Aviation Museum London

[bertflyer]

Hi all, as fellow enthusiasts, do you have 1 or 2 must see aviation museums in London (or surrounding area) that you recommend?
I have looked at the RAF Museum London website (RAF Museum London Homepage) and looks like a great one but just wanted to make sure I don’t miss any gems.
I'll be there in late May 2022 with a couple of spare days to fill.
Thanks heaps!
(I did search this site for previous threads and didn’t locate any info on this specifically)

 

[RooFlyer]

You may have seen it, but many aviation museums are discussed here; can't recall if any from London area there, sorry:

Aviation museums

The is a story in the Oz today about various aviation museums around the world: Nocookies Probably pay walled, so here:

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[VPS]

This is on my list to visit (I have some friends that moved nearby recently) but I think there is public transport to it if necessary

IWM Duxford

Visit Imperial War Museum Duxford for a huge day out. See Spitfires take to the skies from the airfield where they first flew, get up close to gigantic aircraft and walk in the footsteps of the men and women who served here.

www.iwm.org.uk

 

[Mwenenzi]

Outer London

de Havilland Aircraft Museum

www.dehavillandmuseum.co.uk

de Havilland Aircraft Museum - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Hendon is very good

Royal Air Force Museum London - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

List of aviation museums - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Edit
And

Brooklands Museum - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Brooklands Museum: Aviation & Motoring Museum

Aviation and motoring museum, Brooklands Museum: the birthplace of British motorsport, aviation, and home of Concorde.

www.brooklandsmuseum.com

 

[jb747]

The RAF museum at Hendon is extremely good. If you're on the tube from central London, go one stop past Hendon.

Duxford is a bit harder to get to, as the nearest rail station is a good walk away from the airport. Worth every step though.

 

[kelvedon]

I’d thoroughly recommend Duxford. It’s a working airfield with many preserved buildings from WW2. You can wander round the hangars and see aircraft being restored, as well as a large collection of civil and military aircraft Including a Concorde which you can go inside.
The easiest way to get there is by car , it’s about 1 1/2 hours from London, just south of Cambridge, but you can get there by public transport.

Getting to IWM Duxford

IWM Duxford is located in Cambridgeshire - Duxford, Cambridgeshire, CB22 4QR. Book Tickets Online. Adults from £22.70. Free Admission for members

www.iwm.org.uk

 

[VPS]

Google maps suggests there is a bus that is only 1 minute walk from Duxford

 

[jastel]

RAF Hendon or the Royal Air Force Museum as it now seems to be called is well worth a visit...it is on the Northern Black line at Colindale, one stop past Hendon Central...then a short walk...it was well signposted from what I remember.

RAF Cosford is out past Birmingham and about 3 hours by train, then a walk, easy to find.

Imperial War Museum Duxford is about 1.5 hours away.

Yeovilton is a Royal Navy Air Museum over near Bristol.

In London is also the Imperial War Museum, more War related but still has some planes.

There are more up in Yorkshire and Linconshire, WW2 Bomber type bases as well...but getting a bit far away for a day trip.

 

[kookaburra75]

If you have a car, my recommendation is the Shuttleworth collection, which is north of London at Old Warden.
Duxford is fantastic in terms of size and scale, Hendon for the history, but I like the Shuttleworth collection as most of the aircraft still fly. It's a pity you'll miss the Season opener on 1 May

Collection - Shuttleworth Events & Attractions

www.shuttleworth.org

 

[Mark1966]

Another recommendation for Duxford I'm afraid. I went there more interested in the WWII tanks as I used to make scale models as a kid. I found the aircraft fascinating though and the SR71 Blackbird was something very special, I cannot described why!

Walking between buildings and hearing a Spitfire start up and taxi before taking off on the airfield behind you is pretty special too!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I did a day trip to Brooklands… they have a concorde there and you can do a ‘concorde experience’. It was a bit of fun. You can get the train there and walk from the station. Just note that if walking the shortcut to the airport is down a steep hill… easily missed (which we did). The long route takes an extra hour of walking (leaving we found the shortcut)

 

[bertflyer]

Thank you everyone - really appreciate the great suggestions! Will have to make my way to Duxford for sure

 

[Mwenenzi]

More

List of Museums in London

A (probably) fairly complete list of all the museums that can be found in Greater London.

www.ianvisits.co.uk

Museums by Appointment – The British Airways Heritage Collection

The British Airways Heritage Collection is based at the airline's Head Office building and was formed to preserve the records and artefacts of British Airways predecessor companies: BOAC, BEA, BSAA and the pre-war Imperial Airways and the original British Airways Ltd.

www.ianvisits.co.uk

A day trip to – The Gatwick Aviation Museum

On the far side of Gatwick Airport is a museum, partly about the airport, but mainly about the military side of aviation.

www.ianvisits.co.uk

North Weald Airfield Museum

Just outside the comfort zone of the M25 barrier, on one of those long snaking rural roads that link villages together lies a small house with a stone memorial in its front garden.

www.ianvisits.co.uk

 

[bertflyer]

The RAF museum at Hendon is extremely good. If you're on the tube from central London, go one stop past Hendon.

Duxford is a bit harder to get to, as the nearest rail station is a good walk away from the airport. Worth every step though.

So just an update, thank you everyone for your suggestions, I visited both Hendon and Duxford and they were great! The walk from the train to Duxford is approx 30 min but well worth the hike!
Staying at the Thistle hotel near terminal 5 for my last night (Heathrow Airport Hotels | Heathrow Terminal 5 Hotel | Thistle Hotel) which has a balcony/bar/restaurant right on the runway with perfect views! Definitely recommend this if you need a night before heading home and like to watch planes land. Basic but clean and I’d stay again and saves the whole travelling in and out of London city centre (I’ve just flown in from Hamburg). Busses run from T5 to take you there and back (£1.55 each way) and then you can connect via the free train between T5 and T2/3 for QF flight home.

 

[bertflyer]

View from balcony:

 

[kookaburra75]

So just an update, thank you everyone for your suggestions, I visited both Hendon and Duxford and they were great! The walk from the train to Duxford is approx 30 min but well worth the hike!
Staying at the Thistle hotel near terminal 5 for my last night (Heathrow Airport Hotels | Heathrow Terminal 5 Hotel | Thistle Hotel) which has a balcony/bar/restaurant right on the runway with perfect views! Definitely recommend this if you need a night before heading home and like to watch planes land. Basic but clean and I’d stay again and saves the whole travelling in and out of London city centre (I’ve just flown in from Hamburg). Busses run from T5 to take you there and back (£1.55 each way) and then you can connect via the free train between T5 and T2/3 for QF flight home.

Any photos from Hendon or Duxford?

 

[jb747]

On my final flight, the FO and I braved the snow to visit Hendon.

 

[bertflyer]

Duxford Hangar 1, list of planes displayed and some photos. There are 4 (?) further big hangars including one dedicated just to US planes.

 

[bertflyer]

 

[jb747]

The aircraft on display move around a bit. Sometimes they disappear into storage for years, and they're also swapped between the various museums, especially Hendon and Duxford. This is a bit of a mixed bag from both.... I was surprised to see the TSR-2, as I didn't realise any had survived.