View source for Imperial War Museum Duxford

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{short description|Aviation museum in Cambridgeshire, England}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox museum
| name               = Imperial War Museum Duxford
| logo               = 
| image              = Imperialwarmuseumduxfordairspacecrop.jpg
| alt                = 
| caption            = The AirSpace exhibition hall at Imperial War Museum Duxford (October 2009)
| map_type           = Cambridgeshire
| coordinates        = {{coord|52|05|35|N|0|07|46|E|region:GB_type:landmark_source:dewiki|display=inline,title}}
| former_name        = 
| established        = {{start date|1977|df=y}}
| dissolved          = <!-- {{end date|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} -->
| location           = Imperial War Museum Duxford<br/>[[Cambridgeshire]]<br/>[[Cambridge postcode area|CB22 4QR]]<br/>United Kingdom
| type               = [[Aviation museum]]
| visitors           = 401,287 (2019)<ref name="ALVA 2019 visitor numbers">{{cite web |title=ALVA - Association of Leading Visitor Attractions |url=https://www.alva.org.uk/details.cfm?p=423 |website=www.alva.org.uk |access-date=27 October 2020}}</ref>
| founder            = 
| director           = 
| president          = 
| curator            = 
| publictransit      = {{rail-interchange|gb|rail}} [[Whittlesford Parkway railway station|Whittlesford Parkway]]
| website            = {{Official URL}}
| network            = IWM
}}

'''Imperial War Museum Duxford''', also known as '''IWM Duxford''' or simply '''Duxford''', is a branch of the [[Imperial War Museum]] near [[Duxford]] in [[Cambridgeshire]], England. Duxford, Britain's largest [[aviation museum]],<ref name=Holt/> houses exhibits, including nearly 200 [[aircraft]], military vehicles, artillery and small naval vessels in seven main exhibition buildings.<ref name=A&V>For a list of aircraft, vehicles and boats at Duxford, see {{cite web |date=June 2008 |url=http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/upload/pdf/AircraftandVehicles.pdf |title=IWM Duxford: Aircraft and Vehicles |publisher=Imperial War Museum |access-date=26 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804174610/http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/upload/pdf/AircraftandVehicles.pdf |archive-date=4 August 2009 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> The site also provides storage space for the museum's [[Imperial War Museum#Collections|other collections]] of material such as film, photographs, documents, books and artefacts. The site accommodates several [[British Army]] regimental museums, including those of the [[Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)|Parachute Regiment]] (named ''[[Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces Museum|Airborne Assault]]'') and the [[Royal Anglian Regiment]].

Based on the historic [[Duxford Aerodrome]], the site was originally operated by the [[Royal Flying Corps]] in the [[First World War]].<ref>{{cite web |title=About IWM Duxford |url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/iwm-duxford/about}}</ref> During the [[Second World War]], Duxford played a prominent role during the [[Battle of Britain]] and was used by [[United States Army Air Forces]] fighter units in support of the [[Strategic bombing during World War II#US bombing in Europe|daylight bombing]] of Germany. Duxford remained an active RAF airfield until 1961. After the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] declared the site surplus to requirements in 1969, the Imperial War Museum received permission to use part of the site for storage. The entirety of the site was transferred to the museum in February 1976.

In keeping with the site's history, many of Duxford's original buildings, such as [[hangar]]s used during the Battle of Britain, are still in use. Many of these buildings are of particular architectural or historic significance and over thirty have [[listed building]] status,<ref name=IWMDhistoric>Imperial War Museum Duxford (2009) [http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.5713 Historic Duxford] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091001151237/http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.5713 |date=1 October 2009 }}. Retrieved 15 September 2009.</ref> with Duxford reflecting two periods of development in both WW1 and the 1930s.<ref name=Lammy>[[Department for Culture, Media and Sport]] (2 December 2005) 'Chocks away! [[David Lammy]] secures a future for the aviation sites that protected our past' [http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/media_releases/2943.aspx Press Release] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090408044539/http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/media_releases/2943.aspx |date=8 April 2009 }}. Retrieved 14 September 2009.</ref> The site also features several purpose-built exhibition buildings, such as the [[Stirling Prize]]-winning American Air Museum, designed by [[Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank|Sir Norman Foster]]. The site remains an active airfield and is used by civilian flying companies, and hosts regular [[air show]]s. The site is operated in partnership with [[Cambridgeshire County Council]] and the Duxford Aviation Society, a charity formed in 1975 to preserve [[civil aircraft]] and promote appreciation of British civil aviation history.

==History==
{{main|Imperial War Museum}}

The Imperial War Museum originated during the First World War in 1917 as the National War Museum committee, formed by the British government to record the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and [[British Empire|her Empire]]. The museum opened in 1920, by which point it had been renamed the ''Imperial'' War Museum.<ref>{{citation|jstor=260869|title=Museum as Memorial: The Origins of the Imperial War Museum|journal=Journal of Contemporary History|volume=23|issue=1|pages=77–97|last1=Kavanagh|first1=Gaynor|year=1988|doi=10.1177/002200948802300105|s2cid=159747045}}</ref> With the outbreak of the [[Second World War]], the museum's terms of reference were enlarged to include that conflict as well.<ref>'Imperial War Museum: Collection of war relics', ''The Times'' 14 May 1940 Issue 48615 Page 4 Column F</ref> The museum's terms of reference was broadened again in 1953 to include all modern conflicts in which British or [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces were engaged.<ref name="IWMLguide2">''Imperial War Museum London'' (guidebook), (London: Imperial War Museum, 2009) pp. 2 {{ISBN|978-1-904897-95-8}}</ref> The effect of these expansions of remit was to cause the museum's collections to expand enormously, to the point that many parts of the collection, especially those of aircraft, vehicles and artillery, could not be effectively stored or exhibited. Although the museum's south London home (a nineteenth-century building in [[Southwark]] which was previously the [[Bethlem Royal Hospital]]) had been extended in 1966, by the end of the decade the museum was seeking additional space.<ref name=Frankland>{{cite book | last = Frankland | first = Noble | title = History at War | publisher = Giles de la Mare | location = London | year = 1999 | isbn = 978-1-900357-10-4 | page = 205 }}</ref>

RAF Duxford, a [[Royal Air Force]] fighter station had been declared surplus to requirements by the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] in 1969, and the museum duly requested permission to use part of one of the airfield's hangars as temporary storage. Duxford featured three double bay hangars of First World War vintage, which together provided over {{convert|9000|m2}} of space. Within two years, ten of the museum's aircraft had been brought to Duxford, and were being restored by volunteers of the East Anglia Aviation Society. While the museum's own aircraft were not restored to flying condition, by cooperating with private groups the museum was able to mount its first airshow in 1973. Further air shows followed, with a display in June 1976 attracting an audience of 45,000 people. The runway was bought by [[Cambridgeshire County Council]] in 1977. The success of these shows provided a valuable source of revenue, and complemented the efforts of volunteers, so that the museum applied for the permanent transfer of the entire site to its use. Permission was received in February 1976 and Duxford became the first outstation of the Imperial War Museum. Initially open from March–October, Duxford received 167,000 visitors in the 1977 season, and 340,000 in 1978. Two million visitors had been received by 1982<ref>Frankland (1999) pg. 205–208.</ref> and Duxford welcomed its ten millionth visitor in August 2005.<ref>[http://www.nationalmuseums.org.uk/ National Museum Directors' Conference] (September 2005) [http://www.nationalmuseums.org.uk/media/documents/newsletters/newslettersep05.doc Newsletter] No.48. Retrieved 21 October 2009</ref>

