Imperial War Museum Duxford facts for kids
The AirSpace exhibition hall at Imperial War Museum Duxford (October 2009)
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Established | 1977 |
|---|---|
| Location | Imperial War Museum Duxford Cambridgeshire CB22 4QR United Kingdom |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Visitors | 401,287 (2019) |
| Public transit access |  Whittlesford Parkway |
| Imperial War Museums | |
|
|
The Imperial War Museum Duxford is a special part of the Imperial War Museum. It is located near Duxford in Cambridgeshire, England. This museum is the biggest aviation museum in Britain.
Duxford is home to many large exhibits. You can see almost 200 aircraft, military vehicles, big guns, and even small naval ships. These are spread across seven main exhibition buildings. The museum also stores many other items from the Imperial War Museum's collections. These include films, photos, documents, books, and other historical objects. You can also find museums for several British Army regiments here. These include the Parachute Regiment museum, called Airborne Assault.
The museum is built on the historic Duxford Aerodrome. This airfield was first used by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) during the First World War. During the Second World War, Duxford was very important in the Battle of Britain. Later, American fighter planes used it to help with bombing missions over Germany. Duxford stayed an active Royal Air Force (RAF) airfield until 1961. In 1969, the Ministry of Defence decided they no longer needed the site. The Imperial War Museum then got permission to use part of it for storage. The whole site was given to the museum in February 1976.
Many of Duxford's original buildings are still used today. These include the hangars from the Battle of Britain. Many of these buildings are very important for their history or design. Over thirty of them are protected as listed buildings. Duxford is known for having the best-preserved old airfield buildings from before November 1918. The site also has new buildings built just for exhibitions. One example is the American Air Museum, designed by Sir Norman Foster. Duxford is still an active airfield. Civilian flying companies use it, and it hosts regular air shows. The museum works with Cambridgeshire County Council and the Duxford Aviation Society. This society is a charity that helps preserve civil aircraft and teaches people about British civil aviation history.
Contents
- Discovering Duxford's History
- Duxford Aviation Society: Supporting the Museum
- Air Shows and Flying at Duxford
- Exploring the Museum Site
- AirSpace: A Home for Aircraft
- Hangar 2: Flying Aircraft
- Hangar 3: Air and Sea Adventures
- Hangar 4: The Battle of Britain Story
- Hangar 5: Conservation in Action
- American Air Museum: US Air Power
- Land Warfare Hall: Tanks and Military Vehicles
- North Side: Storing Collections
Discovering Duxford's History
The Imperial War Museum started during the First World War in 1917. It was first called the National War Museum. Its goal was to record Britain's war efforts. By 1920, it was renamed the Imperial War Museum. When the Second World War began, the museum started collecting items from that conflict too. In 1953, its mission grew again to include all modern conflicts involving British or Commonwealth forces.
These changes meant the museum's collections grew huge. Many large items, like aircraft and vehicles, could not be stored or shown properly. The museum's main home in London was getting too small. So, by the late 1960s, the museum needed more space.
How Duxford Became a Museum Site
RAF Duxford was a fighter air base that the Ministry of Defence no longer needed in 1969. The museum asked to use one of its hangars for temporary storage. Duxford had three large hangars from the First World War. They offered over 9,000 square meters of space. Within two years, ten of the museum's aircraft were moved to Duxford. Volunteers from the East Anglia Aviation Society began restoring them.
The museum's own aircraft were not made to fly again. But by working with private groups, the museum held its first airshow in 1973. More air shows followed, and one in June 1976 attracted 45,000 people. The success of these shows brought in money. This helped the museum ask for the entire site to be given to them. This happened in February 1976, and Duxford became the first branch of the Imperial War Museum.
At first, Duxford was open from March to October. It welcomed 167,000 visitors in 1977 and 340,000 in 1978. By 1982, two million visitors had come. In August 2005, Duxford welcomed its ten millionth visitor!
