Cold War Jets Collection facts for kids

The Cold War Jets Collection (CWJC) is an exciting place to see amazing old airplanes! It is located at Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome in the United Kingdom. This airfield used to be a base for the Royal Air Force.

The airfield is owned by C Walton Ltd. They host the CWJC, which is made up of several groups. These groups work hard to keep these historic aircraft safe. Some of these groups are the Lightning Preservation Group and the Buccaneer Aviation Group. Others include the Classic British Jets Collection and GJD AeroTech.

Visit the Cold War Jets Collection

You can visit the airfield on Sundays from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. This is when the aircraft are often on display.

Experience Fast Taxi Runs

Twice a year, usually on May and August Bank Holiday Sundays, you can see special events. During these "open days," some of the aircraft do exciting fast taxi runs. This means they speed down the runway almost like they are taking off!

Individual groups also hold their own events. These can include more fast taxi runs, static engine runs (where the engines are turned on but the plane stays still), and photoshoots. It is a great chance to see these powerful machines up close.

Aircraft You Can See at CWJC

The Cold War Jets Collection has many different types of aircraft. These planes were mostly used during the Cold War. The Cold War was a period of tension between different countries, but without a large-scale war.

Some planes are "taxiable," meaning they can move on the ground. Others are "static," which means they are on display but do not move.

Taxiable Aircraft: Ready to Roll!

These aircraft are kept in working order. They can move around the airfield and perform those exciting fast taxi runs. Imagine seeing these powerful jets speed by!

Here are some of the cool planes that can still move:

• English Electric Canberra: A famous bomber and reconnaissance plane.
• English Electric Lightning: A very fast fighter jet.
• de Havilland Sea Vixen: A unique twin-boom naval fighter.
• Handley Page Victor: A large bomber and air-to-air refuelling aircraft.
• Hawker Hunter: A classic British fighter jet.
• Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer: A strong naval strike aircraft.
• Hawker Siddeley Nimrod: A large maritime patrol aircraft.
• Hunting Jet Provost: A popular training jet.
• PZL TS-11 Iskra: A Polish training and light attack jet.
• Vickers VC10: A large passenger jet that was also used for refuelling.
• de Havilland Venom: A post-war fighter-bomber.
• de Havilland Comet: One of the world's first commercial jet airliners.

Static Aircraft: On Display

These aircraft are important parts of the collection. They are kept in great condition for you to see, even though they do not move. They help tell the story of aviation history.

Here are some of the static aircraft you can explore:

• Lockheed F-104G Starfighter: A very fast American fighter jet.
• Dassault Mystere: A French fighter-bomber.
• SEPECAT Jaguar: A British-French attack aircraft.
• Folland Gnat: A small, agile jet trainer.
• Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer: Another example of this powerful aircraft.