Get closer look at planes’ cockpits at RAF Museum Cosford weekend
The doors to 13 aircraft will be opened during a two-day open cockpits weekend at The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford.
The event, which takes place on October 19 and 20, where aviation fans and families with budding young pilots can enjoy a closer look inside some of the unique and historic aircraft from the museum’s collection, including one of the RAF’s iconic V-Bombers.
Visitors can take up to six hours to explore everything from British, German and Japanese Second World War fighter aircraft, to the pioneering research and development aircraft, many of which are sole examples. The popular Vickers Valiant B1, one third of Britain’s strategic nuclear strike force during the 50s and 60s, known as V Force, is guaranteed to be one of the weekend highlights.
The Valiant was the first of Bomber Command’s V class aircraft and established Britain’s air-borne nuclear deterrent force before pioneering operational in-flight refuelling in the Royal Air Force.
Not only was it the first V-Bomber to enter service, it was also the first to drop an operational British nuclear weapon over Christmas Island in 1957.
The Valiant is displayed alongside the Handley Page Victor H2 and Avro Vulcan B2 in the Museum’s National Cold War Exhibition, the only place in the world where people can view all three aircraft together.
Also in the event line-up is the Bristol 188, often a talking point for the museum’s younger visitors, curious over its unusual design. Built mainly of stainless steel, the aircraft was designed to investigate the effects of heat on aircraft structures at very high speeds.
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To protect the pilot against heat build-up a special cockpit refrigeration system was installed. Nicknamed ‘Flaming Pencil’, only two Bristol 188s ever flew, a third being used for ground tests.
Families will also get the chance to climb on board and explore the Short Brothers Belfast, a giant of the RAF’s Cold War air fleet and take a seat inside the Focke Wulf FW 190, one of the most successful combat aircraft of the Second World War and the backbone of the Luftwaffe’s fighter force.
There will also be the opportunity to see inside the cockpit of the world’s oldest Supermarine Spitfire I, the most iconic aircraft of all timeand view inside the fuselage of the Avro Lincoln B2.
Other aircraft open exclusively for the event include: Hunting H126, English Electric P1A, Fairey FD2, Saunders-Roe SR53, Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR3, Kawasaki Ki-100-1b (close view only) and the Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer CCII. Aircraft will be manned by over 70 volunteers and cadets.
A total of 300 tickets per day are available for the weekend costing £13.50 per person, which can be order from rafmuseum.org/cosford or on the day, subject to availability.