In 2021, it was reported that the museum was considering loaning 50 land vehicles to the [[Pima Air & Space Museum]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Land Warfare Collection fears unwarranted, says IWM |url=http://www.keymilitary.com/article/land-warfare-collection-fears-unwarranted-says-iwm |access-date=9 July 2025 |work=KeyMilitary |date=23 February 2021}}</ref> In 2024, it announced that the Land Warfare Hall would be permanently closing.<ref>{{cite news |title=New experiences, exhibitions and facilities will help to shape future |url=http://www.pressreader.com/uk/cambridge-news/20240125/282200835792975 |access-date=9 July 2025 |work=Cambridge News |date=25 January 2024}}</ref> The museum began a major renovation of the AirSpace hangar in 2025. More than 100 aircraft are to be relocated as part of a plan to convert the space to a dedicated Cold War exhibition.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Aguiari |first1=Moreno |title=Transforming IWM Duxford: A New Era for Britain's Historic Airfield |url=http://www.vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-museum-news/transforming-iwm-duxford-a-new-era-for-britains-historic-airfield.html |access-date=9 July 2025 |work=Vintage Aviation News |date=20 February 2025}}</ref>

===Duxford aerodrome===
{{main|Duxford Aerodrome}}
[[File:SpitI19a.jpg|thumb|K9795, a Spitfire Mk I operated from Duxford by [[No. 19 Squadron RAF|No. 19 Squadron]] in 1938.]]

Duxford has been associated with British military aviation since 1917, when a site near the village of Duxford, in southern Cambridgeshire, was selected for a new [[Royal Flying Corps]] training aerodrome. From 1925 Duxford became a fighter airfield, a role it was to retain until the end of its operational life, and in August 1938 the Duxford-based [[No.19 Squadron RAF]] became the first to operate the [[Supermarine Spitfire]].<ref>Cheek, Tim (1998) 'Duxford: An unofficial history of one of the RAF's most distinguished airfields' [http://www.gdg18.dial.pipex.com/betweenwars.htm Between the wars] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081029160656/http://www.gdg18.dial.pipex.com/betweenwars.htm |date=29 October 2008 }}. Retrieved 2 September 2009.</ref><ref>Imperial War Museum Duxford [http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.647 History of Duxford:1918–1924] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826000834/http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.647 |date=26 August 2009 }}, [http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.648 1925–36] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505184848/http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.648 |date=5 May 2009 }} and [http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.649 1938–39] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505184853/http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.649 |date=5 May 2009 }}. Retrieved 2 September 2009.</ref><ref name=IWMD>Woolford and Warner (2008) ''Imperial War Museum Duxford'' (guidebook), London: Imperial War Museum {{ISBN|978-1-904897-72-9}} p.21-28</ref>
With the outbreak of war in September 1939 Duxford was home to three RAF squadrons engaged on coastal patrol duties. From July 1940, Duxford saw considerable action during the Battle of Britain as a sector station of [[RAF Fighter Command]]'s [[No. 12 Group RAF|No. 12 Group]]. In the middle years of the war Duxford was home to specialist units, such as the tacticians and engineers of the [[Air Fighting Development Unit]].<ref name=cheek39-42>Cheek, Tim (1998) 'Duxford: An unofficial history of one of the RAF's most distinguished airfields' [http://www.gdg18.dial.pipex.com/secondworldwar.htm Second World War] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081029030653/http://www.gdg18.dial.pipex.com/secondworldwar.htm |date=29 October 2008 }}. Retrieved 3 September 2009.</ref> In April 1942 the first [[Hawker Typhoon|Typhoon]] Wing was formed at Duxford. Notable among the pilots of the Wing was Group Captain [[John Grandy]] who would later rise to be [[Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the Air Staff]] and also served as Chairman of the Trustees of the Imperial War Museum from 1978 to 1989.<ref>Barrass, M B (2008) ''Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation'' [http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Grandy.htm Marshal of the RAF Sir John Grandy]. Retrieved 3 September 2009.</ref>

[[File:P-51ds-duxford-1945.jpg|left|thumb|78th Fighter Group P-51D Mustangs at Duxford in summer 1945.]]

In March 1943 the [[United States Army Air Forces]]' [[78th Fighter Group]] started to arrive at Duxford with their [[Republic P-47 Thunderbolt]]s.  The Group reequipped with [[North American P-51 Mustang]]s in December 1944 and until the end of the war in Europe the Group remained at Duxford carrying out bomber escort and fighter sweeps, ground strafing and ground attack missions.<ref name=CheeckWW2a>Cheek, Tim (1998) 'Duxford: An unofficial history of one of the RAF's most distinguished airfields' [http://www.gdg18.dial.pipex.com/secondworldwarb.htm Second World War: American Period 1943–1945] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081029162206/http://www.gdg18.dial.pipex.com/secondworldwarb.htm |date=29 October 2008 }}. Retrieved 3 September 2009.</ref>
Duxford was officially returned to the RAF on 1 December 1945. It remained a fighter station but by 1958 changing defence priorities saw the RAF's fighter force move to more northerly bases. Duxford's last operational flight was made in July 1961. No longer operational, the site gradually became increasingly derelict and overgrown. In 1968 the American film studio [[United Artists]] obtained permission to use the site for the filming of ''[[Battle of Britain (film)|Battle of Britain]]''. During the shoot a single bay hangar, which had been built during the First World War, was demolished to simulate an air raid.<ref>Cheek, Tim (1998) 'Duxford: An unofficial history of one of the RAF's most distinguished airfields' [http://www.gdg18.dial.pipex.com/battleofbritain.shtml Battle of Britain] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081029160652/http://www.gdg18.dial.pipex.com/battleofbritain.shtml |date=29 October 2008 }}. Retrieved 4 September 2009.</ref> After the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] announced its intention to dispose of Duxford plans were drawn up for various developments including two [[Young Offenders Institute]]s but were not implemented.<ref>Evans, Peter (8 July 1971) 'Need for 20 new penal centres in S E likely' ''[[The Times]]'' Issue 58219 pg. 3</ref>
{{Clear}}

==Duxford Aviation Society==
[[File:De Havilland Comet pic 2 REJS.jpg|thumb|The Duxford Aviation Society [[de Havilland Comet|Comet 4]] on display in AirSpace.]]

Duxford is operated in partnership between the Imperial War Museum, Cambridgeshire County Council and the Duxford Aviation Society. The Society is a [[Registered charity#Charity registration|registered charity]] (No. 285809) and states two objectives; to educate the public by collecting and exhibiting historic aircraft, military vehicles and boats, and to support the Imperial War Museum.<ref>No. 285809 – Duxford Aviation Society, Charity Commission [http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/ShowCharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithoutPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=285809&SubsidiaryNumber=0 charitycommission.gov.uk/]. Retrieved 15 September 2009.</ref>

The Society was formed in 1975 from a divergence of members of the East Anglian Aviation Society,<ref name=DAS>{{cite web|author=Duxford Aviation Society |url=http://www.das.org.uk/history.htm |title=About us: A brief history of the Society |access-date=31 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501101954/http://www.das.org.uk/history.htm |archive-date=1 May 2012 }}</ref> which formerly operated the now-closed Bassingbourn Tower Museum at the former [[RAF Bassingbourn]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Tower Museum Bassingbourn |url=http://www.towermuseumbassingbourn.co.uk/aboutus.html |title=About us |access-date=31 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227045138/http://www.towermuseumbassingbourn.co.uk/aboutus.html |archive-date=27 February 2012 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

Duxford Aviation Society preserves and maintains the Civil Aviation Collection.  Especially notable aircraft in the collection include a [[de Havilland Comet]] which made the first eastbound jet-powered trans-Atlantic passenger flight on 4 October 1958, and [[Concorde]] G-AXDN 101, a pre-production aircraft which achieved the highest speed of any Concorde, making a westwards trans-Atlantic flight in two hours, 56 minutes.<ref>Woolford & Warner (2008) p. 12 & 14.</ref>

In support of the Museum's goals, the DAS Military Vehicle Wing provides one of the world's leading teams of military vehicle restoration engineers<ref>[[Tank Overhaul]], Episode "The [[Centurion|Centurion_tank]]", aired 18 March 2009.</ref> The Wing (or its volunteers) own some of the vehicles located at Duxford, and provide restoration services for vehicles within the museum's collection.  The team also operate vehicles for demonstrations during the year.  The wing's works have been featured in the Discovery Channel's [[Tank Overhaul]] programme, [[James May's 20th Century]],<ref>{{cite web|author=Duxford Aviation Society |url=http://www.das.org.uk/media.htm |title=Media |access-date=26 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130215013549/http://www.das.org.uk/media.htm |archive-date=15 February 2013 }}</ref> and wide variety of magazines and other media.

