Imperial War Museum Duxford - Press Release

Imperial War Museum Duxford is delighted to announce that one of its most significant exhibits has been chosen by the BBC and Cambridgeshire museums to tell the story of Cambridgeshire and its place in world history.

The list of 10 objects chosen for Cambridgeshire is part of the wider A History of the World project, formed of a unique partnership between the BBC, the British Museum and 350 museums and institutions across the country.

The IWM Duxford exhibit, an unremarkable-looking piece of fabric, is taken from the Flyer, the aircraft in which theWright Brothers made their inaugural flight on 17 December 1903. This powered, sustained and controlled flight, the first ever, marked the birth of modern aviation.

This fascinating artefact gives visitors to Duxford the opportunity to understand how the Wright Brothers succeeded where previous pioneers had not.

It is possible to trace the development of aviation technology from that very first flight to the contemporary aircraft of today. This inaugural flight contributed to the course of history in the 20th century, enabling technological advancement, world exploration, socio-demographic change, economic developments and strategic aerial warfare.

Without this piece of fabric, and the flight of this aeroplane, none of the iconic aircraft, that are so admired today, would exist. And there would be no hopping on a plane to those favourite holiday destinations!

Richard Ashton, Director, Imperial War Museum Duxford said, “I am thrilled that the importance of the Wright Flyer has been recognised in terms of its regional significance and its impact on global history. It is fantastic to be collaborating with such illustrious company on a truly exciting project.”

Imperial War Museum Duxford is just south of Cambridge at junction 10 of the M11. Ample free parking is available. For a full list of Duxford’s air shows and other exciting events in 2010, including half term activities for families, visit www.iwm.org.uk/duxford or telephone 01223 835 000.

The Wright Flyer exhibition at Imperial War Museum Duxford

On 17 December 1903, the American Wright Brothers made the first powered, sustained and controlled flight, marking the birth of modern aviation.

Imperial War Museum Duxford commemorates this unique moment in history with an exhibition showcasing an original piece of fabric taken from the Flyer, the aircraft in which the Wright Brothers made their inaugural flight.

This fascinating artefact gives visitors to Duxford the opportunity to understand how the Wright Brothers succeeded where previous pioneers had not. Carrying out their own detailed experiments, they invented an ingenious method with which to control an aircraft by twisting, or warping, its wings. Between 1899 and 1902, they built gliders, before working with mechanic Charlie Taylor to develop a light but powerful engine for an aircraft.

Sitting in the upstairs foyer entrance to AirSpace, Duxford’s remarkable exhibition of British and Commonwealth aviation, this new exhibition will present a stunning start to the Duxford journey of discovery. Following on from this, in the exhibitions gallery at Duxford, it is possible to trace how aviation developed following the inventive success of the Wright Brothers.

The display consists of a piece of fabric from the originalWright Flyer, taken from the lower right wing. The fabric used for the aircraft was 100% cotton muslin known as ‘Pride of the West’, most commonly used at the time for women’s underwear. It was carefully selected as it needed to be strong enough to allow the wings to warp, with a very tight weave so that the air would not pass through it. When Orville Wright prepared the Flyer for public exhibition, the original fabric had to be replaced, as it had been soaked during a flood in 1913. Following Orville’s death in 1948, the fabric was divided between his grand-nieces and grand-nephews. This piece of fabric was donated to the Museum in 2007.

This evocative exhibition also contains a copy of what is widely regarded as one of the photographs of the twentieth century, showing the moment that the Wright Flyer took off from its monorail launching strip at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. OrvilleWright is at the controls, and Wilbur stands by, having held onto the wing until the aircraft left the rail. A print from the original glass-plate of this image was donated to the Museum by the Wright family in 2007 and is held at the Imperial War Museum Photograph Archive in London.

This fascinating new exhibition will also feature a scale model of the Flyer together with a tactile model and a replica piece of similar fabric, so that visitors, particularly those who are blind or partially sighted, can get a hands-on understanding of the shape and structure of the aeroplane. Complementing and enhancing the tactile element of the display, a new section is being added to AirSpace’s innovative audio guide for blind and partially sighted visitors. This guide, introduced in 2008 and available from Duxford Visitor Centre, provides an audio trail allowing blind and partially sighted visitors to fully experience the Exhibitions Gallery and Aircraft Hall.

Imperial War Museum North contributes to A History of the World

IWM Duxford would like to congratulate Imperial War Museum North, which also has an artefact included in A History of the World. The artefact is a handmade compass used by Oliver Philpot during the Wooden Horse escape from Stalag Luft III (the Second World War prisoner of war camp that housed air force servicemen).

Philpot, together with Eric Williams and Michael Codner, used a wooden vaulting horse positioned close to the perimeter fence as a disguise for a tunnel which they were constructing from underneath the horse. Gradually, he collected together an escape kit, including adapted clothes, forged papers and a compass and maps made in the camp.

After escaping through the tunnel on 29 October 1943, Philpot travelled by train from Sagan to Danzig where he quickly found a ship to take him to neutral Sweden. He arrived in Stockholm on 4 November.

The compass was made by Jerry Dawkins, a fellow prisoner, from parts of a gramophone, two halves of a razor blade, cardboard and phosphorous from broken watches.