8 February 2025
IWM Duxford
Everyone
Free event with general admission
Scramble! In the Spotlight
Join us at IWM Duxford for Scramble! In the Spotlight, a visitor day celebrating the Scramble! The Summer of 1940 exhibition. The event is open to all IWM Duxford visitors at no extra cost, and will feature stands and stalls, talks and family activities.
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© Darren Harbar
The Polish Heritage Flight
A new painting, Pamięć Bohaterom (Remember the Heroes) by artist Mark Postlethwaite will be displayed at Scramble! In the Spotlight. The artwork depicts two Hurricanes of 302 (City of Poznan) Squadron, flown by Flying Officer J Kowalski and Flight Lieutenant T Chłopik, being scrambled from Duxford on 15 September 1940.
Chłopik was killed in action that day, but Kowalski survived the war, leaving the RAF as a Wing Commander. The artwork was presented to his son, Julian Kowalski, who will accompany the Polish Heritage Flight at Scramble! In the Spotlight.
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© IWM
The Aerial Collective
Meet the Aerial Collective team, an in-house Spitfire flight experience provider of the Aircraft Restoration Co. based at Duxford Airfield. Discover the variety of warbird flight experiences available and get close to aircraft from their fleet including the Hispano Aviación Buchón 'Yellow 10’ and the Bristol Blenheim.
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International Plastic Model Society (UK)
The International Plastic Model Society (UK) will display scale models of more aircraft which fought in the skies over the summer of 1940, including a Heinkel HE111, Messerschmitt Bf 110 and a Junkers JU 88. The Stafford branch of the IPMS (UK) will display Czech Mate!, an intricately detailed chessboard themed around the Battle of Britain, with model RAF and Luftwaffe aircraft taking on the roles of the pieces.
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©IWM
The Blenheim Society
Hear the heroic wartime stories of the Bristol Blenheim and its crews told by The Blenheim Society. Bristol Blenheim Mk IF L6739, a night fighter from the Battle of Britain, is present in the exhibition.
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© IWM
Volunteer Talks and Spitfire Cockpit Experiences
IWM volunteers will hold free talks throughout the day about the aircraft in the exhibition, or book a ticket and take to the cockpit of a Spitfire Mk Ia.
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Airfix
Iconic scale model manufacturer Airfix will be displaying their range of model kits. Many visitors will be familiar with recreating aircraft from the summer of 1940 in 1/72 scale.
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Chris Chandler Collection
Discover film memorabilia from the 1969 film Battle of Britain, on display courtesy of private collector Chris Chandler, and get closer to objects from the battle itself.
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©IWM
Duxford Aviation Society
The Duxford Aviation Society will hold a second-hand bookstall to raise funds to preserve its collection of aircraft and military vehicles.
Duxford Aviation Society is a registered charity, all chargeable activities are organised and delivered by DAS volunteer members– funds raised help continue DAS work and the upkeep of the collection.
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Family Activities
family activities including Spotlight! Design your own pop-up exhibition will be taking place throughout the day.
It's never too early to become a mini-curator! Discover Duxford's role in the Battle of Britain and make your own pop-up card exhibition. Collect stories, from iconic aircraft to Flash the dog, and learn how museums bring the stories of Duxford's ace flying pilots to life.
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Book Signing
Author John Shields will be signing copies of his book, Spitfire Pilot Air Commodore Geoffrey Stephenson. Geoffery Stephenson was the pilot of Supermarine Spitfire N3200, a prisoner of war and a jet fighter pilot until his death in a flying accident in 1954. The book, and other titles from IWM's shop will be on sale within the exhibition.

