Sywell Aviation Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 2001 |
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| Location | Sywell Aerodrome, Northamptonshire |
| Type | Aviation museum |
The Sywell Aviation Museum is a fantastic place in Northamptonshire, England, where you can learn all about flying! It's located right at Sywell Aerodrome, in the car park where people watch planes. This museum tells the story of aviation in Northamptonshire, from the very first flights to today. It especially focuses on the exciting and important events of World War II.
Friendly volunteers run the museum, which is managed by the Sywell Aviation Museum Trust. It closes for the colder winter months but opens its doors again every Easter Saturday.
Contents
Discovering Aviation History
The Sywell Aviation Museum first opened its doors in May 2001. Its buildings are actually three special Nissen huts. These huts were once used at a former American air base called Bentwaters. Later, in 2011 and 2012, two more Nissen huts were added. These came from an old prisoner-of-war camp in Derbyshire. All five huts are lined up, creating a unique museum space.
Inside the museum, you'll find many cool displays about flying in Northamptonshire. You can see items found from old plane crashes, real aircraft cockpits, old uniforms, and detailed models. The museum is also famous for its collection of aircraft weapons. This includes everything from tiny darts used in World War I to a huge model of Britain's "Blue Danube" nuclear bomb. You can also see missiles, rockets, and bombs, some displayed on an original World War II RAF bomb trolley pulled by a special tractor.
Exploring the Museum Halls
The museum is divided into different halls, each with its own exciting theme.
The Paul Morgan Hall: Sywell's Story
This hall, also known as Sywell Hall, tells the history of Sywell Aerodrome. You can learn about how the aerodrome started and how it was used for RAF pilot training during wartime. There's even a special LINK Trainer, which was like an early flight simulator. A highlight is the cockpit of a de Havilland Vampire T.11 jet fighter, which you can often get a closer look at!
The RAF Hall: Wartime Life
Step into the RAF Hall to see displays of RAF uniforms and equipment. There's a complete World War II bomb train, a replica of an Anderson shelter (a backyard bomb shelter), and a wartime kitchen setup. You can also learn a lot about the Home Guard, who protected Britain during the war.
The Main Hall: Local Heroes and Crashes
The Main Hall features parts of Vickers Wellington and B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft that crashed locally. You can learn about air battles in World War I and the Zeppelin airship raids over Northamptonshire. The hall also tells the story of local flying ace Major Mick Mannock. Kids can even try out the cockpits of the museum's de Havilland Chipmunk and de Havilland Rapide planes!
The American Hall: US Air Force in WWII
This hall focuses on three main American air force groups that were based nearby during World War II. You'll see original operation boards from the 20th Fighter Group and a display showing what a USAAF station armoury looked like. There's even a mock-up of a B-17 bomber's cheek gunner's position. A powerful Packard-built Merlin engine from a 20th Fighter Group North American Mustang is also on display.
The POW/Cold War Hall: Escape and New Threats
The POW/Cold War Hall covers the 1942 Wellingborough Blitz bombing raid. It also explores stories of RAF escape and evasion, and what it was like for prisoners of war. You'll also learn about the Cold War era, including the use of THOR missiles in Northamptonshire. An Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire jet engine, which once powered the museum's Hawker Hunter jet, is on display here.
Aircraft on Display
The museum has some amazing aircraft for you to see!
- de Havilland Vampire T.11 XD599 Vicky (cockpit)
- de Havilland Canada Chipmunk T.10 WG419 Clare (cockpit)
- Hawker Hunter F.2 WN904 Heidi
- de Havilland DH.89a Dragon Rapide 'G-AJHO' Rachel (replica cockpit)
- Slingsby Grasshopper TX.1 WZ820 (stored)
- de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth G-AOES Tara (cockpit, stored, being restored)
- Handley Page HP-137 Jetstream 200 G-RAVL Jenny (being restored)
External Aircraft Displays
Right outside the museum, you can see a Hawker Hunter F.2 jet fighter. This is a very special aircraft because it's the only complete F.2 model left in the world!
In March 2021, the museum received its second complete aircraft, a Handley Page Jetstream 200 (G-RAVL). This plane arrived at Sywell from Cranfield Airfield. It was a demonstration aircraft for Sywell-based Jetstream Ltd in the 1970s. This very plane even won the Daily Express National Air Race in 1971! The museum plans to restore this aircraft and use it as a classroom for visitors.
Museum Awards and Recognition
The Sywell Aviation Museum has won many awards over the years for its great work:
- Museum of the Year and Best Exhibition 2007
- Highly Commended, Best Special Project 2011 & 2012
- Best Special Project and Peoples' Choice Awards 2013
- Best Community Project 2014
- Highly Commended Best Community Project 2018
- In July 2019, the museum won The Peoples' Choice Award at the Northamptonshire Heritage Awards. This award was voted for by the public as the best Museum in Northamptonshire for both 2019 and 2020.
- Highly Commended Best Special Project 2021
- Winner Best Event - Museum Grand Opening & 21st Birthday Party - Northants Heritage Awards October 2022
- National Transport Trust Restoration Award - Jetstream Project September 2024
Visiting the Museum
The museum is open from Easter Saturday until usually the end of September. You can visit between 10:30 AM and 4:30 PM on weekends and bank holidays during its open season. It's also open on some weekday afternoons. If you have a group, you can arrange special visits and guided tours.
Entry to the museum is free, but donations are always welcome to help keep this amazing place running!
See also
- List of aerospace museums
Images for kids
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The Sywell Aviation Museum building.
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A Hawker Hunter jet fighter on display outside the museum.
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