This mock-up of a German anti-aircraft emplacement is located near the museum's Lancaster bomber, whose port outer propeller can be seen on the left. This part of the hall also contains a collection of other World War II aircraft relating to the air war over Europe, some of which can be seen in other images in this gallery.

The gun shown here is the legendary and dreaded 88mm Flugabwehrkanone, from which the term "flak" was derived. (The Germans love to jam as many words into one as they can, loading the new word with as many consonants as they can. "Flug" = "in flight" (among other things), abwher = "defence", "kanone" means "bloody big gun". Thus, FLugAbwehrKanone.)

This was indeed one of the main enemies of the Lancaster, one that a Lancaster often had to contend with.

Though the Germans did have larger anti aircraft weapons, this was their primary one and arguably their most effective one when deployed in groups of 4 with radar support. By 1942, 15,000 88-millimetre guns formed the bulk of the German heavy Flak defence.

The maximum range of the weapon was 14,660 metres (about 9 miles) but to get that it had to be fired at a 45 degree angle... so that wasn't all that effective (or relevant) against aircraft. (Though it's worth noting that these were also used as anti-tank guns, and in that role range could matter.)

The maximum ceiling was 10,600 metres, or almost 35,000 feet which... well, fully laden, both Lancasters and B-17s would be under that, BUT just because the 88 had that theoretical ceiling doesn't mean that it could actually hit anything at that distance without some luck.

It had a rate of fire of 15 to 20 rounds per minute, which is what made it especially deadly.

Its projectile weighed 9 kilograms (about 20lb), but it's not what it weighs that matters but what's in it.

There was more than one model of the Flugabwehrkanone 88 over the course of the war. If they had anything on their sign indicating which model this is, I didn't see it or don't remember it... but then I am updating this description 15 years after taking this shot. It probably would have been one of the earlier models because it was captured by Australian forces in North Africa in 1942. It was captured with the front shield on, which may mean that this one was in fact in an anti-tank role (shields aren't that useful against bombers at 25,000 feet up), but that's just speculation on my part.