Duxford's Role as an Airfield
Duxford has been linked to British military flying since 1917. That's when a spot near Duxford village was chosen for a new Royal Flying Corps training airfield. From 1925, Duxford became a fighter airfield. It stayed that way until it closed. In August 1938, No.19 Squadron RAF at Duxford was the first to fly the Supermarine Spitfire.
When war broke out in September 1939, Duxford had three RAF squadrons. They were on coastal patrol duties. From July 1940, Duxford played a big part in the Battle of Britain. It was a key station for RAF Fighter Command's No. 12 Group. Later in the war, Duxford was home to special units. These included the Air Fighting Development Unit, which worked on tactics and engineering. In April 1942, the first Typhoon Wing was formed at Duxford.
In March 1943, the United States Army Air Forces' 78th Fighter Group arrived at Duxford. They flew Republic P-47 Thunderbolts. In December 1944, they switched to North American P-51 Mustangs. They stayed at Duxford until the end of the war in Europe. They flew missions to protect bombers and attack enemy targets on the ground.
Duxford was given back to the RAF on 1 December 1945. It remained a fighter station. But by 1958, the RAF's fighter planes moved to bases further north. Duxford's last official flight was in July 1961. The site then became run down. In 1968, the film studio United Artists used the site to film Battle of Britain. After the Ministry of Defence decided to sell Duxford, plans were made for other uses, but they didn't happen.
Duxford Aviation Society: Supporting the Museum
Duxford is run by the Imperial War Museum, Cambridgeshire County Council, and the Duxford Aviation Society. The Society is a registered charity. Its goals are to teach the public by collecting and showing historic aircraft, military vehicles, and boats. It also supports the Imperial War Museum.
The Society was formed in 1975. It came from members of the East Anglian Aviation Society. The Duxford Aviation Society takes care of the Civil Aviation Collection. Special aircraft in their collection include a de Havilland Comet. This plane made the first jet-powered flight across the Atlantic from east to west on October 4, 1958. Another is Concorde G-AXDN 101. This pre-production Concorde flew faster than any other Concorde. It crossed the Atlantic from west to east in just two hours and 56 minutes.
The Society also has a Military Vehicle Wing. This team has some of the best engineers for restoring military vehicles. They own some vehicles at Duxford and help restore vehicles in the museum's collection. The team also operates vehicles for demonstrations throughout the year.
Other parts of the society help with many tasks at Duxford. These include running the canteen, conserving aircraft, and helping with learning activities. The Duxford Radio Society is a related group. They collect and show historic military electronic equipment. This equipment is in Buildings 177 and 178, near the Gibraltar Gun.
Since 1999, the Society has run the Friends of Duxford membership program with the Museum. In 2008, the Duxford Aviation Society had almost 700 volunteer members.
Air Shows and Flying at Duxford
Duxford is still an active airfield. It has two runways: a grass strip that is 880 meters long and a concrete runway that is 1,503 meters long. Both run in the same direction. The Cambridgeshire County Council bought the runway in 1977. In 2008, the council sold the runways and 146 acres of grassland to the museum for about £1.6 million.
Since 1973, Duxford has held regular air shows. Several private aviation companies are based at Duxford. These include Classic Wings and The Fighter Collection. They offer pleasure flights, provide historic aircraft for films, and restore planes. One famous privately owned aircraft at Duxford is Sally B. It is the only flying B-17 Flying Fortress in Europe.
Major air shows held regularly include the Duxford Air Show and American Air Day. American Air Day is held with units from the United States Air Forces in Europe based at nearby RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall. The Flying Legends show, organized by The Fighter Collection, was held annually at Duxford until 2019.
The Duxford Air Show usually features many different aircraft. These range from old warplanes to modern jet aircraft. Aerobatic groups like the Red Arrows also perform. The Flying Legends show focuses on historic aircraft, especially those from the Second World War. These shows bring in a lot of money for the museum.
As an active civil airfield, Duxford's operations are regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Duxford has its own Fire Service. It has five vehicles and 16 firefighters. This team is part of the Airfield & Security department.