Other elements of the society provide or support a range of functions at the Duxford site, including canteen, aircraft conservation, learning and interpretative activities and administrative tasks. An affiliated group, the Duxford Radio Society, collects, preserves, exhibits, and demonstrates historic military electronic equipment. This is housed in Buildings 177 and 178, close to the Gibraltar Gun.<ref>Duxford Radio Society [http://www.duxfordradiosociety.org/ Home page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090917040908/http://www.duxfordradiosociety.org/ |date=17 September 2009 }}. Retrieved 15 September 2009.</ref>

Since January 1999, the Society have operated the Friends of Duxford membership scheme with the Museum.<ref name=DAS/><ref>Imperial War Museum Duxford [http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.1819 Friends of Duxford] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090602105418/http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.1819 |date=2 June 2009 }}. Retrieved 15 September 2009.</ref>

As of 2008, the Duxford Aviation Society had almost 700 volunteer members.<ref>Imperial War Museum [http://www.iwm.org.uk/upload/pdf/Annual_Report_and_Account08.pdf Annual Report and Account 2007–2008] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091209154835/http://www.iwm.org.uk/upload/pdf/Annual_Report_and_Account08.pdf |date=9 December 2009 }}. p. 24 Accessed 15 September 2009.</ref>

==Air shows and flying==
[[File:BBMF spits and hurricane.JPG|thumb|[[Hawker Hurricane|Hurricanes]] and [[Spitfire]]s of the [[Battle of Britain Memorial Flight]] at the Duxford Air Show, May 2007.]]

Duxford remains an active airfield {{Airport codes|QFO|EGSU}} and maintains two parallel runways; an unpaved {{convert|880|m|abbr=on}} grass strip, and a concrete runway with a length of {{convert|1,503|m|abbr=on}},<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-27|title=Aerodrome/Heliport EGSU|url=https://www.aurora.nats.co.uk/htmlAIP/Publications/2020-10-08-AIRAC/html/eAIP/EG-AD-2.EGSU-en-GB.html#EGSU-AD-2.12|access-date=2020-10-30|website=www.aurora.nats.co.uk|language=en-GB}}</ref> both oriented at 060/240-degrees.<ref>Imperial War Museum Duxford (2009) [http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.1181 Airfield Information] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026110652/http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.1181 |date=26 October 2011 }}. Retrieved 4 September 2009.</ref> The runway was originally purchased from the Ministry of Defence by the Cambridgeshire County Council in 1977. In October 2008, an agreement was reached between the council and the Imperial War Museum, under which the runways and {{convert|146|acre|km2 sqmi}} of surrounding grassland would be sold to the museum for approximately £1.6 million.<ref>Thwaites, Glenn (9 October 2008) [http://www2.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/db/pressrel.nsf/cac74a2aba838b5d80256b56004e53ab/d9ffa5b17bc4a3d3802574dd005343b0?OpenDocument ''Duxford deal is run-a-way success''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219075251/http://www2.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/db/pressrel.nsf/cac74a2aba838b5d80256b56004e53ab/d9ffa5b17bc4a3d3802574dd005343b0?OpenDocument |date=19 February 2012 }}, Cambridgeshire County Council Press Release. Retrieved 1 September 2009.</ref>

Since 1973, Duxford has held regular air shows. Duxford is the home of several private aviation companies, such as Classic Wings,<ref>Classic Wings [http://www.classic-wings.co.uk/ Home page]. Retrieved 4 September 2009.</ref> The Fighter Collection,<ref>The Fighter Collection [http://fighter-collection.com/pages.php Home page] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090917163417/http://fighter-collection.com/pages.php |date=17 September 2009 }}. Retrieved 4 September 2009.</ref> the Old Flying Machine Company<ref>Old Flying Machine Company [http://www.ofmc.co.uk/ Home page]. Retrieved 4 September 2009.</ref> and The Aircraft Restoration Company.<ref>The Aircraft Restoration Company [http://www.arc-duxford.co.uk/ Home page]. Retrieved 4 September 2009.</ref> Between them these companies provide pleasure flights, historic aircraft for film or television work, and aircraft restoration services. Perhaps the most notable privately owned and operated aircraft based at Duxford is B-17 Preservation Ltd's ''[[Sally B]]'', the only airworthy [[B-17 Flying Fortress]] in Europe.<ref>B-17 Preservation Ltd: The Sally B Website [http://www.sallyb.org.uk/index.php Home page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513215310/http://www.sallyb.org.uk/index.php |date=13 May 2013 }}. Retrieved 4 September 2009.</ref>

Major air shows held regularly include the Duxford Air Show, and American Air Day, which is held in conjunction with units of the [[Third Air Force]] (part of the [[United States Air Forces in Europe]]), based at nearby [[RAF Lakenheath]] and [[RAF Mildenhall]].<ref>Royal Air Force Lakenheath (11 August 2009) [https://www.lakenheath.af.mil/News/story/id/123162811/ Third annual American Air Day at The Imperial War Museum Duxford] . Retrieved 4 September 2009.</ref> The [[Flying Legends]] show (organised by The Fighter Collection), was held annually at Duxford until 2019.

The Duxford Air Show usually exhibits a wide range of aircraft, from vintage warbirds to contemporary jet aircraft, along with aerobatic flying by groups such as the [[Red Arrows]].<ref>For example, see Johnson, Paul (September 2009) [http://www.airshows.org.uk/ Flightline UK] [http://www.airshows.org.uk/2009/airshows/duxfordsept/review.html The Duxford Air Show 2009]. Retrieved 20 October 2009.</ref> while the Flying Legends show focuses on historic aircraft, especially those of the Second World War.<ref>Fenwick, Simon (2009) [http://www.airshows.org.uk Flightline UK] [http://www.airshows.org.uk/2009/airshows/legends/review.html Flying Legends 2009]. Retrieved 20 October 2009.</ref> In 2008 it was reported that these displays generate up to £1.8 million, while the loss of up to £100,000 due to adverse weather is also budgeted for. The policing bill, necessary to manage the resulting road traffic, was reported as some £8,000.<ref name=Holt>Holt, John (September 2008) 'Air play' ''Museums Journal'' Vol.108 No.9 p.32-35</ref> Major events have included the Battle of Britain 70th Anniversary airshow, held on 4–5 September 2010, attended by more than 40,000 people,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.culture24.org.uk/history+%26+heritage/war+%26+conflict/battle-of-britain/ART308275 |title=Thousands of fans enjoy Imperial War Museum Duxford's Battle of Britain Air Show|author=Culture24 |date=6 September 2010 |access-date=1 November 2010|author-link=Culture24}}</ref> featuring formation displays by four [[Hawker Hurricane]]s and sixteen [[Spitfire]]s.<ref>{{citation |date=1 November 2010 |title=Duxford BofB show is a hit |journal=[[Aeroplane Monthly]] |publisher=[[IPC Media]] |page=7  }}</ref>

