On the face of it, the suspension of aircraft at RAF Cosford looked like a very tough challenge. Starting with the obvious, these are extremely heavy aircraft. Structurally speaking, they are designed to fly and were never designed to be suspended. It doesn't stop there. The problems are compounded by the desire to suspend all of the aircraft close together in a specific orientation. This means that not only is it necessary to determine where the fixing point should be but also to design the fitting itself. The only 'known' factor is that the roof structure can take specific loads. Familiar recollections of that impossible algebra formula at school!

However, a team of design and structural specialists get to work and the end result is a 3D jigsaw, hundreds of CAD drawings and endless calculations. Eventually, a 3D realisation is finished to include every single fixing, bracket and wire. Having got this far, the next part of the challenge is to produce a programme of works to ensure that everything is installed in the right order. Never as straightforward as it looks, it involves a wide range of project contractors and a multitude of factors not least being the issue of access. The last thing you want to do is to move something so that somebody else can get around it. It may involve moving an aircraft in and then going away for a couple of months before you can do anything else. Success only comes as a result of a comprehensive planning period and a lot of expertise.

The challenge is stimulating and rewarding. In the case of RAF Cosford, this is a remarkable exhibition about The Cold War era.