Which museum...Cosford or Duxford?

[FourWheelDrift]

Duxford has a nice tea room in the American Hanger where you can drop the missus of for a break. More planes, restorations on the go in number 2 hanger and in the restoration section of the Superhanger. It is a live airfield so you may be lucky and see a Spitfire take off or land, or the regular T28 Trojan taking joy rides up. More hangers, more things to see as well as planes, the Military vehicles hall at the other end of the site, the V1 launching ramp and the naval gun emplacement.

Cosford, has some unique aircraft but is smaller and has fewer. Cosford is also an active airfield but you will likely see only jet trainers.

Both have Hangers (Duxford Superhanger) and Cosford's new big Hanger where they have crammed too much in and it's difficult to take photos clearly.

My photos from both earlier this year. Click thumbnails for bigger images.
Duxford - http://www.mercia.biz/Duxford2010/index.htm
Cosford - http://www.mercia.biz/gallery/Cosford/index.html

I'd say Duxford for the bigger day out.

[Eric Mc]

Kitchski said:

Just google earthed them both....can see vulcan and victor at cosford, and what looks like a comet 1...can't be surely?

It is Comet 1 G-APAS

[Andy Zarse]

Eric what happened about the mooted PH guided tour you were thinking of doing around a museum? (Was it the RAF museum at Hendon?)

[Eric Mc]

Andy Zarse said:

Eric what happened about the mooted PH guided tour you were thinking of doing around a museum? (Was it the RAF museum at Hendon?)

The Hendon one happened in 2007

I mooted a Duxford one last year but other events got in the way last year.

I'd still like to do something along those lines some time in the future.

[Andy Zarse]

Eric Mc said:

Andy Zarse said:

Eric what happened about the mooted PH guided tour you were thinking of doing around a museum? (Was it the RAF museum at Hendon?)

The Hendon one happened in 2007

I mooted a Duxford one last year but other events got in the way last year.

I'd still like to do something along those lines some time in the future.

Sorry yes, Duxford, as discussed last year... reckon we should put summat in the diary to help pass a dreary winter's sunday.

[Eric Mc]

Not too dreary

[Simpo Two]

FourWheelDrift said:

the regular T28 Trojan taking joy rides up

Not forgetting the DH Rapide, still going strong after godknowshowmany years!

[Kitchski]

Thanks all for the replies. However I've decided to put the avation museums on hold for a chance to take my TVR back to Blackpool (See TVR events if you have a Tiv). Probably hold off until Winter/Spring now, are they an open all year round thing?

Cheers

[hidetheelephants]

Simpo Two said:

FourWheelDrift said:

the regular T28 Trojan taking joy rides up

Not forgetting the DH Rapide, still going strong after godknowshowmany years!

Wood, Mr. Reynolds' fine steel tubing and canvas are somewhat less fatigue prone than aluminium and rather easier to mend, so many years more hopefully!

[M-J-B]

Eric Mc said:

Andy Zarse said:

Eric what happened about the mooted PH guided tour you were thinking of doing around a museum? (Was it the RAF museum at Hendon?)

The Hendon one happened in 2007

I mooted a Duxford one last year but other events got in the way last year.

I'd still like to do something along those lines some time in the future.

I'd be up for a Duxford one if it can be organised.

[spitfire-ian]

Kitchski said:

Thanks all for the replies. However I've decided to put the avation museums on hold for a chance to take my TVR back to Blackpool (See TVR events if you have a Tiv). Probably hold off until Winter/Spring now, are they an open all year round thing?

Cheers

Duxford certainly is.

[brenflys777]

We're not far from Cosford and its a great museum to visit, but its vey small compared to Duxford. Having said that the oddities at Cosford are really interesting, a Lincoln bomber, prone Meteor, early Lightnings, a stainless steel Fairey... Cosford has a lovely friendly atmosphere and they make a lot of what they've got - for example the large cannon next to the Mosquito to show what they put in the anti shipping Ttetse version.

Also one of the cars in the cold war hangar is a 4wd Senator the Army used to spy on the Eastern block - very interesting and unusual. Cosford is also easy to do in the rain !