Exploring the Museum Site
When Duxford aerodrome was first planned in 1917, it was a 238-acre site. It was divided by what is now the A505 road. The area north of the road had living and office buildings. The airfield, hangars, and technical buildings were on the south side. The museum site is still divided by the A505. The M11 motorway is to the east. The M11 was built in 1977, which made the runway 300 meters shorter.
The north side of the museum site holds the Imperial War Museum's stored collections. This area is usually not open to the public. The south side has various hangars, historic buildings, and special exhibition buildings. It also has two runways.
The visitor entrance on the south side used to be the airfield's armory. Now it has a shop and visitor facilities. The buildings are arranged roughly parallel to the A505. AirSpace is the furthest east. Hangars 2, 3, 4, and 5 run westwards. Then comes the American Air Museum and the Land Warfare Hall. The museum site is about 1,800 meters long. A visitor bus helps people get around during opening hours.
Some aircraft and other exhibits are displayed outside. For example, a Comet tank and a replica Hawker Hurricane are at the main entrance. Several commercial airliners from the Duxford Aviation Society are on the runway apron. A Bloodhound surface-to-air missile stands where a hangar used to be. A Royal Engineers' Centurion AVRE is outside the Land Warfare Hall. The Gibraltar Gun, a large 9.2-inch artillery piece from Rock of Gibraltar, is also nearby.
Many of Duxford's buildings are very important historically. In 2005, English Heritage reviewed British aviation sites. Over thirty buildings at Duxford received listed building status. This is the most at any single site. These include three hangars from the First World War. The operations block has a special Grade II* status. This block is open to the public. It has the wartime operations room where Duxford's aircraft were directed. Another historic building, the 1918 Watch Office, now holds the Historic Duxford exhibition. It shows the history of the site and the experiences of the people who worked there.
AirSpace: A Home for Aircraft
In 2000, Duxford planned to improve Hangar 1, also known as the 'Superhangar'. This hangar was built in the 1980s. The plans would make the building 40% larger. This would create more space for displays and conservation. It would also improve conditions inside and allow the museum's British and Commonwealth aircraft collection to be kept indoors. The project cost £25 million. It received support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the East of England Development Agency, and BAE Systems. BAE Systems gave £6 million.
The building offers 12,000 square meters of space. It has an aircraft conservation area, a large exhibition hall, and a mezzanine floor. From the mezzanine, visitors can see the aircraft and learn about aeronautical engineering and how planes fly.
AirSpace officially opened on July 12, 2007. Over 30 aircraft are on display. Some date back to the First World War. Early aircraft include rare examples of an Airco DH.9 and a Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8. The DH9 is one of only six left, and the only one on display in the UK. The R.E.8 is the only complete original one. More recent notable aircraft include a Hawker Siddeley Harrier from the Falklands War. There is also a Panavia Tornado that flew the most bombing missions of any Tornado in the 1991 Gulf War. A British Aircraft Corporation TSR-2 strike aircraft is also on display. This is one of only two left after the project was cancelled in 1965. Recent additions include a Eurofighter Typhoon development aircraft. Civilian aircraft include the Duxford Aviation Society's Concorde and Comet.
Airborne Assault: The Parachute Regiment Museum
AirSpace also houses Airborne Assault. This is the museum of the British Army's Parachute Regiment and airborne forces. It used to be in Aldershot. The museum opened at Duxford on December 8, 2008. The opening ceremony was led by Prince Charles. The museum tells the story of British airborne forces from the Second World War to recent operations in Afghanistan. It cost £3 million to build.
Hangar 2: Flying Aircraft
Hangar 2 is a large hangar built in the 1970s. It stands where another hangar was in the 1950s. This hangar is home to the planes that can still fly from Duxford's private aviation companies, like The Fighter Collection. Visitors can watch aircraft being maintained or restored here.
