Royal Air Force Museum Midlands facts for kids
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| Former name | Royal Air Force Museum Cosford |
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| Established | 1 May 1979 |
| Location | RAF Cosford, Shropshire |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Visitors | 387,965 (2024) |
The Royal Air Force Museum Midlands is an exciting museum in Shropshire, England. It's all about the history of flying and the amazing Royal Air Force (RAF). Best of all, it's free to visit!
This museum is part of a bigger group called the Royal Air Force Museum. It's supported by the UK government and is also a charity. There are two main locations for the RAF Museum in England. This one is in the Midlands, and the other is in London.
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How the Museum Started
The first RAF Museum opened in London on November 15, 1972. Queen Elizabeth II herself opened it! Back then, it had 36 aircraft. As the collection grew, some planes were stored at RAF bases.
On May 1, 1979, the Cosford site opened at RAF Cosford. This was one of the places where the museum stored its aircraft. At first, it showed planes used for training at RAF Cosford. More aircraft were added over the years.
In 1998, four new galleries opened. They showed art, special exhibitions, and other flying topics. In 2002, the RAF Museum Conservation Centre moved to Cosford. This special center helps restore old aircraft.
The museum was first called The Aerospace Museum. In 1998, it became RAF Museum Cosford. Then, in March 2022, it got its current name: RAF Museum Midlands.
You can see some very rare aircraft here. For example, it has the only Boulton Paul Defiant in the world. It also has one of only two Vickers Wellingtons left anywhere!
You can easily get to the museum by train. Cosford railway station is right next door.
British Airways Collection
In 1980, the Cosford museum agreed to display the British Airways Museum collection. This included several large passenger planes. However, in 2006, British Airways stopped funding this collection. The RAF Museum could not afford to keep all these planes. Sadly, some of the jet airliners were taken apart. This included the only Boeing 707 preserved in the UK.
The National Cold War Exhibition
The National Cold War Exhibition opened at Cosford in February 2007. This huge building is 8,000 square meters! It was designed by special architects.
This exhibition shows off the museum's V bombers and other aircraft from the Cold War. The Cold War was a time of tension between different countries. The exhibition uses 'silo theatres' to show what this period was like.
Awesome Aircraft on Display
The museum has many amazing aircraft. For example, you can see a Hunter T.7 jet. This plane flew with several RAF squadrons before coming to the museum. Another Hunter, an F.6A, stands guard at the museum entrance. It also served with the RAF before becoming a display.
Engines That Made History
The Cosford museum has a huge collection of aero engines. Most of them are in Hangar 1. There's even a small room with rocket engines!
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Missiles and Rockets
The museum also has a large collection of missiles and rocket-powered weapons. This includes some rare German ones from World War II. Most are in the National Cold War Exhibition. The German collection is in Hangar 1.
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The English Electric Thunderbird surface-to-air missile on display in the National Cold War Exhibition hall
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Michael Beetham Conservation Centre
The Michael Beetham Conservation Centre is also at the museum. This center restores aircraft and other items. These are then displayed at both the Midlands and London museums. It's named after Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael James Beetham. He opened the center on May 13, 2002.
Some aircraft currently being restored or stored include:
- Handley Page Hampden
- LVG C.VI
- Dornier Do 17
See also
In Spanish: Museo de la Real Fuerza Aérea Británica de Cosford para niños
- List of aerospace museums
