Army Flying Museum facts for kids
One of the museum's galleries
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| Established | 1987 |
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| Location | Middle Wallop, Hampshire, England |
| Type | Aviation museum |
The Army Flying Museum is a cool place where you can learn all about the history of flying in the British Army. It used to be called the Museum of Army Flying. You can find it at Middle Wallop Flying Station in Hampshire, England, near Andover.
Contents
What You Can See at the Museum
The Army Flying Museum tells the story of how the British Army has used aircraft over many years. It starts with early balloon sections from the Royal Engineers. Then it moves to the Royal Flying Corps, which began in 1912. Later, it covers the air observation post (AOP) squadrons. Finally, it shows how the Army Air Corps was formed in 1957. This happened when the Glider Pilot Regiment joined with the AOP Squadrons.
The museum has lots of exciting things to explore. You can try out flight simulators, which make you feel like you're really flying! There's also an outdoor play park with fun aviation-themed games. You can even see a control tower that looks just like the one at Middle Wallop.
Museum Improvements
The museum has worked on a big project called 'Project Eagle'. This project helped make the museum even better. The first part of Project Eagle finished on September 1, 2017. It created a special memorial for over 5,000 people. These brave individuals gave their lives while serving in British Army Flying, from the very first pilots to those in the modern Army Air Corps.
The second part of Project Eagle happened between November 2018 and April 2019. This involved a major update and refurbishment. The museum also started an activity plan. This plan included fun community events, volunteer opportunities, and educational programs.
Amazing Aircraft Displays
The museum has a fantastic collection of aircraft. You can see both planes (fixed wing) and helicopters (rotary aircraft). One special helicopter is a restored Westland Lynx (serial XX153). This helicopter set two world speed records back in 1972!
Other cool aircraft on display include an Aérospatiale Gazelle, a Westland Scout, and another Westland Lynx. You can also see a Bristol Sycamore and a Saunders-Roe Skeeter. There's even a replica of the unique rotabuggy.
The museum also shows military gliders that were used by the Glider Pilot Regiment. These include the large Airspeed Horsa and the Waco CG-4.
You can also see a Soviet ZSU-23-4 Shilka at the museum. This vehicle was captured from the Iraqi Army during the first Gulf War. The Shilka is a special vehicle that moves on its own. It has a radar system to find and shoot down enemy aircraft. It was used a lot during the Cold War.
Fixed Wing Aircraft
Here are some of the planes you can see at the museum:
- Airspeed Horsa
- Taylorcraft Auster V
- Auster AOP.6
- Auster AOP.9
- Britten-Norman Islander AL.1 ZG993
- Cessna O-1 Bird Dog – from the United States Army
- de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk
- de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
- General Aircraft Hamilcar
- General Aircraft Hotspur
- Miles Magister
- Sopwith Pup
- Waco Hadrian - from the United States Army
- Prospector EP.9
Rotorcraft (Helicopters)
Here are some of the helicopters you can see at the museum:
- Aérospatiale Alouette II - XR232
- AgustaWestland Apache AH.1 - ZJ224 - this is the only one on display in the UK!
- Agusta A109A - ZE410
- Bristol Sycamore HR.14 - XG502
- Bell 47G-4 - G-AXKS
- Bell AH-1 Cobra – 70-15990 from the United States Army
- Agusta-Bell Sioux AH.1 - XT108
- Bell UH-1 Iroquois – a former Argentine Army AE-409, captured in 1982
- Rotabuggy
- Saunders-Roe Skeeter AOP.12 - XL813
- Westland Gazelle AH.1 - ZA737
- Westland Lynx AH.1 - XX153
- Westland Lynx AH.7 - XZ675
- Westland Scout AH.1 - XP847