As an active civil airfield, operations at Duxford are regulated by the [[Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom)|Civil Aviation Authority]] (CAA). In 2002 a privately operated [[Aero L-39 Albatros]] suffered a braking failure on landing, overran the runway and came to rest on the M11 motorway, a student pilot being killed after ejecting at ground level. An [[Air Accidents Investigation Branch]] inquiry recommended a review of arrangements for aircraft taking off or landing towards the M11. As a result, the CAA and Duxford agreed to a reduction in the runway's {{convert|1,500|m|abbr=on}} declared length, from {{convert|1,350|m|abbr=on}} to {{convert|1,200|m|abbr=on}}, in order to provide a greater margin of error.<ref>[[Air Accident Investigation Branch]] (July 2003) [http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/dft_avsafety_pdf_022817.pdf Aero Vodochody L-39C Albatros, G-BZVL]. Retrieved 20 October 2009.</ref><ref>Civil Aviation Authority (7 August 2003) [http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/FACTOR200321.PDF Follow-up Action on Occurrence Report] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211102057/http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/FACTOR200321.PDF |date=11 February 2012 }}. Retrieved 20 October 2009.</ref>

As a licensed airfield Duxford has its own Fire Service (currently five vehicles, and 16 fire fighters / officers) which operates as part of the Airfield & Security department, the fire service was originally operated by voluntary crews who were part of Duxford Aviation Society, with the training officers coming from Stansted and other local airports, for the last few years it has been a mixed voluntary/full-time operation.

==Site layout==
[[File:ImperialWarMuseumDuxfordaerial1.JPG|thumb|upright=1.7|An aerial view of the IWM Duxford site in June 2008. Visible on the right is the large AirSpace exhibition hall, Hangars 2, 3, 4 and 5, the American Air Museum and the eastern end of the runway.]]

When originally planned in 1917, Duxford aerodrome was to occupy a {{convert|238|acre|km2 sqmi|adj=on}} site divided by what is now the [[A505 road]] which runs north-east from [[Royston, Hertfordshire|Royston]] to [[Newmarket, Suffolk|Newmarket]]. The area north of the road would be occupied by accommodation and administrative buildings with the airfield, hangars and technical buildings on the south side. Still divided by the A505, the museum's site is now bounded to the east by the [[M11 motorway]], which meets the A505 adjacent to the museum site at Junction 10. The construction of the M11 in 1977 (the year the museum opened) forced the shortening of the runway by {{convert|300|m}}. In its role as a museum, the north side of the site is occupied by the Imperial War Museum's stored collections and is not generally open to the public, while the south side is occupied by various hangars and other historic buildings, purpose-built structures, and by two runways.

The south side visitor entrance, which now houses a shop and visitor facilities, was previously the airfield's armoury.<ref name=DUsite>Duxford Update: A Duxford Buildings Tour [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mclaydon/dx-fieldframe.htm www.Duxford-Update.info] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071226113224/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mclaydon/dx-fieldframe.htm |date=26 December 2007 }}. Retrieved 9 September 2009.</ref> The various buildings are arranged roughly parallel to the A505; AirSpace is furthest east, with Hangars 2, 3, 4 and 5 running westwards, followed by the American Air Museum and the Land Warfare Hall. The museum site is approximately {{convert|1,800|m|abbr=on}} from one end to the other, and a visitor bus operates during opening hours.<ref>Imperial War Museum Duxford [http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/upload/pdf/Duxford_brochure.pdf Duxford brochure] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718050301/http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/upload/pdf/Duxford_brochure.pdf |date=18 July 2011 }} p. 3 (site map). Retrieved 9 September 2009.</ref><ref>Imperial War Museum Duxford [http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.620 Visitor Information: Accessibility] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090825123410/http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.620 |date=25 August 2009 }}. Retrieved 9 September 2009.</ref>

Some aircraft and other exhibits are displayed externally, such as a [[Comet tank]] and replica Hawker Hurricane as [[gate guardian]]s at the main entrance. Several commercial airliners belonging to the Duxford Aviation Society stand on the [[Airport ramp|runway apron]] opposite the hangars. A [[Bristol Bloodhound|Bloodhound]] surface-to-air missile stands on the site of the demolished hangar. A [[United States Air Force]] [[F-15 Eagle]] previously stood near the American Air Museum (now hanging inside). A [[Royal Engineers]]' [[Centurion tank|Centurion]] [[Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers|AVRE]] stands outside the Land Warfare Hall and the Gibraltar Gun,<ref>'Picture Gallery' photo caption: 'A 9.2-inch coastal gun is unloaded at the Imperial War Museum's outdoor display at Duxford Airfield, Cambridgeshire, after its journey from Gibraltar where during the last war it guarded the Straits'. ''The Times'' 8 August 1981.</ref> a [[BL 9.2-inch Mk IX – X naval gun|9.2-inch]] artillery piece previously emplaced on the [[Rock of Gibraltar]] is nearby.<ref name=A&V/>

[[File:Operations room at Duxford from its RAF days .JPG|thumb|A view of Duxford's original Operations Room.]]

As a historic site, many of Duxford's buildings are of particular architectural or historic significance. In 2005, following a review of sites relating to British aviation history by [[English Heritage]], some 255 buildings at 31 sites received [[listed building]] status.<ref name=Lammy/> Duxford contains over thirty of these buildings,<ref name=IWMDhistoric/> the largest number at any one site.<ref>'Victory in battle for Britain's RAF heritage' (27 June 2005) [[The Daily Telegraph]] [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1492861/Victory-in-battle-for-Britains-RAF-heritage.html Telegraph.co.uk]. Retrieved 14 September 2009.</ref> Listed buildings include three hangars dating back to the First World War and the operations block, which received Grade II* status. This block, open to the public, houses the wartime operations room from which Duxford's aircraft were directed.<ref name=DUsite/> Another historic building, the 1918 Watch Office, has been converted to accommodate the  ''Historic Duxford''  exhibition, depicting the history of the site and the experiences of Duxford's personnel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cambridgeshire/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_9418000/9418356.stm  |title=History of RAF Duxford told in new exhibition |date=8 March 2011 |work=BBC News Cambridge |access-date=1 May 2012}}</ref>

==AirSpace==
{{Main|List of aircraft at IWM Duxford}}

In 2000, Duxford announced plans for the redevelopment of Hangar 1, previously known as the 'Superhangar', which was built in the 1980s. The plans would expand the building by 40%, providing more display and conservation space, improve internal conditions, and enable the museum's British and Commonwealth aircraft collection to be brought under cover.<ref>{{cite journal |journal=Air Classics |issue=March 2000 |title=Duxford's big plans |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3901/is_200003/ai_n8895240 |publisher=findarticles.com |access-date=24 August 2009}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> Planning permission was received later that year.<ref>{{cite journal |journal=Air Classics |issue=October 2000 |title=Duxford developments |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3901/is_200010/ai_n8920247 |publisher=findarticles.com |access-date=24 August 2009}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> The project cost £25 million and was supported by the [[Heritage Lottery Fund]], the [[East of England Development Agency]] and [[BAE Systems]], which contributed £6 million. The building, which provides {{convert|12,000|m2}} of floor space,<ref>Parsons, Gary (2008) 'AirSpace takes off!' [http://www.airsceneuk.org.uk/hangar/2006/airspace/airspace.htm AirSceneUK.org.uk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090902220938/http://www.airsceneuk.org.uk/hangar/2006/airspace/airspace.htm |date=2 September 2009 }}. Retrieved 17 September 2009.</ref> consists of an aircraft conservation area, a large exhibition hall, and a mezzanine providing views of the aircraft and interactive educational installations exploring [[aeronautical engineering]] and the [[principles of flight]].<ref>Selwood, Sara (October 2007) 'AirSpace, Imperial War Museum Duxford' ''Museums Journal'' Issue 107/10 pg.56–57</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Cunningham |first=Justin |issue=14 |volume=20 |date=25 July 2007 |page=30 |journal=Professional Engineering |title=The sky's the limit |issn=0953-6639}}</ref>

