RAF news winter 08 - RAF Museum

Winter 2008NewsInspiring the next generationAlso in this issue:Lest We ForgetThe Pave LowShop Expansion

Director General’s Foreword:I’d like to welcome readers to the latest edition of the Museum’sNewsletter. As ever it has been a busy year for both sites, withnew exhibitions being developed and aircraft being accessioned.I hope you enjoy this update and we look forward to welcomingyou into both sites.Lest We ForgetDr Michael A Fopp MA FMA FRAeSDirector General, Royal Air Force MuseumDeveloped by Education Officer Ellen Soall, the exhibition essays the losses andsacrifices made during human conflict. It also highlights the agencies and supportnetworks that bring comfort and aid to those RAF families who have sufferedbereavement.The central themes are remembrance and reflection. Visitors are invited to writetheir thoughts and feelings on paper ‘bricks’, which make up the ‘Wall ofRemembrance’.The exhibition is on display at both London and Cosford. It was launched at theLondon site at a ceremony attended by Veterans including Henry Allingham RNASand RAF (Europe’s oldest living man), Flt Lt Ronald Myhill – RAF Missing Researchand Enquiry Service (WWII) and Wing Commander Andy Green (serving pilot andholder of the land speed record).BomberCommandThis year the Bomber CommandAssociation started its campaign toraise funds to erect a permanentmemorial in London to the 55,573bomber aircrew killed in the SecondWorld War.Initial meetings with the HeritageFoundation and a launch were held atthe London site. The campaign is nowbeing supported by the Telegraph MediaGroup and has also received notablebacking from Lord Ashcroft, NicholasSoames MP and Gordon Brown.The Museum will be facilitating afundraising dinner in support of thecampaign next June at the London site.Pictured by the Museum Lancaster areDoug Radcliffe and Vivian Hammer ofthe Bomber Command Association withRobin Gibb (of the Bee Gees), who isPresident of the Heritage Foundation.2

Apprentice ExchangeThis Summer, two students from the Everett CommunityCollege’s Aviation Maintenance School (near Seattle, USA),visited the Cosford site as part of the Museum’s ApprenticeExchange Program, funded by the Royal Air Force MuseumAmerican Foundation.Elliott Taylor and Jin Kyu Suh (originally from South Korea) joinedthe team at the Michael Beetham Conservation Centre for threeweeks in June. In addition to honing their skills in traditionalconservation methods the pair also had a chance to take in somesights around the country.They were joined by their course tutor, Bill Loomis anda representative from the Future of Flight Museum JonathanYockey, also came over to investigate a variety of exhibitionstyles in UK museums.Elliot and Jin take time out for a photo-call Inset: UK & US apprentices, L – R: Kyle, Dave, Rebecca, Jin & ElliotDigitalMarketingThe Museum has introduced itselfto the Facebook community witha page for each of the London andCosford sites. Both pages includepictures, videos and detailedinformation on exhibits, eventsand activities.The Facebook pages are part of awider digital marketing plan whichaims to introduce the Museum to theyounger generation. It also give usersa platform to interact with theMuseum and will further be used toreward loyal visitors with behind thescenes looks, exclusive competitions& a range of incentives to visit theMuseum.In the future the Museum will also bedeveloping a presence on other socialnetworking sites such as MySpace,Bebo and also a dedicated channelon YouTube.In Profile: Meet the peoplebehind the scenesAlan Spence has recently been appointed as the Chairman of The Royal Air ForceMuseum American Foundation. He has been a long term supporter of the Museumand is the founder and Chief Executive of Newsdesk Media, a communications groupcomprising complementary media companies.With Headquarters in London and Washington DC, Newsdesk delivers bespokecustomer publications and digital activity in support of their clients' strategic brandand marketing objectives.The Foundation exists to ensure that the shared aviation heritage of the UnitedStates of America and the United Kingdom is kept alive in the memories of our twogreat nations.Alen Spence (far left), with General Jay Garner(Ret’d) and General Ronald Hite (Ret’d) at theMichael Beetham Conservation Centre.3

