South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum facts for kids

The South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum (SYAM) is a fantastic place to explore planes and helicopters! It's run by amazing volunteers in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The museum is built on the old site of RAF Doncaster.

You can see some of the original buildings from the old air base. These include a large Bellman hangar and two wooden huts. These huts, called 'Billet Huts,' are from the Air Ministry. The museum also has a newer building. It used to be an Air Training Corps Cadet Hut. This hut now holds the museum's World War Two collection.

The museum is also home to the Yorkshire Helicopter Preservation Group (YHPG). This group moved here in 2002. They show off their helicopters alongside other museum exhibits. They even have a workshop on site. Here, they work hard to fix up old aircraft.

Discover Amazing Aircraft

The South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum has a huge collection of aircraft. You can see planes from the very first days of flying. There are also modern military jets. The museum has many civil aircraft and gliders too.

It also has the biggest display about the Falklands War. This display honors the brave people who fought in that conflict. Some of the aircraft on show actually flew in the war. Others are like the ones that did.

Many planes here have a special link to the local area. They flew from nearby airfields. These include RAF Finningley, Doncaster Sheffield Airport, and the old RAF Doncaster.

Volunteers have worked hard to fix up many of the exhibits. Some cool examples are the Avro Vulcan B.2 XL388 cockpit. Also, the Bristol Sycamore HR.14 XE317 and the Gloster Meteor T.7 WA667. They even restored a Cessna 150 G-AVAA.

Aircraft with Local Connections

These aircraft are important to the history of flying in the Doncaster area. They all flew from local airfields.

• BAE Systems Hawk T.1 XX238: This plane flew from RAF Finningley. It was part of No. 6 Flying Training School. It flew there between 1993 and 1996.
• Blériot XI Replica: This replica was built in 2009. It celebrates 100 years since the 1909 Doncaster Aviation Meeting. That was the first flying meeting in England! This replica looks like the plane flown by Léon Delagrange.
• 2003 Cayley Flyer Replica: BAE Systems built this replica in Brough. Virgin Atlantic helped pay for it. Sir Richard Branson flew it in 2003. This celebrated 150 years since Sir George Cayley's first flight.
• De Havilland Dove G-ARUM/G-DDCD: The National Coal Board used this plane. It was for executive transport. It often flew into Doncaster Airfield.
• Handley Page Jetstream XX495: This plane flew from RAF Finningley. Bedford College gave it to the museum in 2018.
• Hawker Siddeley HS.125 Dominie T.1 XS735: This aircraft also flew from RAF Finningley.
• Piper PA-23 Apache G-APMY: This was a United Steel Transport aircraft. It often flew into Scunthorpe Steelworks.
• Vickers Varsity WJ903 (cockpit section): This part of a plane flew from RAF Finningley.
• Taylorcraft Auster AOP.1 LB314: This plane flew from RAF Firbeck. That was the museum's first site during World War Two. Volunteers brought this aircraft from Denmark in 2018. It's now in Building 21. It still has its Danish registration marks, OY-DSZ.
• Grumman American AA-1B G-BCLW: This plane flew from RAF Finningley. It was used by a flying school. In 2013, it was damaged during a hard landing. The damage was too expensive to fix. G-BCLW was first based at Doncaster Airfield. This is the museum's current location.

Falklands War Aircraft

These aircraft have connections to the Falklands War. You can see them on display at the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum.

• Westland Wessex HU.5 XS481: This helicopter traveled to the South Atlantic. It was on a ship called the Astronomer. It was a replacement for Wessex helicopters lost when the SS Atlantic Conveyor sank. XS481 arrived after the war ended. It didn't see action but was used right after the conflict.
• Gazelle AH.1 XX411: This helicopter was from 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron. It was shot down on the first day of the landings. This happened near Port San Carlos. Pilot Sergeant Evans was killed. The helicopter was recovered later in 1982. It was too damaged to be repaired.
• Aermacchi MB-339 4-A-116: This was one of three Argentinian MB339s captured by British forces. It's the only one brought back to the UK. It was shown at the Fleet Air Arm Museum for a short time. Then Rolls-Royce used it and painted it white. It now has its original Argentinian markings again.
• Bell Huey UH-1H Iroquois AE-406: The Argentinian Army Aviation flew this helicopter. British forces captured it during the Falklands War.
• Westland Scout AH.1 XV139: This helicopter flew during the Falklands War. It was part of No. 656 Squadron AAC. On June 9, 1982, it was fired at by an Argentinian Blowpipe missile. The missile missed by only 25 yards!
• Westland Sea King HAS.6 XV677: This helicopter traveled to the Falkland Islands on the Queen Elizabeth 2. It was the second helicopter to land on the ship after changes were made. It arrived at Port San Carlos on June 2, 1982. XV677 flew in the Falklands with 825 Naval Air Squadron. After the war, it was upgraded to the HAS.6 Standard. XV677 was also the first Sea King helicopter to be preserved in the UK. It arrived at the museum in July 2006.

See also

• List of aerospace museums