Yorkshire Air Museum facts for kids

The Yorkshire Air Museum & Allied Air Forces Memorial is an exciting aviation museum located in Elvington, York. It sits on the site of the old RAF Elvington airfield, which was a busy air base during World War II. The museum first opened its doors in the mid-1980s.

This museum is one of the biggest independent air museums in Britain. It's also the only place in Europe that remembers all the Allied air forces. The museum is a registered charity. It is dedicated to sharing the history of aviation. It also serves as a special memorial to all the brave air force members, especially those who served in the Royal Air Force during World War II.

Explore the Museum Site

The museum covers a huge area of about 20 acres! It has many buildings and hangars, some of which are very old and protected. There's also a 7-acre natural area. This area is part of a special project called "Nature of Flight." It helps the museum be more eco-friendly. The museum is right next to a very long runway, which is privately owned.

How the Museum Started

The Royal Air Force used the runway for training until 1992. However, the buildings and hangars were empty for a long time before that. In 1980, a person named Rachel Semlyen had a great idea. She wanted to fix up the old, abandoned buildings and create a museum. By 1983, a group of people started clearing the land. Finally, in 1986, the Yorkshire Air Museum was ready to open!

Exciting Events at the Museum

The museum hosts several fun events every year. These events are for everyone to enjoy. They also have special educational events for groups like schools.

One very important event is the annual Allied Air Forces Memorial Day. This special day happens in September. It is a time to remember and honor all the brave people who served in the air forces.

Amazing Aircraft and Exhibits

The museum has over 50 aircraft! These planes show how aviation has changed from 1853 all the way up to modern jets like the GR4 Tornado. Some planes, like the Victor, Nimrod, and Dakota, are still working. They are even operated on special "Thunder Days" throughout the year. On these days, you can see them in action!

Buildings at the museum, the control tower is on the left

You can also see over 20 historic vehicles at the museum. There is a huge collection of over 500,000 old items and documents. This collection is the official archive for important aircrew groups.

A special exhibition about RAF Bomber Command was opened by Sir David Jason. In 2010, a new exhibition called "Pioneers of Aviation" opened. It tells the stories of famous aviation pioneers. These include Sir George Cayley, Sir Barnes Wallis, Robert Blackburn, Nevil Shute, and Amy Johnson.

The museum also has a restaurant and a gift shop. It has workshops for fixing aircraft. It is even used as a location for TV shows and movies!

What You Can See Inside

The museum has many different buildings, each with something interesting to explore:

• Building 1 – Airborne Forces Display & No. 609 Squadron RAF Room
• Building 2 – Uniform Display
• Building 3 – Air Gunners' Exhibition
• Building 4 – Archives & Reference Library
• Building 5 – Museum Shop
• Building 7 – Memorial Garden
• Building 8 – Museum HQ, Main Entrance
• Building 9 – Against the Odds
• Building 10 – Elvington Corporate Room
• Building 11 – Museum NAAFI Restaurant
• Building 12 – Control Tower
• Building 13 – French Officers' Mess
• Building 14 – Airmens Billet and Station MT Display
• Building 15 – Royal Observer Corp
• Building 16 – Signal Square
• Building 17 – Hangar T2 Main Aircraft exhibition
• Building 18 – Archive & Collections Building
• Building 19 – Handley Page Aircraft Workshop
• Building 20 – Pioneer of Aviation Exhibition

Aircraft Collection

The museum has a fantastic collection of aircraft from different time periods.

Planes from Before World War II

• Avro 504K – A copy of an early plane.
• Blackburn Mercury – A copy of an early plane.
• Cayley Glider – A copy of a very early glider.
• Mignet HM.14 Pou-du-Ciel
• Port Victoria P.V.8 Eastchurch Kitten – A copy of a small plane.
• Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c – A copy of an early plane.
• Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a – A copy of a famous World War I plane.
• Wright Flyer – A copy of the very first successful airplane.

Planes from World War II

• Avro Anson T.21 VV901
• Douglas Dakota IV KN353
• Fairchild Argus II FK338
• Gloster Meteor F.8 WL168
• Gloster Meteor NF.14 WS788
• Handley Page Halifax III LV907
• Hawker Hurricane I – A copy of a famous British fighter plane.
• Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 – A copy of a famous German fighter plane.
• Slingsby T.7 Kirby Cadet RA854
• Supermarine Spitfire I – A copy of a famous British fighter plane.
• Waco Hadrian 237123

Planes from After World War II

• Air Command Commander Elite
• Beagle Terrier 2 TJ704
• Canadair CT-133 Silver Star 133417
• de Havilland Devon C.2 VP967
• de Havilland Vampire T.11 XH278
• Europa Prototype 001
• Mainair Demon
• Saunders-Roe Skeeter AOP.12 XM553
• Westland Dragonfly HR.5 WH991

Planes from the Cold War Era

• BAC Jet Provost T.4 XP640
• Blackburn Buccaneer S.2 XN974
• Blackburn Buccaneer S.2B XX901
• British Aerospace Harrier GR.3 XV748
• British Aerospace Nimrod MR.2 XV250
• Dassault Mirage IIIE 538
• Dassault Mirage IVA 45/BR
• English Electric Canberra T.4 WH846
• English Electric Lightning F.6 XS903
• Fairey Gannet AEW.3 XL502
• Gloster Javelin FAW.9 XH767
• Handley Page Victor K.2 XL231
• Hawker Hunter FGA.78 QA10
• Hawker Hunter T.7 XL572
• Panavia Tornado GR.1 ZA354
• Panavia Tornado GR.4 XZ631

Ground Vehicles

The museum also has a cool collection of historic ground vehicles.

World War II Vehicles

• Thompson Brothers Aircraft Refueller
• 1938 Ford Model E
• 1940 "Tilly" Standard 12 hp Mkl RAF Utility Vehicle
• 1941 Chevrolet 4x4 CMP
• 1942 Austin K2 NAAFI Wagon
• 1942 Thornycroft ‘Amazon’ Coles Crane

Cold War Vehicles

• 1947 Commer one and a half deck airport coach
• 1949 Citroen 11BL
• 1948 David Brown VIG.2 Aircraft Tractor
• 1949 David Brown VIG.3 Aircraft Tractor
• 1951 David Brown GP Airfield Tractor
• 1953 Alvis Saracen 12ton APC
• 1953 Austin Champ Cargo 4x4 General Purpose Vehicle
• 1958 Commer Q4 Bikini Fire Pump Unit
• 1958 Lansing Aircraft Carrier Type Tug
• 1959 Daimler Ferret ASC MK.2/3/7
• 1966 Chieftain Main Battle Tank
• 1970 Douglas P3 nuclear aircraft 25 tonne tug
• 1971 Pathfinder Fire Engine 35ton (ex. Manchester Airport)
• 1972 TACR2 Range Rover - 6 wheeled fast response fire unit
• 1974 GMC 6 wheeled fast response airfield fire truck
• 1976 Dennis Mercury 17.5 tonne aircraft tug
• Pathfinder Fire Engine

Images for kids

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  Handley Page Halifax painted as "Friday the 13th"

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  Handley Page Victor

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  Panavia Tornado

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  TACR2