RAF Museum, Cosford.

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Yesterday, being a National Holiday in my house, I had a day off and went to Cosford Museum - http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford/ - definitely worth a visit.

Most of the exhibits are indoors, but there's a few outside, including this Bristol Britannia, painted up to impersonate XM497, in which I experienced a very exciting aborted take-off, when No. 4 engine let go half way down the runway - although, it's actually an ex-BOAC aircraft painted up, hence the missing aerials - XM497 having had a rather more significant adventure on the very same runway a few years later.
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littleme

250,000th poster!
Daughter, husband and my Dad went last summer - they all had a great time, brill (& free) day out :)
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
There's not been much change inside over the last few years - still good, though. They do now have a Nimrod and a Dominie outside that weren't there the last time I went.
 

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
It is, indeed, a truly fantastic museum.

You really should go if you haven't been already.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
It is, indeed, a truly fantastic museum.

You really should go if you haven't been already.
And, if you have, you should still go again.

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A Gnat T.1 from the early days of the Red Arrows - beautiful little thing, not many other jets that you can get into without steps..
 

Noah

Well-Known Forumite
The Bolton Paul Heritage Museum material is moving there from the Moog factory site in Bilbrook in April.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Well, as related elsewhere, I went here again today. There's a few new items - you can even have a peek at the Dornier 17 that they hoiked out of the Channel last year - it will need quite a bit of work, I think..

..it's in a polytunnel, being washed down in a 'Mary Rose' style, although you can still smell the sea clearly..
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There was, though, a school visit on, with all the associated unnecessarily aggressive shouting that often accompanies these events - I really don't know how the kids put up with it..
 

Helen Goff

Well-Known Forumite
Must go there again. Used to visit often when they used to host car club meets ( did great bacon butties)
 

Laurie61

Well-Known Forumite
I usually try and visit Cosford once a a year or so, managed to catch an open day for the conservation centre end of 2012. They were working on a Wellington at the time.

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Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Crikey. Is that engine for the Wellington?

They did test a Whittle engine up the back of a Wellington....

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Laurie61

Well-Known Forumite
Crikey. Is that engine for the Wellington?

They did test a Whittle engine up the back of a Wellington....

wellington2.jpg

I bet that would have been fun to fly, a lot of weight in the back :eek: I am not sure where the jet engines came from, there was a Kestrel ? in the shop as well.

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Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
That engine has a variable nozzle, on what could be an after-burner section, I wouldn't expect it to be from the Kestrel - they have quite a few specific engine exhibits, it might not be from a plane, as such.....


I bet that would have been fun to fly, a lot of weight in the back :eek:
Might be the safest place for it - they had a tendency to burn - outside the combustion chamber...
 

gon2seed

(and me! - Ed)
Sorry, come to this thread rather tardy. However I have to say what a fantastic local visit this is! You only pay to park, and can wander around for ages! :banana:Plenty to look at and read, and if it floats your boat, interactive type stuff,; certainly appealed to the adults with Learning Disabilities I have been with recently, and their support workers enjoyed it to! ;) Particularly the section on the Cold War! :bravo: Lot's of interesting & Impressive aircraft, from all around the world, and enough stats' to excite the geeks! Great day out! Particularly if you're desperate for somewhere on a wet miserable day, but if size is important to you! The big stuff is outside, though there are some impressive sized aircraft inside! :slayer:
 
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