Andy Goff makes another of his rare trips out of the house…
The question was; what to do on a dank Sunday in February for a day out without spending loads of dosh?
And here’s the answer: A trip to RAF Museum Cosford.
A short trip along the M6 and M54 to the north of Wolverhampton – Junction 3 – and follow the signs.
Set alongside the existing RAF Station, it occupies a wide-open position of many acres where some exhibits, for which there is currently no indoor space available, can be seen.
Entry is free and car parking is a bargain at £2.50 or £3.50 for long stays.
There’s a ride in a simulator – we chose a quick buzz round Berlin’s Schonefeld airfield in the back seat of a Eurofighter – and a 4D experience, which is multi-sensory. This includes being squirted with water, shaken about and smoke billowing around as you experience high-speed flight through canyons and over mountaintops. In half-term week this costs £5.99 each person for both rides.
The exhibitions are truly awesome. Getting up close to a Vulcan bomber, for example, or a WWII Avro Lincoln – developed from the more famous Lancaster – gives you a sense of size that’s not possible when seen from a distance.
There’s a Polaris missile – sans nuclear warheads, Spitfires (including James May’s 1:1 airfix model), helicopters, tanks, uniforms, memorabilia, jet engines, cut-away models, a well stocked gift shop, cafés and interesting science-based fun things.
Of course, there’s lots of history and explanation. It would be easy to spend an entire day there and possibly not see everything.
All round, a top value venue and one well worth taking the time to visit.