The Royal Air Force Museum has secured nearly £900,000 of funding for the creation of a major new exhibition chronicling the role of air power during the First World War through the stories of the men and women involved.

The exhibition – The First World War In The Air – will be delivered across the museum’s two public sites at the Hendon Aerodrome and at RAF Cosford as well as in an online capacity. The scheme will include programmes for education, volunteering, apprenticeships and public events.

The four-year project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), will explore the development of air power as an integral part of modern warfare, with the exhibition coming to a close in 2018 when it will celebrate the birth of the RAF.

As part of the exhibition, the museum will develop unused spaces in its Grahame-White Factory. A ‘drawing office’, equipped with sketching tools, open drawers filled with facsimiles of original technical drawings and aviation-related publications, will give visitors a ‘balcony view’ of the aircraft and hangar.

A community space will provide an area for volunteer and development programmes at the museum, while a temporary exhibition gallery will also be installed to enable local schools to stage a series of First World War related displays from April 2015.

“In the run up to the start of the centenary programme I am delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund is supporting ‘The First World War in the Air’," said Helen Grant, minister for the First World War centenary programme.

“These enduring exhibitions will bring to life the start of air power – and the personal stories behind the aviation advances - during the war years. They will provide engaging local and national material and activities for visitors to discover and explore.”