Coachmakers make inspection of £23 million investment in RAF Museum

The Royal Air Force Museum is making a major investment in its Hendon, London site, which is the subject of a £23 million overhaul, writes Liveryman Geoff Lancaster. Final touches are being put to the fabulous new buildings and exhibits and Coachmakers were invited to a special preview on 14th June.

Coachmakers take a tour at Hendon

The whole project has been conceived as part of the RAF’s centenary celebrations and will be a lasting and sustainable tribute to a glorious service. The masterplan will see the entire site made more navigable as outdoor play, picnic spaces and a ‘village green’ are introduced to engage the local community and other visitors.

The Macallan

Coachmakers were hosted by Chief Executive Maggie Appleton, one of the driving forces behind programme, and on the tour prior to lunch she explained. “The site has grown organically from the air hangers that were left when it was an RAF station. We want it to be more accessible, up-to-date and in-line with visitor expectation. This is the first time anyone’s ever stepped back and said, ‘How can we do that?’”

The displays include all sorts of aircraft

The RAF believes the London site has been transformed into a world class national museum and it wants the permanent exhibitions to engage, inspire and connect visitors with the RAF story.

The new permanent exhibitions, which tell the story of the first 100 years of the RAF, develops a narrative through 2D, 3D design and interactive exhibits, working alongside the museum’s exhibition development team. It’s light years away from the traditional stuffy, dusty and static museums of the past.

Mk 6 Salamander

In addition to a unique collection of aircraft and other vehicles, the designers have taken the opportunity to tell a wealth of inspiring personal stories from RAF history – from the pilots to the crew to the families involved, as well as showcasing its impressive collection of artefacts which in themselves reveal a host of fascinating human stories.

The exhibition tells many different stories

There is a new separate exhibition, which speculates on the future of the RAF. It has an educational focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) learning and major efforts have been taken to include 3D, 2D and interactive elements.

Many thanks are due to Maggie Appleton for her insights into this fabulous new addition to our heritage who in turn took the opportunity to publicly thank The Master for his efforts as a patron of the Museum.

She recalled a telephone conversation with Tony where he advised her that he had secured a multi-million pound investment from the government of Kuwait which completed the appeal and made the project a reality. Also thanks go to our organiser Dianne Parlett, who made this unique experience possible.