-White Factory is now closed until 4th December.

Thanks for that; There was in inverted Dakota cockpit in the Bomber hall last time I was there and a Spitfire XVI, no idea why there were in there. Painting a/c in Omani colours is odd considering their obsession with putting everything into its original colours. (THE B25 would look so much better in invasion stripes) No doubt theres a big sponsorship deal with those countries. Lets hope some idiot doesnt decide S-Sugar must lose her nose art, codes and guns, thus the scheme that she was delivered in….

Of course – too late now but Farnborough was also the site of the No.1 Mess of the Royal Air Force. ( Copied from the army mess at Poona – complete with storm drains)

I see it is no longer ‘Hendon’, but has now been rebranded as the ‘Royal Air Force Museum London’.

I think it is all relative to where you live. I don’t do public transport into London because it is way cheaper to drive to Hendon than get the train from Farnborough, am actually going there on saturday. Have been to Cosford twice this year because I was in the area but it is the ‘wrong’ side of Birmingham for those of us from the south, had not previously been there for 10+years. Although Hendon is not in a ideal airfield location it is is a good location for about 1/3 the English population and the many tourists who come to London.

It depends on when you last visited. There are a couple of aircraft moved down from Cosford and painted in fake Omani markings (Provost and Pioneer) in Milestones, and a few gaps in the halls where things have been moved into the new WWI exhibition (Camel, D.VII, FE2b and F2b), other than that, not much has changed in the past couple of years. Don’t forget that the Grahame-White Factory is now closed until 4th December.

re;

I am planning on dropping into Hendon on Monday, be interesting to see whats new…

Any in and around London I use public transport, otherwise I drive. And like 99.9% of museum visitors I don’t fly so fear Moggy’s option is not relevant….:D

I’m not against using the train, it’s just that it would be too expensive and time consuming for us.

The only aviation related train trip I’ve done, was way back in the distant past.
A direct train (special) from Southend to Farnborough.

We did Eastbourne by car and train this year, (not a museum I know)

Everything else by car.

Elvington…. as we were going to York anyway.

Cosford and Yeovilton…. as were were on holiday in the area.

Headcorn …. on the way back from a weekend in Sussex.

Duxford would take two and a half hours by train , and cost £64 for the two of us (an hour by car)

Hendon The best part of two hours, and £45 for the pair of us. (50 minutes by car)

I have visited Duxford and Cosford on the train, and would not consider Hendon by any other means of transport!
Have also done Newark by public transport (hard work, but if you have a friendly TwinOtter23 to pick you up not so hard!) and will be visiting Brooklands and London Colney by public transport before long.
I would much rather do this than trying to drive long distances, but perhaps I’m a bit unusual there.

Hands up those who regularly visit any of our aviation museums by train or bus.

IWM and Science Museum regularly, RAF Museum on occasion. All relatively easy to do.

Me, I’m off to Cosford on the train next month for the open day, and I go to Hendon on the train and I’ve been to Brooklands on the train. Not literally, I get off at the nearest station and walk. 😀

Brian

Hands up those who regularly visit any of our aviation museums by train or bus (other than for airshow days)

The only museum we use the train to get to, is the British Museum. When we go to the PAS conferences.
Even then we walk from Liverpool St.

I really don’t understand the complaints about Hendon being hard to find and and difficult to reach. It is close to the M25, and just off the M1, A1 and North Circular. It is also an easy walk (or short cab ride for those unable to walk far) from Colindale Tube station, and is well signposted from the tube station and A1.

I compare that with some of the other major collections I have visited. The Swedish AF Museum is in the centre of the country, a fair drive from most of the major cities. Le Bourget is a faff to get to by public transport (RER then bus), as is Vigna di Valle (train from Rome, then a cab if you’re lucky, if not, a fair walk). Krakow is an easy cab ride from the centre. Dubendorf I did by car, so can’t comment on its accessibility by public transport. The major US Museums (Dayton, Pensacola) are well off the beaten track in terms of major tourist destinations and require a special visit to a relatively remote location. The Washington museums of the NASM are reasonably accessible and in a major tourist destination. The Ottawa Museum is a way out of the centre, but on a bus route.

The point being, Hendon is certainly as accessible as other major collections, and more so than most.

And, of course, Cosford, like Duxford, would be reachable by air.

Moggy

As RPSmith said, it has its own station.

Telford is only 2 stations away, and the Park Inn is easy walk from station, AND if you say you are part of RAFM they give a nice rate!

Duxford is a different matter, and was by sheer luck I found it!

I would guess that the vast majority of people who visit the museums, go by road.
Apart from when there is an airshow, or other special event which could mean large crowds.

I would have thought Duxford very difficult to miss ? Unless you are completely unfamiliar with the area.
Hendon on the other hand, is a pain to get to. Then again I hate driving anywhere there are red buses 🙂

Duxford is a different matter, and was by sheer luck I found it!

Even though Dux is off M11, I did not find it easy to get to.

)

🙂 Don’t feel bad, a South African friend of mine got lost on the roundabout that leads to Duxford village and had to ask for directions :).

Personally I always thought Farnborough with its un equalled aviation connections would have been an excellent base for the RAF Museum, more so now with its huge efforts on preservation of both aviation and associated buildings, on top of this it is easily accessible fresh and bright without having to drive through a very dingy and depressing neighbourhood to get to it.

I agree about the location. It’s bad enough getting there at the weekend, I hate to think what it’s like trying to get
there on a weekday.

The difference being with Cosford, and also Duxford. Although they are both awkward to get to if you don’t drive,
you go there because you are interested in aircraft. More so with Duxford, having to pay an entrance charge.

As RPSmith said, it has its own station.

Telford is only 2 stations away, and the Park Inn is easy walk from station, AND if you say you are part of RAFM they give a nice rate!

Duxford is a different matter, and was by sheer luck I found it!

BTW, how I got to both my first day is UK was
Ok, before I tell you,
I am a Texas Yank, well, Texan, used to WIDE roads, like 10 lanes across (Houston I-10), and of course AUTOMATIC.

SO in UK I got A RENTAL!
And it was, naturally, STICK, which I have not driven in 7 years!
And on top of that was the STRANGE thing of WRONG side of road, AND that oddity called a ROUND ABOUT!

It was a crazy adventure, my wife almost died of heart attack, but being a pilot, I am a master of machines! (well, not really, but try by best! :D)

Even though Dux is off M11, I did not find it easy to get to.

As for Cosford, yes it is central (literally Midlands), but I think museums need to be closer to major centers for less travel time, even Birmingham (which is about 30 min by rail)

[QUOTE=~Alan~;2177243……………..The difference being with Cosford, and also Duxford. Although they are both awkward to get to if you don’t drive,……..[/QUOTE]

Cosford has it’s own rail station – I don’t think the walk is more than that from Colindale station to Hendon – it would be ideal, though, if there was a direct service from Birmingham.

Roger Smith.

Cosford is really remote and far from major cities, especially London.

It’s actually closer to most major cities in the UK (London apart) than Hendon.

You have to get down to Brighton – hardly a ‘major city’ before Hendon is closer to anywhere

Birmingham 992000
Leeds 720000
Glasgow 560000
Sheffield 512000
Bradford 467000
Edinburgh 450000
Liverpool 440000
Manchester 420000
Bristol 380000
Wakefield 316000
Cardiff 310000
Coventry 305000
Nottingham 285000
Leicester 280000
Sunderland 280000
Belfast 280000
Newcastle upon Tyne 259000
Brighton 248000

Moggy