The Birmingham Press

Get out more: A visit to RAF Cosford

Birth of the Royal Air Force - at RAF Musuem Cosford

Birth of the Royal Air Force - at RAF Musuem Cosford

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.

 

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