Solway Aviation Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1961 |
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| Location | Carlisle Lake District Airport Irthington Cumbria |
| Type | Aviation museum |
The Solway Aviation Museum is a cool place to visit if you love airplanes! It's an aviation museum located at Carlisle Lake District Airport in Cumbria, England. Here, you can explore many different aircraft and learn about the history of flying.
Contents
Discovering the Solway Aviation Museum
The Solway Aviation Museum is run by a group called The Solway Aviation Society. Many friendly volunteers help out at the museum. It's a registered charity, which means it's a non-profit organization. The museum gets money from tickets and donations to keep running.
What You Can See and Do
The museum is a great spot for learning! School groups often visit to study about the Second World War. Scouts can even earn their Air Activities Badge here. The buildings are full of interesting items and displays. You can learn about flying in Cumbria and the history of the airport.
You'll also find special exhibits about the Blue Streak missile. There are displays on Martin-Baker ejection seats, which are seats designed to safely launch pilots out of planes in an emergency. The museum also has many old items from the former RAF Millom Museum. These items are kept safe and will be shown when there's enough space.
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Museum History: New Planes Arrive
The museum has grown over the years. In April 2024, the museum raised enough money to bring a very special plane to its collection. This was the only remaining Blackburn Beverly aircraft. It was moved all the way from Fort Paull to its new home at the museum.
Seven months later, in November 2024, the museum welcomed another exciting addition. They received a Tornado GR1 jet. This powerful aircraft used to be a "gate guard" at RAF Spadeadam. A gate guard is an old aircraft displayed at the entrance of a military base.
Aircraft Collection: Meet the Planes
The Solway Aviation Museum has an amazing collection of aircraft. Here are some of the planes you can see:
| Aircraft | Serial Number | Interesting Facts |
|---|---|---|
| Avro Vulcan B.2 | XJ823 | This Royal Air Force bomber flew into Carlisle Airport in January 1983. It was used during the Falklands War. |
| BAC Jet Provost T.4 | XS209 | A Royal Air Force plane, it was used to train pilots. |
| DH Vampire T.11 | WZ515 | This was a jet fighter used by the Royal Air Force. |
| Gloster Meteor NF.14 | WS832 | Built by Armstrong Whitworth, this plane was last used for testing in Wales. |
| English Electric Canberra T.4 | WE188 | Another Royal Air Force aircraft, known for its speed. |
| BAC Lightning F.53 | ZF583 | This fast jet used to belong to the Royal Saudi Air Force. It's now painted in Royal Air Force colors. |
| Hawker Hunter F.51 | XG190 | This plane was once part of the Royal Danish Air Force. It now looks like an aircraft from a special pilot testing school. |
| McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2 | XV406 | A Royal Air Force fighter jet. It was once displayed at RAF Carlisle. |
| Percival Sea Prince T.1 | WP314 | This aircraft was used by the Royal Navy. |
| SEPECAT Jaguar | XX146 | A powerful attack aircraft. |
| Sikorsky Whirlwind HAR.21 | WV198 | This helicopter was used by the Royal Navy. |
