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Arrival
Most Duxford visits begin
in the main car park, which can be accessed from the A505, close to M-11 motorway
junction 10.
Gate Guardian Hurricane
replica |
Duxford Visitor's Car Park (with Comet Tank)
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Entrance to the museum is via the main
visitor centre. This now much modified building began life as the station armoury.
It now houses the museum entrance facilities, including an extremely
handy fast track check-in for Friends of Duxford. The route to the
exit, of course passes through the main museum shop (which holds an
impressive collection of aviation books and videos in addition to the
normal souvenir wear.) Adjacent is "The Mess"
restaurant. |
The Visitor Centre entrance
Note the cantilevered flying wing canopy on
the front. (Hopefully designed to cope with a gale force South Westerly!)
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The entrance desk with Friends fast track to the right
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The main museum shop
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The rear of the original armoury
has been extensively glazed to give the shop a bright and open feel.
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A 180 turn right takes you back...into
"The Mess" restaurant
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AirSpace
As you leave the Visitor Centre and enter
the Duxford site, on your left is the enormous new AirSpace building.
Visitors can explore the
ground floor aircraft exhibits, which illustrate
British and Commonwealth aircraft development from the very beginnings
of manned flight up to Concorde and Tornado.
Impressive views are also available from the
balconies
The AirSpace Building (Use the "AirSpace" nav button on the left to see resident aircraft) |
The original steel structure of the old
"Super Hangar" has been retained in the rear two thirds of AirSpace.
Here, the tough steel roof girders are strong enough to support many of the AirSpace exhibits, suspended well above the floor display in
imitation
flight. Unfortunately cost constraints and aircraft structural
limitations have not permitted a great deal of imagination in the
placement or orientation of these exhibits.
Canberra suspended from the
original Super Hangar girders
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The new AirSpace building
has large side extensions. On the West side upper floor, these contain a large
and comprehensive display on key aspects of the history of flight. Below
is the Airborne Assault Museum. On the East side, modern education
facilities and a corporate entertainment suite can be found.
In the front end of the
building, the new structure provides uninterrupted floor space for the
side galleries. In the rear part the original steel "A-Frame" supporting
the roof, provide an extra challenge in the layout of the gallery
areas.
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The big difference between
the old Super hangar and AirSpace is the provision of an environmentally
controlled exhibition space for the benefit of the exhibits (and also,
incidentally the IWM visitors). With no insulation or heating system, the
old Super Hangar was not much more than an oversize garden shed.
A construction view of AirSpace showing
the wall cladding, corrugated in both a horizontal and vertical direction
to stiffen the structure and crucially, packed with insulation.
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Area 51
To the
right of AirSpace and adjacent to the M-11 motorway boundary is an area
often referred to by Duxford regulars as "Area-51". The buildings in
this area are operated by the Aircraft Restoration Company (ARCo) and
Historic Flying Limited (HFL). For very good commercial reasons,
the public are not normally permitted access. Activities in this area
and particularly early test flights of newly restored warbirds, are
frequently hot topics of speculation amongst enthusiasts.
ARCo are an important warbird restoration and maintenance company with a
global reputation. Aircraft in their care can often be found for
limited periods of time in the main Duxford hangars.
If you can afford the not inconsiderable
fee, Aeroplane Magazine co-ordinate occasional visits to the ARCo/HFL
operating area, where participants receive VIP treatment and get a close
up look at ARCo / HFL's fleet. (See the magazine for
advanced notice of the visits.) |
At weekends, things are usually quiet
During the week, things can look a lot busier! |
Hangar 2
Hangar 2
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Past the
Mess restaurant
entrance, to
the right of the visitor centre exit is hangar 2. This is formed from a
pair of adjacent T2 hangars, resulting in a
structure, with a central wall isolating the two halves of the hangar.
It was erected during the 1970s.
On the airfield side is
the home of the Fighter Collection. This is Duxford's biggest resident
warbird operator, with an impressive collection of aircraft types
mainly of WW2 vintage.
The side of the hangar
nearest the main road, houses a variety of aircraft owned by Duxford's
warbird operators. These include B-17 Sally-B and the Catalina during winter
maintenance. Also De-Haviland Rapide G-AGJG.
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Cross braced sliding hangar doors giving
a tantalising quick photo-opportunity of the TFC warbirds within!
(Use the "Hangar
2" nav button on the left to see resident aircraft) |
The hangar supporting skeleton is formed
from a tough girder structure.The outside cladding is painted aluminium
(not rust!)
The side structure forms a handy
storage option for Spitfire parts |
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Gun Butts
Between Hangar 2 and Hangar 3 is a set of
wartime gun butts. Behind
the gun butts is a multi-bay vehicle garage, now used for storage and as
an occasional workshop.
During the war, the sand filled gun butts
were used to align and test the fighter aircraft machine guns.
The brick buttresses help stiffen the
wall.
Bailey Bridge |
The Gun Butts |
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Just beyond the garage
behind the gun butts is the approach road to a Bailey Bridge. The Bridge
crosses the A-505 main road, linking the North Side of the original
Duxford RAF station, to the airfield site.
