Solway Aviation Museum

Solway Aviation Museum
	Solway Aviation Museum Location within England Solway Aviation Museum Solway Aviation Museum (Cumbria) Solway Aviation Museum Solway Aviation Museum (the former City of Carlisle district)
Established	1961; 63 years ago
Location	Carlisle Lake District Airport; Irthington; Cumbria
Coordinates	54°56′36″N 2°48′20″W / 54.9432°N 2.8056°W
Type	Aviation museum
Website	www.solway-aviation-museum.co.uk

The Solway Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located at Carlisle Lake District Airport in Cumbria.^[1]

About

The Museum is run by The Solway Aviation Society and staffed by volunteers. The Society is a registered charity supported by entrance charges to the Museum, and public donations. In addition to normal opening the Museum hosts educational visits for school classes studying the Second World War and for Scouts achieving their Air Activities Badge. Following the closure of the RAF Millom Museum, many of the artefacts were moved to Solway Aviation Museum for safe keeping and eventual exhibition when space permits.

The Buildings contain exhibits and artefacts relating to aviation in Cumbria, including the Second World War and also houses individual displays featuring the development of the Blue Streak missile, Martin-Baker ejection seats, and the development and activities of the Airport itself since the Second World War.

History

In April 2024, the museum raised enough money to move the only surviving Blackburn Beverly to the museum from Fort Paull.^[2] Seven months later, the museum received a Tornado GR1 which had been a gate guard at RAF Spadeadam.^[3]

Collection

The current collection includes the following:^[4]

Aircraft	Serial	Notes
Avro Vulcan B.2	XJ823	Royal Air Force, it was flown into Carlisle Airport in January 1983, after the Falklands War^[5]
BAC Jet Provost T.4	XS209	Royal Air Force, was used as a training airframe
DH Vampire T.11	WZ515	Royal Air Force
Gloster Meteor NF.14	WS832	Built by Armstrong Whitworth, last used at the Royal Aerospace Establishment Llandbedr, Wales
English Electric Canberra T.4	WE188	Royal Air Force
BAC Lightning F.53	ZF583	Former Royal Saudi Air Force painted in Royal Air Force markings.
Hawker Hunter F.51	XG190	Former Royal Danish Air Force aircraft painted to represent an aircraft of the Empire Test Pilot's School
McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2	XV406	Royal Air Force, formerly a gate guard at 14 MU RAF Carlisle
Percival Sea Prince T.1	WP314	Royal Navy
SEPECAT Jaguar	XX146^[6]
Sikorsky Whirlwind HAR.21	WV198	Royal Navy

References

^ Solway Aviation Museum Mapping Museum research project
^ Wood, Alexandra (4 April 2024). "Plans for World's Last Remaining Blackburn Beverley are Flying High After Fundraising Target Hit". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
^ McTaggart, Paul (8 November 2024). "RAF Spadeadam Tornado Aircraft Donated to Cumbria Museum". The Mail. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
^ "Aircraft". Solway Aviation Museum. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
^ The Avro Vulcan, Solway Aviation Museum
^ McTaggart, Paul (23 August 2023). "Volunteers restore SEPECAT Jaguar for Solway Aviation Museum". News & Star. Retrieved 24 August 2023.

External links

Official website

[mapm-1] Solway Aviation Museum Mapping Museum research project

[2] Wood, Alexandra (4 April 2024). "Plans for World's Last Remaining Blackburn Beverley are Flying High After Fundraising Target Hit". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 4 April 2024.

[3] McTaggart, Paul (8 November 2024). "RAF Spadeadam Tornado Aircraft Donated to Cumbria Museum". The Mail. Retrieved 19 November 2024.

[4] "Aircraft". Solway Aviation Museum. Retrieved 16 December 2014.

[5] The Avro Vulcan, Solway Aviation Museum

[6] McTaggart, Paul (23 August 2023). "Volunteers restore SEPECAT Jaguar for Solway Aviation Museum". News & Star. Retrieved 24 August 2023.

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