The Royal Air Force Museum is on a mission to relocate over 50,000 historic objects to a new Collections Hub in the Midlands.

To achieve this monumental move, the Museum is inviting the public and companies to join The Crate Escape, an ambitious fundraising campaign set to unlock over a century of incredible stories from RAF history.

The RAF Museum is the guardian of a national collection, capturing every aspect of RAF life. Currently, less than 1% of the Museum’s rich collection is on public display, with many of the remaining treasures hidden away in a vast storage facility at MOD Stafford. This Aladdin’s cave of aviation heritage holds everything from aircraft and ejector seats to uniforms, medals and memorabilia, each item with its own remarkable story.

Now, in a bold new mission, the Museum will relocate these hidden treasures to a new purpose-built Collections Hub at the RAF Museum Midlands, where they will become accessible to the public for the very first time.

Ewen Cameron, Curator (Stored Collection) at the RAF Museum, said:
‘The move from Stafford to our Midlands site is no small feat. Behind the scenes, our specialist staff and dedicated volunteers are busy preparing to move more than 50,000 objects. This equates to over 31,000 hours of work identifying and cataloguing each individual object, assessing its condition, carrying out essential conservation work, and carefully cleaning and packing the objects, ready for their final journey to the Museum.’

This enormous logistical operation marks a key phase in the wider transformation of the Museum’s Midlands site. Due for completion in summer 2027, the transformation will also include a new permanent exhibition that explores the role of the RAF from 1980 through to space and cyber defence, along with a state-of-the-art Learning Centre and expanded green spaces for visitors to enjoy. The project has been made possible with the support of funders including The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Royal Air Force, as well as the RAF Museum’s own investment.

Ella Hewitt, Individual Giving Manager at the RAF Museum, said:
‘The Crate Escape isn’t just about moving objects, it’s about bringing hidden RAF stories of bravery, innovation and sacrifice to light. By sponsoring a box, supporters are helping to preserve these powerful stories and make them accessible for future generations. With your support, we can deliver history to its new home and bring our vision for a transformed RAF Museum Midlands to life, one box at a time.’

Support the RAF Museum’s mission today by visiting rafmuseum.org. Every box tells a story. Every donation makes a difference. Choose your support tier, Bronze, Silver, or Gold, and sponsor a box used in the move.

• Bronze £30 – Be one of four names on a box, receive a digital certificate, and see your name added to The Crate Escape virtual wall

• Silver £100 – Your name will exclusively be added to a box, receive a special thank you and pin badge through the post, and see your name added to The Crate Escape virtual wall

• Gold from £1000 – Large object sponsorships are available. Choose the object you wish to sponsor, receive personalised recognition on protective coverings, and enjoy the opportunity to visit the team in action at MOD Stafford, even get hands-on and help pack!

Whatever your sponsorship tier, supporters will receive a unique box number, exclusive behind-the-scenes project updates, and the thrilling reveal of what’s inside your sponsored box, be it boots, buttons, logbooks, or even a piece of an aircraft, when it moves to its new home.

To find out more about the RAF Museum’s redevelopment project and how you can get involved in The Crate Escape, visit rafmuseum.org/midlands.

The Museum is open daily from 10.00am and admission is free.