Imperial War Museum North

Key Facts

The Imperial War Museum recently opened a new display centre, known as IWM North, in Manchester. The new location is an offshoot of the main museum in London, rather than the aviation collection at Duxford, and portrays war in the 20th from a variety of angles. There are only five major objects in the museum – the main aviation exhibit is an AV-8A Harrier jump-jet. Elsewhere can be found a Russian T-34 tank, a Tabant car, a fire pump and a field gun. Six display areas host a range of smaller objects grouped by themes. The aluminium clad building also houses a viewing platform at 29m with spectacular views across the Manchester Ship Canal to Manchester city centre. In 2006 a new ‘Against the Odds’ exhibition opened, portraying the role of RAF Bomber Command in World War 2.

On the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, on Trafford Wharf Road, Trafford Park, Manchester. Signposted from the end of the M602. See this location on Microsoft Live Search Maps

Open seven days a week, 10.00 am until 6.00 pm, March to October; daily 10.00 am to 5.00 pm, November to February. Closed at Christmas and New Year.

Admission:

Free.

Amenities:

Restaurant, cafe and shop are open during Museum hours. The Museum has full disabled access.

The AV-8A is very poorly positioned for photography. (photo, Phillip Evans)

Imperial War Museum North, The Quays, Trafford Wharf, Trafford Park, Manchester, M17 1TZ. Telephone 0161 836 4000, Fax 0161 836 4012. Phone Info Line: 0161 836 4062. e-mail: info@iwmnorth.org.uk, website: www.iwm.org.uk/north.

Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Photographs 5

Spitfire Tr.IX ML407 (photo, Allan Barley)	MiG-17 1211 (photo, Allan Barley)
T-28A Fennec 517692 (photo, Allan Barley)	MiG-15UTI 6247 (photo, Allan Barley)
Hunter F.6 XF375 (photo, Allan Barley)	Hunter T.7 XL587 (photo, Allan Barley)
B-17G ’124485′ (photo, Allan Barley)	Hunter T.8C XJ615 (photo, Allan Barley)
Spitfire XVIII SM845 (photo, Allan Barley)	Harvard IIB 43 (photo, Allan Barley)

Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Photographs 4

Lockheed T-33A/N ’42161′ (photo, Allan Barley)	MS.505 Criquet ‘TA+RC’ (photo, Allan Barley)
T-28B Fennec 11 (photo, Allan Barley)	Spitfire Vb BM597 (photo, Allan Barley)
P-40M Warhawk G-KITT (photo, Allan Barley)	Gladiator II N5903 (photo, Allan Barley)
F7F-3P Tigercat 80425 (photo, Allan Barley)	F6F Hellcat ’19′ (photo, Allan Barley)
Hawker Nimrod I S1581 (photo, Allan Barley)	Harvard IIIB FE695 (photo, Allan Barley)
P-47D ’226671′ (photo, Allan Barley)	Spitfire V EP120 (photo, Allan Barley)
Spitfire XIV ‘MV268′ (photo, Allan Barley)	L-39ZO Albatros ’111′ (photo, Allan Barley)

More photos on the next page

Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Photographs 3

F-86A Sabre 48-0242 (photo, Allan Barley)	F-100D Super Sabre 42165 (photo, Allan Barley)
Proctor III LZ766 (photo, Allan Barley)	RE.8 F3556 (photo, Allan Barley)
J35A Draken 35075 (photo, Allan Barley)	Sunderland MR.5 ML796 (photo, Allan Barley)
SPAD XIII ‘S4513′ (photo, Allan Barley)	Varsity T.1 WJ945 (photo, Allan Barley)
Spitfire F.24 VN845 (photo, Allan Barley)	Lysander III ‘V9673′ (photo, Allan Barley)
Wessex HAS.1 XS863 (photo, Allan Barley)	Avro 504K ‘D8781′ (photo, Allan Barley)
Strikemaster OJ4 (photo, Allan Barley)	‘Blenhiem IV’ ‘L8841′ (photo, Allan Barley)

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Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Photographs 2

Hunter F.6A XE627 (photo, Allan Barley)	Buccaneer S.2B XV865 (photo, Allan Barley)
Hurricane IIa ‘Z2315′ (photo, Allan Barley)	Hurricane FSM ‘R4115′ (photo, Allan Barley)
Victor K.2P XH648 (photo, Allan Barley)	Lockheed SR-71 64-17962 (photo, Allan Barley)
Lockhed T-33A 14286 (photo, Allan Barley)	Lockheed U-2CT 66692 (photo, Allan Barley)
F-15A Eagle 76-0020 (photo, Allan Barley)	F-4J(UK) Phantom 155529 (photo, Allan Barley)
Bf 109G-2 ‘Black 6′ ** (photo, Allan Barley)	Mil Mi-24 Hind 96+21 (photo, Allan Barley)
A6M3 Zero 3685 (photo, Allan Barley)	B-25J Mitchell 31171 (photo, Allan Barley)

