Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, Shropshire - Admission Free
Admission is free to the museum in the West Midlands, which houses 70 aircraft and is home to War Planes, Missiles, Transport & Training and Research & Development collections. The National Cold War Exhibition with its interactive kiosks and hotspots gives visitors a chance to see what life was like behind the Iron Curtain.
Latest News:27 November 2009
Museum's Newsletter Now Available To Download.
The last 12 months have flown by and looking back on them, it is truely amazing how much we have packed into the last year.
Our latest newsletter,which looks at some of the highlights of the past year, is now available to view in a downloadable pdf from the link below.
To access it, please click on the link below, "Download latest newsletter."
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Download latest newsletter.
Last Chance To View James May’s Spitfire
The life-size model Spitfire constructed by James May during the recent James May’s Toy Stories series shown on BBC2, will be on display until Friday 27th November 2009 at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford.
Since the programme aired last month, the Museum has been inundated with visitors and enquiries from people wanting to catch a glimpse of the model, currently on display at the Museum. This Friday will be the last chance for the public to see the life size Spitfire before it goes off display and back to Gateguards, Cornwall, who made the giant kit.
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Experience A Wartime Christmas
Saturday 5th - Sunday 6th December 2009
FREE
Discover what it was like to celebrate Christmas during the Second World War as part of a wartime weekend packed with activities for all the family at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, Shropshire.
Running on 5th and 6th December this jam packed weekend of festive activities brings to life the experiences of the 1940s family; getting you in the festive mood. Try your hand at making traditional Christmas decorations by decorating a ceramic bauble to hang on your tree. Children, make sure that Santa knows what you want for Christmas by posting a letter to him in our special post-box and solve the clues to our Wartime Christmas Quiz to be in with the chance of winning an early Christmas present of a £15 voucher for the Museum shop.
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November's Podcast Now Live
Operation Corporate: The RAF's Role In The Falklands Campaign
This podcast tells the story of the RAF's response to an unexpected war 8000 miles away from Britain.
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Listen to this month's podcast
Museum Launches Online Book Of Remembrance
As part of its latest online exhibition, Lest We Forget, the Royal Air Force Museum has opened an electronic Book of Remembrance to commemorate the memory of those who have served in the Royal Air Force and its sister services, the Royal Flying Corps, the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and the Women’s Royal Air Force.
Speaking about the online exhibition, Air Vice Marshal (retired) Peter Dye, the Head of the Museum’s Collections Division, stated:
“ Lest We Forget is a poignant and unflinching exhibition that highlights the sacrifices made by those that have served in the Royal Air Force since its formation more than 90 years ago. It invites us to reflect on the impact on families and loved ones; whilst exploring the invaluable work of the agencies and support networks that bring practical aid and comfort to those who have suffered bereavement."
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Visit the Lest We Forget online exhibition
November's Navigator Highlights
This month Navigator, the Museum's online collection, offers you two new highlights 'First World War Photographs' and 'Charles Brown Photographs 1955 - 1965'.
Charles Brown Photographs:
Having begun his career as a society photographer Charles Brown gradually produced more and more work for the Admiralty, War Office, Air Ministry and aircraft manufacturers until this became his main body of work. Here can be found a sample from the period 1955-1965.
First World War Photographs:
By 11 November 1918 the Royal Air Force had become an armed force in its own right, many of its personnel having served in the ranks of the Navy (Royal Naval Air Service) and Army (Royal Flying Corps).
To commemorate Armistice Day we present a selection of our unique portrait photographs of personnel from 1914-1918.
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View Navigator Online Collection.
Museum's Christmas 2009 Catalogue Now Available
If you're scratching your head for unusual Christmas gift ideas for the aviation enthusiast in your life and would like to support charity at the same time, why not obtain a copy of our Christmas Catalogue?
In it you will find a range of gifts suitable for all budgets and ages from our limited edition 2010 Royal Air Force Museum Teddy Bear, a very affordable stocking filler at only £10.00 for the younger members of the family, to The Boys Book of Airfix an ideal gift for Dad or Grandad.
Remember by purchasing items from the Royal Air Force Museum shop you are helping to support the Royal Air Force Museum to preserve our country's valuable aviation heritage.
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Request a catalogue be sent out to you.
Museum Stars In James May Toy Stories
In this programme James May sets out to prove that traditional toys are still relevant today when he pushes them to the limit in spectacular, supersize challenges.
In the first of six programmes, May takes model airplanes to a whole new level when he tries to build and paint a life-size Airfix Spitfire, over the course of 3 days at the RAF Museum Cosford. But the venture soon hits problems when it becomes clear that the giant 36-foot pieces may not be strong enough, and nobody knows how they will fit together.
James hopes he can enthuse a group of reluctant teenagers to help him pull it off - but he soon realises he has another big battle on his hands convincing them that this is a hobby to be proud of.
Will he and Museum staff succeed with this challenge? Tune into i-player to find out.
