Museum of Flight offers chance to see behind the scenes

The National Museum of Flight is offering visitors a unique opportunity to learn about the work of its aviation conservation team, as part of a series of new tours of the Conservation Hangar at the East Lothian attraction.

Much of the museum’s conservation work takes place in the hangar, built in 1941 when East Fortune was a wartime airbase.

The hangar is normally closed to the public but, as part of the new tours, visitors can see inside, hear about the processes involved in conserving and maintaining the collections, and view aircraft and objects not currently on general display.

Steve McLean, general manager at the museum, said: “The new tours offer a unique insight into the specialised work carried out by our conservation team as they preserve and maintain our collections and help us to tell the story of flight and our rich aviation heritage.

“We’re looking forward to sharing this with visitors and to showing them some of the amazing aircraft and objects not normally on display, each of which has a remarkable history and provides a fascinating way to learn about our past.”

Ian Brown, National Museum of Flight curator, is encouraging people to see behind the scenes at the National Museum of Flight. Image: Stewart Attwood

The vast size of the hangar reflects the scale of the objects that the conservation team work on and visitors will learn about the unique challenges that this can present.

They will discover how aircraft and objects are prepared to tell a story and hear about the detective work that is sometimes required to source decades-old maintenance manuals and spare parts from across the globe.

Visitors will also learn about the logistical challenges presented by the size and weight of objects such as the Polaris missile whose 12.6 tonne weight requires special rails to prevent it going through the concrete floor.

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There is also a chance to discover how the team maintains the 1963 Avro Vulcan bomber, the 1952 de Havilland Comet and the 1968 British Airways BAC-11 that form part of the museum’s outdoor aviation displays.

Forthcoming work on the Comet’s windows will involve the innovative use of space hoppers to seal the space while restoration takes place.

Objects from the Cold War era can also be viewed during the tour, including the 24m Blue Streak intermediate-range ballistic missile, destined to be part of the UK’s nuclear deterrent programme but cancelled before it went into operation, and an air-to-surface Blue Steel missile.

Ian Brown, National Museum of Flight curator, is encouraging people to see behind the scenes at the National Museum of Flight. Image: Stewart Attwood

The front section of an imposing Nimrod patrol aircraft is also on view, along with a 1952 Vickers Viscount, the world’s first turboprop jet airliner with an interior that features an elasticated string hat rack instead of overhead lockers.

Spaces on the National Museum of Flight’s Conservation Hangar tours are limited and can be booked via the National Museums Scotland website or on-site.

For more information, go to nms.ac.uk/flight