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Yorkshire Air Museum and Allied Air
Forces Memorial is one of the largest independent museums of
aviation in the United Kingdom. It sits on the former site of RAF
Elvington in North Yorkshire, a World War II airfield used
extensively by allied bomber crews. Our museum is a registered
charity dedicated to the history of aviation which was also set up
as a memorial to all allied air forces personnel, particularly
those who served in the Royal Air Force during WWII.
See the only
complete WWII Halifax bomber in Europe, climb aboard the Douglas
C-47 Dakota, the aircraft famed for its role in the airborne
invasion of the D-Day Landings and stand up close to our examples
of the famous WWII Spitfire and Hurricane fighters.
You will also
find a Gloster Meteor, Britain’s first jet fighter and many
aircraft from the Cold War era with exciting, evocative names such
as Lightning, Hunter, the Yorkshire built Blackburn Buccaneer,
Nimrod and the awesome and still futuristic looking Victor
V-Bomber.
From the birth of flight, you can also
see the only example of Sir George Cayley’s historic man-carrying
glider of 1853, the only full size replica in Europe of a Wright
Flyer, the world’s first powered aircraft, and the intriguing
Blackburn Mercury Monoplane.
There is
indeed a great deal for the visitor to discover during a day out
with us. Based on an authentic WWII Bomber Command Station, the
former RAF Elvington, we maintain the authentic atmosphere of the
period, whilst housing superb displays and exhibits, such as the
Bomber Command exhibition “Against the Odds”, which is now the
definitive national presentation on this subject. Similarly, the
“Pioneers of Aviation” exhibition provides a fascinating insight
into Yorkshire’s literally ground -breaking role in the birth of
manned flight, with Sir George Cayley, renowned as the Father of
Aeronautics and the inventor of the aeroplane, who was born in
Scarborough in December 1773. The exhibition also explores Leeds
born Robert Blackburn who established a hugely successful aircraft
manufacturing business; Hull born aviator Amy Johnson, whose
daring exploits and solo flights to Australia and South Africa are
indeed the stuff of legend. The work of Sir Barnes Wallis on the
R101 airship at Howden is also explored and the exhibition
features a dramatic interpretation of the famous ‘Dambuster raids’
with the Bouncing Bomb.
The Museum
prides itself on being a dedicated Memorial to the Allied Air
Forces and the tranquil Memorial Gardens provide a peaceful haven
to reflect on the service and sacrifice of so many brave young
airmen and women, from WWI to the present day.
With so much
to see, we have an excellent restaurant in which visitors can
enjoy a tasty meal, snacks and refreshments during their stay with
us.
Most importantly, the Museum is a place
of discovery and certainly much more than just an air museum!
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