North East Land, Sea and Air Museums Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
North East Land, Sea and Air Museums

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Established	1974
Location	Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom
Type	Aviation museum

The North East Land, Sea and Air Museums (NELSAM) is a cool place where you can explore a huge collection of aircraft and other historical items. It's run by volunteers and is located in Tyne and Wear, England, on what used to be RAF Usworth, an old air force base.

NELSAM has the biggest collection of aviation items between Yorkshire and Scotland. You can see over 30 different aircraft and lots of aero engines. The museum also has other interesting things like old weaponry and vehicles.

You can even walk through special displays, including a replica of a British street from World War II. There's also a display honoring No. 607 Squadron RAF, a famous air force group that was based at RAF Usworth. NELSAM is a registered charity in England, which means it's a non-profit organization that helps the community.

History of the Museum
Museum Collection
See also

History of the Museum

The North East Land, Sea and Air Museums started a long time ago, in March 1974. It began as a group called the North East Vintage and Veteran Aircraft Association (NEAVVAA). They met at the old Sunderland Airport, which used to be RAF Usworth.

In March 1975, the group bought their very first aircraft: a Westland WS-51 Dragonfly helicopter. They found it in a scrapyard! As they collected more aircraft, the group changed its name a couple of times. In May 1977, they became the Northumbian Aeronautical Collection, and in 1979, they were called the North East Aircraft Museum. More amazing planes were added, including a huge Avro Vulcan bomber in January 1983.

The logo used when the museum was called the North East Aircraft Museum

In April 1984, the local council announced that the airport would close to make space for a car factory. After a lot of discussions, the museum was given a new four-acre site right next to the old airfield. In 1987, the museum officially opened to the public full-time.

The museum started raising money in 1989 to build hangars to keep some of their collection indoors. Construction on a new hangar began in 1993. Sadly, in September 1996, the old Sunderland Airport control tower, which the museum used for storage, was damaged by fire. Then, in January 1997, a very rare aircraft, the museum's Vickers Valetta C2, was also destroyed by fire. This was one of only three Valettas left in the world, and its restoration had taken two years to complete.

In early 2012, a collection of military vehicles moved to the museum's new large building, called a Romney hut. Because of this new addition, the museum changed its name to its current one: North East Land, Sea and Air Museums.

Later, in April 2013, the North Eastern Electrical Traction Trust (NEETT) moved their trams and buses to a new tram shed at the museum. The shed was finished, and tracks were installed by December 2013.