Museums

[George]

I would like to take a pulse to know what museums are most inspiring for your type of modeling.  I am like to build military aircraft so I find the Museum of Flight (Washington State), National Museum of Naval Aviation (Pensacola, Florida) and National Museum of the USAF (Dayton, Ohio) most inspiring.  The Museum of Flight has probably the most scale model military aircraft I have seen behind glass to date.

[Radub]

Every museum is great.

I like the NASM facilities in DC and VA. The people working there are among the best at what they do and extremely helpful (some are even members here ). The Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson is great too. It is right across the highway from the Davis Monthan AFB and I spent a good time standing in the shade of a B-52 wing and watching Vipers, Strike Eagles and Warthogs taking off and landing. Nerd Nirvana. 

There are many European museums that are fantastic, such as the RAF Museum in Hendon, FAA Museum in Yeovilton, IWM Museum in Duxford, Irish Aer Corps Museum in Baldonnell, Le Bourget Museum in Paris, Kbely Museum in Prague, Vigna di Vale Museum near Rome, German Technology Museum in Berlin, Deutsches Museum in Munich and its associated facility in Oberschleisshem, Museum of Military History Vienna, Aeroseum in Gothenburg, Military Museum in Bucharest, Aviation Museum in Bucharest. 

Radu 

[Aerobat]

You seem to been to the best. I can only add the Uvdar Hazy Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum' annex by Dulles Airport. I really replied, though, to add those great models at Seattle's Museum of Flight are a changing display by the NorthWest Scale Modelers (an informal local scale modeling club). There is some planning that goes into the them as you can see in their future displays.

 

https://www.nwsm.club/display-cases/

 

    Sadly, the club had to cancel this year's annual show at the Museum of Flight due to Civid 19

[mozart]

When I went to Australia in 2019 I paid my second visit to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.....so much more than a Museum with many unique aeroplanes on display and much, much more including the poignant Wall of Remembrance. The staff at the Moorabbin Aviation Museum in Melbourne are very friendly and helpful, especially once they recognise that you’re an enthusiast. It’s a very small place run by volunteers with many interesting exhibits and aircraft you can sit in, but on the flip side I was slightly disappointed with Pointe Cook I’m afraid, too many exhibits that you couldn’t get close to. 

[GrahamF]

In the UK we are spoilt for choice with museums there are obviously the big ones but also lots of small aircraft museums that are brilliant, you don't have to go far here to find a museum of any sort really, being into to stuff that has history is the one reason why I would never emigrate.

Graham 

[dennismcc]

I love museums of every kind, I think that they are great, one of the best aircraft related museums that I have visited was the Thai Air Force museum in Bangkok, fascinating place.

 

We had lived in Thailand 7 years before I found out that it existed, not many of my Thai colleagues knew about it either, we only found out about it from an article in the Bangkok Post.

 

In the UK Duxford was pretty amazing it took us two days to get round it all and even then we probably did not see it all, I am a mainly aircraft orientated modeller but the land warfare section was most impressive.

 

Our "local" museum Cosford is also a favourite of ours, we have been going there for many years and I can still find things that interest me.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Radub]

Oh yeah, how COULD I forget the Cosford RAF Museum?! I spent so much time there, I know some great people working there, I did so much research there! Sorry! 

Radu 

 

Edited January 10, 2021 by Radub

[George]

The air museums are great but I heard that some of the German Luftwaffe aircraft from the RAF Museum's Battle of Britain were removed from public display.  I am not sure why but I don't think the docents were happy about it.  I also heard in 2018 that the military museums in London are more kid friendly and PC such as the National Army Museum and Imperial War Museum.  I think the Waterloo miniature battlefield was removed from the former.  IMHO, it is history no matter where the battlespace (air, sea or land) was.  

[vince14]

You heard wrong. The Battle of Britain Hall at the RAF museum was re-puropsed, but the majority of the German aircraft are still on display at the museum. IIRC only the Me-262 and the Ju-88 were moved from Hendon to the RAF museum at Cosford.

[George]

53 minutes ago, vince14 said:

You heard wrong. The Battle of Britain Hall at the RAF museum was re-puropsed, but the majority of the German aircraft are still on display at the museum. IIRC only the Me-262 and the Ju-88 were moved from Hendon to the RAF museum at Cosford.

Thanks for clarifying; however, The Battle of Britain was historically significant not be repurposed. 

[LSP_Mike]

San Diego Air and Space museum is good. AWM very good, and had an interesting time at Morrabbin.

[George]

59 minutes ago, George said:

Thanks for clarifying; however, The Battle of Britain was historically significant not be repurposed. 

There's a Kent Battle of Britain Museum but it is closed like many museums across the world because of COVID.

[Radub]

4 hours ago, George said:

Thanks for clarifying; however, The Battle of Britain was historically significant not be repurposed. 

The Battle of Britain building in Hendon was in need of repair. The new building is still great with plenty of stuff to see. All aircraft are still in the museum. Some people raised a fuss about it on the internet but the “outrage” was unnecessary and overblown. To be totally honest, the Battle of Britain hall was not truly representative of what it was meant to be because only a fraction of the aircraft on display was actually relevant to that “battle”. For example the exhibit included Ju87 D, He 111 D-20, Ju 88 C, Bf 100 G-4, as well as V-1 and V-2 rockets, all of which came a lot later in the war after the Battle of Britain. 
Radu

[Panzerwomble]

Went to Hendon , before , during and after the refurb , it was definately better afterwards in my opinion, & as said all the aircaraft are still there. 

 

The de Havilland musuem at Enfield is also good . 3 Mossies, a Rapide, some nice early jets all for the price of one ticket ! Plus you can get up close and personal with the aircraft . I've not been there for a few years since they refurbed it again, looking forward to going after the great plague  .

 

Linky to Website

Edited January 11, 2021 by Panzerwomble

[George]

8 hours ago, Radub said:

The Battle of Britain building in Hendon was in need of repair. The new building is still great with plenty of stuff to see. All aircraft are still in the museum. Some people raised a fuss about it on the internet but the “outrage” was unnecessary and overblown. To be totally honest, the Battle of Britain hall was not truly representative of what it was meant to be because only a fraction of the aircraft on display was actually relevant to that “battle”. For example the exhibit included Ju87 D, He 111 D-20, Ju 88 C, Bf 100 G-4, as well as V-1 and V-2 rockets, all of which came a lot later in the war after the Battle of Britain. 
Radu

Thanks.  That explains everything.