Sikorsky MH-53M Pave Low IV 68-8284The Royal Air Force Museum’s newest exhibit has arrived from the USA.Kindly donated and transported to the UK by the United States Air Force (USAF),it is now destined to take its place in the National Cold War Exhibition in Cosford.Built as a Sikorsky S-65/HH-53C-SI, serials batch 68-8283/8286,one of 44 built, entering servicefrom August 1968. Constructor’sNumber 65-131. Medium-liftCombat Search and Rescuehelicopter; USAF version of USNavy Marine Corp’s CH-53A/D SeaStallion helicopter.The HH-53C ‘Super Jolly GreenGiant’ (officially known as theStallion) was long-range CombatSearch and Rescue helicopterthat was also used for covertoperations during the Vietnam War.May 71-Jan 72 Active in SouthEast Asia; Call Sign JG 55. Madetwo known aircrew recoveries, on 5September 1971 and 19 December1971.28 Jun 79 Photographed at RAFWoodbridge when serving with 67ARRS, USAF.Oct 80 As an HH-53C, three weekdetachment (along with HH-53C69-5785) operating from RoyalAircraft Establishment airfield atWest Freugh, SW Scotland. Taskedwith sling loading Alconbury-basedUSAF RF-4C Phantom and UpperHeyford-based USAF F-111Ewreckage from Cairnsmore of Fleetand Craignaw in SouthernScotland. Pilot was Captain FrankA Gray USAF. The 1TRS/10 TRWRF-4C, 68-0566, had crashed onCairnsmore on 28 March 1979, andthe F-111E, 68-0803 from the 20TFW had crashed on Craignaw on19 December 1979.One of nine MH-53Hs and 32 HH-53s later converted to ‘MH-53JPave Low III Enhanced’ low-level,long-range Special Operationsstandard with uprated engines,more armour, forward-lookinginfrared, global positioning system,Doppler navigation systems,terrain-following and terrainavoidanceradar, on-boardcomputer and integrated avionicsfor ‘low-level, long-range,undetected penetration into deniedareas, day or night, in adverseweather, for infiltration, exfiltrationand resupply of special operationsforces’ to quote the USAF officialwebsite.There were 41 MH-53Js in all, allmodified from existing airframesbetween 1986 and 1990; they allretained Combat Search AndRescue (CSAR) capability inaddition to Special Operationsduties, and were the largesthelicopter in the USAF inventory.Pave refers to the all-weathersensor system, Precision AvionicsVectoring Equipment.Later modified from J model toMH-53M Pave Low IV standardwith Interactive Defensive AvionicsSystem/Multi-Mission AdvancedTactical Terminal, enhancing itsdefensive capabilities.20 Jun 89 Photographed atAalborg airfield, Denmark in PaveLow IV configuration.Latterly assigned to 20th SpecialOperations Squadron (20 SOS – the‘Green Hornets’), part of 1stSpecial Operations Group, AirForce Special OperationsCommand at Hurlburt Field,Florida, USA.This unit converted to the HH-53 atHurlburt Field in 1980, equippingwith the MH-53H Pave Low in 1986and the MH-53J from 1988 andMH-53M in 1999.The unit was involved in OperationDesert Shield from August 1990and later operations in Bosnia andHerzegovina and Operation DesertThunder in 1998.30 Sep 08 Type finally retired fromUSAF Inventory.28 Oct 08 Following gifting by theUnited States Air Force via theNational Museum of the UnitedStates Air Force, delivered byUSAF C.17 s/n 44133 to RAF BrizeNorton, Oxfordshire, arriving fromBaghdad, Iraq at 12.45pm.08/09 Move to RAF Museum,Cosford for display in NationalCold War Exhibition building.Andrew Simpson4

C-17 taxiing into RAF Brize NortonMain fuselage after unloadingRotor head assembly