AirSpace officially opened to the public on 12 July 2007.<ref>Oakey, Michael (Ed.) (Vol. 35 No. 9, September 2007) "Duxford's AirSpace opens". ''Aeroplane''</ref> Over 30 aircraft are on display, dating back to the First World War; early aircraft include rare examples of an [[Airco DH.9]] and a [[Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8]]. The former is one of only six surviving DH9s and the only example on display in the UK,<ref>Reynold, Nigel and Condron, Stephanie (20 April 2007) [[The Daily Telegraph]] [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1549157/Maharajahs-bomber-spreads-its-wings-again.html 'Maharajah's bomber spreads its wings again']. Retrieved 23 September 2009.</ref> and the latter is the only complete and original R.E.8 in existence.<ref name="R.E.8 Restoration">Gosling, Peter (October 2004) [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3897/is_200410/ai_n9445613/?tag=content;col1 R.E.8 Restoration] ''Flight Journal'' (findarticles.com). Retrieved 14 September 2009.</ref> More recent notable aircraft include a [[Hawker Siddeley Harrier]] which served during the [[Falklands War]] with [[No. 1 Squadron RAF]], and a [[Panavia Tornado]], which flew the highest number of bomber sorties of any Tornado in the 1991 [[Gulf War]].<ref>Harrier GR3, serial XZ133 and Tornado GR1, serial ZA465. Woolford and Warner (2008) p.15</ref> Also on display is a [[British Aircraft Corporation]] [[TSR-2]] strike aircraft, one of only two survivors from the cancellation of the project in 1965.<ref>Parsons, Gary (2005) 'TSR2 cubed' [http://www.airsceneuk.org.uk/hangar/2006/tsr2/tsr2.htm AirSceneUK.org.uk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125160620/http://www.airsceneuk.org.uk/hangar/2006/tsr2/tsr2.htm |date=25 January 2010 }}. Retrieved 28 September 2009.</ref> Recent additions include [[Eurofighter Typhoon]] DA4, one of seven Typhoon development aircraft, which was donated to the museum by the Ministry of Defence in 2008 and went on display in June 2009.<ref>'IWM Duxford unveils new Eurofighter Typhoon exhibit' (22 June 2009) [http://www.culture24.org.uk/history+%2526+heritage/war+%2526+conflict/modern+conflict/art69669 culture24.org.uk]. Retrieved 10 December 2009.</ref> Civil aircraft include the Duxford Aviation Society's Concorde and Comet described above.<ref name=A&V/>
{{wideimage|Panoramaairspaceimperialwarmuseumduxford.jpg|800px|Panorama of the AirSpace exhibition hall, with the Duxford Aviation Society Concorde right foreground.}}

===Airborne Assault===
{{main|Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces Museum}}

AirSpace also houses ''Airborne Assault'', the museum of the British Army's [[Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)|Parachute Regiment]] and airborne forces. Previously located at Browning Barracks near [[Aldershot]], the museum opened at Duxford on 8 December 2008. The opening ceremony was led by the then [[Charles, Prince of Wales|Prince Charles]], the Parachute Regiment's [[Colonel-in-Chief]]. The museum chronicles the history of British airborne forces from the Second World War to [[Operation Herrick|current operations]] in [[Afghanistan]] and cost £3 million.<ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first= Michael |date=7 December 2008 |title=New museum honours Parachute Regiment |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5294113.ece |work=[[The Times]] |access-date=24 August 2009 | location=London}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

==Hangar 2: Flying Aircraft==
Hangar 2 is a double Type T2 hangar, erected in the 1970s. It occupies the site of a T2 hangar erected in the 1950s. It accommodates the flyable aircraft of Duxford's private aviation companies, such as [[The Fighter Collection]], and allows visitors to see aircraft undergoing maintenance or restoration.<ref name=DUsite/>

==Hangar 3: Air and Sea==
[[File:Duxford UK Feb2005 FaireyGannet.JPG|thumb|Fairey Gannet AS6, with the hangar's Belfast truss construction visible above.]]

Hangar 3, an original [[Lattice truss bridge#Belfast truss|Belfast truss]] hangar, houses Duxford's maritime exhibition. The collection includes notable vessels and naval aircraft. Boats on display include [[Coastal Motor Boat 4]], built by [[John I. Thornycroft & Company|Thornycroft]] in 1916. She saw action during the [[British Campaign in the Baltic 1918–1919|Baltic campaign of 1918–19]], and her commander Lieutenant [[Augustus Agar]] won the [[Victoria Cross]]<ref>Agar's Victoria Cross, and some of his personal effects such as a telescope, are also held by the museum.</ref> for sinking the Russian cruiser [[Bogatyr class cruiser|''Oleg'']] on 17 June 1919. Other vessels include the Vosper [[motor torpedo boat]] MTB-71, acquired from the British Military Powerboat Trust in 2005,<ref>British Military Powerboat Trust [http://www.bmpt.org.uk/boat%20histories/MTB-71/index2.htm MTB-71: 60ft Vosper Motor Torpedo Boat] Accessed 11 September 2009.</ref> an example of an [[X class submarine|X-Craft]] [[midget submarine]], and a wartime [[Royal National Lifeboat Institution]] boat, the [[RNLB Jesse Lumb|''Jesse Lumb'']] which was stationed at [[Bembridge Lifeboat Station|Bembridge]] on the [[Isle of Wight]]. A variety of naval aircraft are on display, including a [[de Havilland Sea Vixen]], [[de Havilland Vampire|Sea Venom]], and [[de Havilland Vampire|Sea Vampire]], and a [[Westland Wasp]] helicopter which was embarked on the frigate [[HMS Apollo (F70)|HMS ''Apollo'']] during the Falklands War.<ref name=A&V/><ref>Woolford and Warner, p. 33</ref>
[[File:Duxford, Cambridgeshire, UK 16th February 2019 66’.jpg|thumb|left|Built in 1972, this [[Westland Sea King]] was put on display at the  Imperial War Museum, Duxford in Hangar 3 in 2010]]

==Hangar 4: Battle of Britain Exhibition==
[[File:Bf109atimperialwarmuseumduxford.jpg|thumb|Tableau of crashed Bf 109E in Hangar 4.]]