Hangar 3: Air and Sea Adventures
Hangar 3 is an original hangar from the early days of the airfield. It now holds Duxford's maritime exhibition. This collection includes important boats and naval aircraft. One boat on display is Coastal Motor Boat 4. It was built in 1916 and saw action during the Baltic campaign of 1918–19. Its commander, Lieutenant Augustus Agar, won the Victoria Cross for sinking a Russian cruiser.
Other vessels include the Vosper motor torpedo boat MTB-71. There's also an X-Craft midget submarine. A wartime Royal National Lifeboat Institution boat, the Jesse Lumb, is also here. It was stationed at Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. Many naval aircraft are on display. These include a de Havilland Sea Vixen, Sea Venom, and Sea Vampire. A Westland Wasp helicopter that was on the frigate HMS Apollo during the Falklands War is also here.
Hangar 4: The Battle of Britain Story
Hangar 4 is one of Duxford's historic hangars. It now has an exhibition about Duxford's history as an RAF airfield. This covers from the First World War to the Cold War. The early period is shown with a Bristol F.2 Fighter. This type of plane was used by Duxford's No.2 Flying Training School from 1920. The later period is shown with a Hawker Hunter that flew at Duxford. A Gloster Javelin, the type that made the last operational flight at Duxford in 1961, is also here. There's also a Hungarian Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, a common jet fighter from the Warsaw Pact.
Britain's air defense during the Second World War is a big focus. Exhibits show the Battle of Britain, the Blitz, and the V-1 flying bomb attacks from 1944. A notable aircraft is a Messerschmitt Bf 109E. It flew during the Battle of Britain until it crashed in Sussex. It is displayed as part of a scene showing the crashed aircraft being guarded. One unusual aircraft is the Cierva C.30A autogyro. This was used to test coastal radar units.
Hangar 5: Conservation in Action
Hangar 5 is the westernmost original hangar. It holds Duxford's aircraft conservation workshops. Visitors can watch museum staff and volunteers working on various conservation projects. Important projects include a Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter. It was bought from an American owner in 'jungle recovery' condition. A Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 is also being worked on, which is now in AirSpace.
Duxford works with the British Aviation Preservation Council. They have a program to train volunteers for aviation heritage projects. It is currently working on the cockpits of a Handley Page Victor (XH669) and a Vickers Valiant (XD826).
American Air Museum: US Air Power
From the late 1970s, the museum got several important American aircraft. These included a B-17G Flying Fortress in 1978, a B-29 Superfortress in 1980, and a B-52 Stratofortress in 1983. Because Duxford was linked to the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) during the war, plans were made in the mid-1980s to remember the role of American air power in the Second World War.
A group of American supporters was formed. The architect Norman Foster was asked to design a new building. Fundraising began in 1987. Money was raised in the United States. General Jimmy Doolittle was a founding member in 1989. Many people in the United States supported the project. Saudi Arabia gave $1 million, and the Heritage Lottery Fund gave £6.5 million. On September 8, 1995, the ground was broken for the new building.
Building the American Air Museum
The American Air Museum was designed by Norman Foster and Chris Wise from Arup. The museum needed a special building that would show off the aircraft collection. It also needed to control the climate inside and be cheap to run. The building is shaped like a curved concrete roof. It is 90 meters wide, 18.5 meters high, and 100 meters deep. The size of the building was decided by the need to fit the museum's B-52 Stratofortress bomber. This plane has a 61-meter wingspan and a tail 16 meters high.
The roof weighs 6,000 tonnes. It can hold suspended aircraft weighing up to 10 tonnes. A glass wall lets in daylight. This reduces lighting costs and lets people see the aircraft from outside. It also lets visitors inside watch planes landing or taking off. The entrance leads to a mezzanine floor, level with the cockpit of the B-52. There are no supporting columns, so aircraft can hang from the ceiling. Heavier aircraft stand on the floor, which covers 6,500 square meters. Construction began in October 1995, and the roof was finished in September 1996. The building won the 1998 Stirling Prize for Foster and Partners. Judges called it "dramatic, awe-inspiring, an object of beauty."