** Crashed 12 October 1997 and currently stored pending restoration to static condition.

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Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Photographs 1

BAC TSR-2 XR222 (photo, Allan Barley)	CASA 2-111 B2I-103 (photo, Allan Barley)
Cierva C.30A HM580 (photo, Allan Barley)	Dassault Mystere IVA 57 (photo, Allan Barley)
Mosquito TT.35 TA719 (photo, Allan Barley)	Sea Vixen FAW.2 XS576 (photo, Allan Barley)
Vampire T.11 WZ590 (photo, Allan Barley)	Meteor F.8 WK991 (photo, Allan Barley)
Lightning F.1 XM135 (photo, Allan Barley)	IA.58 Pucara A-549 (photo, Allan Barley)
Canberra B.2 WH725 (photo, Allan Barley)	TBM-3E Avenger ’46214′ (photo, Allan Barley)
Hastings C.1A TG528 (photo, Allan Barley)	Sea Hawk FB.5 WM969 (photo, Allan Barley)

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Imperial War Museum, Duxford

The American Air Museum, with glass front removed
for an aircraft reshuffle. (photo, Allan Barley)

Key Facts

What’s Here

The former Battle of Britain fighter airfield at Duxford is now home to one of the world’s largest collections of preserved military and civil aircraft. The military aircraft come from the Imperial War Museum’s extensive collection while the civil airliners belong to the Duxford Aviation Society. In addition, an increasing number of private warbird and vintage aircraft operators have chosen to base their aircraft at Duxford. These include the B-17 Flying Fortress ‘Sally B’, The Fighter Collection, Ray Hannah’s The Old Flying Machine Company, and the Aircraft Restoration Company/British Aerial Museum with restored and operated the well known Bristol Blenheim. Original World War I hangars stand in contrast to the new American Air Museum and it’s glass front wall. Elsewhere on site can be found the Land Warfare Exhibition for military vehicle enthusiasts, and a restored Battle of Britain Operations Room. Flying displays are held during the summer season and prove extremely popular, while pleasure flights are available on most weekends.

The former Parachute Regiment And Airborne Forces Museum at Aldershot moved here during 2008, under the name ‘Airborne Assault Duxford’.

Duxford Airfield, Junction 10 of the M11, south of Cambridge. Well signposted. See this location on Microsoft Live Search Maps

Daily 10.00 am to 6.00 pm, March to October; 10.00 am to 4.00 pm for the rest of the year. Last admission 45 minutes before closing. Closed December 24-26 and January 1.

See official website for details.

Amenities:

Toilets, Parking, Cafe, Picnic area, Souvenir shop, Pleasure flights, Access for the disabled.

Amiot AAC.1 ’1Z+NK’ (photo, Allan Barley)	Avro Lancaster X KB889 (photo, Allan Barley)
Avro Vulcan B.2 XJ824 (photo, Allan Barley)	BAC Strikemaster 80 1133 (photo, Allan Barley)

* Also known as British Aerial Museum.
** Under rebuild/restoration.
%% Not assembled – pod and wings in separate buildings.
$ Not on public display.

Notes: Messerschmitt Me 163B-1 Komet 191660 has been sold in the USA. SAAB Draken 35075 has been loaned to the Dumfries & Galloway Museum. TFC’s Curtiss TP-40M Warhawk ’49′ G-KITT, Bucker Bu 133C Jungmeister ‘LG+01′ [G-AYSJ] and Hawker Hurricane IV KZ321 [G-HURY] have been sold. Viscount nose G-OPAS has moved to the Bournemouth Aviation Museum. P-47D ’226671′ and F7F-3P 80425 have been sold in the USA. Bristol F.2b D8084 has moved to New Zealand. Spitfire LF.XVIe TE184 and Spitfire XIVe RN201 have been sold. Firefly FR.1 SE-CAU has gone to the Netherlands. Chipmunk T.10 WB569 [G-BYSJ) has moved to Kemble. Mystere IVA 57 has returned to the USA. Lockheed T-33A/N Silver Star G-TBRD/'21261'/'42161' was written off after a crash in September 2006. MiG-15 3794 has moved to the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum. Spitfire Vc JG891 [G-LFVC] has gone to the USA.

Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Cambs, CB22 4QR. Tel: 01223 835000, Fax: 01223 837267, e-mail: duxford@iwm.org.uk, Official Website.

More photos on the next few pages…