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The Revamped London RAF Museum


spruecutter96

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Hello, All. 

 

Spent about 2 hours walking around the re-done Hendon museum last week. I thought the new displays were generally pretty good, but I'm at a real loss to see where 25 million quid has been spent, to be honest....

 

Whilst chatting to a fella in Hannants just down the road afterwards, he came up with the theory that most of the money was probably spent on the new car-park (which needs more proper signs and less obscure / difficult-to-interpret graphics painted on its surface). 

 

I think its great that the place has had a much-needed make-over, but the cost seems rather eye-watering to me.

 

Anyone else had a look yet?

 

Cheers. 

 

Chris. 

 

PS: Does anyone else think the USAF Hercules in the RAF 100 section was a missed opportunity? They have bolted a huge "blanking-plate" across the back of the nose section, when they could have put a perspex shield over it and displayed the inner workings, instead. Just my two penneth.

 

Edited by spruecutter96
Adding a PS.
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Sounds about par for the course to me. The opportunity missed would be to sit in it as its big enough. If one can get in it all well and good as it would tick the box for the much heralded "customer interaction ".

 

Keith. 

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Literally just got back from there - £25m??? As well as looking half finished in a lot of places the biggest differences are more seating areas and cafes (£3 for a Belgian bun anyone?) And kids' play areas. The BoB display has been reduced to the corner of one hangar with the P51-D, Ju87 and He111 moved into the Bomber hall along with the Fw190 that used to be at Cosford. About the only change I was happy with is that the Tempest V is down from the ceiling. 

 

Pretty underwhelmed over all to be honest, I'll be interested to see what's turned up at Cosford next time I go...

 

By the way, does anyone know when the Hawker Typhoon is coming home?

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13 minutes ago, junglierating said:

Blimey you lot dont want much for your FREE R FREE admission 😂😂🤣

Just sayin'

Next time im in the area I shall take a look....but really people 

So you think we should pay to see aircraft we have bought with our taxes? Same goes for the infrastructure. I wonder how many of the staff are retired RAF service personnel? If that were the case exclusively, I would gladly pay, as my money would go towards providing their service pensions. 

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they cant have done a worse job that at the IWM, will be interested to see what they've done.

Cant help but think dismantling the BoB hall ( not literally ) is a huge step backward and a kick in the teeth to those involved, but hey it's only the most important British battle ( arguably) since 1066! 😞

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29 minutes ago, sinnerboy said:

they cant have done a worse job that at the IWM, will be interested to see what they've done.

Cant help but think dismantling the BoB hall ( not literally ) is a huge step backward and a kick in the teeth to those involved, but hey it's only the most important British battle ( arguably) since 1066! 😞

Not arguably IMHO, 1066 changed the way the inhabitants of these islands lived, losing in 1940 would have done the same.

 

Still if the new café and playground brings in more people who don't care about our history that's a tick in the box. Won't tell you what I really feel I don't want to be banned.

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I've heard It said that the recent revamp of the National Army museum in Chelsea had a designer who was a card carrying member of CND. I also understand that as a result there is a “who’s senior officer has more pull” fight going on between Chelsea and the Museum of Army Flying, for who gets the first Apache to be released. Middle Wallop asked first and after all it is the Army Air Corps’ regimental museum,  but some claim that Chelsea’s need is the greater due to its pacifist orientated revamp.

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39 minutes ago, Silver Fox said:

Not arguably IMHO, 1066 changed the way the inhabitants of these islands lived, losing in 1940 would have done the same.

 

 

Very true SF, however, you could argue that if Trafalgar had been lost old Boney may have about faced and invaded, and then there is the Armada, IMHO equally as important as the BoB just different eras. 

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38 minutes ago, Aeronut said:

I've heard It said that the recent revamp of the National Army museum in Chelsea had a designer who was a card carrying member of CND.

No worries then, it was the navy and the air force who had the nuclear deterrent. 

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53 minutes ago, sinnerboy said:

Very true SF, however, you could argue that if Trafalgar had been lost old Boney may have about faced and invaded, and then there is the Armada, IMHO equally as important as the BoB just different eras. 

With Armada we would have reverted to Catholicism, which many people already were, For the average person life would have gone on. Napoleon would never have got across the channel and again even if he had then the average person would have gone about there business as normal.  But with the Nazis.....

 

Sorry promised to keep my mouth shut on the BoB Hall.

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4 minutes ago, Silver Fox said:

With Armada we would have reverted to Catholicism, which many people already were, For the average person life would have gone on. Napoleon would never have got across the channel and again even if he had then the average person would have gone about there business as normal.  But with the Nazis.....

 

Sorry promised to keep my mouth shut on the BoB Hall.

Apart from the tens of thousands, possibly more, of Protestant's who would have been burned at the stake and as big a change to the country that the Norman conquest had brought, possibly more so with a likely civil war.