Hangar 4 is one of Duxford's historic hangars, and now houses an exhibition exploring Duxford's history as an operational RAF airfield from the First World War to the [[Cold War]]. The early period is represented by a [[Bristol F.2 Fighter]], a type operated by Duxford's No.2 Flying Training School from 1920. The latter period is represented by a [[Hawker Hunter]] which flew at Duxford with [[No. 65 Squadron RAF]], a [[Gloster Javelin]], the type which made the last operational flight at Duxford in 1961 during the site's operation as an air base, and by a [[Hungarian Air Force]] [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21|MiG-21]], a common [[Warsaw Pact]] jet fighter. Britain's air defence during the Second World War is particularly emphasised, with exhibits representing the Battle of Britain, [[the Blitz]] and the [[V-1 flying bomb]] offensive from 1944. Notable aircraft include a [[Messerschmitt Bf 109]]E which was flown during the Battle of Britain until forced to perform a [[belly landing]] in a [[Sussex]] field due to engine failure. It is displayed as part of a tableau showing the crashed aircraft under guard. One unusual aircraft on display is the [[Juan de la Cierva|Cierva]] [[Cierva C.30|C.30A]] [[autogyro]], which was used by 74 (Signals) Wing, based at Duxford, to test the calibration of coastal radar units.<ref name=cheek39-42/><ref>See also Imperial War Museum Duxford [http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.5716 Hangar 4: The Battle of Britain] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090822022206/http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.5716 |date=22 August 2009 }} and [http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.1224/setPaginate/No The Battle of Britain Exhibition] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090423133811/http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.1224/setPaginate/No |date=23 April 2009 }}. Retrieved 10 September 2009.</ref><ref>Duxford Update: Hangar 4 [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mclaydon/hang4frame.htm www.Duxford-Update.info] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430054240/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mclaydon/hang4frame.htm |date=30 April 2008 }}. Retrieved 10 September 2009.</ref>

==Hangar 5: Conservation in Action==
Hangar 5, the westernmost original hangar, houses Duxford's aircraft conservation workshops.<ref>Duxford Update: Hangar 5 [http://s110605900.websitehome.co.uk/hangar-5/hang5main.htm www.Duxford-Update.info] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611073510/http://s110605900.websitehome.co.uk/hangar-5/hang5main.htm |date=11 June 2010 }} Accessed 14 September 2009.</ref> Open to the public, the hangar allows visitors to see museum staff and volunteers at work on a variety of conservation tasks. Notable projects include a Mitsubishi [[A6M Zero]] fighter acquired from an American owner in 'jungle recovery' condition,<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3901/is_199904/ai_n8850877/?tag=content;col1 Duxford gets a zero] ''Air Classics'' (April 1999) (findarticles.com) Accessed 14 September 2009.</ref> and a [[Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8]] now on display in AirSpace.<ref name="R.E.8 Restoration"/> Duxford is a partner with the British Aviation Preservation Council in the National Aviation Heritage Skills Initiative, which has been funded since 2005 by the Heritage Lottery Fund and aims to provide training to volunteers supporting aviation heritage projects.<ref>National Aviation Heritage Skills Initiative (2009) [http://www.nahsi.org.uk/ Nahsi.org.uk Homepage] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100729190951/http://www.nahsi.org.uk/ |date=29 July 2010 }}. Retrieved 14 September 2009.</ref> Recent projects include the conservation of a [[Handley Page Victor]] (XH669) and a [[Vickers Valiant]] (XD826).

==American Air Museum==
[[File:Imperialwarmuseumduxfordamericanairmuseumwithf15.jpg|thumb|A [[US Air Force]] [[F-15 Eagle]] with the American Air Museum behind.]]

From the late 1970s onward, the museum acquired several important American aircraft; examples include a [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress|B-17G Flying Fortress]] in 1978, a [[Boeing B-29 Superfortress|B-29 Superfortress]] named ''It's Hawg Wild'' in 1980, and a [[Boeing B-52 Stratofortress|B-52 Stratofortress]] in 1983. With Duxford's association with the [[US Army Air Forces]] (USAAF), in the mid-1980s plans developed for a commemoration of the role of American air power in the [[Second World War]]. A group of American supporters was formed, and the architect [[Norman Foster (architect)|Norman Foster]] was commissioned to design a new building. Fundraising for the project began in 1987, support and funds being sought in the United States; the Founding Member was General [[Jimmy Doolittle]] in 1989. Fundraising events were held across the US in Houston (1989), [[Washington, D.C.]], (1991) and Los Angeles (1992). The project was widely supported in the United States by some 50,000 individual subscribers.<ref>{{cite news |last=Dormer |first=Peter |date=14 August 1995 |title=Making a Mecca for the plane crazy |work=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/making-a-mecca-for-the-plane-crazy-1596187.html |access-date=26 August 2009 }}</ref> A further $1 million of funding was secured from [[Saudi Arabia]], and £6.5 million from the [[Heritage Lottery Fund]]. On 8 September 1995 the [[groundbreaking]] for the new building was performed by wartime 78th Fighter Group veteran, Major James E Stokes.<ref name=AAMhistory>American Air Museum: History [http://aam.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.3637 aam.iwm.org.uk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090821105801/http://aam.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.3637 |date=21 August 2009 }}. Retrieved 23 August 2009.</ref>

===Architecture and construction===
The American Air Museum was designed by Norman Foster and [[Chris Wise]] at [[Arup Group Limited|Arup]]. The museum's specification called for a landmark building that would provide a neutral backdrop for the aircraft collection and provide appropriate climatic controls while being cost efficient to operate. The building is shaped as a section of a [[torus]],<ref>For a demonstration of the building's geometry, see Foster+Partners {{cite web|url=http://www.fosterandpartners.com/content/projects/0413/0413_01.mov |title=Archived copy |access-date=27 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611194603/http://www.fosterandpartners.com/content/projects/0413/0413_01.mov |archive-date=11 June 2011 }}. Retrieved 25 August 2009</ref> formed from a curved [[concrete]] roof {{convert|90|m|abbr=on}} wide, {{convert|18.5|m|abbr=on}} high and {{convert|100|m|abbr=on}} deep. The dimensions of the building were dictated by the need to accommodate the museum's B-52 Stratofortress bomber with its {{convert|61|m|abbr=on}} wingspan and a tail {{convert|16|m|abbr=on}} high.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Jones |first=Mike |issue=14 July 1993 |title=Foster Solves the Big Span Problem with Reinforced Concrete: AJ Feature: The Shell is the Core |url=http://www.ajspecification.com/Buildings/Section_Page/?CI_Building_ID=280&CI_Section_ID=1093&CI_Article_ID=312 |journal=[[Architects' Journal]] |access-date=26 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080504213932/http://www.ajspecification.com/Buildings/Section_Page/?CI_Building_ID=280&CI_Section_ID=1093&CI_Article_ID=312 |archive-date=4 May 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The roof was constructed as a double-layered concrete [[Thin-shell structure|shell]], built in 924 precast [[reinforced concrete]] sections. Inverted T-shaped sections provided the inner layer with further flat panels forming the outer layer.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Evans |first=Barrie |issue=6 November 1997 |title=Concrete in flight: AJ Feature: Shell Logic |url=http://www.ajspecification.com/Buildings/Section_Page/?CI_Building_ID=280&CI_Section_ID=1089&CI_Article_ID=311 |journal=Architects' Journal |access-date=26 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080504213716/http://www.ajspecification.com/Buildings/Section_Page/?CI_Building_ID=280&CI_Section_ID=1089&CI_Article_ID=311 |archive-date=4 May 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Blackbird Sr71.jpg|thumb|left|Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird −962]]