The Bailey Bridge |
Bailey Bridge roadway
A large grassed car
parking facility is used on display days on the North Side site. The
Bailey Bridge provides direct access for visitors over the main road.
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Hangar 3
Hangar 3 |
The next major building
is Hangar 3. This is an original first world war vintage double bay
Belfast Truss Hangar. The wooden roof girders are an indication of its
age. In addition to housing several IWM aircraft (mainly Fleet Air Arm
types) an MTB, a midget
submarine and a Life-boat, this is the home of the Old Flying Machine
Company warbird operator. The Aircraft Restoration Company also use hangar 3 as an overflow
warbird parking area.
Despite a completion date of 1918, the
roof structure and walls are in remarkably good condition.
(Hangars 3, 4 & 5 are structurally
similar) |
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The roof girders are made
up of a large number of small pieces of timber, diagonally braced to
create strong but relatively light main beams.
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The main beams are
interconnected with further X shape lateral cross braces (see bottom
right of the picture below.) This prevents twisting of the main beams .
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The weight of the roof
structure is conveyed to the brick side walls and central columns
via stone corbels (see photos above and above right). Conspicuous brick
buttresses reinforce the side walls directly below the roof beams,
enabling large window openings to be made in the wall between the
buttresses. Despite their age these hangars let in far more daylight
than the modern hangar 2.
The concertina doors are
made from wood planking and take considerable effort to open and close.
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 (Use the "Hangar
3" nav button on the left to see resident aircraft) |
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The Watch
Office
The single story building
running parallel to hangar 3, on the airfield side, housed the original
airfield watch office (the equivalent of today's control tower). To-day
the building incorporates the visitor information
office, manned by a group of extremely helpful volunteers, backed up by occasional IWM
staff. If they can't answer your questions they can normally point
you at someone who can. |
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The Control Tower |
The old Watch Office
On the edge of the
airfield, is the Duxford control tower. This was built during the second
world war. The observation room on the top is a post-war addition. |
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The
Missing Hangar
Between hangar 3 and
hangar 4 is an open area now containing just the Bloodhound surface to
air missile
exhibit.
Marked by a yellow
boundary, an additional single bay Belfast truss hangar stood in this area
until 1968. It was spectacularly blown-up by the film
company during a mock air raid for the film "The
Battle of Britain".
During the latter stages
of WWII, the missing hangar was used by the resident US Army Air Force, 78th Fighter Group
as a base theatre and assembly hall.
"Wing Co Joe's Cafe" building is located along the North
side of this area.
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Bloodhound and "Wing Co Joe's
Cafe" |
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Hangar 4
Hangar 4
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Hangar 4 is another
two-bay Belfast Truss Hangar, built at the end of the first world war. It now houses
the IWM Battle of Britain exhibition, aircraft belonging to
the Historic Aircraft Collection (HAC) warbird operator
and several IWM exhibits.
(For structural details,
please see the similar Hangar 3 info above, although hangar 4 is unique
in having an additional upper floor to the annex buildings along the
airfield side of the hangar walls. This floor was added during the later
half of the 1930s, during Duxford's pre-second world war development
period.)
(Use
the "Hangar 4" nav button on the left to see resident aircraft) |
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Main
Guardroom &
Headquarters Building
Behind Hangar 4 is the
original base entrance from the A505, with the main Guardroom on the NE
side. The Guardroom now acts as a reception area and a base for the
security staff. The entrance is used by museum staff and volunteers.
The original Headquarters Building
is on the SW side of the entrance road. The Headquarters building is
now used by the IWM for administration office space.
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The main Guardroom
The Headquarters Building |
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Hangar 5
Hangar 5 |
Hangar 5 is the final
example of Duxford's two bay Belfast
Truss Hangars and like the others, originated in the first world war. It now
acts as the primary restoration hangar.
(Use the "Hangar 5"
nav button on the left to see resident aircraft)
(See similar Hangar 3 above for
structural details) |
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The Ops
Room
Behind Hangar 5 is the station
operations building. It has earth mounds built around on all sides, to
limit blast damage, but looks very flimsy otherwise. The original ops
room is open to the public, displayed just as it would have been
during the Battle of Britain. The lack of concrete bunker
facilities is brought home by the sound system which illustrates an
enemy raid on the airfield.
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The Ops Building |
Ops Room Entrance |
The controllers balcony |
The plotting table
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Looking back at the balcony
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Looking towards Hangar 5 from beside Hangar 3
Nearing halfway at building 66
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The road behind
hangars 3,4 and 5, running parallel to the A505 also separates the hangars from
many smaller restoration and support buildings. Including building 63,
behind hangar 4 and building 66 nearer the runway restaurant (both
used by ARCo for restoration projects).
A return walk down this
road can be an atmospheric alternative to the apron on the airfield
side of the hangars.
Looking towards hangar 3 from hangar5 |
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Between Hangar 5 and
the American Air Museum are: The base fire station, the Gibralter
gun, the Duxford Radio Society (DRS) buildings and the small arms gun
butts.
