Tangmere Military Aviation Museum now enjoys the benefits of LED with a selection of bespoke, high-efficiency luminaires from Dextra Lighting’s wide range of precision-engineered products. The historical attraction can now provide an attractively-lit environment for visitors while running its facilities in a cost-effective and eco-friendly way.

About the Client

Founded by a group of aviation enthusiasts, Tangmere Military Aviation Museum’s mission has been to promote awareness of the UK’s RAF heritage and educate present and future generations in military aviation. The museum stands not only as a historical attraction, but serves as a memorial to the allied airmen and airwomen who gave their lives in service. The museum boasts an impressive exhibition of historic aircraft and aviation artefacts, as well as a vast archive of historical documents. It also offers visitors a number of interactive displays and aircraft simulators for a fun and informative experience.

Since opening its doors in 1982, the museum has grown considerably and has recently been awarded the Quality Assured Visitor Attraction Status by VisitEngland, thanks to the hard work of passionate volunteers.

To further this long-standing commitment to provide visitors with a memorable and rich experience, the museum’s management team decided it was time to invest in a modern, attractive and sustainable lighting system to enhance its facilities.

Dextra Lighting was selected for the project by SSE Enterprise Contracting’s Lighting Procurement Department, to design and deliver a high-quality, energy-saving solution for the museum. SSE Enterprise Contracting, one of the UK’s largest providers of mechanical and electrical services holds an excellent track record for achieving value for money, managing risk and maintaining a sustainable approach throughout its supply chain. The partnership proved a great success for Tangmere Aviation Museum whose staff were extremely pleased with the “huge improvement” offered by the new lighting scheme.

“Fast returns on investment by reducing the lighting’s power load by approximately 60% and minimising maintenance costs”

The Brief

The design focus for the new lighting upgrade was to generate substantial energy savings for the museum whilst offering a superior light quality. To achieve this goal, precision-engineered LED luminaires were selected to replace the existing fluorescent fittings, to illuminate the reception desk, workshop, kitchen and restaurant, store rooms and the library.

Dextra Lighting was also required to provide luminaires in Colour 83 (3000k) to match the colour temperature of the existing spotlights in the exhibition areas. Overall, the lighting aimed to create an attractively-lit and inviting environment, whilst offering fast returns on investment by reducing the lighting’s power load by approximately 60% and minimising maintenance costs.

the solution

Front-of-House – Graduate LED

To enhance the lighting conditions in all areas accessible to visitors, the versatile Graduate LED was supplied in a number of lumen outputs, providing optimal light levels in each location and supporting a range of task and activities. Luminaires were supplied in 2,600, 3,500, 4,500 and 5,400 lumen output packages, in 1200mm and 1500mm lengths, from a range which extends as high 13,200lm. Colour 83 LED sources were provided to maintain continuity with the existing lighting as requested.

A high-efficiency opal polycarbonate diffuser, unique to Dextra Group, allows the Graduate LED to offer an optimum light output ratio whilst ensuring excellent diffusion of the LED source. Combined with the energy-saving and low-maintenance properties of its high quality LEDs, the luminaire offered an

improved quality of light throughout the museum’s premises without compromising on sustainability.

Further savings were created by keeping installation time and cost-effective, as the luminaires were delivered fully assembled and ready to install, and feature a removable gear tray that simplifies both the fitting process and maintenance.

The Graduate LED also allows designers to maximise the efficiency of each installation with its wide selection of dimming protocols (HFR, DSI, DALI, Switch Dimming and Corridor Function), which work in conjunction with a range of internal or standalone sensors offering presence detection, daylight regulation and user-friendly remote control programming.

Workshop and Store Room – Hydra LED

The durable and efficient Hydra LED was purposely designed for more demanding environments such as the museum’s workshop and storage areas. Using long-lasting and reliable Lumileds LEDs, this product not only reduced energy consumption by up to 60% compared to the existing fluorescent fittings, but also minimised maintenance costs by eliminating the need for frequent lamp changes.

To add to the benefits of LED, the IP65-rated Hydra LED also offers protection from dirt and dust ingress, and light impact, to economise further on maintenance in the long-term. This level of protection is especially beneficial in areas with restricted access where servicing is potentially time-consuming and costly. The luminaire can also withstand temperatures between -20°C and +25°C, making it suitable for a range of industrial environments.

The Hydra LED also offers premium performance, with its high-quality Lumileds LEDs and straight-forward, yet effective, optic design delivering impressive LORs of 90% for a wide range lumen outputs. The versatile luminaire can be supplied in lumen packages ranging from 2,200 to as high as 13,200lm, in three different body sizes (single or twin options also available), to suit the application. A comprehensive range of emergency, dimming and sensor options are also available with this range to ensure each installation is tailored to maximise efficiency and comply with the building’s safety requirements.

The Hydra LED is supplied with stainless steel screws and clips to provide tooled access according to current regulations. Colour 83 LED sources were also provided with this product to match the existing lighting.