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See Us & James May Toy Stories on BBC i-player.
Percival Prentice Arrives At Cosford
The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford recently took delivery of an RAF Percival Prentice that was flown in to RAF Cosford by pilot Ben Cross from Coventry.
The aircraft was then towed up to the Museum’s Michael Beetham Conservation Centre (MBCC) where it will undergo a short period of conservation and preparation work before it goes on permanent display to the public.
This latest acquisition is one of 349 Prentice two-seat basic trainer aircraft built for RAF service in 1949 and is now one of only 17 Prentice survivors worldwide. Most pilots who trained during the 1948-1953 period did their basic flying instruction on this type of aircraft until it was replaced by the more powerful and effective Percival Provost in 1953.
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New Permanent Exhibition Honours Boy Entrants.
A newly refurbished and extended exhibition dedicated to the RAF Boy Entrant Scheme has been unveiled at the RAF Museum Cosford. Produced in collaboration with the Boy Entrants Association, the new display highlights the role played in the RAF by boys aged between 15 and 17 ½.
Beginning in 1934 with 150 boys the scheme ran until 1965, with a break from 1940-1947, during which time over 38,000 boys had been trained. Entrants underwent 18 months of trade training in a myriad of roles ranging from wireless operators and armourers to nursing attendants and stewards, as well as continuing their education and participating in unrivalled social and leisure time pursuits.
Many of these boys went on to adult careers in the RAF; a significant number were commissioned and earned promotion to senior rank and an equally significant number were regularly included in the annual New Year’s Honours List.
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Learn more about Hangar 1
Lord Young Visits Cosford Apprentices
Lord Young of Norwood Green, Minister for Postal Affairs and Employment Relations, today visited the Michael Beetham Conservation Centre (MBCC) at Royal Air Force Museum Cosford.
During his visit, Lord Young was given a tour of the Museum’s Conservation Centre and took time to meet and speak with the apprentices, in his capacity as Minister for Employment Relations. He was particularly interested in highlighting his support for apprenticeship schemes.
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Learn more about MBCC at Cosford
Birthday Party Packages Now Available
The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford is now offering Birthday party packages.
Suitable for children age 5 and above this all inclusive package consists of invitations, entrance to the Museum, a Birthday Party Lunch, Goody Bags and Activity Trails for each guest, plus a special gift for the Birthday Boy or Girl, all for a very affordable £9.50 per child.
What more could any future pilot ask for than to have a birthday party at their favourite museum with their friends and closest family members?
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Book your Birthday party now!
New Appointments In Conservation Centre
The Michael Beetham Conservation Centre (MBCC) at Royal Air Force Museum Cosford is delighted to announce the following appointments:
New Positions:
MBCC Deputy Manager - Mr Darren Priday
MBCC Training Manager - Mr Michael Shepherd
Darren Priday has been promoted from within the MBCC to fulfil this role in the face of increased efforts to address growing conservation tasks and the need for year-round engineering management cover. He commences his responsibilities on the 1st September.
Warrant Officer Michael Shepherd retired from the Royal Air Force to join the Museum on the 17th August to assist with the further development of the MBCC Apprentice Scheme. He will be tasked with heading up the mentoring programme targeted at young people and attracting aviation enthusiasts from across the globe to participate in planned MBCC Conservation Skills Workshops.
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Free Audio Tour Now Available
The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford has recently relaunched its National Cold War Exhibition Website.
As part of this revamp and inorder to help you get the most out of your visit to us we have placed online a free audio tour that will guide you through our award-winning National Cold War Exhibition.
All that you need to do is to go to the website and download the tour to your Ipod or MP3 Player, and play it when visiting the Exhibition. It's as simple as that!
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Visit NCWE Website to download free audio tour
Now Showing - R A F Photograph Of The Year
The winning images from the Royal Air Force’s Photograph of the Year Competition will be on view to members of the public at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford from Monday 6th July 2009.
Consisting of 12 categories ranging from “The RAF Experience” to “Technical and Engineering”, this exhibition gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse of RAF Personnel at work, rest and play both at home and in the field.
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Full Steam Ahead For Savings
The RAF Museum Cosford is proud to announce that Wrexham and Shropshire rail passengers can now enjoy discounts on all items in the Restaurant and Museum Shop. All passengers will receive a 10% discount on any purchase made when they present Staff a valid (on the day) Wrexham and Shropshire train ticket.
This offer is the beginning of several joint activities between Wrexham and Shropshire trains and the Museum at Cosford, designed to promote this fantastic Museum and its easy access via rail. This exclusive 10% offer for rail users is valid throughout 2009 until December 31st.
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Find out how to reach the Museum by Train
The exhibitions at Cosford contain only a fraction of the overall holdings of the RAF Museum. In London, at Hendon, the Royal Air Force Museum London displays an equally large and important part of our collection.
Visit Navigator to discover more...
