RAF Museum Cosford to be part of centenary celebrations

There will be a special programme of events at the RAF Museum which has bases in London and Cosford, near Wolverhampton.

It will be put together by the RAF Centenary Programme which will honour the on-going impact and contribution of the service which is 100 on April 1.

The service was forged in the First World War, with each museum base telling the story of the RAF past, present and future.

Work is already under way to deliver the plans that will commemorate the anniversary as well as looking to the future, by creating a Royal Air Force legacy.

The development plans will include new exhibitions at Cosford, exploring the first 100 years of the RAF and new aircraft displays which are already underway, to enable the RAF's story to be newly represented to museum audiences in the Midlands. The Cosford site will also be the focus of 'My RAF Story', which promises to be the largest collection of publicly sourced RAF stories.

In London, new landscaping will welcome visitors to discover a new green heart of the community, reflecting the historic RAF Hendon airfield. New, innovative galleries will explore the first 100 years of the RAF, its roles today and entice visitors to imagine its future contribution and technology. Plus, a new digital sharing project will promote conversation with a global audience and help connect people to the RAF story, sharing information onsite and online.

The new exhibition halls at London will be opening in Summer 2018 as part of the wider calendar of national RAF events.

Until then it's business as usual at both RAF Museum sites, open daily from 10 am. Admission is free. Aviation fans can keep up to date with the centenary developments by signing up to the Museum's free e-Newsletter at www.rafmuseum.org.uk/contact-us/newsletters.aspx