COSFORD MUSEUM CROWNED'BEST OF THE WEST':The National Cold War Exhibition continues its successful run of awardswith the following since Summer 08:• ‘Best Exhibition’ and ‘Best of the West’ at the prestigious RenaissanceWest Midlands Awards which celebrates achievement and innovationamongst the region’s museums and galleries.The NCWE beat off heavy competition from over 40 organisationsacross the West Midlands to win “Best of the West” at RenaissanceWest Midlands’ inaugural awards ceremony held at BirminghamMuseum and Art Gallery.• A Silver award from Servicemark, the National Standard for CustomerService Quality at Heart.• Education Business Partnership Award, won by the Access andLearning Team. for their joint workshop with the Birmingham basedKing Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls.Alex Medhurst, General Manager for Cosford: “Once again I am very proudthat the hard work, ingenuity and commitment to excellence shown by allmembers of the Cosford Team have been recognised by these bodies. Sucha commitment is central to all our dealings with the public and the servicethat they receive.”Above - Karen Crick (far right) & Michelle Worthington(centre accept) best of westBelow - (L-R) Sairah Naveed (presenting the award),Phil Clayton (Museum), Amy Collie (Camp Hill HighSchool), Chris Brockhurst (Education Business Link)Top of the ShopsThe newly expanded shop in the National Cold WarExhibition has been met with positive responsesfrom visitors and staff alike.With the removal of the front wall and extendedcarpet area, the available display space has nearlydoubled in size. This means that it is easier forvisitors to locate the exit and that customers cancomfortably browse products without congestion.Says Frances Galvan, Head of Retail: “I’m reallyhappy with the results and more importantly soare the visitors. The entire process took just threeweeks and did not disturb our normal work. Theextra space means our customers can shop ina more relaxed environment. During the firstthree weeks of opening, shop sales income wasup by £5,000.”92 year old Spitfire pilot flies into MuseumIn October, friends of veteran Spitfire pilot William Saunders (pictured left)arranged for him to visit the London Museum, by helicopter. The visitwas a fulfilment of his birthday wish to see a Spitfire again.William was a Flight Lieutenant in No 609 Squadron stationed at RAFBiggin Hill, Kent and No 19 Squadron at RAF Duxford in the 1940’s.He flew with many Polish, Czech and Commonwealth pilots and escortedthe first American bombers on the daylight raids over Europe.His visit received a great deal of attention by staff, visitors and media andwas featured in a number of London papers as well as the BBC TV news.He was treated to a tour of the Museum’s Spitfires and thoroughlyenjoyed his visit and his journey to and from the Museum. It was his firstflight in a helicopter and when asked how it was, he replied “Slow!”6

Battle of BritainWeekend 2008Now a mainstay of the Museum’s events calendar,both sites celebrated Battle of Britain Weekend witha range of activities.London highlights this year included brass bandperformances, living history areas, special tours,a quiz trail, and a special screening of “Battleof Britain” (1969) and “Reach For The Sky” (1956).The activities were kicked off with the roar of a fullyfunctioning Merlin engine!Meanwhile at Cosford, visitors were treatedto a performance by The Central Band of theRoyal Air Force, a speech by a Winston Churchillimpersonator and a recreation the famous wartimeBBC Radio programme ‘Workers Playtime’ in theform of a short concert.As ever all the activities were free.Photo courtesy of Ken ClayMUSEUM PUBLICATIONSAfter the success of ‘Forty-Year Winter’ (which has sold over 12,000copies to date), Newsdesk Media teamed up with the Museum onceagain to produce two new publications exclusively on sale at theMuseum shops and website.‘Breaching The German Dams’ by Richard Morris and Robert Owen(official 617 Sqn Association historian) looks at the raid with theadvantage of information which has only recently been brought tolight. It was produced to coincide with the 65th Anniversary of‘Operation Chastise’ and was launched at Derwent Reservoir at anevent which included a flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial FlightLancaster with Tornadoes from 617 Squadron.‘V Force: Ready for the unthinkable’ by Simon Michell tells theextraordinary story of the most iconic group of post-war Britishaircraft; the Valiant, Victor and Vulcan nuclear group. The bookfeatures some newly uncovered information on the V Force and tracesits history from the early design stages to the end of their service life,including operations in the Falkland Islands. The book was launchedat the National Cold War Exhibition in Cosford, with a number of VForce Veterans in attendance, including members of 138 Sqn, 49 Sqnand 132 Sqn (pictured below).Both books are part of the Museum’s fundraising initiative and areproduced and printed for us at no charge. So not only are they afantastic read, but proceeds from every copy sold go to the Museum.A special evening reception was also held at the Museum byNewsdesk Media, in order to promote the books. Special guestsincluded members of the Barnes Wallis and Gibson families.Both publications can be purchased at: www.rafmuseumshop.comPODCASTSThe Podcasting Series continues to be a greatsuccess, with some favourable comments fromlisteners and placings in the top 20 iTunesEducation Charts. Recent subjects include theRAF’s humanitarian work, the amazing story of theMuseum’s Lancaster S-Sugar, and the RAF’s role inpreparation for D-Day.The Museum also presented a special podcast forRemembrance Day on November 11th.This Christmas the Museum will present a specialpodcast on Operation Chastise, popularly known asThe Dambusters Raid. It is narrated by the actorRichard Todd, who played Wing Commander GuyGibson in the classic film The Dambusters (1955).This podcast tells the story of the design of the‘bouncing bomb’ and the raid itself. Mr Toddgenerously donated his time for the podcast.Above - Richard Todd in the 1955 film Dambusters and left in 2008(pictures courtesy of Francois Prins)Top - The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster flies over the Derwent DamInset, left to right: Barnes Wallis jnr; Alan Spence (Newsdesk Media), Mary Stopes-Roe,Richard Morris and Michael GibsonBottom - V Force Veterans by the Museum Valiant: members of 138 Sqn, 49 Sqn and 132Sqn with Robert Owen (far left)7

