Air museum to hit new heights

It used to be where exhibits that did not fit into the Imperial War Museum were housed but now the old RAF base at Duxford, near Cambridge, is to be turned into one of the biggest aviation attractions in the world.

Duxford has just received £19.3 million to improve its aircraft display and throw fresh light on man's relationship with flight.

The plans will allow RAF Duxford - already one of Europe's main aviation heritage centres - to compete with the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, which houses the original Wright Brothers' 1903 Flyer and the Apollo 11 command module.

Duxford director Ted Inman said: "Obviously their museum is the best attraction but ours is getting there, and we have a runway and actual historic aircraft flying that they don't."

As yet Britain has nothing to compete with America's space memorabilia, but what it does have, finally, is the money for Duxford.

Some £9 million is coming from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £5 million from BAE Systems, Britain's largest aircraft manufacturer. The Imperial War Museum will raise the rest. Work is expected to begin in September next year and to be completed by 2005.

The Air Space project will take the original No 1 hangar as its base, but almost double its size so the number of aircraft it can display will increase from 17 to 31 by strengthening the roof from which exhibits hang.

There will also be an enclosed conservation area for visitors to see restoration work and more exhibition, education and conference areas.

BAE Systems is giving its entire aviation heritage work fund of £1 million a year for the next five years to the Air Space. "We looked at a number of potential sites at which to focus our heritage activity and our selection of Duxford is recognition that they are leaders in this field," said Sir Richard Evans, BAE Systems chairman.

Duxford's rise is, however, at some cost to other aviation museums. The RAF Museum in Hendon, for example, is struggling for visitors and cash, as is the Shuttleworth Collection in Bedfordshire. What Duxford is trying to do, according to Mr Inman, is move away from traditional concepts of aviation presentation to themes of society engaged with technology, industry and environment.