Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum facts for kids
BAe Sea Harrier on display
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| Established | 1972 |
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| Location | Flixton, Suffolk, England |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Collection size | Approximately 30,000 items, including 60 aircraft |
| Visitors | Approximately 40,000 per year |
The Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum is an exciting place to explore the history of flight! It's a museum filled with amazing aircraft and other cool items related to aviation. You can find it in a village called Flixton in Suffolk, England, close to where an old air base, RAF Bungay, used to be.
Contents
Discovering the Museum's History and Exhibits
The museum first opened its doors in 1972. It started as the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Society. Today, it's home to more than 60 complete or partial aircraft. Imagine seeing so many different types of planes in one place!
Amazing Aircraft to See
Some of the special planes you can find here include:
- The only complete de Havilland Sea Vixen FAW.1 owned by a private group. This was a powerful naval fighter jet!
- A flying copy of the famous Colditz Cock escape glider. This glider was built by prisoners of war to try and escape during World War II.
- A Vickers Valetta VX580 C.2, which was a transport aircraft.
- An FMA IA 58 Pucará that was captured by British forces during the Falklands War. This is a ground-attack aircraft from Argentina.
Special Collections and Themes
Besides the aircraft, the museum has many themed areas. These collections tell stories about different parts of aviation history. You can learn about:
- The Royal Observer Corps, who watched the skies for enemy aircraft.
- RAF Bomber Command, which was responsible for bombing missions.
- RAF Air-Sea Rescue, who saved pilots and sailors from the sea.
- RAF Coastal Command, which protected ships and patrolled the coast.
Behind the Scenes: Wreckology and Volunteers
The museum does more than just display planes. Its members also explore old aircraft crash sites in East Anglia. This is sometimes called wreckology. They study these sites to learn more about aviation history.
The museum is mostly run by a team of dedicated volunteers. They help with everything from keeping the planes in good shape to welcoming visitors. The museum gets its funding from visitor tickets, donations, and grants.
The "Little Nellie" Connection
For many years, the museum had a special connection to Wing Commander Ken Wallis. He was famous for flying autogyros, which are like small helicopters. His most famous autogyro was called Little Nellie. It even appeared in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice! Ken Wallis was the museum's president until he passed away in 2013.
Aircraft Collection Highlights
Here is a list of some of the amazing aircraft you can see at the museum:
- Beagle Terrier VX123 (G-ARLP)
- Avro Anson C.19 VL349
- BAe Sea Harrier FA.2 ZA175
- Boeing Stearman PT-27 Kaydet FJ801
- Bristol Sycamore HR.14 XG518
- Dassault MD-452 Mystère 79/EG
- de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 WB627
- de Havilland Sea Vixen FAW.1 XJ482
- de Havilland Vampire T.11 XK624
- English Electric Canberra T.4
- English Electric Lightning DB/F.1 XG329
- FMA IA 58 Pucará A-528
- Gloster Javelin FAW.9R XH892
- Gloster Meteor F (TT).8 WF643
- Hawker Hunter FGA.9 XG254
- Hunting Jet Provost T.3A XN500
- Lockheed T-33A 55-4433
- McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2 XV497
- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis (S-103) 623794
- North American F-100D Super Sabre 54-2196
- Percival Provost T.1 WV605
- Percival Sea Prince T.1 WV605
- Saunders Roe Skeeter AOP.12
- Vickers Valetta C.2 VX580
- Westland Whirlwind HAS.7 XN304
- Westland Whirlwind HAR.10 XR485
See also
- List of aviation museums
