Royal Air Force Museum Cosford – England


Spitfire F Mk. 1a (155th Spitfire built) and Hurricane Mk. IIC - RAF Museum Cosford
WW2 icons – the Spitfire F Mk. 1a (155th Spitfire built) and Hurricane Mk. IIC – RAF Museum Cosford

History

RAF Cosford started as an aircraft maintenance and storage unit. The Royal Air Force trained units at Cosford in the Number 2 school of Technical Training. As training was the main objective they assembled Spitfires during the Second World War and Horsa troop gliders. The latter were used during the invasion of France and the Battle for Arnhem. A large Hospital was built on the site in 1940. Cosford also had a major role in the repatriation of prisoners of war at the end of the war. It remained operational until 1976-1977 instead of the planned 10 years.

Messerschmitt Bf 109
A German Messerschmitt Bf 109 – another iconic fighter plane of WW2

Cosford grain house

The name Cosford comes from a building named “Cosford grain house” on the edge of the airfield. Usually the name of a town or landmark nearby was given to an RAF base but the nearby army base Donnington already used the name Donnington, so it would be confusing to use the same name twice.
The grass tip was replaced by a paved runway after Vickers Wellingtons and Avro Ansons turned it into a mud pool during a bad winter in the early war years.

Focke-Wulf Fw 190
Focke-Wulf Fw 190 – RAF Museum Cosford

Use during WW2

A unit of free Czechoslovakian airmen were stationed here after the fall of France. They joined the RAF which was in dire need of pilots for the defense of Britain.
No.12 Ferry Pool, a branch of the Air Transport Auxiliary, was stationed on the Cosford airfield. It ferried newly assembled Spitfires from the base and returned with damaged bombers and fighters. These transports were often flown by women.

Avro Lincoln Type 694
Avro Lincoln Type 694 – RAF Museum Cosford

After WW2

After WW2 Cosford stayed in use by the RAF for many years, in fact the site is still in use by the training school and the air ambulances. Important for us is that is it has the Royal Air Force museum.
This museum has a large collection of WW2 planes, fighters and bombers, a massive set of German rockets and glider bombs from the Second World War and an extensive set of airplane engines. The collection also includes some Japanese warplanes which are quite unique for European museums. Next to the WW2 area there is a Cold War selection and more.

The museum has the annual Cosford Air show which is quite famous. Around 50.000 aircraft lovers attend the spectacle every year.

Messerschmitt Me 163
Messerschmitt Me 163 – RAF Museum Cosford
Messerschmitt Me 163 Landing Sled
Messerschmitt Me 163 Landing Sled
Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet
Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet – RAF Museum Cosford

Japanese War Planes

Unique for a European museum are the three Japanese war planes in the RAF museum Cosford. There are not that many museums to have them on display, so this was an excellent visit for us.

Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinah

Germany reluctantly tried to get the manufacturing rights for this successful high altitude reconnaissance aircraft which had it’s first maiden flight in 1939. It had a few upgrades in engines to keep the speed as high as possible and in 1942 it could reach a top speed of 630 km/h or 391mph at 6000m / 19,700ft. The Dinah in the RAF museum is the only surviving Mitsubishi Ki-46.

Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinah frontal
Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinah frontal – RAF Museum Cosford

More information about the Mitsubishi K-46 Dinah

Kawasaki Ki-100

The Kawasaki Ki-100 was one of the best fighter planes of the Imperial Japanese Air Force. On display at our visit is the Kawasaki Ki100-1b. It combines the Ki-61 frame with a Mitsubishi Ha-112 radial engine in stead of the original Kawasaki engine. The result was one of the best Japanese interceptors of the war with speed and maneuverability. I was produced in 1945 as high altitude fighter and took on the challenge against the B29 Superfortress bombers, even without supercharger it was an awesome opponent. The last surviving plane is in the RAF museum Cosford.

Kawasaki Ki-100 – photo 2017

More information about the Kawasaki Ki-100

Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka

The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka, which name means “Cherry Blossom”, was a manned V1 flying bomb. It was flown toward it target under a Japanese bomber type Mitsubishi G4M2, known to the Allied as “Betty”. After release the pilot was on a kamikaze flight towards it target. The Allies named the Okha “Baka” which means “fool”.

Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka
Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka – RAF Museum Cosford

More information about the Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka

Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse

The Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse or Hornet is one of only two surviving aircrafts in the world, the other one is in the Smithsonian in America and is not on display (in 2020).

Messerschmitt Me 410
Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse – RAF Museum Cosford
Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse
Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse – RAF Museum Cosford

Junkers Ju 88-G1

The Junkers Ju 88-G1 is from 1942 and is one of two complete surviving Junkers 88 in the world, from the more than 15,000 built.

Junkers Ju 88 R-1
Junkers Ju 88 R-1 – RAF Museum Cosford
Junkers Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88 cockpit
Detail of the Junkers Ju 88 cockpit

Rockets and Aircraft Engines

The RAF Cosford museum has an extensive collection of German Rockets from the Second World War and airplane engines from the same period.

Twin Wasp -used in Dougas DC 3 and B24 Liberator
Twin Wasp -used in Dougas DC 3 and B24 Liberator
Nakajima - used in Mitsubishi A6M5 Zeke and Nakajima B5N2 Kate
Nakajima – used in Mitsubishi A6M5 Zeke and Nakajima B5N2 Kate
Overview with Hs 293 - BV 246 Hagelkorn - Hs 298 - V1 - Taifun - Enzian
Overview with Hs 293 – BV 246 Hagelkorn – Hs 298 – V1 – Taifun – Enzian
Fritz X Ruhrstahl SD 1440
Fritz X Ruhrstahl SD 1440 – RAF Museum Cosford
Enzian – surface to air anti aircraft missile
Messerschmitt Enzian – surface to air anti aircraft missile at Cosford, UK
Taifun (Typhoon) – anti-aircraft unguided rocket
Taifun (Typhoon) – anti-aircraft unguided rocket

German missiles on display

A list of German missiles in the collection of RAF Museum Cosford:

In order of appearance (see movie below)
Ruhrstahl Kramer X4 – a wire guided air-to-air missile
Feuerlilie F55 – a remote-controlled 2-stage supersonic missile
Rheinbote – a short range ballistic rocket
– Rheintochter R3 – a surface-to-air missile
Wasserfall – a guided supersonic surface-to-air missile
Feuerlilie F25 – a anti-aircraft missiles, a remote-controlled rocket
– V2 rocket – the world’s first long-range guided ballistic missile
Messerschmitt Enzian – a surface-to-air anti-aircraft missile
Fieseler Fi 103 V1 – an early cruise missile with a pulsejet propulsion
Taifun (Typhoon) – an anti-aircraft unguided rocket system
Henschel Hs 298 – rocket-powered air-to-air missile
BV 246 Hagelkorn (Hailstone) – a guided glide bomb
Henschel HS 117 Schmetterling (butterfly) – a radio-guided German surface-to-air missile
Henschel Hs 293 -anti-ship radio controlled glide bomb with rocket
– Fritz X Ruhrstahl SD 1440 – a guided anti-ship glide bomb (first to sink a ship)

Visit

There is lots more to see in the museum, take time to wander around, half a day should be enough. For opening times and an overview of the planes on display visit the website.
It shows the other location in London as well, so do not get confused because you can otherwise end up at the wrong location.



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3 thoughts on “Royal Air Force Museum Cosford – England

Mark Henseler on

Excellent article. I knew about Cosford, but did not know it had some many German and Japanese WW2 planes. So now, after the Covid-19 lockdown, I must make time to visit RAF Cosford museum.

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