Duxford collections question

[Alpine Flyer]

Is the civil airliner collection of the Duxford Aviation Society (York, Herald, Viscount, etc.) accessible to the public?
If yes, it is accessible through the Imperial War Museum or separately. (The IWM webpage is rather sparse on what's actually on display and I'm not entirely sure whether to make the trip to Duxford for the military planes alone. They do seem to have quite a lot of unique or very rare stuff but it's quite a drive from London and I have to catch an evening flight.)

Thanks for vectors.

I have been to Hendon a couple of years ago, but would welcome suggestions for other "must see" places around London. Brookfields is on the list already.

[treadigraph]

Fairly sure you can get at least some of the DAS airliners when Duxford is open, may depend on the number of volunteers available to man each aircraft in the collection. I've certainly been aboard the Concorde when it was outside.

I've been aboard the VC-10 and Vanguard at Brooklands too.

[meleagertoo]

The world's largest collection of 'tween wars, WW1 and Pre WW1 aircraft, many in flying condition is at the Shuttleworth Collection near Sandy, Beds.

Surely at the very top of any aviation enthusiast's global must-see list?

[DHfan]

With a few exceptions - the Comet 4 and Concorde for example - the civil airliners are all on external display so you can actually see virtually all of them. The ones that are inside also aren't a problem to see as you've paid for admission to the whole site.
As Treadigraph says, what's open to go through of the ones with regular public access depends on volunteer availability.

You'd struggle to see all of what's at Duxford in one day anyway...

[Harley Quinn]

My sons arranged for me to go to Duxford at the beginning of August. I had an extremely enjoyable day, the boys had booked the entrance tickets online so we didn't have to queue, as soon as the doors were open we were in. I always go to land warfare first and then bimble back slowly. I thought the place would be overrun with kids on their holidays. It wasn't which surprised (and kind of saddened) me. We were able to go through Concorde, the BAC 111 and the VC 10. The other airliners were closed off due, as above, to a lack of volunteers, but we did get to see Sally B airborne, along with a Tiger Moth and Mustang.
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[Sallyann1234]

There's also the only existing relic of the Handley Page Hermes - just the fuselage. I don't think it's open though.

[treadigraph]

The Hemes fuselage used to be British Caledonian's cabin trainer at Gatwick. If I recall, its fin disappeared from Duxford.

[Herod]

Alpine Flyer. You have to go through the entrance to the IWM to get airside. Then you can enjoy the Preservation Society's airliners. As has been said, access depends on volunteer availability. Concorde is indoors and generally open. I believe that belongs to the IWM. Enjoy.

[DaveReidUK]

The Hemes fuselage used to be British Caledonian's cabin trainer at Gatwick. If I recall, its fin disappeared from Duxford.

I may be mistaken (it was a long time ago), but I don't recall it having a fin when it used to sit beside the perimeter road at Gatwick.

[Chris Scott]

I may be mistaken (it was a long time ago), but I don't recall it having a fin when it used to sit beside the perimeter road at Gatwick.
And the winner is...

Treaders!

Hermes_ALDG (http://www.british-caledonian.com/Hermes_ALDG.html)

(That's Part 2. See Part 1 for photos in BCAL livery,)

[Wander00]

Mosquito Aircraft Museum -prototype Mossie, and 2 others and lots of other interesting aircraft and other exhibits

[Sallyann1234]

Very interesting. I had wondered about that old fuselage at Duxford.
Wasn't the Hermes a civilian version of the Hastings?

(Sorry I didn't want to become a historic aviation nut!)

[treadigraph]

Join the gang Sallyann!

Yep, Hemes was a basically a commercial Hastings with a nosewheel, and I believe the wings on both were more or less Halifax? I think the Halifax rebuild at Elvington actually incorporated the wings from a Hastings.

I remember seeing the Hermes at Gatwick many times from the train - easily visible on the SE corner of the airfield, resplendent in BCal colours.

Another BCal relic not so easily visible from off the airfield was a VC-10 (G-ARTA?) on the fire dump. A very young Treadders trudged wearily all the way round to Lowfield Heath once to catch a glimpse of it across the runway at the western end. Probably the occasion I sneaked into the heliport to have a peep through the doors of BAH's hangar - caught red-handed! And was rewarded with a guided tour and a look inside one of the S-61Ns.

[DHfan]

They restored the Hermes fuselage a few years ago, externally at least, and it now looks very good.
I still find it difficult to understand how a museum - or anybody else come to think of it - could mislay or lose what I assume is a pretty substantial sized fin and rudder.

The Elvington Halifax did use Hastings wings which have the same HP57 part numbers as the Halifax. I gather the Hastings centre section is wider but the rest of the wing is virtually identical.

The Mosquito Museum, or de Havilland Aircraft Museum as it's now, called is a good suggestion and only around 15 miles from central London.