ROYAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM TO BUILD 116 METER TALL BEACON

A SHINING TWISTED BEACON TALLER THAN THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT COULD BE CREATED TO REMEMBER THE SACRIFICES MADE DURING THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN. THE 116 METER TALL LANDMARK BUILDING IS PLANNED FOR THE ROYAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM IN HENDON, NORTH WEST LONDON, AND WOULD BE ALMOST 10 METERS TALLER THAN THE FAMOUS CLOCK TOWER AT THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER. THE UNIQUE BUILDING, PROVISIONALLY CALLED THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN BEACON, WOULD BE VISIBLE FROM THE CENTER OF LONDON AND WILL HOUSE A PERMANENT EXHIBITION ABOUT THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN IF THE FUNDS FOR CONSTRUCTION ARE FOUND. THE ROYAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM IS CURRENTLY MARKING THE 70th ANNIVERSARY OF THE AIR CAMPAIGN AND ANNOUNCED ITS VISION FOR THE FUTURE AT A RECENT FUND-RAISING EVENT. DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR KEITH IFOULD SAID THE PROJECT WOULD COST AN ESTIMATED £80 MILLION SECURED THROUGH PRIVATE FUNDING AND THERE ARE SEVERAL INTERESTED PARTIES. THE DISTINCTIVE DESIGN HAS ALSO BEEN WELL RECEIVED, HE SAID. 'WE HAVE HAD AN AMAZINGLY POSITIVE RESPONSE TO IT. LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING 'THIS MUST BE BUILT'. IT IS HOPED THE BUILDING WOULD ALLOW WIDER PUBLIC ACCESS AND ENSURE THAT THE MUSEUM'S UNIQUE COLLECTION OF BATTLE OF BRITAIN AIRCRAFT, MEMORABILIA AND ARCHIVES IS PRESERVED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. THE MUSEUM IS CONSULTING ON ITS PLANS AND HOPES TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT WITHIN THE LIFETIME OF SOME OF THE SURVIVING VETERANS OF THE BATTLE. NEARLY 3,000 RAF PILOTS WERE INVOLVED IN THE BATTLE, WHICH KILLED 544.