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February 25, 2009 - Royal Air Force Museum

I was in London for a week on business.  I didn't have much free time but I was able to get to the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon, easily accessible via the Tube and a short walk. 

The museum consists of a complex of buildings with this Spitfire and Hurricane in the center courtyard.   They look like the real things but they are full-scale fiberglass replicas. 

The RAF Museum has an excellent web page which not only describes each aircraft in its collection but also a detailed history about the particular aircraft. 

 
This is the Milesones of Flight building, and main entrance.  The museum is free of charge. 
 
The Historic Hangars building. 
 
The Grahame White Aircraft Factory building was the first aircraft factory in the UK; now it houses their World War I collection. 
 
A replica of the Bleriot -- first plane to cross the English Channel, piloted by Louis Bleriot. 
 
The huge Vickers Vimy.  They had one of these fly into Oshkosh a few years back, but unfortuntely I missed it.  This is the first one I've ever seen.  It's huge. 
 
 
This is a little observation plane they were flying in the early days of WWII.  Those were some brave pilots is all I can say.
 
They had come a long way by the end of WWII, flying fighters like this Sopwith Camel. 
 
There was a separate building for just the Battle of Britain.  Of course they had a Hurricane ...
 
and a Spitfire Mark I.  Elsewhere in the museum they had a Spitfire Mark V and a Mark 24. 
 
This was a replica of an operations center used during the Battle of Britain. 
 
The famous plywood Mosquito.  Very fast and very versatile aircraft. 
 
 
 
 
An entire section of the Museum was dedicated to the big bombers.  The mainstay of Bomber Command was the big four engine Lancaster.  Notice the black paintjob.  There was an interesting section of the museum about the Dam Busters .
 
The museum also had a B-24 and B-17 which the RAF flew during the war.  The B-24s were particularly good for maritime patrol and antisubmarine warfare. 
 
I enjoyed seeing this Wellington.  Also a four engine bomber, but a fabric covered one! 
 
 
A third type of four engine bomber.  This Halifax was recovered from the bottom of the North Sea and is the only surviving one.  They decided not to restore it but leave it as is. 
 
A shot of the Halifax from the rear. 
 
A Typhoon fighter-bomber.  Typhoons were the scourage of the Germany army during Normandy. 
 
The follow-on to the Typhoon, the Tempest. 
 
I was surprised to learn that the RAF flew P-47s in the Burma theatre. 
 
The Bristol Beaufighter was successfully used as a night fighter, fighter bomber and torpedo bomber.
 
The main British fighter in 50s and 60s, the Lightning. 
 
The Eurofighter Typhoon. 
 
P27
 
The RAF Museum has the most complete collecting of German aircraft I've ever seen, including this WWI Fokker D-VII.
 
A Bucker Bu-311 Jungmann, Germany's primary trainer starting in 1936 and throughout WWII.
 
An Messerschmidt Bf-109E, the early version that flew in the Battle of Britain.  This particular aircraft was shot down over Kent in November 1940. 
 

This is a Bf-109G "Gustav" which was the later, most common version.   This particular aircraft was captured by the British in North Africa. 

That's the Me-262 Jet in the upper left. 

 
Notice the narrow undercarriage.  The Germans lost a lot of 109s just to landing accidents. 
 
ME-110 twin engine German fighter.  It didn't do to well in the Battle of Britain.  Later on it proved useful as a night fighter.   Notice the big radar antennas on this particular aircraft. 
 
The famous ME-262 jet fighter. 
 
This is a Junkers Ju-88 which was a very versatile airplane for the Germans: daylight bomber, night fighter and torpedo bomber.  This particular aircraft was a night fighter whose aircrew defected to Great Britain. 
 
An Heinkel HE-111 twin engine bomber.  It must have been tough sitting in that glass cockpit with Spitfires and Hurricanes coming at you. 
 
A topside look at the Me-110 and Ju-88.
 
A Junkers Ju-87 Stuka dive bomber.  First one I've ever seen.  The Stuka was very effective in close support of the panzers.  However, it was meat on the table without air superiority. 
 
This Fiat CR42 Falco biplane was an Italian fighter.  They actually deployed a squadron of them in France during the Battle of Britain.  They didn't fare too well against the RAF. 
 
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