Exhibitions and displays

Cosford Cold War Dakota 773wide

Alongside the Aircraft Collection displays are a number of fascinating exhibitions and displays. These include Radar Echoing Models, aircraft, missiles and tanks used in intelligence gathering, Air Gunners, a description of who, what, where, when and how air gunners operated, Prisoners of War, exploring Cosford’s role as a POW reception centre and History of Cosford, a description of Cosford’s role during and since the Second World War.

We also have Aero Engines, with piston engines from the 50hp Le Rhone to the 2900hp Wright cyclone and jet engines with everything from early Whittle engines up to Eurofighter. We have a collection of German, US and British solid and liquid fuelled Rocket motors and a unique collection of German Rocketry.

The following exhibitions are also currently on display at RAF Museum Midlands.

RAF Stories: The First 100 Years 1918 – 2018

Entitled ‘RAF Stories: The First 100 Years 1918-2018’, the display showcases the diversity and history of the RAF through the use of personal stories and a collection of previously unseen artefacts. It has also been carefully designed to offer a compelling snapshot of the RAF’s principle roles:

• Prepare: The RAF’s Red Arrows display team represent the pinnacle of the services training and ethos. A Red Arrows pilots’ flying suit and distinctively marked helmet feature as part of the display.

• Attack: A selection of objects illustrating the RAF’s attack role ranging from an early aerial reconnaissance camera to an arming key for a nuclear bomb are now on show.

• Defend: The Battle of Britain in 1940, which tested the RAF’s defensive abilities to the limit, is represented in the display including rare and unique artefacts.

• Support: Featured in the display will be the story of a ground crewman Antony Ford who served on the Operation Bushel famine relief effort in Ethiopia in 1984-85, as well as a helicopter winch operator’s rescue strop and an air-to-air refuelling.

Cosford at 80 Exhibition

Cosford at 80 is our exhibition on display in Hangar 1 and it has been created by a small team of personnel from RAF Cosford. The Exhibition is on display in the Temporary Exhibition Gallery.

Find out more about RAF Cosford

Battle of Britain Display

The Battle of Britain 80th Anniversary LogoHome to the world’s oldest Spitfire, Cosford’s War in the Air Hangar houses a collection of both British and German aircraft from the Battle of Britain era. The Spitfire forms the centerpiece of the display, where the RAF’s frontline fighters, theSpitfire, Hurricane, Gladiator and Defiant are showcased with their German rival the Me 109, to tell a coherent story.

Previously unseen objects from the Museum’s collection including a Rhino suit worn by Defiant pilots, Dowding’s jacket, artefacts from the plotting rooms and medal bars, will share the stories of the people who helped win the Battle, in the air and on the ground. A highlight of the new display is James Nicolson’s flying jacket and medal bar containing his VC medal, the only VC awarded during the Battle. Nicolson also flew the Spitfire on display at Cosford.

Cosford's New Battle of Britain Display

Downloadable Large Print Guides

Please note: The Museum regularly undertakes a programme of maintenance and conservation, so some exhibits or Hangars may be temporarily inaccessible. If you are visiting us to see something specific, please contact us in advance to ensure it that it is on display and available for public viewing.