Gibralter Gun (with DRS antenna behind) |
Fire Station Garages
Classic Nissen Huts |
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The Duxford Radio
Society (DRS) operate from two of the buildings near the Gibralter gun. They
have a fascinating collection of vintage radio equipment in working
condition and operate an amateur radio station (GB2IWM).
Their buildings were once used as the
firing positions for the small arms gun butts behind the Gibralter gun
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Duxford Radio Society Buildings |
So called "Giant Wurzburg" antenna |
Continuing en route to
the American Air Museum rear entrance, you are confronted by a WWII
vintage German Wurzburg-Reise parabolic radar antenna.
This example was used by Cambridge University for early radio
telescope research, before being donated to the museum. During
the war these units were used in pairs for nightfighter control. |
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The
American Air Museum
(With thanks to Michel for structural
advice)
Beyond the original
Duxford hangars is the futuristic American Air Museum, designed by
Norman Foster. Inside
you will find a small cafe (my usual sandwich lunch stop) and a shop
specialising in US aviation books and other memorabilia. Plus of
course a very fine collection of U.S. aircraft.
The museum building is designed to
provide a completely open exhibition space with an entirely
self-supporting roof. The intent is for the structure to present a
neutral backdrop for the aircraft on display.
(Use the "US Air Museum" nav button on the
left to see resident aircraft) |
AAM in the distance looking down the apron
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The roof forms a half
ellipse in plan view, but is actually a truncated torus shape. This
enables the interlocking reinforced concrete panels that form the
roof, to have a common curve radius both across and along the
building's axis. The roof is made up of an inner and outer layer of
these panels. The inner panels have an inverted "T" section. The stem
of the Tee forms a short vertical rib that provides attachment points
for the outer roof panels. Threaded steel inserts are moulded
into the inner concrete panels to provide attachment points for the
aircraft suspended from the roof. The strongest of these, near the
highest point in the roof, can support 12 tonnes.
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The roof forms an arch at the window end of the building, where concrete blocks carry the
thrust
loads directly to the base and foundations. The glass wall
forming the window end of the building
can be removed to permit aircraft movements.
However the process is quite involved and has only been carried out
once in the building's history at the time of writing. (Although less
flexible than opening doors, the glass wall solution is much lower in
cost and provides much more natural light than would be possible with
doors in situ.) Smaller exhibits can be moved in and out via the
smaller service doors, but the glass wall has to come down to allow
movement of larger exhibits e.g. the Liberator, into the building, so this is a rare and
carefully planned event! The glass wall frame is supported by ground based hinge units. The
arch just holds the frame structure in a vertical position. Permitting
differential movement between the glass wall and the arch in a
vertical direction.
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Along the sides of the
building, a reinforced concrete ring beam forms a peripheral support
for the roof panels. Short steel girders transmit the roof loads
across a narrow continuous window that runs around the entire
perimeter of the building, providing natural light to the sloping
observation balconies. These steel girders are mounted on steel
plates, moulded into the
ring beam and transfer the entire weight of the roof into
corresponding moulded plates in the outer
ring beam, which is directly supported by the building's reinforced
concrete base and massive foundations. These resist the thrust load of
the roof by transmitting the forces involved into the local chalk.
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At the end of the roof
near the main entrance doors, the roof acts more like a beam than an
arch, with the primary load forces near to the vertical. Here, the
girders include provision for small relative movements between the
roof and the base structure. An integral movement joint between the
upper edge of the side window frames and the roof, fulfils a similar
function.
Externally, the roof is
covered by a silver-grey membrane, which on frequent grey days, makes the
building very inconspicuous from the rear as the roof merges with the
sky. |
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The grass covered earth
embankments help to insulate the rear of the building, while also
blending the structure into the surrounding land. |
The AAM, its quite a building !
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F-15 on the approach
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The Land
Warfare Hall
Finally at the extreme
SW end of the Duxford site is the Land Warfare Hall. This houses a
varied collection of military vehicles dating from the First World War
to the present day. At the rear of this building is an arena where (if
you are lucky) you may find tanks and other tracked vehicles being
demonstrated. Be sure to watch from "up-wind" unless you want dust in
your camera or your eyes!
(Use the "Land
Warfare" nav button on the left to see resident military vehicles and
artillery) |
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A Centurion AVRE acts as gate guardian
The display area roof is suspended from
external supporting girders, leaving most of the ground floor unobstructed.
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The entrance leads directly into
a central balcony walk
The girder structure around the balcony provides
the building with a central spine. |
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The display areas are
in relative darkness on either side of the central walkway. These
incorporate woodland, desert and street fighting scenes (such as that
opposite). Metal staircases provide pedestrian access down to the
exhibit floor.
The floor coverings are
customised to suit the various scenes, including the occasional
stream!
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Some roof girders still block the IS-2
for 3/4 front photos! |
The rear demonstration arena
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We have travelled
approximately a mile from the visitor centre to arrive at the land
Warfare arena. If you made the outbound journey along the airfield
apron, why not return via the back road behind the hangars. Check out
the ops room and have a look through the windows of buildings 63 and 66
to see how the restorations are progressing. Hope you enjoyed your
visit! |