Opening and Special Aircraft
The American Air Museum was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on August 1, 1997. The total cost was £13.5 million. The museum was re-dedicated on September 27, 2002. Prince Charles and former President George H. W. Bush attended the ceremony.
Since opening, the museum's glass front has been temporarily removed. This was to allow an SR-71 Blackbird and Consolidated B-24 Liberator to enter. The SR-71 Blackbird is the only one of its kind on display outside the United States. It set a flight altitude record of 85,069 feet in July 1976. Besides the Blackbird, nineteen other American aircraft are on display.
Notable examples include a C-47 Skytrain. This plane flew in three major Second World War airborne operations. These were the June 1944 Normandy landings, Operation Market Garden, and Operation Varsity in March 1945. The museum's B-29 flew during the Korean War. It is the only one in Europe and one of only two in museums outside the United States. The B-52 flew 200 missions during the Vietnam War. The General Dynamics F-111 on display flew 19 missions during the 1991 Gulf War.
In 2014, the museum received £980,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. They planned to use the money to build a website based on aviation historian Roger Freeman's photo collection. They also wanted to update the museum's displays and conserve aircraft. The website americanairmuseum.com launched in October 2014. It asks the public for photos and information about US Army Air Forces members who served from the UK in the Second World War.
Land Warfare Hall: Tanks and Military Vehicles
The Land Warfare Hall opened on September 28, 1992. It was opened by Field Marshal Lord Bramall. This building houses the Imperial War Museum's collection of armored vehicles, artillery, and military vehicles. It also includes vehicles from the Duxford Aviation Society Military Vehicle Section.
The hall has a viewing balcony that runs almost its entire length. From here, you can see scenes of vehicles, tanks, and artillery. These are arranged in order from the First World War to today. A notable First World War exhibit is a battle-damaged artillery limber. This was used in an action at Néry in September 1914, where three Victoria Crosses were won. The Second World War is shown with scenes from the North African Campaign, the Eastern Front, and the invasion of Normandy. Outside the building is a piece of a floating roadway bridge from the Mulberry B harbor at Arromanches.
Important vehicles in the collection include three command vehicles. These were used by Field Marshal Montgomery during the north-west Europe campaign. You can also see parts of Montgomery's personal papers. Many vehicles in the Land Warfare Hall are kept in working condition. So, the site has garages and a running area behind the building.
Forgotten War Exhibition
The Land Warfare Hall also has the Forgotten War exhibition. It opened on March 25, 1999. This was a joint project between the Imperial War Museum and the Burma Star Association. The Association represents veterans of the Burma campaign. They often feel they fought in a "Forgotten Army" compared to those who fought in Europe. The exhibition explores the Second World War in the Far East. It features artifacts, old films, photos, and scenes showing troops moving through the jungle and a Burmese village.
Royal Anglian Regiment Museum
The Land Warfare Hall also houses the Royal Anglian Regiment Museum. The Royal Anglian Regiment was formed in 1964. The museum opened in June 1996. It covers the history of the Regiment and its older units, which date back to the 1600s. It also covers recent operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Sierra Leone. Next to the museum is the Cambridgeshire Regiment Exhibition. It shows items from the Cambridgeshire Regiment collection. These include the Singapore Drums, which were lost when Singapore fell in 1942 and found after the war.
On September 12, 2010, a Royal Anglian Regiment memorial was dedicated at Duxford. This memorial lists the names of 78 soldiers killed since 1958. These deaths happened in conflicts like Afghanistan, Iraq, Northern Ireland, and Aden. More than 5,000 people attended the dedication.
North Side: Storing Collections
Besides the exhibition buildings, Duxford's 'North Side' is north of the A505 road. This area stores collections for the Imperial War Museum's collecting departments. The stored collections include the film collection. This includes old films on nitrate film stock, which is very flammable. These are kept in special vaults at nearby Ickleton. Other collections stored on Duxford's north side include books, maps, photos, documents, and collections of uniforms and equipment.
|
