McDonnell-Douglas Phantom FGR.2 XV424 in 56 Squadron RAF markings. This aircraft was donated to the RAF Museum in 1992, the year the type was retired from RAF service.
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McDonnell-Douglas Phantom FGR.2 XV424 in 56 Squadron RAF markings. This aircraft was donated to the RAF Museum in 1992, the year the type was retired from RAF service.
AEC Mandator Mk.V Blue Steel missile transporter at the RAF Museum in London, United Kingdom.
In 1955, development of a nuclear cruise missile to be deployed from the V-bomber force began under the code name Blue Steel. However, the project headed by Avro (with the engine designed by Armstrong Siddeley and the guidance system developed by Elliots) soon ran into various technical and organisational difficulties. With this protracted development, the system only entered service in 1963 when it had lost much of its advantage due to the improvements of air-defense systems. Furthermore, Blue Steel proved to be of questionable reliability, though it remained in service until 1970, when it was replaced by the submarine-launched Polaris missile.
To transport the missiles from depots to the airfield, the RAF used specially modified AEC Mandators with narrow cabs and davit-like lifting equipment to load the missile onto a trailer and from there onto the bomber.
Humber light reconnaissance car Mk. IIIa (1943) of the RAF Regiment at the RAF Museum in London, United Kingdom.
During WWII, Humber developed a 4x4 military version of the Humber Snipe which served as basis for the Humber light reconnaissance car. The LCR was mainly operated by reconaissance units of the British Army and the RAF Regiment, which used it for the protection of airfields.
Control car of airship R.33 at the RAF Museum in London, United Kingdom.
Based on the design of a captured German Zeppelin, the British airship R.33 was construced by Armstrons-Whitworth for the RAF and first flew in 1919. In the following years, it was used in trails to test various applications for airships, including as a mothership for aircraft or for traffic survaillance. However, due to the difficult economic situation if the early 1920s, the airship programme was halted and R.33 mothballed on 1921.
Shortly after the airship was reactivated, on 16 April 1925 R.33 broke away from her mast at RAF Pulham in Nofolk. Blown out across the North Sea, the airship drifted towards the Dutch coast where after five hours, the partial crew of 20 men was able to regain control of the craft and return to Norfolk.
After repairs, R.33 was used to provide data for the construction of the larger R.101 airship as well as for the further development of parasite fighters. The airship was scrapped in 1928, with the forward section of her control car preserved at the RAF Museum.
Caudron G.III at the RAF Museum in London, United Kingdom.
The G.3 was a reconnaissance aircraft developed by the Caudron brothers just before WWI. After the outbreak of hostilities, the G.3 enterred large scale production by Caudron and other French manufacturers as well as factories in Britain and Italy. Over 2800 G.3s were in service with the air forces of most Allied nations during WWI.
The history of this particular G.3, fitted with an Anzani rotary engine, is somewhat murky. First documented in 1921 with the Belgian civil registration O-BELA, it was likely operated by the Belgian Air Force during the war. It is now on display at the RAF Museum, representing 3066, an aircraft operated by the Royal Naval Air Service Flying School at Vendôme.
ex Royal Air Force Westland Lysander III (1940) at the RAF Museum in London, United Kingdom.
ex Royal Air Force Westland Lysander III (1940) at the RAF Museum in London, United Kingdom.
ex U.S. Army Air Forces North American P-51D Mustang at the RAF Museum, London, United Kingdom.
Built in 1945, this Mustang was operated by the RCAF in the 1950s. Today it wears the markings of 41-3317, the Mustang of US fighter pilot Donald R. Emerson who scored 4.5 aerial victories during WWII. Emerson was shot down and killed during the battle of the Bulge after encountering six German planes, two of which he managed to shoot down.
1945: built at North American Aviation, Inglewood, California as c/n 122-40949 for U.S. Army Air Forces
1950: transferred to Royal Canadian Air Force for use in the RCAF Auxiliary Fighter Squadrons; assigend to No. 417 Squadron, Trenton, Ontario; later: No. 403 Squadron, Calgary
1953: re-assigned to No. 402 Squadron, Winnepeg
1954: placed in storage
1958: sold off, registred as civilian aircraft in the US as N6319T, subsequently various private owners in the US & Venezuela
2003: donated to RAF Museum
David Brown Light Aircraft Tractor Mk. 2 (1953) at the RAF Museum in London, United Kingdom.
David Brown Ltd. was originally a manufacturer of gears and gearboxes which had just began production of tractors when WWII began. Adapting their new product for war time used, the company developed the VIG1 airfield tractor, which became widly used by the Royal Air Force. Improved versions of the design continued to be made under the name "Taskmaster" well into the 1950s and remained in service until the 1970s.
Douglas Taskmaster aircraft tractor at the RAF Museum in London, United Kingdom.
Douglas is a British manufacturer of ground support vehicles which produced aircraft tugs based on David Brown tractors during the 1970s, also using the name Taskmaster, under which DB themselves had produced airfield tractors from WWII on.
ex Royal Air Force Westland Whirlwind HAR.10 at the Royal Air Force Museum in London, United Kingdom.
The Westland Whirlwind was a British-built version of the Sikorsky S-55. While it was widely used by the Navy, the RAF also operated type in a number of roles, including as a rescue helicopter
Blériot XXVII at the RAF Museum in London, United Kingdom.
French engineer Louis Blériot played an important shaping the technical development by pioneering the monoplane. Made famous by his 1909 Channel crossing by aircraft, Blériot also laid the basis for the French aircraft industry with more than 800 Blériot monoplanes produced.
The concrete identity of this aircraft is unknown with only its history from the 1930s being documented. However, it is assumed to be a Blériot XXVII, a streamlined racing version of the widely produced XI.
Gnome rotary engine of a Blériot XXVII at the RAF Museum in London, United Kingdom.
French engineer Louis Blériot played an important shaping the technical development by pioneering the monoplane. Made famous by his 1909 Channel crossing by aircraft, Blériot also laid the basis for the French aircraft industry with more than 800 Blériot monoplanes produced.
The concrete identity of this aircraft is unknown with only its history from the 1930s being documented. However, it is assumed to be a Blériot XXVII, a streamlined racing version of the widely produced XI.
Blériot XXVII at the RAF Museum in London, United Kingdom.
French engineer Louis Blériot played an important shaping the technical development by pioneering the monoplane. Made famous by his 1909 Channel crossing by aircraft, Blériot also laid the basis for the French aircraft industry with more than 800 Blériot monoplanes produced.
The concrete identity of this aircraft is unknown with only its history from the 1930s being documented. However, it is assumed to be a Blériot XXVII, a streamlined racing version of the widely produced XI.
Austin K9 WD ambulance of the Royal Air Force at the RAF Museum in London, United Kingdom.
The K9 was the military version of the Austin Loadstar, in service with the British armed forces in the 1950s. This included use as ambulances, succeding the WW2 era Austin K2/Y.
Ex Royal Canadian Air Force North American Harvard IIb at the RAF Museum in London, United Kingdom.
1943: built at Noorduyn Aviation, Montreal, Canada (C/N 14-639) under lend-lease. Delivered to RCAF, No. 41 Service Flying Training School, later No.37 FTS
1944: operated by No 8 SFTS, Weyburn
1946: placed in storage
1949: sold to Royal Danish Airforce (Flyvevåbnet)
1950-1960: in service with Flyvevåbnet as 31-329
1961: sold to Fjellfly, Norway registered LN-BNM
1968: placed in storage
1972: sold to the UK, subsequently displayed and stored at various locations
1985: purchase by the RAF Museum
