Museums – Lee J. Russell, Author

A Visit to East Midlands AeroPark – 19/5/24…

At the start of a short holiday break, I enjoyed a visit to the “East Midlands AeroPark” at Castle Donington, located right next to East Midlands Airport. They have a small but good collection of (often later-mark) Cold War era jets, mostly in reasonably good condition despite being kept outdoors. I had not previously seenContinue reading “A Visit to East Midlands AeroPark – 19/5/24…”

A visit to IWM Duxford…

Completing my tour of the “big ticket” UK aircraft museums, I visited the Imperial War Museum’s (IWM) display at Duxford this weekend. The site presents both flying aircraft and static exhibits (mostly in hangars). It has a strong sense of being focussed on WW2 aircraft, although there are some Cold War military and passenger jetsContinue reading “A visit to IWM Duxford…”

Two Jubilee Cold War visits…

This Jubilee weekend I ticked off two small entries on my UK Cold War bucket list. First up was a visit to the National Cold War Museum at RAF Cosford, just north of Birmingham. I had been itching to see this exhibition ever since I’d visited the RAF Museum at Hendon in 2019. Hendon isContinue reading “Two Jubilee Cold War visits…”

I recently visited the RAF Museum near Watford, London…

from my original blog on 14/9/19: The RAF Museum near Watford, London, is an understated gem. Entrance is free (parking cost £5) but the range of aircraft on display is extraordinary! I found out about the museum when looking up places to visit to learn more about the UK’s Cold War history. This site isContinue reading “I recently visited the RAF Museum near Watford, London…”

I had a real “boy’s own” moment while on holiday and sat in the cockpit of a Vulcan bomber!

from my original blog on 7/7/19: This summer I achieved the dream of sitting inside the cockpit of a Vulcan bomber… and wow, what an experience! Let’s be clear, the Vulcan’s initial purpose was to deliver the Blue Danube fission bomb (yield 10-12 kt, similar to the Hiroshima bomb) against targets in the Soviet Union.Continue reading “I had a real “boy’s own” moment while on holiday and sat in the cockpit of a Vulcan bomber!”