RAF Museum Midlands: Rubb to supply EFASS hangar for new exhibition

Rubb UK is proud to support the RAF Museum Midlands as it develops its landmark new exhibition The RAF: 1980 to Today.

As part of this transformation, Rubb is supplying a refurbished 20.4m EFASS hangar, which will house a Tornado GR4 fast jet and form a central immersive environment within the Museum’s redeveloped Hangar 1.

This contribution comes at a significant moment for Rubb: 2026 marks the 25‑year anniversary of the EFASS range, first designed in response to the RAF’s frontline requirements in 2001.

Deployed environment

Inside the EFASS structure, visitors will experience a full‑scale representation of expeditionary air operations. Developed using genuine, previously deployed components, the hangar has been refurbished to retain the authentic wear associated with operational service. This includes its open‑door ‘first petal’ configuration and field‑condition cladding.

Working alongside RAF engineers, the Museum is curating an exhibition that accurately represents the working conditions, maintenance routines, and engineering challenges faced during deployed operations. Digital interpretation will include interviews with personnel and a timelapse of the EFASS installation, offering the public a rare view into the lived experience of RAF ground crews.

Karen Whitting, RAF Museum’s Director of Content and Programmes commented: “The installation of the EFASS hangar within our new exhibition will be a powerful way to bring RAF operations to life for all our visitors. By placing the Tornado GR4 inside an authentic, previously deployed structure, we will be able to immerse visitors in the realities of expeditionary air operations and highlight the skill, resilience and ingenuity of RAF and Rubb UK personnel.”

Working closely with the Rubb team and RAF engineers will enable us to share this story with accuracy and depth, ensuring that the lived experience of ground crews and aviators is central to how we interpret this pivotal period, showcasing how the Whole Force continually adapts to meet evolving global challenges.

Director of Content and Programmes, RAF Museum
Karen Whitting

Past and present RAF operations

The new exhibition places modern RAF history in context, showcasing how the Service adapted from the Cold War era to today’s multi‑domain responsibilities.

By placing a Tornado GR4 within a Rubb EFASS hangar, the Museum can present decades of RAF operations through environments that RAF personnel themselves would recognise, linking modern engineering back to earlier conflicts where Rubb structures played a vital role.

Bravo November—the Chinook helicopter whose remarkable survival during the Falklands conflict became a defining RAF story—will also be featured in the exhibition. This marks a significant reunion, as Rubb developed a 25m‑span Chinook hangar at Goose Green specifically to house the aircraft during the 1982 conflict.

We are pleased to support the RAF Museum Midlands in creating an authentic, deployed environment that highlights the operational heritage of our EFASS system. With the EFASS reaching its 25 year milestone in 2026, it is fitting to see the hangar used to celebrate the people, aircraft, and engineering stories that have shaped the RAF.

Managing Director, Rubb UK
Ian Hindmoor

Wider transformation

The EFASS installation contributes to a broader £28M transformation of the Midlands site, including a new Learning Centre, a Collections Hub, and major improvements to the Museum’s public spaces.

The new exhibition, opening in 2027, will explore 45 years of RAF history, inviting visitors to imagine the Service’s future as it faces the challenges of cyber and space defence. It will share diverse personal stories and engage new audiences through multi‑sensory interpretation and accessible design.

Visit RAF Museum Midlands