Guest: Darren Priday, Manager of the RAF Museum’s Conservation Centre

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 11th of July 2023

Published: 18th of November 2023

Duration: 46 minutes, 39 seconds

In this episode Dave Homewood visited the terrific Royal Air Force Museum Midlands, at RAF Cosford, with friend Nigel Hitchman, and he met the Manager of the RAF Museum’s Conservation Centre, Darren Priday.

Darren talks about the museum at Cosford, recent restorations such as the Vickers Wellington now on display at Cosford and the Handley Page Hampden that he is still working on and was about to head soon to display at Hendon.

He covers the recovery of the Dornier 17 ten years before, and how they have been conserving it and preparing it for display. And he talks about the techniques they have used and developed to preserve aircraft recovered from the sea. He gives a teaser for another sea recovery project that does not involve the RAF Museum, but he is advising on.

He addresses the problem of having several aircraft outside in the weather, and plans for a new building in the future. And gives a good general overview of the museum.

Quick Links:

•  The RAF Museum Midlands Website

•  The RAF Museum Website

• The RAF Museum on Facebook

Above: Darren Priday, Manager of the RAF Museum’s Conservation Centre, with the Vickers Wellington

Thanks to Nigel Hitchman for making this episode possible.

The music in this episode is I Vow To Thee, My Country by Gustav Holst.