Day three of my museum tour in the UK. Today was a tough day, visiting the Naval Air Museum and the National Motor Museum. The Naval Air Museum has a Concorde prototype for some reason, but the rest of the exhibits are focused on naval aircraft and aircraft carriers, making for a deep and dense display. It starts with an explanation of why the navy has an air force, followed by a fascinating account of the evolution from balloons to aircraft carriers. I thought the aircraft displays alone might not match the RAF, but the deck-like exhibit and tour inside the aircraft carrier were so overwhelming that I had to surrender. Thanks to that, I’ve caught the bug to build a model of a folded-wing aircraft. Upon entering, you’re immediately overwhelmed by a massive hangar housing prototype aircraft, including the Concorde. The Harrier in the back left is a development model with its wings fully covered in metal. Further back are the Handley Page 115 and other experimental aircraft.
Inside the second prototype of the Concorde. The seats are for testing and there is no interior, just rows of measuring instruments. The green area in the back is an emergency exit.Argus, the world’s first aircraft carrier with a full flight deck. It was converted from a passenger ship, and its bridge is located on the deck and retracts during takeoff and landing, which is an incredible design.A display room lined with many aircrafts such as the Vampire, Sea Fire, and Corsair.The aircraft carrier’s flight deck as seen from the bridge. The screen displays footage of a Buccaneer landing (the Phantom takeoff footage should be shown on the opposite side, but it’s malfunctioning). Here, there are no ropes or barriers between the aircraft and the visitors, allowing them to freely roam the deck, touch the aircraft, and even lick it—a truly generous exhibition. The dim lighting makes photography challenging. Naval aircraft are all designed to fold their wings compactly, allowing them to be displayed in tight spaces, which is a great advantage.Buccaneer S2B is awesome!Stop saying that Fairy Gannet is the ugliest thing in the world! She’s so cool! She can fold her wings like that!Exhibition inside the aircraft carrier. There are about ten rooms like this with mannequins. There is also a kitchen and a shop, giving visitors an idea of what life is like for hundreds of people living on an aircraft carrier at sea for months on end.
There are many photos in my stock. Please visit my Gallery page linked below, too.
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