Battle of Britain weekend RAF Museum Hendon

[Eric Mc]

There are a few "anomalies" in the aircraft on display at Hendon.

It is technically the RAF Museum and the bulk of the aircarft are displayed in RAF or RFC colours. However, in the main hall, the B-17 is in USAAF and the Lockheed Hudson is in Australian colours. There is also a Luftwaffe Heinkel He-162 and Focke Wulfe Fw190 Two Seater.

In the Battle of Britain museum there are quite a few Luftwaffe aircraft (He111, Ju87, Ju88 etc) not to mention a Spanish licence built version of the Bucker Bu131 Jungmann - which is in post-war Spanish Air Force colours.

In the Milestones of Flight Hall they have even more non-RAF types, such as the P-51D Mustang, Black 6 (the 109G) a Kawasaki Ki100 and a Messerschmitt Me262. There are also some civil aircraft such as the DH60 Moth and the Percival Mew Gull.

[aeropilot]

Eric Mc said:

However, in the main hall, the B-17 is in USAAF and the Lockheed Hudson is in Australian colours.

I can live with the RAAF scheme on the Hudson given the links with the RAF, but, the RAFM should really have made an effort at the time to paint the B-17G as a 100 Group Fortress III example before putting it into Hendon (unless keeping it in USAAF markings was a condition of donation by the Americans)

[Eric Mc]

aeropilot said:

Eric Mc said:

However, in the main hall, the B-17 is in USAAF and the Lockheed Hudson is in Australian colours.

I can live with the RAAF scheme on the Hudson given the links with the RAF, but, the RAFM should really have made an effort at the time to paint the B-17G as a 100 Group Fortress III example before putting it into Hendon (unless keeping it in USAAF markings was a condition of donation by the Americans)

I think it might have been.

[Dr Jekyll]

The RAF museum is now more an aircraft museum than an RAF museum. There used to be galleries upstairs with displayes showing RAF history, including plenty of models of aircraft that don't exist anymore. (The aircraft, hopefully not the models).

Since the USAAF shared the strategic bombing role with the RAF it's reasonable to include an American marked B17 in the Bomber hall. Similarly the Battle of Britain hall would not be complete without German types.

Incidentally I think the P80 was deployed to Europe in 1945 in tiny numbers, but didn't see any combat.

As for American types used by the RAF, a B29 would be nice, but they are a bit scarce.

[Eric Mc]

Dr Jekyll said:

The RAF museum is now more an aircraft museum than an RAF museum. There used to be galleries upstairs with displayes showing RAF history, including plenty of models of aircraft that don't exist anymore. (The aircraft, hopefully not the models).

Since the USAAF shared the strategic bombing role with the RAF it's reasonable to include an American marked B17 in the Bomber hall. Similarly the Battle of Britain hall would not be complete without German types.

Incidentally I think the P80 was deployed to Europe in 1945 in tiny numbers, but didn't see any combat.

As for American types used by the RAF, a B29 would be nice, but they are a bit scarce.

I think you are right about the P-80 - although none were flown on combat missions and none confronted the Luftwaffe. In fact, there were no jet to jet confrontations during WW2, unless you include Meteors chasing V1s.