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 an exciting aviation museum. You can find it at Carlisle Lake District Airport in Cumbria, England. It's a great place to learn about airplanes and flying history.
Contents
Discover the Solway Aviation Museum
The museum is run by a group called The Solway Aviation Society. Many helpful volunteers work there. The Society is a registered charity. This means it's a non-profit group that uses money from tickets and donations to keep the museum running.
Educational Visits and Exhibits
Besides being open to the public, the museum welcomes school groups. Students can learn about the Second World War. It also helps Scouts earn their Air Activities Badge. After the RAF Millom Museum closed, many of its cool items were moved here. They will be shown when there is enough space.
The museum buildings have many interesting displays. You can see items about flying in Cumbria. There are special exhibits about the Second World War. You can also learn about the Blue Streak missile. Another display shows Martin-Baker ejection seats, which help pilots escape planes in an emergency. The museum also shares the history of the airport itself since the Second World War.
Museum History and Growth
The Solway Aviation Museum has been collecting and showing aircraft for many years. It works hard to preserve important planes and aviation items.
Bringing the Blackburn Beverly Home
In April 2024, the museum raised enough money for a special project. They were able to move the only remaining Blackburn Beverly aircraft to the museum. This huge plane was brought from Fort Paull to its new home.
Amazing Aircraft Collection
The museum has a fantastic collection of aircraft. Many of these planes were used by the Royal Air Force or Royal Navy. Each one has its own unique story.
Aircraft | Serial | Notes |
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Avro Vulcan B.2 | XJ823 | This Royal Air Force bomber flew into Carlisle Airport in January 1983, after the Falklands War. |
BAC Jet Provost T.4 | XS209 | A Royal Air Force plane used for training pilots. |
DH Vampire T.11 | WZ515 | A Royal Air Force jet. |
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. |
BAC Lightning F.53 | ZF583 | This plane used to belong to the Royal Saudi Air Force. It is now painted with Royal Air Force markings. |
Hawker Hunter F.51 | XG190 | This aircraft was once part of the Royal Danish Air Force. It is now painted to look like a plane from the Empire Test Pilot's School. |
McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2 | XV406 | A Royal Air Force jet that 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 jet aircraft. |
Sikorsky Whirlwind HAR.21 | WV198 | A helicopter used by the Royal Navy. |
See also
- Carlisle Lake District Airport
- List of aerospace museums