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Tangmere Military Aviation Museum
Military Aviation Museum-Tangmere - geograph.org.uk - 1729366.jpg
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Established 1982 (1982)
Location Tangmere, West Sussex
Type Aviation museum

The Tangmere Military Aviation Museum is an exciting place to visit in West Sussex, England. It's located on the old RAF Tangmere airbase, which has a rich history. The museum first opened its doors in June 1982. Here, you can explore many amazing aircraft and engines. These exhibits cover a long period, from the First World War all the way up to the Cold War era. You'll see different types of planes, helicopters, and powerful aircraft engines.

Exploring the Tangmere Aviation Museum

The museum has a fantastic collection of aircraft. Most of these planes are kept safe inside two large hangars. A few others are displayed outside for everyone to see. Some of the cool exhibits are on loan from the Royal Air Force Museum. This includes a special Hawker Hunter jet. This very plane was used by a pilot named Neville Duke to break the world airspeed record back in 1953!

Amazing Aircraft on Display

The museum features many different types of aircraft. They are grouped by how they are powered.

Propeller Planes

These aircraft use engines with propellers to fly.

  • Hawker Hurricane – a copy of the famous World War II fighter plane.
  • Supermarine Spitfire K5054 – another replica of an iconic fighter.
  • Westland Lysander – a replica of a special plane used for secret missions.

Jet Aircraft

These planes use powerful jet engines.

De Havilland Sea Vixen TMAM
A de Havilland Sea Vixen jet
  • de Havilland Sea Vixen FAW.2 XJ580
  • de Havilland Vampire T.11 XH313
  • English Electric Lightning F.53 ZF578
  • Gloster Meteor F.4 EE549
  • Gloster Meteor F.8 WA829/WA984
  • Hawker Hunter F.3 WB188
  • Hawker Hunter F.5 WP190
  • Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.3 XV744
  • McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2 XV408
  • Supermarine Swift FR.5 WK281

Aircraft Cockpits

You can also see parts of planes, like their cockpits. These are the areas where the pilots sit.

  • de Havilland Canada Chipmunk T.10 WZ876
  • English Electric Canberra B.2 WE113
  • Hawker Hunter F.4 WV332
  • Percival Provost T.1 XF840
  • Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5A – a replica cockpit from a World War I plane.
  • Supermarine Spitfire IX – a cockpit that is still being built.

Helicopters

The museum also has a helicopter on display.

  • Westland Wessex HU.5 XS511

Flight Simulators

At the museum, you can even try out some flight simulators. These let you experience what it's like to fly a plane!

Aircraft Engines

The museum showcases many different types of aircraft engines. These are the powerful machines that make planes fly.

Rolls-Royce Derwent TMAM
A Rolls-Royce Derwent jet engine

Piston Engines

These engines work like car engines, using pistons to create power.

  • Rolls-Royce Griffon

Jet Engines

These are also known as gas turbine engines. They work by sucking in air, compressing it, mixing it with fuel, and then burning it to create a powerful jet of hot gas.

  • Rolls-Royce Derwent
  • Rolls-Royce Nene
  • Rolls-Royce Palouste

See also

  • List of aerospace museums
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