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Post by vs on Jan 16, 2012 13:15:23 GMT 12
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jan 16, 2012 22:25:17 GMT 12
Love that Science Museum. The Vimy is such an amazing sight.
When I was in the UK the NZ dollar got you 29p. This translated into expensive.
I cottoned on to the fact that the Science Museum gave you free entry from 4pm each day, closing at 5.
I managed to arrange my travels so that I would get to the door at 4.01pm and have an hour to look at one section, moving on to a another section each day.
Yes, my Paternal Grandmother was Scottish.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 16, 2012 22:47:25 GMT 12
Yes it is a great museum, I spent hours there when i visited. The aeroplanes were great but only one bit of it.
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Post by flyjoe180 on Jan 17, 2012 8:54:05 GMT 12
Thanks for posting those pics vs, can you tell us more about the combat history of the Spitfire and Hurricane please?
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Post by Andy Wright on Jan 17, 2012 10:09:30 GMT 12
Bloody hell, some history there. Knew about the Spit, Hurri and Vimy but not the Schneider racer. Wow.
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Post by nuuumannn on Jan 17, 2012 14:37:37 GMT 12
Lots of great historic stuff there; the prototype P.1127, the only surviving genuine Fokker Eindekker, the very first British jet to fly, the Gloster E.28/39, Amy Johnson's Gipsy Moth Jason, and of course the S.6B, not to mention the Schneider Trophy in all its glory.
This abridged from The Battle of Britain Then and Now:
Spitfire Ia P9444 delivered to Royal Aircraft Establishment Farnborough on 5 April 1940, delivered to 72 Sqn 4 June. Badly damaged in crash landing on 3 July - sent to 1 Civilian Repair Unit on 12 July. Not released to 45 MU until 14 March 1941. Transferred to 58 OTU on 4 July but damaged and repaired between 19 to 23 August. Further damage (not sure what) on 17 December and back in service on the 20th. Another incident on 5 May 1942, repaired by 13 June, sent to 61 OTU, Little Rissington 5 August 1942.
Further accidents on 30 January 1943, issued to 53 OTU on 12 May 1943 and another accident had it repaired with Scottish Aviation at Prestwick between 14 November 1943 and 18 February 1944. Spent the rest of the war with different MUs before allocated for display on 28 August 1949. Displayed at Horse Guards Parade that year, then sent to 58 MU, Newark in 1951 and sent to Sicence Museum store on 16 December 1954. Restored in 72 Sqn markings and displayed in Aviation Gallery in 1963.
The Hurri is very rare, since it has the very early fabric wings. Abridged from same source:
Hurricane Mk I L1592 was the 46th Hurricane built (!) and was delivered to 56 Sqn on 3 June 1939. Transferred to 17 Sqn on 27 July that year. To 87 Sqn 10 October. 16 February 1940 with152 Sqn, shot down He 111 off the Orkneys, crash landed 1 June at the hands of Plt Off Tony Woods-Scawen of 43 Sqn at Tangmere after action over Dunkirk. Went through various MUs for repair, sent to 615 Sqn 23 July; 18 August was attacked by Bf 109 and crash landed at Croydon, flown by Plt Off David Looker.
Repaired and sent to Station Defence Flight at Christchurch on 10 October. Afterwards spent most of its flying career with No.5 (P) Advanced Flying Unit from 21 April 1942 until October that year. From then on through various MUs until allocated to the Science Musem in 1944. Appeared in Angels One Five taxying with engine running. Refurbished by Hawker and retruned to its 615 Sqn markings when shot down in 1940; displayed in Science Museum Aviation Gallery in 1963.
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Post by flyjoe180 on Jan 17, 2012 16:46:39 GMT 12
Thankyou for the information on the Spitfire and Hurricane nuuumannn.
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Post by sparrow on Jan 18, 2012 6:14:03 GMT 12
Wow,didn't know all those were in there. Have a couple of trips planned to London soon,first one to take in the Shuttleworth Spring Airshow,so must pop in(about 401pm as both my grandmothers were Scots!).
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 18, 2012 7:33:44 GMT 12
The Science Museum is free all day now, isn't it? Like Hendon and the other big London museums.
I wonder what proportion of that Spitfire is still oriinal from the factory when it first rolled out, it seems to have been continually been on repair.
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Post by sparrow on Jan 18, 2012 7:59:58 GMT 12
Just checked their site,and you're right,nice one.
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Post by nuuumannn on Jan 18, 2012 12:30:46 GMT 12
If you also get the chance to go, see if you guys can get to the Science Museum's outstation at Wroughton in Wiltshire. It's pretty difficult to get to unless you have a car and it isn't open all the time - they have open days throughout the year, but it's worth it. Lots of fascinating stuff there. The Handley Page Gugnunc, a Boeing 247, A Connie and the very first hovercraft to name a small few items.
It's also worth mentioning that the Wright Flyer repro in the Aviation Hall was the first reproduction made of the original when it was held by the Science Museum between 1912 and 1948. De Havilland apprentices rebuilt the original and produced the very first drawings of the Wright's first aeroplane. The Wrights themselves did no drawings.
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Post by aileronroll on Jan 18, 2012 16:22:57 GMT 12
Yip,
all those big Museums are now free! VS your pics are great whenever Iv tried to take pics at the Science Museum they always come out very dark..........
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