facebooktwitterpinterest

Reviews, get directions and contact details for RAF Defford Museum

RAF Defford Museum
Address: Worcester WR8 9DW, UK
Phone: 01905 371006
State: Worcestershire
City: Worcester
Zip Code: WR8 9DW

opening times

Monday: 11:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Thursday: 11:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Friday: 11:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM – 4:30 PM


related searches: RAF Defford Map, RAF Defford Museum opening times, Defford Airfield Heritage Group, RAF Malvern, Defford aerodrome postcode, RAF Pershore, Croome Court, Defford radio telescope
Similar places near
Pershore Abbey Pershore Abbey 6 km Pershore Abbey, located in the heart of Pershore, Worcestershire, is a true gem of ec...
The Angel Hotel The Angel Hotel 6 km We stayed here for a short break and can't fault anything about our stay.nThe staff a...
Showborough House Sculpture Garden Showborough House Sculpture Garden 7 km Something we always look forward to.. My wife ani I will be waiting at the gate at 10...
George Marshall Medical Museum George Marshall Medical Museum 10 km Very small , just 1 corridor around 10 metres In length , small but very interesting ...
Museum of Royal Worcester Museum of Royal Worcester 10 km return in time to the english civil war. Great day out dont forget the nice walk to ...
Tudor House Museum Tudor House Museum 10 km A very interesting building in the centre of the city (with a Cafe Rouge nearby). The...
Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum 11 km Great for an hour in town. Good local exhibits. Small but interesting art gallery. Ni...
Almonry Tourist Information and Heritage Centre Almonry Tourist Information and Heritage Cen... 15 km Take at least two hours there is so much to see all very interesting if you like his...
Reviews
Great history..some interesting artifacts.not a big place but definitely worth a visit if you're near.
7 years ago (26-04-2018)
Construction of RAF Defford was completed in 1941, and for a few months the airfield was used as a satellite station by the Vickers Wellington bombers of No. 23 Operational Training Unit RAF (OTU), based a few miles away at RAF Pershore. In May 1942, the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE), responsible for radar research and development, and located near Swanage, moved to Malvern College. At the same time the Telecommunications Flying Unit (TFU), later named the Radar Research Flying Unit (RRFU), which operated flight trials on behalf of the TRE, transferred its aircraft to Defford. So hurried was the move to Defford that many of the personnel had to be accommodated in tents at first. However, at Defford the tempo of work carried out by TFU increased month by month, and by 1945 there were approximately 2,500 personnel and 100 aircraft on the station. Civilian scientists, flying from Defford with aircrews drawn from the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, tested radar systems which were to revolutionise the operational capability of Allied aircraft. Early successes with Airborne Interception (AI) systems were demonstrated by John "Cats Eyes" Cunningham and other night fighter pilots. While Air to Surface Vessel (ASV) radar enabled the German U-boat menace to be effectively countered in 1943, and thus was critical to the success of the Battle of the Atlantic. By 1944, H2S radar was enabling accurate navigation and target identification to be achieved by Bomber Command crews, taking part in the strategic bombing offensive. There were many other notable "firsts" demonstrated by TFU. A converted Wellington bomber was the forerunner of the modern AWACS aircraft. This was successfully used to detect fast moving German E-boats, and to control their interception by other aircraft. The world's first automatic approach and landing also took place at Defford in 1945, paving the way for today's airliners which are able to safely arrive at their destinations, whatever the weather. The world's first demonstration of an aircraft making a "hands off" automatic blind landing, using equipment the forerunner of modern ILS, was at Defford in January 1945.[2] Postwar useEdit TFU remained at Defford after the war, and was renamed the Radar Research Flying Unit (RRFU) in 1953. However, the airfield at Defford was too small to allow the operation of the large "V" bombers on flight trials, and so RRFU moved to nearby RAF Pershore in 1957.[3] Most of the technical and domestic sites at Defford were soon de-requisitioned, but the central part of the now disused airfield still houses the Satellite Communications facility operated by QinetiQ. The various dishes and aerials used can be seen from passing trains between Worcester and Cheltenham and from the M5 motorway near Strensham services.
7 years ago (28-04-2018)
Very interesting place to visit
7 years ago (24-04-2018)
Well worth a visit
7 years ago (10-04-2018)
Great
7 years ago (26-04-2018)
Comment on this business

to add RAF Defford Museum map to your website;



We use cookies

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our website, to show you personalized content and targeted ads, to analyze our website traffic, and to understand where our visitors are coming from. Privacy Policy