The Science Museum, London

You can also check out the bomb damage still visible on the outside of the building if you fancy a reminder of the blitz.

Playing the numbers game 😮

Hand held, 1/5sec, f3.5, ISO800, Flash

Brian

The best thing of all, it’s free to get in ! 🙂

A longer exposure works wonders with the Eindecker. 30 seconds f16 400 iso

Fokker E.III by shuttleworthpix, on Flickr

Fokker E.III by shuttleworthpix, on Flickr

A longer exposure works wonders with the Eindecker. 30 seconds f16 400 iso

Fokker E.III by shuttleworthpix, on Flickr

It is quite dark in there, but even without a tripod, you can manage some happy snaps to remember the occasion.

Sadly, the Fabric wing Hurricane is gathering dust. When I was there, there was a member of staff dusting, but the duster had a rather short handle, leaving a large patch of dust at the wing root.

You’re not allowed to take a tripod or monopod into the museum, the museum staff call them ‘stands’ which is what you’d expect in a Science Museum!

And yet there are plenty of abandoned strollers littering the place, completely unattended, while their occupants run amok, even though you’re not allowed to use a tripod. Still, ‘rules is rules’.

Despite mutterings from some guards, there’s nothing to prevent you from knocking up a clamp and flexible arm to attach to the railings of the walkway in order to get long exposures (when hordes of marauding children allow). I’ve rigged up a Manfrotto super clamp to a triple jointed magic arm with a quick release tripod shoe at the end. This allows you a great deal of flexibility and reach in areas where you can’t use a tripod.

You’re not allowed to take a tripod or monopod into the museum, the museum staff call them ‘stands’ which is what you’d expect in a Science Museum! I smuggled my monopod in down a trouser leg! I suppose you could improvise a monopod out of a walking stick and double sided cellotape.

Regards

Last time I went they had the center section, albeit very thin, of a 747!

I was there last month, and as others have said it’s a wonderful collection. Most of the exhibits are upstairs in the main Flight gallery, although there’s a Lockheed Electra, Avro 504, R-R Flying Bedstead and Shorts SC.1 in the “Making the Modern World” exhibition a floor or two down. The SC.1 is mounted vertically against a pillar minus undercarriage and one wing, not to everyone’s taste!

Only drawback for me was a kiddies interactive display at one end of the Flight gallery that makes an irritating “Ding!” every five seconds. Drives you potty after a minute or two! I think it was only temporary, I hope it’s been removed.

The racks of aero-engines are also worth a close look, some unique examples are on display.

I went with a school trip for a Saturday night sleep over there last year. Fantastic experience for the kids – group sessions on the floor under the city, sleeping in the space section & waking up with black arrow rocket hanging over your head! I didn’t spend as much time in the aircraft section as I normally would, but I wasn’t there for me that time. I always find something new & wish I had read up on it before going.

Sometime in the next few weeks my wife and I will be going to London to visit The Science Museum. What interesting things aviation wise should I look out for?

The Schneider Trophy…………..

Planemike

Go and see a real one of these

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The search function actually worked 😀
Flight-Gallery-Science-Museum-06Oct11

…..and the down side are the school parties doing the rounds. Dozens of them.

Brian

I would say that was an up side. How good that school parties still go to our excellent museum collections and, perhaps, an interest in the hobby that we all so much enjoy is instilled in some of them. It worked for me in 1964.

The search function actually worked 😀
Flight-Gallery-Science-Museum-06Oct11

I was there earlier this year and nothing has changed and the down side are the school parties doing the rounds. Dozens of them.

Brian

With out doubt one of the greatest and significant aircraft collections in the world! go – enjoy!

The aircraft are displayed in two different places/floors.
The majority are upstairs in a poorly lighted area.
Very good museum with historically important aircraft.
Good you are going to visit.

There you go…. Probably the UK’s most historically significant collection of aircraft.
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum_OLD/galleries/flight.aspx

On my first visit to the museum in the 70s, the Vimy was hanging low enough that I could reach up and touch the tyre….