AIR MUSEUMS

(Last updated: 21.02.09)

I decided to create this section to highlight the various Air Museums we have at our disposal in the U.K. I hope to visit a number of them over the coming months and years and for those worth a mention I've created this page.

Royal Air Force Museum London: 2008

This museum is based down in Hendon, London off Junction 1 of the M1. It has a huge selection of World War II aircraft, especially of interest to anyone with links to Coastal Command. The highlights for me are pictured below as they have links to Ken's aircraft from WWII. The main 4 are there: Anson, Hudson, Liberator and Flying Fortress (albeit an American one opposed to RAF), there is also a Sunderland (you can go inside) Wellington, Mitchell, Oxford and many more.  They also have interactive screens that you can read up on additional information about the aircraft and squadrons, to my surprise the 206 Squadron section had a photograph of Ken's Fortress FA702 'P'.

 - Click on this to go to their website

Hendon                                         Group 11 Operation Room

  

206 Information                                  Avro Anson W2068

 

Lockheed Hudson A16-199

 

Boeing Flying Fortress (B-17) 483868

 

Consolidated Liberator (B-25) KN751

 

Sunderland ML824

       

Yorkshire Air Museum: 2007

The great thing about this museum is that it's an authentic World War II base, on the former Bomber Command Station of RAF Elvington. It manages to maintain the authentic atmosphere of the period with many fascinating exhibits housed in restored wartime buildings such as the Control Tower.

 - Click on this to go to their website

Control Tower

Inside the Control Tower

There's a really good section on the Air Gunners of World War II and they have many original examples of aircraft gun turrets on display, one of which is from a Lockheed Hudson that Ken flew on 246 occasions.

Lockheed Hudson Air Gunner turret