RAF Museum Hendon or IWM Duxford?

[Tommy20]

Setting aside some time on our next visit to London to head out to one of the museums in the subject line. To those of you who have been to both, which would you recommend; the Royal Air Force Museum London (Hendon) or the Imperial War Museum Duxford?

[Jemima Fawr]

As good as the RAF Museum is, Duxford has MUCH more, including the Land Warfare Hall, several hangars (including active aircraft restorations), the superb American Hall and a fully-active airfield which invariably has something interesting flying from the dozens of vintage aircraft based there, in addition to the main museum hall itself.  So if it's a choice between the two, Duxford wins hands-down. 

However, Hendon is free to enter (though a gentleman such as yourself would of course give a generous donation...) while there is a charge for Duxford.  You'll also need to hire a car to get to Duxford, which is a couple of hours up the motorway from central London.  Hendon can be easily reached on the Tube (Northern Line Edgware direction - stay on the train at Hendon Central and get off at Colindale, or you'll be in for a long walk!

[Tommy20]

That's exactly the kind of insight I'm looking for, thanks!  We'll be doing a lot of travelling via railcard, so Duxford would be via train unless you think that would be a mistake.

[Vanvlak]

I've only been to Duxford, so I shouldn't comment, but I've been to Duxford twice and still have not seen all there is - it is definitely well worth a visit, and even has a section on armoured fighting vehicles (which I have not seen yet). I also loved the restoration hanger, where you see work in progress.
That said, I would love to see Hendon on a future trip to England.

Getting there: there are two train stations nearby, Royston and another I cannot remember the name of; one of these is within c. 20 minutes walking distance; the other is more distant, and a bus or taxi would be needed. The Duxford site lists these.

[Gibby]

I don't think you'll regret choosing Duxford. It even has 1:1 dioramas!



I very much enjoyed my visit there and would love to go again!

[Captain Darling]

I’ve been to both and both are equally good to visit.

It all depends on how much time you can budget and what you want to see.

For me:

Hendon is planes only, free and easy to access by tube if you’re going to be based in London. i thought it was great!

Duxford has the bonus of land and air displays (as above it has an entry fee) but is a hike from London (mind you being from Australia it’s but a stones throw away ). I actually stayed in Cambridge for three days covered Cambridge, Duxford and Bletchley Park then continued my trip.

If you have enough time do both!

[Ultravanillasmurf]

I have not been to Hendon (seen it on the train though).

There is a lot to see at Duxford (I spent a lot of time in the Land Warfare hall).

There is also a "Furry"* T34 at Duxford.


* - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furry_fandom

[Harry Faversham]

There's a railway station at Duxford village, and a bus service from Cambridge.
Now do you want the the clincher, course you do....
If you turn up at Duxford there's a fair chance of a Spitfire, Hurricane, Me109, Mustang, Thunderbolt or B17 gracing the skies above you. All these Warbirds and more roost there, and if one or more's up for flight test, that's worth the admission fee on it's own.

[Arrigo]

both are excellent, Duxford is bigger, and the American section is stunning (SR-71 and B-52D, the BUFF is a combat veteran from Linebacker 2). Duxford has chances to get real stuff doing real flying (I saw an Hellcat... who need crappy inline engine euroweenie fighters when you can get real Pacific tested radial ones? and a Chinook doing a very low passage on the runway).

I took students to Hendon (easier to get in if you are based in London, just take the Northern Line to Colingdale).

Duxford could be done by train+ local bus (you drop off at Cambridge and take the bus from there) there is also a closer station on a secondary line in walking range (okay my own walking range so it is a subjective thing, I use to walk from Newark to Partizan, both Kelham Hall and the show grounds... so maybe I am just crazy...). Still the big thing is time, set aside a whole day for Duxford much less for Hendon, basically due to shorter commuting.

Hendon has some really good highlights. The WW1 hall is pretty good with very rare planes (and the building itself is dating from WW1). World War 2 is well covered (Lancaster, Halifax, B-17 and the whole Battle of Britain experience) and there are some interesting things you do not see easily in other places:

Fiat CR 42 (according to the serial number my grandad trained in it before the plane was allocated to the Regia Aeronautica expeditionary force against Britain), Ju-88G, Bf-110 and Ju-87. you can get inside the  a Short Sunderland too...

Modern is well covered, from Meteor to Eurofighter. They have also a Me 262, Salamander and other rare stuff.

Duxford has a better coverage of naval aircraft too... Corsair, Hellcat, and even a Skyraider!

[Jemima Fawr]

I forgot to add that it's worth checking out the websites to check for special event days, which would add extra interest, but might also attract an extra charge and a lot more time hassle getting in, thus requiring an earlier start.

Re Arrigo's last post - Hendon recently broke up the collection in the Battle of Britain Hall, which caused much gnashing and wailing of teeth.  I don't know the details, but apparently part of that collection has been dispersed, put into storage and/or sold off.  I haven't been there since that happened, so I've no idea what is still there from that hall (someone said that the Ju-87 and CR-42 had gone, but I don't know if that's true).

[Bindonblood]

I last went to Hendon in the mid 70s and thought it was fantastic.  However I understand that part of the collection is now at another sight in the West Midlands. I am not sure how much has moved. 

Like everyone else, I think Duxford is brilliant. Steven has a TSR1 made out of all the leftovers...

[Jemima Fawr]

I last went to Hendon in the mid 70s and thought it was fantastic.  However I understand that part of the collection is now at another sight in the West Midlands. I am not sure how much has moved. 

Like everyone else, I think Duxford is brilliant. Steven has a TSR1 made out of all the leftovers...

The old RAF Cosford Air Museum near Wolverhampton has now become a branch of the main RAF Museum, so there has been some sharing of the exhibits.  Cosford is mainly geared toward the Cold War, though there is a smattering of WW2 and other period pieces.  Both museums have also absorbed the old museum collection at RAF St Athan, which included a lot of captured German aircraft and aerial weapons such as guided missiles and bombs which were sent to St Athan for testing and evaluation during the war, as well as a few other small museum collections and gate-guardians previously 'owned' by individual RAF Stations.  The RAF Museum at Cosford is also excellent.

[has.been]

Duxford!
As well as everything already mentioned,
a V1 on launch ramp, use of the old buildings AND
it all impressed my wife, who had agreed to go with me.
From the old (a tiny interwar airliner that carried passangers across the Atlantic
and was made from wood & canvas) up to the 'new' (a Blackbird in the
American hanger, that only had a crew. "but it is enormous! she said.)

[MartinR]

Hendon is good if you just want an aircraft museum, Duxford is excellent if you want a working airfield packed not only with museum exhibits but also flying vintage aircraft, as well as a large land warfare exhibition.

Id recommend a flight in a Tiger Moth.

Duxford is, as noted, not in London at all but near Cambridge.

[Arrigo]

The BoB collection is still there in Hendon, just broken up in different Hangars. There is no more the BoB hall as before, they moved stuff around. By the way the museum changed alot after the 70s, some displays wwere moved to Cosford yes, but other were added.

Missing stuff: the Defiant is gone to Cosford as the Ju-88,  the 262,  the 109G and the Ki100.

As a note of caution: few days ago hangar 6 was flooded and it is currently closed.

Caveat: I have yet to see the new arrangement, but I checked up to date infos