Imperial War Museum Duxford
[6] The site also features several purpose-built exhibition buildings, such as the Stirling Prize-winning American Air Museum, designed by Sir Norman Foster.[10] RAF Duxford, a Royal Air Force fighter station had been declared surplus to requirements by the Ministry of Defence in 1969, and the museum duly requested permission to use part of one of the airfield's hangars as temporary storage.Duxford featured three double bay hangars of First World War vintage, which together provided over 9,000 square metres (97,000 sq ft) of space.The success of these shows provided a valuable source of revenue, and complemented the efforts of volunteers, so that the museum applied for the permanent transfer of the entire site to its use.Notable among the pilots of the Wing was Group Captain John Grandy who would later rise to be Chief of the Air Staff and also served as Chairman of the Trustees of the Imperial War Museum from 1978 to 1989.[19] After the Ministry of Defence announced its intention to dispose of Duxford plans were drawn up for various developments including two Young Offenders Institutes but were not implemented.285809) and states two objectives; to educate the public by collecting and exhibiting historic aircraft, military vehicles and boats, and to support the Imperial War Museum.The wing's works have been featured in the Discovery Channel's Tank Overhaul programme, James May's 20th Century,[26] and wide variety of magazines and other media.Other elements of the society provide or support a range of functions at the Duxford site, including canteen, aircraft conservation, learning and interpretative activities and administrative tasks.[2] Major events have included the Battle of Britain 70th Anniversary airshow, held on 4–5 September 2010, attended by more than 40,000 people,[41] featuring formation displays by four Hawker Hurricanes and sixteen Spitfires.In 2002 a privately operated Aero L-39 Albatros suffered a braking failure on landing, overran the runway and came to rest on the M11 motorway, a student pilot being killed after ejecting at ground level.When originally planned in 1917, Duxford aerodrome was to occupy a 238-acre (0.96 km2; 0.372 sq mi) site divided by what is now the A505 road which runs north-east from Royston to Newmarket.[45] The various buildings are arranged roughly parallel to the A505; AirSpace is furthest east, with Hangars 2, 3, 4 and 5 running westwards, followed by the American Air Museum and the Land Warfare Hall.[49] Listed buildings include three hangars dating back to the First World War and the operations block, which received Grade II* status.The plans would expand the building by 40%, providing more display and conservation space, improve internal conditions, and enable the museum's British and Commonwealth aircraft collection to be brought under cover.The museum chronicles the history of British airborne forces from the Second World War to current operations in Afghanistan and cost £3 million.She saw action during the Baltic campaign of 1918–19, and her commander Lieutenant Augustus Agar won the Victoria Cross[63] for sinking the Russian cruiser Oleg on 17 June 1919.65 Squadron RAF, a Gloster Javelin, the type which made the last operational flight at Duxford in 1961, and by a Hungarian Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, a common Warsaw Pact jet fighter.One unusual aircraft on display is the Cierva C.30A autogyro, which was used by 74 (Signals) Wing, based at Duxford, to test the calibration of coastal radar units.Notable projects include a Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter acquired from an American owner in 'jungle recovery' condition,[69] and a Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 now on display in AirSpace.[77] From a visitor's perspective, the pedestrian entrance leads to a mezzanine floor level with the cockpit of the museum's B-52, while the lack of supporting columns allows aircraft to hang from the ceiling.[82] The SR-71, serial number 61-7962, is the only example of its type on display outside the United States, and set a flight altitude record of 85,069 feet (25,929m) in July 1976.The website seeks to crowdsource photographs and information from the public about the men and women of the US Army Air Forces who served from the UK in the Second World War and the British people who befriended them.[88] The Land Warfare Hall was opened on 28 September 1992[89] by Field Marshal Lord Bramall on behalf of Prime Minister John Major.The exhibition explores aspects of the Second World War in the Far East and features artifacts, archival film and photographs, and tableaux depicting scenes such as troops moving through jungle and a Burmese village.The museum was opened in June 1996 by noted war correspondent Martin Bell, who had previously served as a sergeant in the Suffolk Regiment while a national serviceman.[96] The museum covers the history of the Regiment and its predecessors, which date back to the seventeenth century, up to recent operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone.A fundraising campaign, which raised more than £340,000, was launched following the deaths in action of nine soldiers of 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment during the unit's 2007 operational tour in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.The memorial is inscribed with the names of 78 soldiers killed since 1958 (when the first of the three East Anglian regiments was formed) in conflicts including Afghanistan, Iraq, Northern Ireland and Aden.[99] In addition to the exhibition buildings, Duxford's 'North Side', the area of the site north of the A505 road, provides storage for the Imperial War Museum's collecting departments.
CambridgeshireCB22 4QRCoordinatesAviation museumWhittlesford ParkwayImperial War MuseumsChurchill War RoomsHMS BelfastIWM LondonIWM NorthImperial War MuseumDuxfordaircraftBritish ArmyParachute RegimentAirborne AssaultRoyal Anglian RegimentDuxford AerodromeRoyal Flying CorpsFirst World WarSecond World WarBattle of BritainUnited States Army Air ForcesMinistry of Defencehangarslisted buildingStirling PrizeSir Norman Fosterair showsCambridgeshire County Councilcivil aircrafther EmpireCommonwealthSouthwarkBethlem Royal HospitalRoyal Air ForceNo. 19 SquadronNo.19 Squadron RAFSupermarine SpitfireRAF Fighter CommandNo. 12 GroupAir Fighting Development UnitTyphoonJohn GrandyChief of the Air Staff78th Fighter GroupRepublic P-47 ThunderboltsNorth American P-51 MustangsUnited ArtistsYoung Offenders InstitutesComet 4RAF Bassingbournde Havilland CometConcordeTank OverhaulJames May's 20th CenturyHurricanesSpitfiresBattle of Britain Memorial FlightSally BB-17 Flying FortressThird Air ForceUnited States Air Forces in EuropeRAF LakenheathRAF MildenhallFlying LegendsRed ArrowsHawker HurricanesCivil Aviation AuthorityAero L-39 AlbatrosAir Accidents Investigation BranchA505 roadRoystonNewmarketM11 motorwayComet tankgate guardiansrunway apronBloodhoundUnited States Air ForceF-15 EagleRoyal EngineersCenturion9.2-inchRock of GibraltarEnglish HeritageList of aircraft at IWM DuxfordHeritage Lottery FundEast of England Development AgencyBAE Systemsaeronautical engineeringprinciples of flightAirco DH.9Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8Hawker Siddeley HarrierFalklands WarNo. 1 Squadron RAFPanavia TornadoGulf WarBritish Aircraft CorporationEurofighter TyphoonParachute Regiment and Airborne Forces MuseumAldershotPrince CharlesColonel-in-Chiefcurrent operationsAfghanistanThe Fighter CollectionCoastal Motor Boat 4ThornycroftBaltic campaign of 1918–19Augustus AgarVictoria Crossmotor torpedo boatX-Craftmidget submarineRoyal National Lifeboat InstitutionJesse LumbBembridgeIsle of Wightde Havilland Sea VixenSea VenomSea VampireWestland WaspHMS ApolloWestland Sea King