Royal Air Force Museum London

The Royal Airforce Museum is definitely one of London’s more secluded attractions. Tucked half way down what seems like an industrial estate on the site of the former Hendon Aerodrome, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d taken a wrong turn. But despite being rather off the beaten track it is actually pretty straightforward to get to. By tube it’s a 10 minute walk from Colindale station or alternatively there is a pay and display car park on site.

We’d heard loads of good reviews from friends about this place so this past half term we decided to check it out. The free museum comprises of 5 different exhibition hangars dedicated to the history of aviation:

• Milestones of Flight
• The Bomber Hall
• Historic Hangars
• The Battle of Britain Hall
• The Graham White Factory

As you make your way through the exhibition halls you are immediately struck by the size and scale of the collection, with over 100 aircraft in total it is certainly more impressive than we were expecting. Some of these planes are so enormous, its hard to believe that they actually stayed up in the air. Our minds were especially blown by the spectacular Vulcan Bomber with its mammoth wingspan of nearly 100ft.

The great thing about this museum is that so many of the exhibits are interactive. You can clamber into various cockpits take a guided spitfire experience and even ride in the Queen’s helicopter. There are also two flight simulators which my kids absolutely loved and a 4D cinema. Not to mention the Aeronauts zone, an interactive air science gallery filled with lots of interesting hands on and climb on exhibits. You could spend a good hour in this zone alone so make sure you leave plenty of time to get around.

The RAF Museum is currently undergoing a large scale transformation programme to mark the Centenary of the Royal Air Force in 2018. The new site will include improved open spaces, visitor experiences and an updated cafe. During this time some of the grounds may still appear to be a bit of a work in progress but don’t be put off. It’s definitely worth a visit especially for young aviation fans.

RAF Museum London, Grahame
Park Way, London, NW9 5LL

Kate x

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