ATC/CCF First Class Cadets. First Class Cadet Activity

Transcription

1 First Class Cadet Activity 1

2 Milestones of Flight ENTRANCE AND FIRST FLOOR RAF History Which two flying forces joined to form the Royal Air Force in 1918? Why was the Union Jack not used as an identification sign for British military aircraft? Early Flight The first ever manned flight took place in 1783 by balloon. Above you can see a balloon basket and the crew compartment from an early airship. What important military role did lighter than air craft like these serve? What was the Blériot XI famous for? Find the Eurofighter Typhoon, currently the RAF s foremost aircraft. Which European countries collaborated over the development of the Typhoon? You can find descriptions of what each aircraft is like to fly using the gallery touchscreens. What specialist equipment must be worn by a Typhoon pilot and why? Head to the Ground Floor. 2

3 Milestones of Flight GROUND FLOOR Find the RAF s latest acquisition, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. What will this 5 th generation aircraft be known as in UK service? What year is it scheduled to come into service in the UK on Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers? The BAE Harrier was the first jet fighter capable of vertical take-off and landing. The Harrier GR3 next to the F-35 could similarly perform VTOL, but what was its main limitation in terms of performance? Now find the Junkers Jumo 004 Turbojet Engine. In what aircraft was this test-flown and what milestone of flight did this represent? Look at the Timeline; it shows important events in the history of flight and aerial warfare. In what year was the first airstrike from a naval Aircraft Carrier? The second person to fly across the Atlantic was a woman. What was her name? What was the first jet powered airliner called? Exit the Milestones of Flight Hall. Walk through the tunnel to the Bomber Command Hall. 3

4 Bomber Command Hall Turn right and find the Handley Page Halifax. Four Halifaxes and one Lancaster were lost during this raid. Read their story of survival on the information board. Approach the Lancaster Bomber. What did the Lancaster have in common with the Spitfire? How many people were employed to build, fly and maintain the Lancaster? What was the key weakness of the Lancaster, which planes like the Me110 could exploit? Turn left to find the Boeing B17G. What job was the B17, nicknamed the Flying Fortress, designed to do? What unusual job did the Museum s B17 have at the end of its flying career? Head to the Avro Vulcan and appreciate its enormity. It is the largest bomber ever used by the RAF. This aircraft was one of the three V-force bombers used by the RAF during the Cold War. Name the other two. In what conflict was air to air refuelling used to increase the Vulcan s range? Exit the Bomber Command Hall and continue to the Wings Over Water Section. 4

5 Historic Hangars WINGS OVER WATER This is the Pembroke Dock Memorial Window. It commemorates aircrew flying from this station that lost their lives during the Second World War. There are six squadrons represented on this memorial. What are they? Are they all RAF Squadrons? If not, which other Air Forces are represented? Turn around to the Tornado and turn right. Find the ejector seat display. Why was the ejector seat such an important invention? Continue to the RAF s first truly supersonic aircraft, the BAC Lightning F6. It has two turbojet engines, one on top of the other, in the tail of the aircraft. This allowed it to travel supersonic. How fast could it fly? Exit Historic Hangars and continue to the Battle of Britain Hall. 5

6 Battle of Britain Hall Walk amongst the historical characters. Take in the atmosphere of life at the Home Front in both Britain and Germany during the Second World War. Continue toa the Battle of Britain aircraft. What was the de Havilland Tiger Moth primarily used for? What is special about the RAF Museum's Boulton Paul Defiant? Continue to the British fighter aircraft, the Spitfire and the Hurricane. Where was the Spitfire Mk 1 prototype first flown? Why do many believe the Hurricane should be more highly credited than the Spitfire? Turn to the Luftwaffe s aircraft, formidable foes that seemed destined to gain air superiority over the RAF and Great Britain in the summer of In what country did the He111 and the Me109 first see combat action? Continue past the Me110, the Junkers Stuka dive bombers and up the stairs towards the Short Sunderland flying boat. This is the largest aircraft in the entire museum, even larger than the Avro Vulcan. What nickname did the Germans give the Sunderland? What operations did the Short Sunderland flying boat partake in after the Second World War? 6