It's a clean sweep as specialists dust suspended aircraft 100ft up at RAF museum

An expert team of dustbusters, who are not afraid of heights, have taken part in the annual spring clean of suspended aircraft at the RAF Museum Midlands.

The eight aircraft, which are suspended nearly 30m in the air, including a Vulcan bomber, have been given a light dusting.

The other aircraft being spruced up include a Canberra, Meteor, Sabre, Hunter, Lightning, Dakota and Javelin, and are displayed within the museum's national Cold War exhibition.

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"Preserving aircraft within our collection extends beyond mere display. It involves each aircraft undergoing regular inspections and cleaning by our skilled technicians and volunteers," Tom Hopkins, RAF Museum Midlands' curator, said.

"It's fascinating to watch the team in action, and their work ensures that our aircraft remain in top condition, looking their best for visitors to enjoy."

The team from Totally Wild Access, industrial rope access specialists, scaled the rafters of the building and dangled down to get to the aircraft.

The vintage planes were then dusted with large soft fibre mops.

Alongside the cleaning, the group have conducted safety inspections of the suspension cables keeping the aircraft in their flying display positions.

The museum's older aeroplanes, like a World War Two Wellington bomber, on display in different hangars, have also been dusted to keep them looking their best.  

The RAF Museum Midlands remains open to visitors while the cleaning process takes place – it is open daily from 10:00 and admission is free.