LONDON.- At a fundraising dinner last night, The Royal Air Force Museum announced its vision for the future.

As part of its modernisation and development plan the Royal Air Force Museum has undertaken the initial planning for a new Battle of Britain Exhibition building at its London site.

The new building will allow wider public access and ensure that the Museum’s unique collection of Battle of Britain aircraft, memorabilia and archives is preserved for the education of future generations.

This exhibition will also complement the modernisation already achieved with the refurbishment of the Graham White Hangar, the relocation of the former Hendon airfield watchtower and opening of the Milestones of Flight building at Hendon, together with the construction of the National Cold War exhibition building at the Cosford site.

The provision of suitable funding, and the agreement with interested parties and authorities with whom the Museum is consulting widely, will dictate when the Trustees of the Museum will take the final decision to proceed with construction.

It is very fitting that in the year of the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain the Royal Air Force Museum, as part of its modernisation and development plan, has undertaken the initial planning for a new Battle of Britain exhibition building at its Hendon site in London. Provisionally called the “Battle of Britain Beacon”, the plan looks towards the construction of a striking, landmark building which will do appropriate justice to this most defining event in the world’s history. The exciting concept will allow wider public access and ensure that the Museum’s unique collection of Battle of Britain aircraft, memorabilia and archives is preserved for the education and enjoyment of future generations. The building in its final form will include the latest audio/visual techniques to bring to life all aspects of the Battle, from the work of the groundcrews, whose tireless endeavours kept the aircraft in the air, through the life of the civilian population, to the gallant efforts of those who fought in the skies above Great Britain.

The new exhibition building will complement the successful modernisation already achieved at Hendon with the refurbishment of the Grahame White Hangar, the imminent refurbishment of the former airfield watchtower and the opening of Milestones of Flight exhibition building. It will also allow the current somewhat restricted Battle of Britain Hall on the site to be used to display more of the Museum’s aircraft and archive collection. The Museum’s Cosford site has also seen the opening of the impressive National Cold War exhibition building opened in 2007 which has ensured the preservation of many of the important Cold War aircraft which we under threat

The Museum is now consulting widely about the “Battle of Britain Beacon” project. The provision of the required private sector funding, and the agreement with interested parties and authorities, will dictate when the Trustees of the Museum will take the final decision to proceed with construction. However, by the 75th Anniversary of the Battle in 2015, only a small number of the gallant “Few” who flew in the Battle would be able to witness this project becoming a reality.