Hawker Siddeley Gnat T1
See the former Red Arrows Gnat that helped train generations of RAF fast-jet pilots.
AircraftFind out moreStart your RAF Museum London visit in Hangar 1 and discover the first 100 years of the Royal Air Force. From its formation in 1918 as the world’s first independent air force, explore how the RAF has defended the nation, supported communities and responded to a changing world. Hundreds of objects—including logbooks, hidden maps, survival equipment and mascots—sit alongside aircraft, vehicles and boats. Personal accounts reveal the experiences of aircrew, engineers, ground staff, families and partners. Interactive activities invite you to plot aircraft on a wartime operations table, explore Frank Whittle’s pioneering jet engine, test your reactions and teamwork, learn to fly a Gnat or help fix a Sea King.
Highlights
Short Sunderland MR5
Explore the RAF’s last flying boat and its service from the Second World War to Korea.
AircraftFind out more
Westland Sea King HAR3
Discover the helicopter that became an icon of RAF search and rescue across the UK.
AircraftFind out moreExplore the skies and uncover the immense history of the RAF
Book your free entryKey objects
Playing Cards with a Concealed Map
Discover how prisoners of war concealed escape maps inside ordinary packs of playing cards.
ArtefactFind out more
No. 4 Squadron Minor Offences Book
Read the RAF discipline book once maintained by the future King George VI.
ArtefactFind out more
Explore Frank Whittle’s Jet Engine
Explore Frank Whittle’s experimental engine and discover how British jet flight began.
EngineFind out moreFeature people
Alfred Huberman: Life as a Rear Gunner
Hear rear gunner Alfred Huberman describe the danger and discomfort of wartime operations.
Rear GunnerFind out more
Sheldon Skeete: RAF 100 Years
Hear how Sheldon Skeete celebrated the RAF centenary through the sound of calypso.
Aircraft TechnicianFind out moreResources
Become a Wartime Plotter
Could you have worked as a Women’s Auxiliary Air Force plotter during the Second World War?
Use the interactive operations-room table to position aircraft plots and help build a picture of activity in the skies.
Information from radar stations and observers had to be received, checked and displayed quickly. Controllers used the developing picture to make decisions and direct RAF fighters.
The activity demonstrates the concentration, communication and teamwork required from the women whose work helped Britain’s air-defence system operate effectively.
Supporters
This exhibition is supported by:
With further support from:
RAF Museum Storyvault
Continue exploring the RAF’s history through the RAF Museum Storyvault.
This online resource brings stories and collection material together, allowing audiences to discover RAF history beyond the Museum’s physical displays.
Use it to investigate people, aircraft, operations and experiences from across the RAF’s history. It is an ideal resource for personal research, classroom learning or following up a subject discovered during your Museum visit.
Explore StoryvaultScottish Aviation and STEM Trail
Take your exploration beyond the Museum with the Scottish Aviation and STEM Trail.
The online trail brings together locations connected to Scotland’s military and civil aviation heritage. Explore historic airfields, memorials, museums, radar sites and documented aircraft crash locations.
Its interactive map helps reveal how RAF history is connected to real landscapes and communities across Scotland.
The resource also introduces aviation science, technology, engineering and mathematics, connecting historic achievements with the skills shaping aviation today.
Explore the Scottish Aviation Trail