Farnborough and Aldershot military museums

[rog8811]

I had a day out today with mrs rog, it was going to be Arborfield until I noticed it would not be open on a Saturday:embarrassed:

 

Farnborough first

http://www.airsciences.org.uk/museum.html

Free to enter with a small carpark. Both mrs rog and I are engineers and the r&d models and prototypes were of great interest, lots of cut away engines, bits of concords, comet TSR2.....Look out also for the fantastic photo of the saunders roe princess flying boat over Farnborough (my all time favourite airoplane).

Outside are a number of planes including a harrier, you can peer into the cockpit of this one.

 

There is the Bill Cody exhibition in a separate building with a fine full size replica of his number 1a flyer. The volunteers were very helpful and chatty... in fact too chatty when a visitor is trying to indicate that they want to move on....

At the moment there is an exhibition on the luftwaffe planes brought back to Farnborough for testing after the war, shame more of them didn't survive.

 

No cafe or drink making facility that we could find... and the restaraunt across the road smells wonderful:-)

Time spent there an hour.

 

Just a few minutes down the road is Aldershot Military Museum

http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=37

 

Part of an old barracks, there is ample parking.. I siddled up to the chieftain with my car.

£2.50 entry fee with self service coffee and tea facility.

 

Again a small museum, which we had to ourselves, indoors are some local history bits as well as military stuff.

 

There are a number of vehicles dotted around that can be appoached. Saladin,saracen ,humber pig, LR piglet and more. What did dissapoint was that a number of the vehicles were under wraps and could not be viewed, these included the challenger, stalwart, bedford RL and ferret.

We spent a pleasant hour and a half including a coffee and flapjack break.

 

Both museums are well worth a visit and can easily be done in the space of 3 hours.

 

Regards rog8811

Edited September 5, 2010 by rog8811

[Nick Johns]

Within a few miles is also the Royal Logistics corp museum at Deepcut

Edited September 5, 2010 by Nick Johns

[simonsfotos]

Thanks for the comments on the FAST Museum. I was the editor of their magazine (now ceased due to costs unfortunately) and have seen the museum rise from very humble beginnings -bits rescured from skips as the RAE was demolished - through some very hard times to the success it has now become. One thing about the inside displays is that these are constantly changing as there is only the space to display a minute portion of the actual collection. Pay a visit every few months or so and you will always find something new! The museum website that you have given the link for usually has details of new exhibitions as they come along.

 

The thing with the volunteers is all down to their enthusiasm. Most if not all the guides are ex-RAE and carry a wealth of knowledge in their heads! As the RAE was a VERY secret establishment, for years noone would talk about what went on there. It is only in the last few years, since FAST was founded and through a lot of cajoling that their stories are now being brought into the open. Now they love talking about it! I do know what you mean though as sometimes when I visit museums, I want to make my way around in my own time.