The roof weighs {{convert|6,000|tonnes}} and is able to support suspended aircraft weighing up to {{convert|10|tonnes}}.<ref name=Story>{{cite journal |last=Evans |first=Barrie |issue=6 November 1997 |title=Concrete in flight: AJ feature: The Story of Duxford |url=http://www.ajspecification.com/Buildings/Section_Page/?CI_Building_ID=280&CI_Section_ID=1091&CI_Article_ID=311 |journal=Architects' Journal |access-date=26 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080504213721/http://www.ajspecification.com/Buildings/Section_Page/?CI_Building_ID=280&CI_Section_ID=1091&CI_Article_ID=311 |archive-date=4 May 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A glass wall, demountable to permit aircraft to be rearranged, allows in daylight, thereby reducing lighting costs and enabling the aircraft to be seen from outside the building. It also allows visitors inside the museum to watch aircraft landing or taking off.<ref name=McGuire>{{cite journal |last=McGuire |first=Penny |issue=February 1998 |title=Flying colours – design of the American Air Museum in Duxford, England |journal=The Architectural Review |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3575/is_n1212_v203/ai_20465299/ |publisher=findarticles.com |access-date=25 August 2009 |year=1998}}</ref> From a visitor's perspective, the pedestrian entrance leads to a mezzanine floor level with the cockpit of the museum's B-52, while the lack of supporting columns allows aircraft to hang from the ceiling. Heavier aircraft stand on the floor of the building, which covers {{convert|6500|sqm|abbr=on}}.<ref name=Story/><ref>Duxford American Air Museum [http://www.ajspecification.com/Buildings/B_Home_Page/?CI_Building_ID=280 Architects' Journal: Building library] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090901051138/http://www.ajspecification.com/Buildings/B_Home_Page/?CI_Building_ID=280 |date=1 September 2009 }}. Retrieved 26 August 2009.</ref> The construction work, which was undertaken by [[Sisk Group]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ajbuildingslibrary.co.uk/projects/display/id/460|title=American Air Museum|publisher=Architects' Journal|access-date=6 June 2025}}</ref> began with the building of [[abutment]]s in October 1995 and the roof was completed in September 1996.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Evans |first=Barrie |issue=6 November 1997 |title=Concrete in Flight: AJ Feature: Raising the Roof |url=http://www.ajspecification.com/Buildings/Section_Page/?CI_Building_ID=280&CI_Section_ID=1090&CI_Article_ID=311 |journal=Architects' Journal |access-date=26 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080504213928/http://www.ajspecification.com/Buildings/Section_Page/?CI_Building_ID=280&CI_Section_ID=1090&CI_Article_ID=311 |archive-date=4 May 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The building won the 1998 [[Stirling Prize]] for [[Foster and Partners]] and was described by the judges as "a great big, clear span hangar of a building...dramatic, awe-inspiring, an object of beauty...simple yet replete with imagery."<ref>Niesewand, Nonie (20 November 1998) ''[[The Independent]]'' [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/architecture-foster-and-his-flying-machine-1186049.html Architecture: Foster and his flying machine]. Retrieved 30 September 2008.</ref>

===Opening and re-dedication===
[[File:Duxford UK Feb2005 american3.JPG|thumb|American Air Museum interior; [[F-111]], left foreground, [[B-52]] cockpit, right foreground, and [[SPAD S.XIII]], [[Boeing-Stearman Model 75|PT-17]] and [[A-10 Thunderbolt II]], suspended above.]]

The American Air Museum was opened by [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] on 1 August 1997. The total cost of the project had been £13.5 million.<ref name=AAMhistory/> The museum was re-dedicated on 27 September 2002, in a ceremony attended by the then [[Prince Charles]] & former [[President of the United States|President]] [[George H. W. Bush]]. Since being opened, the museum has had its glass front temporarily removed to permit access for an [[SR-71 Blackbird]]<ref>{{cite journal |title=Duxford Blackbird hand-over |issue=September 2001 |journal=Air Classics |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3901/is_200109/ai_n8956723/ |publisher=findarticles.com |access-date=26 August 2009}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> and [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=Liberator begins arriving at Duxford |issue=August 1999 |journal=Air Classics |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3901/is_199908/ai_n8863973/ |publisher=findarticles.com |access-date=26 August 2009}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> The SR-71, serial number 61-7962, is the only example of its type on display outside the United States, and set a [[Flight altitude record#Jet plane|flight altitude record]] of 85,069 feet (25,929m) in July 1976. Besides the Blackbird, nineteen other American aircraft are on display. Notable examples include a [[C-47 Skytrain]] which flew with the [[316th Operations Group|316th Troop Carrier Group]] and participated in three major Second World War airborne operations; the June 1944 [[Normandy landings]], [[Operation Market Garden]] and [[Operation Varsity]], the airborne crossing of the [[River Rhine]] in March 1945.<ref>Woolford and Warner (2008) p.47</ref> The museum's B-29 flew during the [[Korean War]] as part of the [[7th Bomb Wing]];<ref>B-29A-BN, serial 44-61748. Woolford and Warner (2008), p.49</ref> it is the only example in Europe and one of only two preserved in museums outside the United States. The B-52 flew 200 sorties during the [[Vietnam War]] as part of the [[28th Bomb Wing]].<ref>B-52D, serial 56-0689. Woolford and Warner (2008), p.49</ref> The [[General Dynamics F-111]] on display flew 19 missions during the 1991 Gulf War as part of the [[77th Fighter Squadron]].<ref name=A&V/><ref>Serial 67-0120. Woolford and Warner (2008), p.51.</ref>

On 17 January 2014 the museum announced an award of £980,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The museum planned to use the money to build a website based on the photographic collection of aviation historian [[Roger A. Freeman|Roger Freeman]], to update the museum's interpretation, and to conserve aircraft and other exhibits.<ref>
{{cite web
 |url=http://projects.americanairmuseum.com/2014/01/aam-secures-heritage-lottery-fund-support/ 
 |date=17 January 2014 
 |title=AAM secures Heritage Lottery Fund support 
 |author=American Air Museum in Britain 
 |access-date=19 January 2014 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203032555/http://projects.americanairmuseum.com/2014/01/aam-secures-heritage-lottery-fund-support/ 
 |archive-date=3 February 2014 
}}</ref> The museum launched ''americanairmuseum.com'' in October 2014. The website seeks to [[crowdsourcing|crowdsource]] photographs and information from the public about the men and women of the US Army Air Forces who served from the UK in the Second World War and the British people who befriended them.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanairmuseum.com/our-partners|title=Our Partners – American Air Museum in Britain|website=www.americanairmuseum.com|access-date=2 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206174617/http://www.americanairmuseum.com/our-partners|archive-date=6 February 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Land Warfare Hall==
[[File:Sherman at Duxford.jpg|[[Grizzly I cruiser|Canadian-built Sherman tank]]|thumb]]

The Land Warfare Hall was opened on 28 September 1992<ref>''The Independent'' (29 September 1992) Photograph caption: 'Sentry duty at the Land Warfare Exhibition Hall which opened yesterday at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, Cambridgeshire. The display contains 40 artillery pieces, more than 50 tanks, and military vehicles including three lorries used as a bedroom and offices by Field Marshal Montgomery in the Second World War'. [https://web.archive.org/web/20121104102826/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/sentry-duty-at-the-land-warfare-exhibition-hall-which-opened-yesterday-at-the-imperial-war-museum-in-duxford-cambridgeshire-the-display-contains-40-artillery-pieces-more-than-50-tanks-and-military-vehicles-including-three-lorries-used-as-a-bedroom-and-offices-by-field-marshal-montgomery-in-the-second-world-war-1554304.html independent.co.uk]. Retrieved 28 August 2009.</ref> by [[Field Marshal]] [[Edwin Bramall, Baron Bramall|Lord Bramall]] on behalf of Prime Minister [[John Major]]. The building provides accommodation for the Imperial War Museum's collection of armoured vehicles, artillery and military vehicles. Also included are vehicles belonging to the Duxford Aviation Society Military Vehicle Section.<ref name=A&V/><ref>Duxford Aviation Society [http://www.das.org.uk/mt%20section.htm Military Vehicle Section] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090102114411/http://www.das.org.uk/mt%20section.htm |date=2 January 2009 }}. Retrieved 28 August 2009.</ref> The hall comprises a viewing balcony that runs for most of the length of the hall, providing views over a range of tableaux of vehicles, tanks and artillery that run chronologically from the First World War to the present day. Notable among the First World War exhibits is a battle-damaged [[Limbers and caissons (military)|artillery limber]] used by [[L (Néry) Battery Royal Horse Artillery|L Battery Royal Horse Artillery]] during an action at [[Néry]] in September 1914 where three [[Victoria Crosses]] were won. The Second World War in particular is illustrated with tableaux of the [[North African Campaign]], the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] and the [[invasion of Normandy]].<ref>Imperial War Museum Duxford [http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.1223 Land Warfare Hall] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090815042342/http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.1223 |date=15 August 2009 }}. Retrieved 28 August 2009.</ref> Outside the building is a Whale floating roadway bridge span from Mulberry B harbour at Arromanches.

