Let the Royal Air Force Museum London take you on a fascinating journey through the history of flight. Our world-class collection of over 80 aircraft is sp
read between six hangars, each with its own unique focus on an aspect of aviation.
The Museum provides an environment where old can meet the new and allows them to work together in perfect harmony. The collection’s oldest aircraft are to be found in the remaining quarter of the UK’s first aircraft factory, built by aviation pioneer Claude Grahame-White and include the Bristol F.2b Fighter from the early days of the First World War.
A comprehensive trip through the history of the Royal Air Force is provided by our Hangar 1 exhibition where visitors are guided through the first one hundred years of the service’s history and introduced to key personnel, including Sir Frank Whittle, the inventor of the jet engine, Sir Hugh Trenchard the founder of the RAF and modern day pilots such as DFC Ayla Holdom who served with the Prince of Wales on Search and Rescue helicopters as well as in battle in Afghanistan.
Young and old will be entertained in equal measure throughout the site with our interactive experiences bringing the action right to your fingertips. RAF First to the Future, also in Hangar 1, lets children find out for themselves the science behind keeping a plane in the air. Our 4D cinema will take them right into the thick of battle as a B-17 pilot behind enemy lines or propel them into the modern day as they sit in the pilot seat of a Red Arrows Jet, participating in an air display or perhaps they might prefer to take the seat of a Tornado pilot as this jet roars over lakes and valleys in Cumbria (charges apply) .
The Museum is constantly organising new exhibitions as part of its commitment to presenting the history of the RAF in an innovative manner to uncover fascinating stories. In the last 12 months we have opened two new permanent exhibitions at our London site.
These are ‘Strike Hard, Strike Sure: Bomber Command 1939–1945’, located in Hangar 5, where you will find our mighty Lancaster Bomber ‘S’ for Sugar which flew 137 sorties during the war and ‘Higher, Faster, Further – The RAF 1919 – 1939’, which tells the story of the development of the RAF between the First and Second World Wars.As part of ‘Strike Hard, Strike Sure’ visitors can use augmented reality to explore the interior of ‘S’ for Sugar. People stories are at the heart of this exhibition’s storytelling. Men and women from across the world, on the ground and in the air, played a part. Throughout the exhibition, silhouettes depict the stories of individuals who played crucial roles, such as engineer Barnes Wallis or the head of Bomber Command, Arthur Harris.
‘Higher, Faster, Further’ shares the story of the challenges and achievements of the RAF in the years between the two world wars — a time of extreme social, political and technological change. We also look at how through the endeavours of early pioneers, such as Sir Alan Cobham and Alex Henshaw civil aviati
on and the aviation industry took off in the run up to the Second World War. Weather permitting, younger children will adore exploring our free aviation themed playground, while mum and dad can sit watching them with a relaxing hot tea or glass of wine.
The Royal Air Force Museum London is open daily from 10.00am and has ample charged parking on-site.
For those travelling to us via public transport, a regular bus service, the 303, will drop you off at our gates whether you are travelling to us from Colindale Station or Mill Hill Broadway. Don’t forget that admission to the Museum and its galleries is free of charge.
So why not book your tickets now at rafmuseum.org/london and get ready for take off!