With GR's navy defeated, what would stop Napoloen crossing the channel? Would say he'd possibly have more chance of success than Hitler, if the RAF had been defeated he would still have had to contend with the navy, however that may have turned out. Nothing bar the weather ( or Villeneuve cocking up again) to stop Bony !

Don't get me wrong, the BoB was one of the huge saviours of this country, but, to my mind so were the others.

Not arguing SF, just my view point 🙂

 

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3 hours ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

So you think we should pay to see aircraft we have bought with our taxes? Same goes for the infrastructure. I wonder how many of the staff are retired RAF service personnel? If that were the case exclusively, I would gladly pay, as my money would go towards providing their service pensions. 

I did not say that ....but I did say I would take a look but it is still free at point of entry as is the National Army musuem but much to my anoyance anything remotely RN you pay through the nose for ...I have said my bit to the FAA museum.Have you written to the RAF museum to make constructive comments?

In case you hadnt noticed HMF is skint I see it every working day mate ...front line first lol.

As for service pension please do send me a cheque I would love a top up.

Seriously Mr Bentwaters  I am sure that we have the same general opinion but Text can be misinterperated I think it is still amazing the both RAF museums are free although personally I prefer to spend the small proportion of my wage and my full pension(commuted) on say Tangmere .....or maybe a new caving lamp.

 

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2 hours ago, Silver Fox said:

Not arguably IMHO, 1066 changed the way the inhabitants of these islands lived, losing in 1940 would have done the same.

 

Still if the new café and playground brings in more people who don't care about our history that's a tick in the box. Won't tell you what I really feel I don't want to be banned.

You could go on Battle of Atlantic.....if the royal and merchant navies and the RAF not done their job we would have starved....I agree the BOB is an important historical turning point but you are being naive if you think of it in isolation.

Do you want to go on about the Falklands as well...there are many key turning points in that too any of which could have been Single points of failure.

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I have not been to the RAFM Hendon since it's revamp, so I can't make constructive criticism. Cosford is free although you pay for the carpark. IWM Lambeth is free, but Duxford wants body parts or organ donation. That used to be free. Must be near 30 years since I was last at FAA, and so far I have not been to Pompey. I won't venture into why MoD is skint, but we share the same thoughts. These days my money goes to Old Warden or BCWM

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5 minutes ago, junglierating said:

You could go on Battle of Atlantic.....if the royal and merchant navies and the RAF not done their job we would have starved....I agree the BOB is an important historical turning point but you are being naive if you think of it in isolation.

The counterargument is that there would be no Battle of the Atlantic (which really began in earnest after 1940) if the Battle of Britain were lost, anymore than Waterloo could exist without Trafalgar. 

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2 minutes ago, Procopius said:

The counterargument is that there would be no Battle of the Atlantic (which really began in earnest after 1940) if the Battle of Britain were lost, anymore than Waterloo could exist without Trafalgar. 

Better wipe out battle of france Dunkirk the Norway punch up and Im sure there are other minor 'incidents' which the opposition had to contend with not to mention the importance of Radar the air defence network and that not do insignificant stretch of water but you stick to your opinion and ill stick to mine 🤔😀 

 

 

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in fairness to the Historic Dockyard buying an old gits year long ticket on line costs about 26 beer tokens and that includes 11 attractions including harbour tour as many times as you like for the year ( disappointingly Mary rose is excluded from the all attraction ticket this year)

I guess I can see it in a different light as I'm only less than an hour from Pompey so get full use from my ticket over the year.

 

However, if its a one off visit, the 38 odd quid all attraction ticket on the door is rather a lot,and £18 single attraction, ie HMS Victory is, I think quite extortionate.

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12 minutes ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

I have not been to the RAFM Hendon since it's revamp, so I can't make constructive criticism. Cosford is free although you pay for the carpark. IWM Lambeth is free, but Duxford wants body parts or organ donation. That used to be free. Must be near 30 years since I was last at FAA,. and so far I have not been to Pompey. I won't venture into why MoD is skint, but we share the same thoughts. These days my money goes to Old Warden or BCWM

Better mortgage your house for Pompey ....theiving gits....although some what reluctantly a Noggy friend of mine ...she worked for BAe systems got me in at a vastly reduced rate....got to say the Victory was way better than I saw it last on a school trip in the 70s ....i threw up on my guide book and I was impressed by mary rose but still

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3 minutes ago, sinnerboy said:

in fairness to the Historic Dockyard buying an old gits year long ticket on line costs about 26 beer tokens and that includes 11 attractions including harbour tour as many times as you like for the year ( disappointingly Mary rose is excluded from the all attraction ticket this year)

I guess I can see it in a different light as I'm only less than an hour from Pompey so get full use from my ticket over the year.

 

However, if its a one off visit, the 38 odd quid all attraction ticket on the door is rather a lot,and £18 single attraction, ie HMS Victory is, I think quite extortionate.

Add a family and ooooh 'pensive ....thats what gets me.So back to the crabs....its still free...atm😁

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