A new exhibition aims to bring to life the story of air power during the First World War.

The RAF Museum, in Grahame Park Way, Hendon, will open its First World War in the Air display to the public next Thursday.

Based in the Claude Grahame White hangar, where aircraft were built during the war, the exhibition features a vast collection of planes, uniforms, film and more.

Angela Vinci-Chandaria, head of exhibitions and interpretation, managed the project.

She said: “It has been a great team effort. What I think is special about this exhibition is that it’s displayed in the very place where all these things happened. We spoke to people in the area and told them about the history. They were very proud.

“It’s been fun working on it. It’s been a huge challenge, because it’s the first time we show the whole breadth of our collection. We are concentrating on people’s stories. It’s about telling it in a way people can relate to, by making it accessible for everyone.”

Ross Mahoney, aviation historian at the museum, said the team had worked “night and day” to get it finished.

He added: “There are lots of airfields, but Hendon played an important role in the training of pilots and supporting the war effort. Watching it come together has been fascinating. The museum has a large collection, so the discussion on what to include, and how to whittle down the items, was very interesting.”

Trevor Poole, 42, chairman of the Great War Society, works with the education department of the museum.

He said: “It has the makings of being a very successful exhibition, which will bring the first air war to a wider audience. It’s an impressive display, there’s no doubt about it. We have not just got the airplanes, but uniforms and other artefacts which show the human element.

“We have got to remember these were real people who were flying and fighting, in an age when it was courageous just to fly. This is where it all started. These chaps developed the tactics which have lasted the test of time. They developed equipment and machinery that four years previously would have been the stuff of HG Wells.”