National Museum of Flight facts for kids
The entrance to the Concorde exhibition.
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| Established | July 1975 |
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| Location | East Fortune, Scotland, UK |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Visitors | 74,696 (2019) |
The National Museum of Flight is Scotland's main museum about planes and flying. It is located at East Fortune Airfield, near the village of East Fortune, Scotland. This museum is part of National Museums Scotland.
The museum is built in the original buildings of RAF East Fortune. This was an airfield used during World War II. Because of its history, the entire site is a special protected area called a scheduled monument. This means no new buildings can be added permanently. The old hangars, control tower, and storage buildings are also protected.
Contents
Exploring the Museum's History
The museum's collection started way back in 1909. The Royal Scottish Museum bought Percy Pilcher's Hawk glider. This was the very first aircraft collected by any museum in the United Kingdom! In the same year, they got models of the Wright Model A and Blériot XI planes.
In the early 1920s, more aero engines were added. This included a 1910 Wright engine, given by Orville Wright himself! In 1971, the museum received a Supermarine Spitfire XVI from the Ministry of Defence. It was too big for Edinburgh, so it was stored at East Fortune.
More planes arrived, and soon there were enough to open a museum. The National Museum of Flight first opened its doors to the public on July 7, 1975. Early displays included planes like the de Havilland Dragon Rapide and Fairey Delta 2.
Growing the Aircraft Collection
The museum grew a lot in 1981. They bought five aircraft from the Strathallan Collection. Some of these, like the General Aircraft Cygnet and Percival Provost, actually flew to the museum for their final landing! The famous de Havilland Comet also flew in that year. The mighty Avro Vulcan bomber arrived in 1984.
Another big expansion happened in 2006. British Airways donated many of their old aircraft. These included a BAC 1-11, a Vickers Viscount, and the front part of a Boeing 707. Visitors can even walk through the 1-11 and 707. You can also peek into the cockpit of the Hawker Siddeley Trident.
In 2016, a big project finished. They added heating and insulation to two hangars built in 1940. This made the museum much more comfortable for the planes and visitors.
Amazing Collections
The museum has one of the most important aviation collections in the UK. It covers all kinds of flying, including military, passenger, and recreational planes. It's the only UK national museum that still collects items about the history of commercial aviation. For example, they display a Boeing 707 fuselage section. It comes with items from BOAC crew and passengers, like a 1960s stewardess uniform.
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Here are some of the amazing aircraft you can see:
- Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde G-BOAA: This is "Scotland's Concorde." You can explore it in "The Concorde Experience."
- Avro Vulcan B.2A (XM597): This bomber flew two missions during the Falklands War.
- BAC 1-11 (G-AVMO): A passenger jet in British Airways colours.
- Boeing 707 (G-APFJ) forward fuselage: The front part of a classic jetliner.
- de Havilland Comet 4C (G-BDIX): An early jet passenger plane.
- General Aircraft Cygnet (G-AGBN): This plane was flown twice by Guy Gibson. He was the leader of the famous Dambusters Raid.
- Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet (191659): A rocket-powered fighter. It was the fastest aircraft of World War II.
- Piper Comanche G-ATOY Myth Too: This plane was flown around the world twice by Sheila Scott.
- Supermarine Spitfire XVI (TE462): A legendary World War II fighter plane.
The museum also has many other items, including:
- A huge number of aero engines: From piston engines to powerful turbofans.
- Aircraft parts: Like wings from old planes.
- Avionics: Such as radars built by Ferranti in Edinburgh.
- Uniforms: Both military and civil aviation uniforms.
- Medals, weapons, models, and old photographs.
Museum Displays
The museum is divided into several hangars, each with different themes.
Hangar 1: Conservation Work
This hangar is not always open to everyone. However, the museum offers tours regularly. Here, you can see aircraft that are being stored or repaired. Some planes in this hangar include a Blackburn Buccaneer and a Vickers Viscount. You might also spot a huge Avro Blue Steel Standoff Nuclear Missile.
Hangar 2: Military Aviation
This hangar is all about military planes. You can see famous aircraft like the Supermarine Spitfire, Panavia Tornado, and SEPECAT Jaguar. Also on display is the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet. This rocket-powered fighter was flown by Captain Eric Brown.
You can also see one of the engines from the Messerschmitt Bf 110 flown by Rudolf Hess. There are displays of different weapons too. These include machine guns, cannons, and even a guided bomb called the Fritz X.
Hangar 3: Civil Aviation
This hangar focuses on planes used for everyday travel and other non-military purposes. Many of these aircraft have special connections to Scotland. For example, the Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer was built in Prestwick. You can also see a Britten-Norman Islander in the colours of the Scottish Air Ambulance Service.
Other planes here include a de Havilland Tiger Moth and a de Havilland Dragon. There's also the General Aircraft Cygnet, flown by Guy Gibson of the Dambusters Raid.
Hangar 4: The Concorde Experience
This is the main display hangar and a real highlight! It features "The Concorde Experience" and "The Jet Age" exhibitions.
"The Concorde Experience" lets you walk through and around the amazing G-BOAA. An audio guide tells you all about its history. You can also see its powerful Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593 engines and aircraft seats.
"The Jet Age" exhibition shows how jet engines developed. You can see different types of jet engines. These include early turbojets and modern turbofans. In 2018, a BAE Systems Hawk T.1A was moved into this hangar. This plane was part of the famous Red Arrows display team. It even flew with a Concorde over the Scottish Parliament building in 1999!
Other Exhibitions and Displays
The museum has more to explore in other old wartime buildings. "Fantastic Flight" is a hands-on gallery where you can learn about how planes fly. "Fortunes of War" tells the story of the airfield during World War II. You can also visit "The Parachute Store," a restored building where parachutes were packed. Other exhibits include a Green Goddess fire engine and an AEC Matador truck used by the RAF.
Museum Events
The museum hosts an exciting annual air show every July. It's usually on the third Saturday of the month. The airshow on July 25, 2015, was the eighteenth one!
They also have other events throughout the year. These include "Wartime Experience" in May and "Wheels and Wings," a transport event in September.
See also
- List of aerospace museums
