Small museums, individual displays
 

Several years ago the small aviation museum at Lasham closed to make way for some development on the airfield. It set me wondering if anyone had any recommendations for small or obscure museums or places of interest, particularly with a military aviation connection.

Pegasus Bridge - BRILLIANT - probably best small museum I have ever visited

Try the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection. It is in Hangar 1 at Old Sarum airfield.
Home
Only open Sat and Suns until mid-February and then every day except Mondays.

Flixton is always worth a visit if you're in the neighbourhood...

Flixton

Doncaster Air Museum
 

The Doncaster Air Museum is located on the site of the old Doncasterairfield, near the racecourse behind a massive ASDA. It holds a collection ofaircraft as you'd expect, but also marvellous displays of flying paraphernalia.Highly recommended.

Regards,

Vernon

PS It’s on a site now called Lakeside and is signposted.

Planning to visit the radar museum at Neatishead this year, that looks quite good.

Another vote for Flixton. Nice pub too!

Tangmere Military Aviation Museum.

Superb place.

The Lashenden Air Warfare Museum is worth a visit (aka Headcorn Kent).

If only to see their Fi 103R-4 Reichenberg :eek:

http://www.lashendenairwarfaremuseum...44x352_v1d.jpg

LAWM Headcorn Kent

Note : CLOSED at the moment opens in early March ... check Web Site for dates/times.

Dumfries & Galloway Aviation Museum

I was taken along there not knowing what to expect. Very knowledgeable staff and interesting local aviation paraphenalia in addition to the airframes. Thoroughly recommended!

Museum of Berkshire Aviation

Address: Mohawk Way, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire RG5 4UE

Home - Museum of Berkshire Aviation

not far from Junction 10 on the M4

they have a Gannet and a HP herald outside and all sorts of goodies inside

Lots of Mile stuff of course

Grangemouth Heritage Trust has a fair amount of information, photographs and layouts of the original Central Scotland Airport and its subsequent transformation into a fighter and training station in WWII.


It's manned by a bunch of very enthusiastic & knowledgeable volunteers.


You'll find it at:-
Grangemouth Heritage Trust13A La Porte Precinct Grangemouth FK3 8AZ -


The trust are actually off the main part of the precinct, on the left through the gap between the shops opposite the Bank of Scotland.


See more at: Grangemouth Heritage Trust


Unfortunately, their website seems to be down as I post this, but maybe it will be back up shortly.




Also, there is a replica Spitfire at the memorial to the pilots killed during training and on duty at RAF Grangemouth, on Bo'ness Road at the junction with Duke Street with the call sign of one of the Polish pilots killed in a flying accident & buried locally in Gransable cemetery.

Here's another:

RAF Wyton - Pathfinder Collection
:ok:

F.A.S.T museum.
 

Could look at the FAST museum in Farnborough. After all that's where it was developed...

Look up "Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire" on Google. They work for the Council and do an excellent job coordinating many aviation museums and Heritage Centres in the Lincolnshire area.


I will of course recommend the RAF Waddington Heritage Centre although this is closed at the moment for re-wiring: we should be back on line for Easter but we are in the hands of MOD contractors........ Note that being on an operational airfield means that you have to book first!


In the meantime, go to the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby to visit Just Jane.

Try this one:


Wellington Aviation Museum


Interesting area too.

You need to visit the "Enigma" complex at Bletchley Park, near Milton Keynes. Much of "Station X" is preserved there, with Enigma machines, Bombe machines, and Colussus, one of the world's first computers.

The guided tour is excellent, explaining some of the techniques of code-breaking, before touring the site.

This was the scene of war-winning activity during the Second World War. Churchill described Station X as "The goose that laid the golden egg, but never cackled."

Truly amazing.

You might also find this site of help/interest ...

UK Aviation Museum Guide

Old warden and the Shuttleworth collection

Shuttleworth Old Warden Park

Newark

Newark Air Museum

Stowe Marie's

Stow Maries Aerodrome

The mossies at the dehavilland museum at Salisbury hall

Visitor no

And out of the box.because not a museum per se, but a cracking day out with trench emplacements set up, reenactors, full scale battle display and an airshow to boot, all done for charity......
It's a bit of a sleeper of a show.

http://www.thevictoryshow.co.uk/

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Get an OS map and have a wander around what was RAF Kings Cliffe near Wittering. All the more enjoyable for being a WWII site in slow decay:

RAF Kings Cliffe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kings Cliffe

I found it by spotting the Glenn Miller memorial when out mountain biking. I subsequently got the memorial brought under the wing of RAF Wittering who didn;t even know it existed. Other than planting daffodils at Air Command (near the Spar shop), that was probably my lasting impact upon the RAF.

By appointment only, but fascinating... Trenchard Museum

Bentwaters Cold War Museum in Suffolk:

BCWM | - The Bentwaters Cold War Museum

Open alternate Sundays from April onwards.

Very highly recommended.

Jet Age Museum has recently opened on the edge of Gloucestershire Airport Staverton. The displays are still developing, but it's well worth a visit. We are open weekends 10-4.

Jet Age Museum - Home.