Significant vehicles in the collection include three command vehicles used by Field Marshal [[Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein| Montgomery]], commander of [[21st Army Group]] during the north-west Europe campaign. Also on display are extracts from Montgomery's personal papers, which are held by the Imperial War Museum's [[Imperial War Museum#Collections|Department of Documents]].<ref>'Montgomery documents',''The Times'' 8 July 1982, Issue 61280, page 2 column A</ref> Other tableaux depict scenes from post-1945 conflicts such as the [[Korean War]], the [[Northern Ireland]] [[Troubles]], the [[Falklands War]], British [[UNPROFOR|peacekeeping contributions in Bosnia]] and the [[Gulf War]]. As many of the vehicles in the Land Warfare Hall are maintained in running condition, the site features [[Automobile repair shop|garages]] and a running area behind the building. 

Various [[diorama]] are exhibited, including of the [[Battle of the Tennis Court]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.planetfigure.com/threads/kohima-diorama-iwm-duxford.72389/|title = Kohima Diorama - IWM Duxford &#124; planetFigure &#124; Miniatures | date=15 July 2015 }}</ref>

===Forgotten War===
The Land Warfare Hall also houses the Forgotten War exhibition, which opened on 25 March 1999 and was a joint project between the Imperial War Museum and the [[Burma Star]] Association. The Association represents veterans of the [[Burma campaign]] who often consider themselves to have fought in a "[[Forgotten Army]]" compared to those who fought in Europe. The exhibition explores aspects of the Second World War [[South-East Asian theatre of World War II|in the Far East]] and features artifacts, archival film and photographs, and [[Tableau vivant|tableaux]] depicting scenes such as troops moving through [[jungle]] and a [[Burma|Burmese]] village. The exhibition was supported financially by the Burma Star Association and by £126,000 from the [[National Heritage Memorial Fund]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Imperial War Museum Duxford |title=The Forgotten War Exhibition |url=http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.1186 |publisher=duxford.iwm.org.uk |access-date=24 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323112627/http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.1186 |archive-date=23 March 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |journal=Air Classics |issue=June 1999 |title=Forgotten War |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3901/is_199906/ai_n8870342/ |publisher=findarticles.com |access-date=24 August 2009}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

===Royal Anglian Regiment Museum and Memorial===
The Land Warfare Hall also accommodates the Royal Anglian Regiment Museum. The [[Royal Anglian Regiment]] was formed in 1964 by the amalgamation of the three regiments of the [[East Anglian Brigade]] and the [[Royal Leicestershire Regiment]]. The museum was opened in June 1996 by noted war correspondent [[Martin Bell]], who had previously served as a [[sergeant]] in the [[Suffolk Regiment]] while a [[Conscription in the United Kingdom#After 1945|national serviceman]].<ref>Royal Anglian Regiment Museum [http://www.royalanglianmuseum.org.uk/support.html Supporters] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090827200603/http://www.royalanglianmuseum.org.uk/support.html |date=27 August 2009 }}. Retrieved 16 June 2009.</ref> The museum covers the history of the Regiment and its predecessors, which date back to the seventeenth century, up to recent operations in [[Operation Telic|Iraq]], [[Operation Herrick|Afghanistan]] and [[Operation Palliser|Sierra Leone]].<ref>Royal Anglian Regiment Museum [http://www.royalanglianmuseum.org.uk/tour.html A Tour of the Museum] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090827200618/http://www.royalanglianmuseum.org.uk/tour.html |date=27 August 2009 }}. Retrieved 16 September 2009.</ref> Alongside the museum is the [[Cambridgeshire Regiment]] Exhibition, which displays items from the Cambridgeshire Regiment collection. Exhibits include the Singapore Drums, lost at the [[Battle of Singapore|fall of Singapore]] in 1942 and recovered after the war.<ref>MacDonald, Patrick 'The History of the Cambridgeshire Regiment' [https://web.archive.org/web/20080421220420/http://www.suffolkregiment.org/Cambridgeshire_History.html Suffolk Regiment.org]. Retrieved 16 September 2009.</ref>

On 12 September 2010 a Royal Anglian Regiment memorial was dedicated at Duxford. A fundraising campaign, which raised more than £340,000, was launched following the [[British forces casualties in Afghanistan since 2001#April 2007|deaths in action of nine soldiers]] of 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment during the unit's 2007 [[Operation Herrick|operational tour in Helmand Province]], Afghanistan. The memorial is inscribed with the names of 78 soldiers killed since 1958 (when the first of the three East Anglian regiments was formed) in conflicts including Afghanistan, Iraq, Northern Ireland and [[Aden Emergency|Aden]]. The dedication was attended by more than 5,000 people.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/local/royal_anglian_memorial_unveiled_we_will_never_forget_their_sacrifices_1_1156020 |title=Royal Anglian memorial unveiled: we will never forget their sacrifices |author=Collett, Amy |date=14 September 2010 |work=PeterboroughToday.co.uk |publisher=Johnston Publishing Limited |access-date=28 September 2010 |archive-date=1 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201231855/http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/local/royal_anglian_memorial_unveiled_we_will_never_forget_their_sacrifices_1_1156020 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==North side: collections storage==
In addition to the exhibition buildings, Duxford's 'North Side', the area of the site north of the A505 road, provides storage for the Imperial War Museum's [[Imperial War Museum#Documents|collecting departments]]. The stored collections include the film collection, which includes reels existing on [[Nitrocellulose#Film|nitrate film stock]], which is highly flammable and subject to decomposition, kept in purpose-built vaults at nearby [[Ickleton]]. Other collections stored at Duxford's north side include books, maps, ephemera, photographs, documents and collections of uniforms and equipment.<ref>Imperial War Museum Duxford: Friends of Duxford: Events (2009) [http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.6101 North Side Tour At Duxford, 27 May 2009] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718053514/http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.6101 |date=18 July 2011 }}. Retrieved 20 September 2009.</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of aerospace museums]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category multi|Imperial War Museum Duxford|Duxford Airshow}}
* {{Official website}}
* [http://www.americanairmuseum.com American Air Museum]
* [http://das.org.uk/ Duxford Aviation Society] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412192526/http://www.das.org.uk/ |date=12 April 2019 }}

{{British Aviation Museums}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Museums in Cambridgeshire]]
[[Category:Archives in Cambridgeshire]]
[[Category:Military and war museums in England]]
[[Category:Foster and Partners buildings]]
[[Category:Concrete shell structures]]
[[Category:Museums sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport]]
[[Category:Aerospace museums in England]]
[[Category:Military aviation museums in England]]
[[Category:Museums established in 1977]]
[[Category:Imperial War Museum]]