Fundraising focusGroup Business Development Manager Rebecca Dalleygives us the inside track on fundraising issues:Are you one of theFive Percenters?Normally, hearingthe words, “I dida course recently,and…” are enough tomake my heart sink,but, well, I did acourse recently and…I learned some reallyfascinating thingsabout legacies.The giving of money or assets to charities is much lessprevalent than I thought: only 5% of people remembercharities in their Wills. And even fewer remember artsorganisations, which includes museums – only 5% of that 5%,which for the mathematically inclined, comes to around aquarter of one percent.Statistically speaking, therefore, it is amazing to think that weat the Royal Air Force Museum receive regular gifts from theWills of our supporters. Many charities – particularly those inanimal welfare and cancer care and research – are heavilydependent on legacy gifts.Set Course For A Trailblazing ExhibitionA new exhibition highlighting the Golden Age of aviation is now ondisplay at the London site. It honours a group of intrepid aviators whosecourage, grit and determination captured the world’s imagination duringthe 1920s and 30s.The pioneers highlighted in the exhibition include:• Alex Henshaw, Spitfire Test Pilot and British Air Racer who flew in1939 from London to Cape Town covering all 6,377 miles in just over39 hours, a few short months before the outbreak of World War II.• Amy Johnson who, in 1930, became the first woman successfully tocomplete a long distance solo flight to Australia – in a second-handDe Havilland Gipsy Moth.• Francis Chichester, a superb navigator who, in 1931, was the first tomake a solo east-west crossing of the Tasman Sea in his Gipsy Moth.• Charles Lindbergh, the first pilot to cross the Atlantic single-handedin 1927, with just a compass and the stars to navigate his way.The Museum’s income from these sources is more like ananniversary surprise: wholly unexpected, quite delightfulbut tinged with sadness.The sadness is that the person is often entirely unknown to usand it is too late to say our heartfelt thanks directly to them.But the surprises keep coming and they help us to fill the gapbetween our MoD funding and our whole costs, which is about30% of our running costs. It is this money which enables usto put on education programmes, new exhibitions andundertake the conservation of our aircraft.In the meantime, I feel less guilty that I haven’t yet made a Willas a scampering 30-something: only 30% of my peer grouphave taken the leap. However, when I do get there, I will bemaking sure I’m in the 5 percenters.If you share our belief that the Royal Air Force traditionsand ethos are worth preserving; our commitment to theRAF’s values and our concern for the future, you may wishto consider leaving a gift to the Royal Air Force Museumin your Will.Fully Accredited!On 25 September the Accreditation Panel appointed by the Museums, Libraries and ArchivesCouncil (MLA) met and, following a presentation of the RAF Museum’s submission, agreed toaward Full Accreditation to the Cosford and London sites. To quote MLA’s letter, “MLA wouldlike to congratulate the RAF Museum on this achievement which demonstrates theircommitment to meeting and maintaining nationally-recognised standards in management,services to users and collection care.” The Museum Accreditation Scheme (formerlyRegistration) enables museums and their governing bodies to assess current performanceand supports them in planning and developing their services.Royal Air Force Museum NewsletterRoyal Air Force MuseumGrahame Park WayLondon NW9 5LLTel: 020 8358 6410Fax: 020 8358 4981E-mail: newsletter@rafmuseum.orgEditor: Ajay SrivastavaPhotography: Iain Duncan and Pete BuntingDesign: TurncreativeMaterial for consideration for inclusion canbe sent via the details above.8