FLIGHTPATH | 13News
On 19 July, the Imperial War Museum’s
flagship building in Lambeth, London,
England, reopened after a £40m (A$73m)
refit lasting two years. The rebuilt atrium
is now more compact and houses a pair of
aircraft in place of the five previous. The
B.E.2c and P-51D have been moved to Dux-
ford, and the Fw 190A reclaimed by the
RAF Museum at Cosford. The Sopwith 2F.
Camel has been repositioned to the W.W.I
galleries. Of the original five aircraft re-
moved from the atrium, only the ex-
squadron Battle of Britain Spitfire I R
has been rehung. It has been joined by
Harrier GR.9 ZD461, which saw combat in
Iraq and Afghanistan. The three aircraft
now on display in the building provide a
representative cross-section of eras and
conflicts. In the side galleries, a home has
at last been found for the A6M Zero wreck
purchased some years ago by the IWM.
The Museum’s atrium has also been ex-
tended downwards by a floor, into what
was the basement, visitors now descend a
staircase before accessing the atrium.
The surrounding galleries now contain a
variety of artefacts telling the story of
conflicts involving UK forces over the past
century. However, many of the larger ar-
tefacts jut out from the edge of the galler-
ies into the atrium, giving a somewhat
cluttered appearance.
One of the most captivating displays is
the Lord Ashcroft Gallery, where the world’s
largest collection of Victoria Crosses, and a
significant collection of George Crosses (the
VC’s civilian equivalent) with placards,
memorabilia and photographs describing
the actions for which each was awarded.
This informative captioning contrasts with
those in the rest of the galleries. The over-
all effect of the refurbishment is, sadly, one
of style over content, with dumbed-down
captioning and many exhibits such as the
‘as found’ Long Range Desert Group Chev-
rolet Truck and the Lancaster nose section
being completely unprotected. In addition,
poor flow routes through the galleries leads
to significant congestion at busy times.
Mike ShreeveImperial War Museum Reopened
ABOVE RIGHT: The nose of RAAF
operated Lancaster ‘F for Freddie’.ABOVE: The IWM’s Zero wreck on
display, replacing an earlier cockpit
section display.RIGHT: The Battle of Britain veteran
Spitfire Mk.I R6915 and middle eastern
veteran Harrier GR.9 ZD461. [All Mike Shreeve]On 7 October 2014, the RAF Museum in Hendon, London, Eng-
land, held an Open Cockpits Evening. This ticketed event al-
lowed visitors an after-hours opportunity to access the cockpits
of the Chipmunk, Jet Provost T5 and Westland Gazelle, the cab-
in of the Wessex, and the rear fuselage of the B-24 Liberator. In
addition, steps were placed alongside several other aircraft al-
lowing for viewing and photographing a number of additional
cockpits. The most innovative attraction was the provision of a
scissor lift beside the nose of RAAF-operated Avro Lancaster
R5868 ‘S for Sugar’. Visitors were lifted up, one at a time, to look
in through the pilot’s side window and view the very original
cockpit of this historic bomber, believed to have flown 137 mis-
sions during W.W.II. This attraction proved very popular on the
night, with a steady line of visitors waiting patiently for this rare
opportunity throughout the event. Other cockpits open for
viewing included restored Bf 109G ‘Black Six’ and the He 162
Salamander. A number of early jets, including the Buccaneer,
Canberra, Hunter, Meteor and Vampire were also open. A lim-
ited number of pre-booked tickets, which sold out well in ad-
vance of the event, were made available to give access to the
cockpit of the Museum’s Avro Vulcan B2. The Museum is to be
commended for providing this opportunity for enthusiasts to
view and photograph the cockpits of some of the aircraft in its
Collection. Mike ShreeveRAF Museum Opens Up
LE F T: The German He 162 Salamander, showing
how basic these early jets were.LE F T: The museum’s
Consolidated B24L-20-FO
was also opened up for
the after hours viewing.BELOW: A rare view of
the RAAF-operated
Avro Lancaster R5868 ‘S
for Sugar’