Tempsford
 

There is a bit of a collection at Tempsford. We had a staff ride from Wyton some time back. Had to get special permission from the Lady of the Manor. The barn is quite a moving place. Noted on the local news a few weeks back Prince Charles paid a visit to unveil a memorial


Edit: pure coincidence. someone put a post on the Godmanchester living FB page this morning


Tempsford Special Duties Squadrons


Godmanchester also home of operation Epsilon - Old Farm Hall fame. apparently the wires are still in place! (sorry Old Farm Hall also got a mention on a PPRuNe thread a few weeks back re the Nazi preparedness for the atom bomb during WW2)

Four Scottish aviation museums that are well worth a visit, all with seasonal opening times:

Dumfries & Galloway Aviation Museum, a little north east of Dumfries:
Dumfries & Galloway Aviation Museum Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland

Highland Aviation Museum, close to Inverness Airport:
Highland Aviation Museum Page on Undiscovered Scotland

Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre, just to the north of Montrose:
Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland

And by far the biggest, the National Museum of Flight at East Fortune, east of Edinburgh, just off the A1:
National Museum of Flight Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland

Avro Heritage Centre, Woodford, Cheshire

What Clicker said at Post 6. See here:

Air Defence Radar Museum Neatishead

Edited to add that if you're in that part of the world, La Cupole is well worth a visit - not only because of what it was intended for, but because of what was done to put it out of action. The site was apparently the inspiration for at least one of the James Bond sets and it's easy to see why. UK friendly. See here:

La Cupole Museum


STH

I absolutely agree with Sir Topham - but I would, wouldn't I?:E

At Sleap airfield in Shropshire there's a wartime aircraft recovery group which has a small museum. Also, very good food in the restaurant under the tower.

Southampton Hall of Aviation

or use next link:-

Welcome

They say,

Geographically this area was the most important area in the country, if not the world, for aircraft experimental and development work between 1908 and the late 1960s, the most famous being the Spitfire. We have 18 aircraft of various types, including the Spitfire and S6b. Our Engine Bay also has a good selection of engines.
We welcome people aboard the Sandringham Flying Boat; and why not take a tour onto the flight deck. Or you can imagine that you are flying the Swift or Harrier Jump Jet while sitting in the cockpit.

Historic Airfield
 

I can recommend Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre.

Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre. Britain's first operational military airfield.

Home of 25(F) sqn who initially formed there, also has the Dickin medal of 'Bamse' the St Bernard with 2 citations for bravery (his statue is on the waterfront).

Does this bloke count as a museum? https://www.facebook.com/events/list...mcrpost.harrop

He started with an itinerant display of Post Office memorabilia and then became interested MiA/KiA telegrams. he then researched and began collecting artefacts connected with the subject, many of them aircrew; including a Line Book from 222 Sqn. He now has a permanent display at Southern Cemetry, Manchester displaying items and documents relating to some of the servicemen buried there.

Metheringham
 

Now if you wanted a day out at a small museum how about this;

WW2 bomber station in one of the most beautiful spots in Lincolnshire

Fully restored RAF gymnasium now home to worlds largest Lancaster (ex flying) model

Fully restored ration store now home to many bomber station artefacts, including parts of Guy Gibsons fated Mosquito

Many semi derelict areas to explore, blast shelters, Nissen huts etc.

Our favourite - Jet Provost Mk4 XS186 - Fully restored and taxied regularly, up close and personal with a seat available for those who still can

A free cup of tea and unlimited biscuits (a pack of biccies is the only admission fee for the XS186 crew room, weve got 1,000's!) for anyone who wants to talk old aeroplanes

Sounds awful doesn't it..........

Here's a shout for the Midland Air Museum at Coventry airport

Midland Air Museum | About the Museum

Incorporates the Sir Frank Whittle Jet Heritage Centre.

There is also a collection, and aviation paraphernalia at Wellesbourne, not to mention the static Vulcan there (I say static, but I believe it taxis every now and then, also v good café). Museum only open Sundays I think.

Ulster
 

Ulster aviation society - well worth a trip if you are in that part of the world.

Welcome - Ulster Aviation Society

RAF Scampton - RAF Scampton Museum

TOUR DETAILS 2014 - RAF HOLMPTON

Both well worth a visit.

Gents (and ladies, perhaps!) thank you very much for sharing your knowledge. That will fill quite a few summer's days!

... and can I put in a mention of the Manx Aviation Preservation Society (MAPS) at Ronaldsway Airport!

Manx Aviation Preservation Society | Preserving the Isle of Man's Military and Aviation Heritage

Cracking little museum, full of treasures! Whilst you are here, enjoy the other sights of the Isle of Man - including the steam railway, electric trams and the largest water wheel in the world - and it's still working!

The 'Mosquito' Museum, near South Mimms:


Visitor no

The Carpetbagger Aviation Museum at Harrington nr Kettering. It was the USAAF equivalent to Tempsford. There is also a Thor site but no public access.
Twenty minutes away, the pub in Sudborough has a fire place with a wooden lintel full of old pennies. These were placed in the cracks by Grafton Underwood crews before their mission with the intention of retrival on their safe return.
A very poignant memorial.